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What is the role of language in our society? What is the impact of bilingualism in the U.S.? Students explore such questions from current Spanish socio-linguistics research. Through analysis of data, students examine issues of language contact, variation and change, language and gender, language and power, and/or language planning. May be repeated if topic is different. This course includes the study of at least one substantive literary work. Taught in Spanish. Offered alternate years. Also counts toward race and ethnic studies major and linguistic studies and race and ethnic studies concentrations. Prerequisites: SPAN 250 or SPAN 251 and SPAN 276.


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This course takes a case-study approach to the fitting and assessment of statistical models with application to real data. Specific topics include multiple regression, model diagnostics, and logistic regression. The approach focuses on problem-solving tools, interpretation, mathematical models underlying analysis methods, and written statistical reports. Offered each semester. Also counts toward environmental studies major (natural science and social science emphases) and management studies, mathematical biology, neuroscience, and public health studies concentrations. Prerequisite: STAT 110 or STAT 212 or ECON 260 or equivalent preparation, or permission of instructor.


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As the most recognized expression of physical culture, organized sports occupy a prominent position around the world. For centuries, athletic success--or failure--can and has been used as a tool to make war, peace, politics, and money. This seminar is designed for students interested in the political, cultural, and historical impact of sports and physical culture. You do not need to be a collegiate athlete--or even particularly sporty--to apply! Some of our guiding questions for the semester include: When did organized athletics emerge--and what implications does that hold for us today? How do national and international interests collide in the arena of sports? Can and should sporting achievement be viewed independently of other contexts? How can we understand and analyze sports as "physical culture"? What athletic pursuits and other physical cultures matter to our St. Olaf campus community? In this course, we will use tools from the fields of cultural and literary analysis to think, talk, and write about the present, past, and future of sports and physical culture--from the intramural clubs at St. Olaf to international competitions like the Olympic Games. We will analyze historical and contemporary source texts, craft and debate persuasive arguments, research and write about physical culture(s), and reflect on our shared physical, emotional, and critical-rhetorical growth at St. Olaf.


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Increasingly, we ask ourselves, "What can I do about climate change?" Maybe we try to recycle or donate to environmental causes, but we wonder if such actions make a difference. Maybe what we're really wondering is this: how do we live meaningfully in the time of climate change? How do we confront climate anxiety, find joy, and be good ancestors to future generations? To address these questions, we'll discuss environmental media from diverse leaders of the emerging climate renaissance. These voices will take us from the heights of the Arctic to worlds below the earth, through forests that communicate with each other, and into the food cultures of the future. In the process, we'll do civically engaged environmental work with our local Northfield community and dispel the myths that make writing difficult in favor of evidence-based essay strategies. Ultimately, we'll work together to find words and ideas to live responsibly in community--with each other and the more-than-human world. No prior environmental knowledge is required.


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The popularity of science fiction stems not only from its speculations about the future, but also from what it tells us about the present. In this seminar we will explore the temporal fluidity of science fiction along with many of its other generic features, including plots, settings, characters, ideological perspectives and explanations of science and technology. We will read sci-fi novels and short stories in addition to watching a selection of sci-fi film classics. Finally, you will read scholarly texts on both specific works and the genre as a whole.


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From Black Power to Black Lives Matter, from the Combahee River Collective to the Crunk Feminist Collective, the concept now known as intersectionality was first theorized by feminists of color in the 1970s and continues to provide a crucial lens for grappling with questions of identity, power, and social justice. In this course, we will think and write alongside intersectional writers and activists such as Gloria Anzaldúa, Kimberlé Crenshaw, bell hooks, and Audre Lorde as we build more complex understandings of the relationships between gender, race, sexuality, class, and other aspects of identity. Through encounters with many types of texts--including poems, personal essays, scholarly articles, videos, manifestos, and social media posts--you'll sharpen your critical thinking, close reading, argumentation, and research skills. You will not only write about intersectionality, but also will practice intersectional methods--teasing out nuances, imagining new frameworks, and holding in mind conflicting ideas--that will allow you to grow as a writer and person. Assignments will include individual essays, a presentation in pairs, and a group podcast that discusses research-based, practical applications of intersectionality for everyday life, our campus community, and the wider culture.


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What are the natural places you know best, and how have they shaped you? This seminar focuses on writers who narrate a personal experience with nature. We will ask how the natural world shapes individual and community identities, how nature is defined differently in various cultures, and how we can understand ourselves as participants in ecological systems. Students will work on the process of writing in various genres, including an analysis of academic research and a reflective essay, culminating in a final research paper in which they investigate a natural place they have experienced and write about its meaning for them.


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Friendship is among the most foundational concepts in nearly every age and society, and yet it remains among the most mysterious. Today it commonly refers to people, nations, pets, businesses, and online avatars associated with people we may never have met. Why is friendship so resonant across temporal and cultural contexts and yet so hard to define? Is friendship a preference for individual people or an obligation we have to each and every person we encounter? To what extent is friendship gendered? Does friendship play different roles in different cultures, and if so, how do we talk about intercultural friendships? In this seminar, we'll draw on literature, film, philosophy, journalism, and visual art in order to consider existing philosophies of friendship and to develop our own. Major writing assignments will include a rhetorical analysis and a research project on influential friendships and friendship communities.


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Many people consider the Nordic welfare models exemplary for their promises of equality and well-being for all, but history shows that Nordic countries have not always treated people with disabilities well. This seminar examines experiences of and responses to disability in the Nordic region and how disability intersects with other markers of diversity such as race, gender, age, and class. We will ask how we might reimagine the different experiences of people with disabilities as an element of a diverse, equitable society by exploring the representations of people with disabilities in literature, film, art, journalism, and popular culture. Through reading, discussion, writing, and research, we will question how our concepts of bodymind normalcy shape our own understanding of ability and disability.


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In this course, we'll think about all kinds of games, including board games, card games, playground games, sports, and video games. We will consider why we find ourselves playing games when we have so many other things to do and how they might be able to help us be more successful in navigating the college experience. We'll research and write about communities formed around games, and we'll finish the term by reflecting on what we've learned and applying that knowledge to design a game intended to improve the success of St. Olaf students.


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Evolutionary biologist Mark Pagel has called it "the most powerful, dangerous and subversive trait that natural selection has ever devised." Language--spoken, signed, and written--may be our most important tool for influencing others and constructing ourselves. This seminar is designed for students interested in the phenomenon of human language: its mutability, its persuasive power, and its roles in social and cultural identities. Questions we may address include: what's in a name? why do we lie? what words convey apology? how does language matter in our campus community? Readings in non-fiction and drama support class discussions of those questions and also model different writing "moves." During our unit on language in drama, the class will also attend a production of the play we are studying. Students synthesize reading and viewing assignments, discussion, personal experience, and the results of their inquisitive research to write in several modes and genres. The writing process for these assignments integrates substantial time for workshops of drafts and students' reflections on their own rhetorical practices and development.


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The word "utopia" means both a "good place" and "no place." Utopian literature embraces this duality by imagining places better than our own. This course will begin with these literary utopias before considering some of the historical attempts to make a "good place" in a real place and time. We'll investigate the common problems that both real and imagined utopias have tried to solve, and we'll seek to understand the roots of these problems. We'll end the semester with a collaborative class project to create a utopian college community. Writing for the course will emphasize research, analysis, argumentation, and reflection.


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Travel is simply defined as going from one place to another, but we commonly restrict its meaning to the description of a physical event. A more expansive idea of travel might point us in the direction of literature and film, and the manner in which they position readers/spectators to travel outside of themselves, or to take in and identify with places and perspectives they have never actually experienced. This seminar asks what it means to travel, including but also moving beyond the physical act, to examine how our understanding of it is transformed in an increasingly connected (and disconnected) virtual world. We will read travel literature and screen films that focus on travel, but we will also more broadly consider the promise of travel embedded in these forms themselves.


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What are the roots of inequality, in America and across the globe? In Caste, her provocative critique of race in American society, Isabel Wilkerson uses multiple stories and personal experience to argue that caste is a code buried beneath the surface of race relations in the U.S. That code uses notions of heredity, group purity, stigma, and enforcement through terror in ways similar to the Hindu caste system's suppression of the Dalits (the Untouchables) and Nazi Germany's scapegoating of the Jews. Does this explanation of social superiority and inferiority hold up against theories of economic competition and the nature of prejudice? Readings include Wilkerson's Caste, Marcus Zusak's The Book Thief, and either Aravind Adiga's The White Tiger or John Okada's No-No Boy. This course requires of students an openness to honest conversation and passion for reading.


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Populism—defined as “the people” versus “the interests”—has a central role in American politics and culture. The 2016 election featured right and left populisms. With roots in contests over democracy, notably the 19th-century People’s Party, populist movements have produced egalitarian and xenophobic politics, both yesterday and today. Populist culture ranges from Aaron Copland’s music to reality TV. This course explores these many varieties of populism, while placing American populism in a global context.


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This course explores the use of non-rigid materials in sculpture, such as textiles, fibers, inflatables, pourables and found material. Students will learn about soft sculpture as a historical and contemporary medium by looking at artists such as Claes Oldenburg, Lynda Benglis and Yayoi Kasuma. Students will acquire basic knitting and sewing skills as well as welding and wood-working techniques for building armatures. Material investigations will focus on surface/structure, gravity/buoyancy and permeability. The class will explore how issues of craft, fashion and the unmonumental relate to the genre of soft sculpture.


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This course examines contemporary China through Chinese language cinema across different eras, genres, filmmakers, and geographic regions. Students will explore the art of film and how visual narratives represent, reinterpret, and redefine Chinese society and culture both at home and abroad. Discussion topics include modernity and tradition, nationalism and globalization, class and race, gender and sexuality, independent and commercial films. All readings are in English. FLAC component available. Counts toward film studies and media studies concentrations.


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This online course combines digital humanities and Asian American studies to explore the multiple cultural and historical productions of Asia in America. Students critically examine topics such as ethnic identities, stereotypes, diasporas, citizenships, pop cultures, body images, sexuality, practices of different Asian communities, and various contemporary issues through a wide range of learning activities. Students may receive credit for only one of ASIAN 123 or ASIAN 223. Offered spring semester 2016-17 and fall semester 2017-18. Counts toward American Studies and Asian Studies majors; and Asian Studies, Chinese Studies, and Japan Studies concentrations.


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In this seminar course, we will address fundamental questions concerning the molecular biology of disease. Using the primary literature, we will learn how disease-associated alleles lead to altered gene expression or protein function and the effect of these altered genes and proteins on cellular function. Students will help shape the course by choosing specific topics that interest them. The main focus of the course will involve learning from and working with recently published scientific articles. There will also be lectures on background information and other class activities, including student presentations. Also, students will investigate a particular topic through a guided literature project. Prerequisites: BIO227 or CH/BI227 and BIO 233.


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This advanced Chinese language course assists students in acquiring content knowledge and language skills in professional and business settings. Course materials include profession-related conversations, news articles, website blogs, and radio and TV news. Class activities include lectures, language drills, discussions, presentations, and group projects. Specialized knowledge in business and economics is not required to take this course. Taught in Chinese. Offered alternate years. Counts toward Asian studies major and Asian studies and China studies concentrations. Prerequisite: Chinese 302 or equivalent.


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Students study musculoskeletal anatomy (structure) and kinesiology (science of human motion) from the perspective of dance training and performance. Students learn anatomical terminology, identify select bones (major features, articulations) and muscles (locations, actions), and analyze their influence during coordinated movement patterns. Students learn joint structure and mechanics, alignment and imbalances, movement behavior, conditioning needs, and injury prevention. Students learn to notice, measure, experience, sense, and reflect upon the impact of anatomical characteristics and anomalies. Offered annually. Prerequisite: students taking this course should have previous experience in a movement intensive practice similar to dance, athletics, or exercise science. Offered annually in the fall semester.


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Students examine how humans learn language as well as how they learn more than one language, as is the case for the vast majority of people living. Students also explore the factors that enable or hinder language learning and whether bilinguals are smarter. These are just some of the fascinating issues addressed in the course that combines study of theory, fieldwork-based analysis of learner language, and pedagogical considerations, including a focus on both English and World Langauge learners. The course includes an Academic Civic Engagement component with 10 hours of field experience. Offered annually, fall semester. Required for ESL licensure and TEFL certificate; counts toward Linguistic Studies Concentration. Prerequisite: FYW.


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This course traces the development of American literature during one of the most eventful periods in American history. From the Civil War to the civil rights movement, from westward expansion to American imperialism, this course examines the poetry, fiction, and drama produced as America was rising to cultural and global dominance, while dealing with inequality at home. Potential authors include Twain, Wharton, Gilman, Crane, Hughes, Frost, Hurston, Faulkner, Miller, Ellison and Rich. Prerequisite: FYW.


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When Shakespeare first penned the phrase “All the world’s a stage” near the end of the sixteenth century, his plays were being performed on the stage of the Globe Theater in London. Over the last four hundred years, the entire globe has become a stage for Shakespeare’s plays, and this course will chart some of those journeys through space and time. We will study five of Shakespeare’s plays from several genres (comedy, tragedy, history), first placing them in their initial historical context, and then examining how these works have been translated, adapted, appropriated, revised and represented in performances around the world. Examples such of global responses may include Sulayman Al-Bassam’s The Al-Hamlet Summit, which transfers Shakespeare’s political upheaval to a contemporary Arabic context; Omkara, a Bollywood adaptation of Othello; and an Israeli production of The Merchant of Venice. If possible, the class will attend a performance of one of the plays on our syllabus; tickets and transportation will come to no more than $25. “Global Shakespeares” carries ALS-L credit, and counts as a pre-1800 course and a Cross-Disciplinary course for the English major. Prerequisite: FYW or equivalent.


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This cross-disciplinary course traces the flourishing of British creativity in art, design,and literature from the postwar era to the present--a period in which Britain emerged as an influential nation in a number of creative fields, from music to fashion, product design to architecture. Students examine works, movements, creative practices, and critical methodologies from art, design, and literature in order to develop a panoramic understanding of contemporary British creativity. Offered alternate years. Prerequisite: FYW.


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The 17th century movement now known as the Scientific Revolution brought radically altered ideas about human beings, truth, knowledge, and our place in the universe. This course examines its effects on English literature from about 1600 to 1700. Students discuss how changing views, particularly on astronomy and medicine, inspired literary works. Authors may include William Shakespeare; Christopher Marlowe; Ben Jonson; John Donne; Francis Bacon; John Milton; and Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle. Fee may be required. Counts toward English major. Offered alternate years in the fall semester. Prerequisite: FYW.


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This course examines (mostly) American literary and cinematic representations of war through books and films that engage with four historical conflicts: World War I (1914-1918), World War II (1939-1945), the Vietnam War (1961-1975), and the Iraq War (2003-2011). In addition to studying the conventions, patterns, and practices that inform the literary and visual treatments of these conflicts, students will explore historical and theoretical concerns that address the handling of violence and trauma, links between the combat film and war photography, filmic realism and authenticity, and Hollywood’s conceptualization of war and counter-narratives that challenge it.


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Through literature, film and theory, this course will highlight important questions about the politics and social dynamics of “queer” sexuality and gender and how some of the most interesting contemporary writers and artists explore these questions in their work. Particular attention will be paid to the ways in which sexual identities intersect with and shape other categories of identity including gender, ethnicity, class culture and nation. Our work together will work toward several goals: 1) to understand a literary work’s “queerness” in terms of form and style; 2) to gain a sense of the central concepts and debates in queer theory and politics; and 3) to apply theory to literature as well as real world issues. GE: ALS-L. Prerequisites: FYW or equivalent.


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With a focus on writings by Alex la Guma and Nadine Gordimer, this course explores South African Literature. We will concentrate on twentieth century South African literature in English, exploring its evolution through the legacy of indigenous folklore and literature and the influence of foreign cultures and literatures. The focus on la Guma and Gordimer will enable us to explore not only diverse literary techniques but also common themes in South African literature, such as the dialectic between urban and rural realities, apartheid and race relations, the struggle for liberation, and ideologies such as Marxism. We will explore artistic theories and world views which shaped the work of la Guma and Gordimer, both of whom, fortunately, have left us a rich legacy of their thoughts, in the form of interviews and essays, which illuminate not only their own works but also the broader universe of South African literature. Prerequisite: Open to rising juniors and seniors who have completed English 185 and at least two level-II English courses or by permission of the instructor.


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This course will provide the opportunity for in-depth exploration of three great British novelists, whose work spans three literary periods (the age of reason, the Victorian era, and the modernist revolution). All three brilliantly explored and exploited the formal potential of this relative newcomer among literary genres, “the novel. “ We will read two or three works by each author (texts such as Austen’s Mansfield Park, Emma, and Persuasion; Eliot's The Mill on the Floss and Middlemarch; Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, and The Waves). We’ll trace continuity of themes and the development of new literary forms from the late eighteenth to early twentieth centuries, and explore issues of literary influence (how does Eliot re-vision Austen? How does Woolf both re-read and revise Austen and Eliot?). We’ll also explore the territory of contemporary literary criticism (in our own times), and undertake final projects putting secondary sources in conversation with your ideas. Prerequisite: Open to rising juniors and seniors who have completed English 185 and at least two level-II English courses or by permission of the instructor.


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This seminar explores art and material culture to research ecocritical artistic themes such as the roles and concerns raised by art and environmental activism; what ecocriticism reveals about landscapes and environmental matters in specific places and times, and how indigenous peoples' environmental concerns are explored through art. The course counts as an environmental studies, arts and humanities elective, an American studies course, and as an art history course within the art history and studio art majors.


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This course is designed to teach media literacy in the German context with emphasis on ideological, cultural, aesthetic, and ethical perspectives. Students examine current issues, events, culture, politics, education, entertainment, advertising, and other non-literary topics as treated in contemporary German print and electronic media, including press, television, film, internet, and radio. Students compare and contrast presentations by different German media and by German versus U.S. media. The course emphasizes strategies for writing papers in German. Taught in German. Counts toward German major, German studies concentration, and management studies concentration. Prerequisite: GERM 251 or GERM 252.


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Students analyze women's experience and notions of gender in Europe since 1700. Themes include the definition of domestic ideology from the Enlightenment through industrialization to the Victorian period, gendering citizenship in the nation-state, the impact of science and technology on women's lives and bodies, the development of feminism(s), and women and gender in socialist and fascist regimes. Offered periodically. Counts toward women's and gender studies major and concentration.


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The Mongol conquests of Asia in the 13th and 14th centuries shook the settled world to its core, leaving death and destruction in its wake. But what did life in medieval Asia look like after the Mongols? This course examines medieval Asian societies and their visitors as they dealt with and adapted to what some Europeans thought was the coming of the apocalypse. While Europe never experienced the doomsday they feared, many other countries in Asia had to engage directly with them, changing their societies forever. To get a look at how these societies adapted and how such a devastating conquest could end up opening super-long-distance trade routes, this class will read, Chinese, Japanese, Muslim, and European travel writing as well as other primary and secondary sources that examine what life was like after the Mongols assembled the biggest land empire in human history.


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Historian Pierre Sorlin observed in the 1970s that most people get their knowledge about the past from movies, not from books or History courses. Films are powerful vehicles for immersing us in worlds from different times and places, establishing a narrative, showing us change over time, and developing an interpretation. Yet over four decades after Sorlin’s observation, historian Robert Rosenstone, himself a champion of using film to study history, noted that historical films still “trouble and disturb” most professional historians. Why is the common focus on the past shared by film and historical study so problematic? In what ways do film and historical study complement each other to help us understand the past? These are the big questions that inspire this course. To begin answering these questions, History 299 focuses on ways in which film has portrayed seminal developments and events—and the contexts that produced them--in twentieth-century European history. We’ll “read” films as historical texts and explore their “meaning-making” capacity. We’ll treat some films as primary sources; we’ll examine others to consider how visions of the past bear upon the present—for instance, how a particular age or generation seeks a “useable” past. We’ll compare filmic and current scholarly interpretations of the past to understand better the role of each in shaping historical memory. ORC credit.


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This seminar has two major objectives: 1) to study the Holocaust within the context of twentieth-century European and German history, and 2) to examine key issues and problems historians encounter as they try to understand the Holocaust. Topics may include: antisemitism in Europe and the Third Reich; the genesis of the Final Solution; the bureaucracy, process, and personnel of extermination; individual and state complicity in the Holocaust; acts of resistance and rescue; evolution of the intentionalist/stucturalist debate; issues in the representation and memorialization of the Holocaust; the Holocaust and genocide studies; and the phenomenon of Holocaust denial. Students will read a variety of secondary works that place the Holocaust in historical context and identify important scholarly debates. Students will examine a range of primary sources (e.g., survivors’ testimony, photographs, official documents) to explore issues raised in interpreting certain types of Holocaust evidence. Finally, students will view a number of films, including Shoah, Schindler’s List, and Life is Beautiful, to consider how the Holocaust can be portrayed to a broad public in an historically and politically responsible way. Pre-requisite: Hist 191, 224, 226, or permission of the instructor.


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Computer science (CS) students team with students in non-CS fields in order to create custom web-based software that serves the research needs of particular professors in those non-CS fields of application. Students in a field of application provide disciplinary content, context, and feedback throughout project development, while pursuing relevant independent work. CS students develop software collaboratively and rapidly using the HiPerCiC (High-Performance Computing in Context) framework, while learning current web programming principles and technologies. Counts toward computer science major. Prerequisite: CSCI 251 or permission of instructor.


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Lucretius might best be described as a philosophical poet. His De Rerum Natura ("On the Nature of the Universe") presents the theories and teachings of Greek philosophers like Democritus and Epicurus, but with a Roman flavor. Students translate substantial sections of this fascinating poem. Offered periodically. Counts toward ancient studies and medieval studies majors. Prerequisite: LATIN 231 or equivalent.


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Students focus on the nursing care of childbearing and childrearing families in the context of family-centered care. Family theory will be utilized as the framework for nursing assessment and care of families in various situations across the lifespan. Clinical experiences are provided with childbearing and childrearing families. Counts toward the nursing major. Offered annually in the fall semester. Prerequisite: open to junior nursing majors only; NURS 211; concurrent registration in NURS 311 and NURS 313.


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The pre-departure orientation seminar supports and enhances students' off-campus learning by increasing their preparation for a month of study and travel in India. Students employ a psychological perspective to read, discuss, and present literature about India's culture, history, and current issues. The study and practice of intercultural learning activities and the use of video conferencing and other resources support students' interactions and field projects with the group's hosts at universities and research sites in India.


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This seminar will use research to be presented at the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting as the basis for discussions. We will read the most recent publications relating to neural control of behavior to prepare to attend poster sessions, symposia, and talks at the conference. Each topic will be considered in light of the role of the brain and the interpretation of behavior to better understand the development of research questions and the use of evidence to expand scientific knowledge. Travel to the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, is a required part of the course; funding for the trip is available. Prerequisites: Psych 238 or Neuro 239 and junior or senior standing. Registration by permission of instructor.


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This seminar introduces students to critical and cultural texts written by women of color to name the complex politics of race, gender, and sexuality. Using a family lens, students will develop intersectionality as an analytical tool with which to read how these systems of interlocking oppression have historically built social boundaries that have marginalized women of color identities. Readings will emphasize literary and cultural representations as acts of resistance to racial gender violence, racial homophobia, policing and militarization, and global economic inequality. Offered periodically, topics vary. Counts toward the Race and Ethnic Studies and Women's and Gender Studies major and concentration and the Family Studies concentration.


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In this research based, interdisciplinary seminar we consider the role of religion as a factor motivating migration by various groups, including refugees and immigrants, both in the past and more recently. We also examine interactions between migrant groups and American culture. In doing so we will be attentive to belief, behavior, and belonging by individuals and within communities. Religious diversity as a fact, and pluralism as a stance, are significant themes in our inquiry. Students employ digital tools and approaches to frame research questions; gather, analyze, and interpret data; and present their findings. This seminar is open to students in all fields of study, and is especially appropriate for those in religion, history, political science, and sociology/anthropology. Interested students are encouraged to consult with the instructor prior to registration.


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Students explore a topic pertinent to more than one geographic area of the Spanish-speaking world (Spain, Latin America, and/or the Hispanic U.S.). Students focus on comparative analysis through reading, discussion and writing in Spanish. The course includes study of at least one substantive literary work. Sample topics include: Dictatorship and Literature, and Language and Identity. May be repeated if topic is different. Taught in Spanish. Prerequisite: SPAN 250 and at least one 270-level course.


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This course focuses on the use of statistics in a social science context. Students investigate three essential questions: How can one reliably measure something? How does one design valid research? How does one analyze research results? Topics include ANOVA designs (for example, one-way and two-way with interaction), data reduction methods, and principles of measurement. Interdisciplinary groups work together on case studies throughout the term. Offered alternate years. Prerequisites: STAT 110, STAT 212, or STAT 214, or ECON 263, or equivalent preparation, or permission of the instructor.


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The popularity of science fiction stems from both its speculations about the future and what it tells us about the present. In this seminar, we will explore the temporal fluidity of science fiction along with many of its other generic features, including plots, settings, characters, ideological perspectives, and explanations of science and technology. Students will read and write about sci-fi novels and short stories by influential authors from H.G. Wells to Kim Stanley Robinson. Considering the importance of cinema to the sci-fi genre, the seminar will also host a number of screenings. The course is likely to include Wells’s War of the Worlds, Isaac Asimov's I, Robot, Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and Octavia E. Butler's Parable of the Sower, along with film classics such as A Trip to the Moon, 2001, Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell, and Arrival. Finally , Students will read scholarly texts on both specific works and the sci-fi genre as a whole.


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This course provides intensive exposure to career opportunities in architecture, painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, photography, illustration, video, digital media, and design of all kinds (from toys to exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art). Working five to seven hours a day, students interview over 25 artist professionals during the month, visit more than 100 galleries and museums, and write extensively about artists and artwork. Offered during Interim in alternate years. Apply through International and Off-Campus Studies. Also counts toward management studies concentration. Prerequisite: none, but completion of the following courses is highly recommended: ART 253 (preferred), ART 252, and ART 280.


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Students study Georgia O'Keeffe's New Mexican art, natural and cultural contexts. Three weeks at Ghost Ranch follow a week in Santa Fe with the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and other resources. Discussions, readings, activities, and field trips help students gain insight into the desert as a source of spiritual quest and inspiration to nature writers and artists. They learn about Native American cultures and the region as a place women found liberation and scientists created the atom bomb. Also counts toward environmental studies and women's and gender studies majors, and environmental studies and women's and gender studies concentrations.


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Students investigate community-based approaches to environmental sustainability during this Interim course taught at the Asian Rural Institute (ARI) in northern Japan. Students explore how ARI builds on local Japanese resources to support its mission of training rural leaders from developing countries in organic agricultural practices. Activities include field trips, discussions, and symposia with Japanese students, as well as hands-on participation in the daily food life at ARI. Offered periodically during Interim. Apply through International and Off-Campus Studies. Counts toward Asian studies, Japanese, and environmental studies majors and Asian studies and environmental studies concentrations. Prerequisites: preference given to students with prior coursework in either Asian studies or environmental studies.


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Students pursue guided fieldwork experience in China and Japan. Activities and readings in this course build on the topics from ASCON 210 and language study. Students continue to explore their understanding of Asia through language activities, site visits, and ethnographic observations. Students develop projects and follow a process of inquiry that will help them understand how ordinary people construct "Asian" culture and society today. Offered annually during Interim. Counts toward Asian studies, Chinese, and Japanese majors and Asian studies concentration. Prerequisite: ASCON 210.


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This course is a broad introduction to the history of East Asia as a region from the end of the nineteenth century to the 1990s. Through three spatial modules -- the Sinophone (Chinese-speaking) World, the Korean Peninsula, and the Japanese Archipelago -- students explore the interconnections and divisions between emergent nation-states and empires at a time of rapid social, cultural, and political change. Offered annually. Also counts toward Chinese and Japanese majors.


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In this course students read and analyze a selection of 20th- and 21st-century Japanese novels and short stories in English translation, and then watch film adaptations of the same works. Students analyze the literary and cinematic works in terms of cultural themes, artistic expression, and specific socio-historical contexts. Students learn and apply introductory approaches to adaptation theory, and consider the creative process of adapting literary works to film. Taught in English. No knowledge of Japanese required. Evening film screenings are required in addition to class meetings. Offered periodically during interim. Also counts toward Japanese and film studies majors. Also counts toward film studies concentration.


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This course offers students the opportunity to study first-hand the most diverse ecosystems on earth. In this intensive field-oriented course students explore lowland rainforest, montane forest, dry forest, and coastal and agricultural ecosystems through projects and field trips. Students read and discuss texts and primary literature specific to ecology, evolution, conservation, and agricultural practices of each area, and keep reflective journals. Offered during Interim in alternate years. Apply through International and Off-Campus Studies. Prerequisite: one science course.


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This course explores the natural history of our planet through the fossil record. Students learn from professional paleontologists and museum curators about how fossils are used in scientific research prior to embarking on a 10-day vertebrate fossil expedition in central Florida. The students then curate, catalog, and interpret their data, using a large museum reference collection. Open only to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Offered periodically during Interim. Apply through International and Off-Campus Studies.


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This course offers intensive field-biology experiences within three equatorial New World environments: the Amazon rainforest, the Andes cloud forests, and the Galapagos Islands. Students compare the rich biodiversity, the adaptations and natural history of species, and the influence of human impact on these areas. Preparation for class requires readings from texts and primary literature concerning ecological and environmental issues specific to each of these regions. Based in Quito, the three field expeditions alternate with home-based rest days allowing for reflective writing in journals, assimilation, and discussion. Offered during Interim. Apply through International and Off-Campus Studies. Prerequisite: BIO 150 or permission of instructor.


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This course will cover a range of topics related to fungi, including types of fungi, their nutritional needs, medical mycology, and how fungi affect plant growth. The course consists of lectures and direct interaction with fungal specimens.


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From tiny ion channels to the basis for learning, neuroscience is a rapidly developing area. Using texts, reviews, and current literature, students examine in depth the fundamental unit of the nervous system, the neuron. The goals are to understand how neurons accomplish their unique functions: electrical signaling, synaptic transmission, and directed growth and remodeling. Also counts toward neuroscience concentration. Prerequisites: BIO 227 or CH/BI 227 and progress toward a major in any of the natural sciences.


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In this course students gain an appreciation for the drug development process, including how natural products are isolated and utilized as starting points for drug development, how molecular structure relates to biological activity, and how research into the mechanism of disease leads to the targeted development of drugs. Offered alternate years during Interim. Also counts toward biomolecular science concentration. Prerequisite: CHEM 248.


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With their tales of shape-shifting, vengeance, heroic quests, and tragic turns of fortune, the myths of the ancient Greeks and Romans have long inspired artists, poets, and philosophers. Even today, they continue to influence how human beings view the world and interact with one another. In this course students read thought-provoking stories about gods, heroes, and mortals, explore them in their original contexts, and investigate their connections with modern times and with students' own experiences. Offered annually. Also counts toward ancient studies, Greek, and Latin majors.


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This course introduces students to the history and art of ancient Greece. It covers more than two thousand years of Greek civilization, from the Bronze Age through the archaic, classical, and Hellenistic periods. The itinerary takes students to every major region of Greece, with extended stays in Athens, Crete, the Peloponnese, and Thessaloniki. When not visiting museums and archaeological sites, students have the opportunity to experience modern Greek culture as well. Offered during Interim in alternate years. Apply through International and Off-Campus Studies. Also counts toward ancient studies, Greek, and Latin majors.


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An introduction to world dance traditions, this course examines dance forms, functions, contexts, and differing aesthetics found in selected cultures of Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, the South Pacific, and the Americas. The course includes lectures, discussion, video-viewing, and required field-trips to dance events, in addition to studio experiences where students learn dances from the cultures studied. No previous dance experience required. Ticket/transportation fee required. Offered alternate years during Interim.


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Students examine the influence of race, class, and multiculturalism in American schools by participating as teachers' assistants and tutors in two distinctly different K-12 schools. Students discover the challenges and benefits associated with teaching in a diverse racial, cultural, and socio-economic environment. Through guest lectures, readings, field trips, and seminars, students learn about the truly unique geographic and cultural setting of the Hawaiian islands. This environment makes an excellent framework for examining race, ethnicity, power, and privilege in U.S. schools. Fulfills EDUC 382: Human Relations requirement. P/N only. Intended for education major/licensure students and educational studies concentrators; cannot fulfill the Interim requirement for TEFL certification. Offered alternate Interims, even years. Apply through the Education Department. Also counts toward race and ethnic studies major and concentration. Prerequisite: EDUC 260 and EDUC 290, or EDUC 330.


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In addition to the traditional practices of literary study, cross-disciplinary courses include materials from at least one other academic discipline, requiring students to compare and combine disciplinary perspectives in literary analysis. Examples of courses taught under this heading might include Literature and Politics; Religion and the Novel; Philosophical Approaches to Literature. May be repeated if topic is different. Offered periodically. Prerequisite: FYW.


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This cross-disciplinary course traces the flourishing of British creativity in art, design,and literature from the postwar era to the present--a period in which Britain emerged as an influential nation in a number of creative fields, from music to fashion, product design to architecture. Students examine works, movements, creative practices, and critical methodologies from art, design, and literature in order to develop a panoramic understanding of contemporary British creativity. Offered periodically. Prerequisite: WRIT 120 or equivalent.


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Through nonfiction, fiction, and poetry, students explore the complex relations between humans and the "natural" world. Students consider questions such as the following: What does it mean to be connected to a landscape? What is a sense of place? Students also reflect on how they and the writers they read put landscape into language. Also counts toward envionmental studies major (all emphases) and concentration. Prerequisite: FYW.


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This course examines poetry written by African poets who have emerged since the 1980s. Students study the factors that have influenced the development of African poetry and learn to evaluate how literature enacts and reflects the efforts of individuals and groups to negotiate political, social, and cultural contexts. Course materials and discussions invite the exploration of African poets and their poetic personas as witnesses, activists, and spokespeople, and their struggle against tyranny, dictatorship, oppression, and injustice. Offered periodically. Prerequisite: FYW or WRR.


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This course gives students a hands-on opportunity to develop their use of writing strategies and technologies appropriate to workplaces. Course themes include workplace practices, professional ethics, technology resources, promotional resources, and writing on behalf of an organization. Students create individual and collaborative projects including employment documents, proposals, brochures, memos, and other professional genres. Through case studies, readings, and/or client-based projects, students analyze writing practices in a range of professional settings. Offered periodically. Also counts toward management studies concentration. Prerequisite: FYW.


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In this course, students examine the ethical underpinnings of the sustainable development concept; explore the interdependence of society and environment in a variety of contexts (primarily but not exclusively in "developing" countries); learn about the social factors that have led economic growth to be particularly unsustainable, especially with respect to the environment. Offered annually in the spring semester. Prerequisite: ENVST 137.


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For much of film history the film director has been considered to be an author not unlike a writer of a novel or composer of a symphony. In this course students closely analyze the authorship of influential film directors, while also critically evaluating the role of the director along with the many other artists and workers that contribute to the meaning and production of film. May be repeated if topics are different. Offered alternate years in the spring semester beginning spring semester 2021-22.


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This course will examine films created by women filmmakers since the Nouvelle Vague (late 1950s-present). Screenings of films from a variety of popular and "high brow" genres and accompanying critical readings will focus on a range of historical and contemporary questions, while also introducing theoretical approaches to film studies. Topics include: cinema and modernity; gender, race, sexuality, and social class; everyday life; culture and society; rural vs. urban experience; trauma. Students will develop their ability to critically analyze films, hone their French oral and written skills, and deepen their understanding of these issues through discussion, oral presentations, creative projects, analytical writing, and short readings. Taught in French. Prerequisite: minimum of one 250-level course.


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Students delve into advanced language work and on-the-spot investigation of French culture, past and present, including theater, film, visual arts, the French court, and the medieval cathedral through background readings and visits to important monuments. Students read, discuss, see, and critique plays ranging from the classical to the contemporary. Taught in French. Offered annually during Interim. Apply through International and Off-Campus Studies. Also counts toward management studies concentration. Prerequisite: One French 250-level course (two recommended).


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This course critically engages the notion of European identity by exploring the idea of the Grand Tour and the emergence of national museums. Students will experience firsthand some of the sites, artifacts, and works of art encountered in the Great Conversation program and reflect on the ways in which the program, like the Grand Tour itself, delineates cultural borders as well as disrupts them. Offered alternate years during Interim. Apply through International and Off-Campus Studies. Prerequisite: completion of GCON 217 or permission of the instructor.


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The genre film often has a reputation as a lower or less artistically valid form of cinema, but scholarship in recent years has called for a reexamination of its status. Genre cinema leads contemporary scholars to reevaluate what were often presented as binary conflicts within film history and view them in a more nuanced light: the tension between cinema as mass medium versus higher art form; its reproduction of reality versus source of imaginative flight. Moreover, genre film has also long been associated with female-identifying filmmakers, as well as spectators. This identification has, of course, played into the films’ status as outside of the traditional (white cishet male dominated) canon. The purpose of this course is to examine films outside of the traditional German cinema canon, as well as explore the conversations around and attitudes towards gender in the Germanophone world from the early twentieth century onwards.


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The Cold War was more than a geopolitical contest between two rival superpowers, but a global phenomenon that transformed societies, cultures, and communities throughout the world. We will follow the ongoing competition between capitalism and communism, but also the process of decolonization and the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War and global protests of 1968, the promise of detente, and the environmental movements of the 1980s. We will focus on the role of popular culture in this period, as film, music, television, and print media were not merely influenced by the dynamics of the Cold War, but rather in their creativity and power were able to change the course of history.


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This seminar designed for majors examines secession and the southern rebellion, especially their relationship to slavery and racial violence. Topics include society during wartime, gender and the home front, what happened on the battlefield and the coming of emancipation. The course concludes with an examination of the modern debates over the Confederate legacy, including the controversy over Confederate statues at places like Charlottesville and Richmond.


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This course explores the dynamic arts and governance environment of Washington D. C. Students meet arts professionals in varied fields; visit galleries, museums, theaters, music and dance performances, arts and civic organizations; and develop strategies for practicing citizenship and democratic engagement through artistic expression. Counts toward studio art, art history, music, theater, and dance majors, as well as arts management studies. Offered during Interim. Apply through International and Off-Campus Studies. Prerequisite: at least one fine arts course or arts management course or permission of the instructor.


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A full immersion in the art of theater, students attend approximately 22 performances at London and Stratford theaters. The course includes the reading of play texts, dramatic criticism, group discussions, and backstage tours. England, a theatrical center of the English-speaking world, enables students to experience a wide variety of theatrical performances ranging from traditional to modern. Excursions to Stratford-upon-Avon and other locations offer additional cultural perspectives. Offered annually during Interim. Apply through International and Off-Campus Studies. Counts toward English major.


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Students study the mathematics of Emmy Noether and Sonya Kovalevskaya, visit cultural and historical sites in Germany and Sweden associated with the women, and learn about the societal contexts in which they lived and worked. Noether was fundamental in the development of algebra, in particular the theory of how rings decompose into ideals. Kovalevskaya extended work of Cauchy to prove the main theorem for analytic solutions to partial differential equations. Offered alternate years during Interim. Apply through International and Off-Campus Studies. Prerequisites: MATH 252, or MATH 230 and MATH 244.


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New Zealand is recognized as one of the world's most entrepreneurial countries. This course explores the unique innovation eco-systems that have developed to support entrepreneurship and economic development in New Zealand. Students will have site visits to both incubators and start-up organizations to meet with entrepreneurs while traveling from Auckland to Dunedin. Assignments will focus on idea generation and implementation. Offered alternate years during Interim. Apply through International and Off-Campus Studies. Management studies concentration credit will only be awarded for one of MGMT 260 or MGMT 257. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or above.


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Students study the musical history of hymnody and its relationship to the history of the church. In addition, this course explores the Biblical Psalms and their use in worship of the church and includes references to their musical settings in Gregorian chant, Anglican chant, responsorial settings, and choral music. Offered alternate years during Interim.


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"The Ethics of Print: Hans Christian Andersen, Søren Kierkegaard, and the Danish Golden Age" will explore the literary polemics of the period (ca. 1800-1850) involving the two figures named in the title. The course fulfills Ethical Issues and Normative Perspectives (EIN), Ethical Reasoning in Context (ERC), and Writing in Context (WRI), and it counts towards the Philosophy and Norwegian majors, and the Nordic Studies concentration.


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This seminar integrates the experience of work and the search for career in the context of Norway. Course content includes both an internship in Oslo and a reflection seminar. The reflection seminar connects academic theories/analyses of work and Norwegian culture with the internship experience. Through reading, writing, and discussion, this course provides a space in which to reflect on the challenges, hopes, and fears facing students embarking on their postgraduation careers. Also counts toward Norwegian, history, environmental studies, political science, and exercise science majors; and educational studies, Nordic studies, and statistics and data science concentrations. Offered alternate years during Interim. Prerequisite: completion of FOL in Norwegian.


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A philosophical inquiry into beauty and art. Students investigate the relationship between beauty, goodness, and truth, and examine different accounts of art, its value, meaning, and the standards bywhich it should be judged. Themes include the nature of creativity, censorship, and the significance -- cultural, moral, and religious -- of art. Offered annually. Also counts toward art history major.


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Kierkegaard is regarded as the founder of both existentialism and existential psycho-analysis. In this seminar, we will study and assess his views on mental health issues (e.g. anxiety and depression) and their relation to both our ethical and spiritual well-being.


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This course takes a holistic, process approach to design. Student teams identify human-centered needs, define problems, develop and prototype solutions, test, redesign, and present final recommendations. This hands-on course emphasizes the application of scientific principles, analysis, and design to real world problems. Students write throughout the course to develop and share ideas. Offered annually during Interim. Prerequisites: MATH 119 or MATH 120 and at least one of the following: PHYS 130, PHYS 124, CHEM 121, CHEM 122, CHEM 125, CH/BI 125, BIO 150, PSYCH 125, CSCI 121, or permission of the instructor.


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Modern scientific work relies heavily on electronic circuitry and computation. This course examines the fundamentals of analog and digital electronics, explores the applications of discrete and integrated circuits, and introduces the broad topic of computer control of experiments. Students develop hands-on skills in circuit building, computer interfacing, and programming in LabView®. Students attend lectures and one 2.5-hour laboratory per week. Offered alternate years. Also counts toward computer science major. Prerequisite: PHYS 125 or PHYS 131.


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This course combines job-shadowing, panel discussions, and a seminar. Students work with two different D.C.-area employers (primarily in government and advocacy sectors). Daily seminars analyze these vocational experiences as they relate to scholarship on political efficacy, motivation, and ethics. Students also receive an introduction to the breadth of career opportunities available in D.C. through panel discussions and networking. Offered annually during Interim. Apply through International and Off-Campus Studies. Also counts toward international relations concentration


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Korea is now the only divided country in the world and is technically at war since its armistice in 1953. Its division continues to pose a serious security threat to its neighbors in Asia and the U.S. This course will engage students to explore the following questions and think about strategic interactions among states. How did Korea come to be divided in the first place? What role did the U.S. play in its division? How did South Korea, which was as poor as Ghana (per capita income of $490) in the 1950s achieve such a rapid economic growth ($4,832) by 1990 and outdo both Ghana ($481) and North Korea ($725)? Do people in each country want Korea to be reunified? What do their neighboring countries think about their reunification? How are South Korea and its allies coping with North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs? What effect does K-pop have on inter-Korean relations and on its diplomatic ties with China and Japan? Can soft power enable South Korea to overcome geopolitics?


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Students learn how gender is perceived, constructed, and experienced in contemporary Norway, using psychological and sociocultural perspectives to explore topics such as family life, youth development/empowerment, education, employment, media/advertising, health, and sexuality. They also examine indigenous Sámi and immigrant perspectives. Lectures, site visits, and other field experiences augment scholarly readings and contribute to an understanding of gender equality as a foundational guiding principle and practice in an increasingly diverse Norwegian society. Offered alternate years during interim. Apply through International and Off-Campus Studies. Also counts toward Norwegian and women's and gender studies majors and Nordic studies and women's and gender studies concentrations. Prerequisites: PSYCH 125 or a course in Nordic Studies, Women's and Gender Studies, Family Studies, or Sociology/Anthropology, or permission of instructor; PSYCH 241 or PSYCH 249 strongly recommended.


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How do biblical narratives tell the story of land, water, and creature alongside that of humans and how have Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities understood and applied these sacred texts? This course introduces eco-critical methods of biblical study to determine the Bible’s ecological efficacy. Students explore historical and contemporary ideological landscapes to analyze how the Bible has impacted variant environmental dispositions and practices. Also counts toward environmental studies major and concentration.


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Analyzing continuity and change within the Lutheran tradition, students consider Luther's theology and proposals for the reform of Catholicism and evaluate major reappraisals of Lutheran beliefs and practices that developed in response to new issues and social situations. Topics include Orthodoxy and Pietism, conservative and liberal responses to the Enlightenment, modern European Lutheranism and issues of particular importance to Lutheranism in Scandinavia, America, and developing countries. Offered periodically during Interim. Also counts toward German studies concentration. Prerequisite: BTS-B.


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This course examines how religious faith transforms the practices of personal and social life. Students explore the nature of Christian community and the connections between Christian theological beliefs and practices. Students participate in the life of Holden Village, an isolated Lutheran retreat center in the Cascade Mountains of Washington. Offered alternate years during Interim. Apply through International and Off-Campus Studies. Prerequisite: BTS-B.


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This course studies the historical, geographical, and cultural background of Judaism and Christianity, focusing on major biblical sites in the Holy Land. Through the intersection of textual study, archaeology, and history, students explore biblical events from the time of Israel's ancestors to Jesus and the early church in, for example, Jerusalem, Galilee, and Jordan. The course also examines the history of conflict among Jews, Christians, and Muslims over the meaning and possession of the land. Offered alternate years during Interim. Also counts toward ancient studies major. Prerequisite: BTS-B.


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Students explore the religious significance of selected works of literature and examine how literary plot, character, symbolism, and theme raise religious questions, reveal ethical concerns and imply theological convictions. Offered periodically.


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Students study theater through the readings and attend approximately twenty productions, group discussions, lectures, and tours. Students focus on the staging, acting and audience reactions in the productions. Texts and all lectures are in English. Students look at Russian and Western classics and a variety of theatrical styles from opera to puppet theater. Offered periodically during Interim. Apply through International and Off-Campus Studies. Counts toward Russian area studies major; does not count toward Russian language major.


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This academic civic engagement course explores the culture of Puerto Rico, including its politics, national identity, folklore, and the environment. Students travel to Puerto Rico (a territory of the U.S.A.), where they read and analyze authentic materials in Spanish and participate in talks and discussions with local professors, college students, and community leaders. Among the topics explored are colonialism, religion, citizenship, tourism, gentrification, natural disasters, race, and sustainability. Offered periodically during Interim. Apply through International and Off-Campus Studies. Does not count toward Spanish major. Counts toward Latin American studies major and concentration. Prerequisites: SPAN 232 or SPAN 233 or placement into SPAN 250.


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This topics course explores a Spanish peninsular cultural, literary, and/or linguistic theme from a base in Spain through analysis and discussion of texts, guest lectures, excursions to appropriate cultural sites, field research, and related experiential activities. Sample topics include: Christians, Jews, and Muslims in Spain; Spain's Autonomous Communities; and Spain's Multilingual and Multicultural Landscape. Taught in Spanish. Offered alternate years during Interim. Apply through International and Off-Campus Studies. Also counts toward Latin American studies major. Prerequisite: SPAN 250.


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Students explore special topics in statistics. Topics vary from year to year. May be repeated if topic is different. Offered periodically.


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Students explore service to human beings as a profession, both vocation and avocation. Who needs help? Who helps? Where? How? What motivates people to help? Using the liberal arts as a foundation for helping people, students study opportunities in areas such as health care, social services, ministry, youth work, and the arts. The class includes lectures, discussions, speakers, and field visits. Open only to first-year students. Offered annually during Interim. Does not count toward social work major.


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This course studies theater performance through the full-scale mounting of a production during the month of January, with public performances at the end of the January Interim or the beginning of spring semester. Students enroll in the class through either an acting audition or a production position interview held in late October or early November. No previous experience is necessary. Selected participants are notified prior to Interim registration. Details about the audition/interview are available online at the Theater Department website. Scripts are available in the Theater Department office. P/N only. Offered during Interim.


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Designed for the student with previous course work and production work in theater, this course studies theater performance through the full-scale mounting of a production during the month of January, with public performances at the end of the January Interim or the beginning of spring semester. Students enroll in the course through either an acting audition or a production position interview held in late October or early November. Selected participants are notified prior to Interim registration. Details about the audition/interview are available online at the Theater Department website. Scripts are available in the Theater Department office. P/N only. Offered during Interim. Prerequisites: THEAT 133 or permission of instructor; concurrent registration in THEAT 233 or THEAT 253 (0 credit option) required.


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This course, designed for students who want to heighten their drawing skills, emphasizes using expressive qualities of drawing by investigating various media, techniques, and content. Assignments are both traditional and nontraditional within historical and contemporary perspectives. Experimentation is encouraged. Students are encouraged to develop a personal visual language. The course culminates in the production of a series of drawings that relate thematically. Critical thinking and discussion skills are important. Prerequisite: Art 102. Materials fee. Offered annually.


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This course explores video as a creative medium. Students learn basic video production and editing techniques, producing a number of individual and group projects. During the semester students examine a wide variety of videos and films, exploring experimental, documentary, and narrative approaches. The class also considers the history of video art and its relationship to other time-based and static art forms. Prerequisite: Art 104 or Art 117 or permission of the instructor. Materials fee. Offered alternate years. Counts toward film studies concentration.


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This course provides intensive exposure to career opportunities in: architecture, painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, photography, illustration, video, digital media, and design of all kinds (from toys to exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art). Working five to seven hours a day, students will interview over 25 artist professionals during the month, visit more than 100 galleries and museums, and write extensively about artists and artwork. This course does not count toward the minimum major in studio art or art history. Prerequisite: Art 253 (preferred) or Art 252. Offered during Interim.


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Students learn about Japanese and South Korean culture through the study of film. By watching and discussing a wide variety of films from these countries, students both gain insight into these societies and acquire the skills of critical film analysis. They also consider the implications of viewing subtitled films and explore the use of film as a mode of communication and language acquisition. Offered every other year.


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What makes a human healthy? What makes an environment healthy? This course explores these questions in the Sonoran Desert and diverse nearby habitats. Students carry out labs and exercises on physiological challenges to and acclimation of the human body, and field research projects on ecology and adaptations of a plant or animal group of their choice. They synthesize these different activities through academic exploration of factors that influence and connect both human physiology and ecological adaption. Data for the field research projects is gathered while utilizing a wide variety of physical techniques, such as hiking, rock climbing, and caving. Offered every 2nd or 3rd Interim. Not open to first-year students. Counts toward biology major.


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This course introduces students to intensive research at St. Olaf and the Boulder Laboratory for 3-D Electron Microscopy of Cells at the University of Colorado. In Boulder, students prepare samples for electron microscopy and immuno-gold Electron Microscopy, capture EM-images, and generate 3-D Tomograms. At St. Olaf students generate 3-D computer models of their datasets. Prerequisite: Biology 125. Offered in alternate years during Interim.


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This course introduces physical chemistry with an emphasis on thermodynamics and kinetics of biologically relevant systems. Topics include probability as the driving force for chemical reactions; the relationship between chemical bonding energetics, entropy, and equilibria; oxidation-reduction reactions and electrochemistry; and rates of reactions, including enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Laboratory experiments and activities illustrate lecture topics and introduce new concepts. Prerequisites: Chemistry/Biology 125 and Mathematics 120 or 121. Offered during Interim.


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This course introduces a variety of documents (both literary and artistic) to investigate cultural interactions between ancient Greece and the East in the first millennium BCE. By studying the mythological Trojan War, the Persian War, and Alexander the Great's decade of campaigns, students consider how the ancient Greeks related to the alien cultures with which they were in continual contact: what did it mean to be "Greek" or "barbarian" in the ancient world? Offered periodically during Interim. Counts towards ancient studies major.


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This course is devoted to team research/development projects, employing established software development methodologies. Projects frequently have an interdisciplinary nature, involving consultation with faculty and/or students in other fields, and taking advantage of the particular backgrounds of team members. One or more research papers, posters, etc., on results are ordinarily expected. Prerequisites: Two or more core courses in computer science or permission of instructor. Offered alternate years.


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This course explores the changing structure of American business, the role of the individual in business development, and the challenges and opportunities that the corporate system poses for individuals, government, and society in general. The course uses basic economic concepts but does not require extensive knowledge of economic theory. The course follows a topics-based approach, considering the evolution of business and contemporary issues confronting corporations. Class discussions, small group activities, and guest speakers provide a varied pedagogical approach. Offered occasionally during Interim.


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Students examine the influence of race, class and multiculturalism in American schools by participating as teachers' assistants and tutors in two distinctly different K-12 schools. Kamehameha, in Honolulu, is an affluent, urban, private, Hawaiian cultural immersion school. The Kailua Kona schools, on the big island, are rural, public, mixed-race environments. Students discover the challenges and benefits associated with teaching in a diverse racial, cultural and socio-economic environments. Through guest lectures, readings, field trips and seminars, students learn about the truly unique geographic and cultural setting of the Hawaiian islands. This environment makes an excellent framework to examine diversity on the mainland. Counts toward major: ARMS. Counts toward concentration: ARMS. Fulfills Education 382: Human Relations requirement. Prerequisite: Education 330 or Education 260, consent of instructor. Offered during Interim. Counts towards ARMS and American studies majors and ARMS concentration.


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This program provides an opportunity for students to gain direct teaching experience by serving as an intern/paraprofessional for a teacher in a Minneapolis/St. Paul public school. The Interim will heighten students' sensitivities to the complexities of multicultural, urban education and provide exposure to models used to foster educational and personal success in diverse student populations. On/off-campus orientation will be followed by four weeks of full-time work in a classroom with a host teacher and participation in weekly seminars with the college instructor. Reading assignments, journals, and guest speakers will complement the experience. Counts toward major: ARMS. Fulfills Education 382: Human Relations Requirement. Prerequisite: Education 290 or consent of instructor. Apply through Education Department by Oct. 15. Offered during Interim. Counts towards ARMS major and concentration and American studies major.


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Students will study selected writers of the Eastern Caribbean islands of Barbados, Trinidad, Saint Lucia and others. The study of literature is supplemented by guest lectures and speakers, as well as field trips to sites of cultural and environmental interest. Accommodation includes stays in private homes. Prerequisite: FYW. Offered in alternate years during Interim.


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The personal essay may contain rumination, memoir, anecdote, diatribe, scholarship, fantasy, and moral philosophy. Students read and write about the personal essay from its origins to the present day as well as craft their own personal essays. Readings range from founding father Montaigne to classic practitioners Charles Lamb and Virginia Woolf; students also explore International essayists such as Wole Soyinka and American voices from Thoreau to Annie Dillard. Offered during Interim.


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Reading and discussion of writings that ultimately go back to oral traditions, including chapbooks such as the Nibelungenlied, Till Eulenspiegel, and Faust, fables created on models from antiquity during the eighteenth century, fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm, and Kunstmärchen (literary fairy tales by known writers). The course emphasizes both the literary aspects of the works and their historical contexts.


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A survey of German films from Caligari (1919) to The Counterfeiters (2008), this course examines 20th-century German history through the lens of Germany's most renowned films. Students develop analytical and critical skills in "reading" films as cultural products and as cinematic works of art. The course focuses on the increasing social and political importance of mass media for understanding the past. Counts toward film studies concentration.


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Students analyze women's experience and notions of gender in Europe since 1700. Themes include the definition of domestic ideology from the Enlightenment through industrialization to the Victorian period, gendering citizenship in the nation-state, the impact of science and technology on women's lives and bodies, the development of feminism(s), and women and gender in socialist and fascist regimes. Offered periodically. Counts toward women's studies major and concentration.


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How do Cubans view their past, and how does this shape their understanding of the present? This course focuses on the 1959 Revolution and historical memory. Students explore through visits to museums, memorials, and monuments how the government has sought to influence the ways Cubans remember the revolution and the later turn toward socialism. Students also study present-day Cuba through visits to health clinics, cooperatives, and schools, as well as lectures from local experts. Offered in alternate years during Interim.


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This Interim course introduces students to the rewards and challenges of public and local history. As the title suggests, we will learn not only studying but also doing public history. Focusing on Northfield and Rice County at the beginning of the 20th century, we will work with the local and state historical organizations to develop materials for the wider public, including possibly a display, educational resources, and articles. We also will work to place these local histories in broader contexts, by studying migration and immigration, the history of childhood and schools, and Progressive-era America.


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A full immersion in the art of theatre, students will attend approximately 22 performances at London and Stratford theatres. The course will include the reading of play texts, dramatic criticism, group discussions and backstage tours. England, a theatrical center of the English-speaking world, enables students to experience a wide variety of theatrical performances ranging from traditional to modern. Excursions to Stratford-upon-Avon, Stonehenge, Canterbury and Oxford offer additional cultural perspectives. Offered annually during Interim.


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This course presents a study of the historical development of jazz, from its roots in blues and ragtime at the "beginning" of the 20th century to the present, focusing on its principal forms and styles, its role in American culture, and contributions of major artists. Offered during Interim. Counts towards American studies and ARMS majors and ARMS and Africa & the Americas concentrations.


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Participants prepare for performance of a one-act opera or opera scenes. Students receive coaching and performance experience through individual and group singing/acting exercises. The course culminates with staged and costumed public performances. May be repeated once. A class fee may be required. Offered during Interim.


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This course examines how contemporary culture influences present-day wellness perspectives. Values, lifestyle, daily stresses, and corresponding coping mechanisms affecting one's well-being are explored. Students study health behaviors as a function of social influences and, conversely, the impact of unhealthy coping behaviors on the social enterprise. This course also includes an exploration of wellness from the perspective of non-western cultures. Offered annually during Interim. Counts towards American studies major and film studies concentration.


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This course explores health and culture in Oceania, examining sources of influence such as the colonial experience, regional and global interdependence, the impact of nuclear testing, and the co-existence of traditional and "modern" values. Students examine these cultures on Oahu Hawai'i, Kosrae, and Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), through ethnographic readings, guest lectures, field trips, and as participant observers at events. Offered annually during Interim.


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This course explores childhood and family life in modern India through site visits, observations, lectures, and readings, addressing questions such as: How does India's unique history and culture, population growth, and economic development affect parenting practices, children's self-concept, relationships, and education? How do adolescents in India understand and experience gender roles and the transition to adulthood? How do Indian psychologists and social workers integrate traditional and contemporary approaches in this religiously and linguistically diverse nation? Prerequisite: Psychology 125 or Asian Studies 121 or Family Studies 232 or 242 or permission of the instructor. Offered every 3-4 years during Interim.


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Learn to use methods of 21st-century neuroscience to study current questions about mind-body relationships. Psychophysiology, an area of cognitive neuroscience, reveals new insights about cognition and emotions by measuring accompanying changes in physiological activity such as brain waves, heart activity, and facial muscle movements. Students work in teams to gain hands-on laboratory experience and training in principles and techniques of electro-encephalography, electro-cardiology, and electromyography. Prerequisite: Psychology 125. Offered during Interim. Counts toward biomedical studies and neuroscience concentrations.


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Food holds a central place in many world religions. In their feasts and fasts, holy and forbidden foods, community suppers, festivals, and food shelves, people of faith develop and express their theologies. This course examines food beliefs and practices for religion, in particular the theological significance of food in Christianity and how it compares with other faith traditions. Th relation of food to the doctrines of God, Christ, and salvation will have special attention. Prerequisite: BTS-B. Offered alternate years during Interim.


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This course explores the interface between religion and politics in the lives and thought of Mahatma Gandhi, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Focus will be upon the distinctive ways in which each one appropriated the theological resources of his tradition to justify and analyze the connection between religion and politics. Prerequisite: BTS-B. Offered alternate Interims.


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This course explores the notion of sacred place and examines specific sites sacred to ancient people, to Christians, Muslims, and Jews. Students visit both natural places and constructed sites (i.e., temples, churches, mosques, and synagogues). Students attend to scholarly theory, sites' physical characteristics and history, ongoing human interaction, inter-religious dynamics, and their own responses. The interplay of religion, social life, and political power relative to sacred space provides additional thematic focus. Offered during Interim. Counts towards ancient studies major.


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This course introduces students to the study of crime and the criminal justice system from a sociological perspective. Topics include types of crime; theories of crime causation; the role of the criminal justice system in social control; the racial and social class implications of the criminal law and law enforcement strategies; and drug policy. Offered annually.


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This course focuses on the theories, political goals, strategies, and activities of the emerging trends of Islamic feminisms. After mapping the landscape of this movement and identifying its different manifestations, students investigate Islamic feminists' readings and interpretations of the Quran, Hadith, and Islamic history. The course examines methods Islamic feminists use in interpreting and reinterpreting such sources, politics and strategies they employ, and the impact of their work on Muslim women's lives worldwide. Offered during Interim.


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This course explores the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people from several social science perspectives. Students examine whether gender and sexual orientation (both heterosexual and homosexual) are socially constructed or biologically natural, and what cross-cultural and historical examples can tell us. Students also study controversies over the family and religious status of GLBT people, why homosexuality has become such a political issue, and movements for change. Offered during Interim. Counts towards American studies major.


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This course investigates three essential questions: How do we reliably measure something? How do we design valid research? How do we analyze research results? Topics include ANOVA designs (e.g., interaction crossing and/or nesting groups), data reduction methods, and principles of measurement. Interdisciplinary groups will work together throughout the term. These teams will teach a design topic during the last week of class. Prerequisites: Statistics 110 or 212 or 263 and either Psychology 230, Education 290, Sociology/Anthropology 371, or permission of the instructor.


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Families in central Mexico survive and thrive in their communities. Students explore how public and private organizations work with informal systems to assist those challenged by poverty, injustice, poor health, addictions and global economic pressures. Development opportunities for, and contributions of, women are emphasized. Speakers, site visits to agencies and programs, home-stays, indigenous village immersion, and an orientation to Mexico City are included. Prerequisite: one social science course (including Psychology). Offered occasionally during Interim. Counts toward biomedical studies concentration.


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This course studies theatre performance through the full-scale mounting of a production during the month of January, followed by public performances at the beginning of spring semester. Students enroll in the class through either an acting audition or a production position interview held in late October or early November. No previous experience is necessary. Selected participants are notified prior to Interim registration. Details about the audition/interview and scripts are available by calling the Theater Department office, x3240. Offered during Interim.


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Designed for the student with previous course work and production work in theater, this course studies theatre performance through the full-scale mounting of a production during the month of January, followed by public performances at the beginning of spring semester. Students enroll in the course through either an acting audition or a production position interview held in late October or early November. Selected participants are notified prior to Interim registration. Details about the audition/interview and scripts are available by calling the Theater Department Office, x 3240. Prerequisite: Theater 133 or permission of instructor. Offered during Interim.


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This course explores what it means to be visually literate. Students work at what Edward Tufte describes as the "intersection of image, word, number, art." Assignments include observational drawing and the study of principles and strategies of design that are applicable to any field of interest. The course covers both theoretical and practical aspects of visual thinking.


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This course examines the major schools in the history of economic thought in their historical context: those that defend, condemn or amend capitalism.


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An interdisciplinary approach to war and peace, this course incorporates the dual perspective of philosophy and history. Students study various ethical arguments as shaped in different cultures. Examples are drawn from ancient Athens, medieval Christendom, Asia, Islam and the modern West; ethical topics include: pacifism, utilitarianism, divine command ethics, natural law theory, feminism and cultural relativism. The course begins with warfare as treated in the Bible and concludes with nuclear terrorism.


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Selected topics demonstrate the scope and power of mathematics. Students will work on creative problem-solving, placing mathematical ideas within the context of their historical development and making connections to other disciplines. Intended for students with weak backgrounds in mathematics. Not open to first-year students. Prerequisite: Mathematics Placement Recommendation.


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The study of counterpoint is a way of understanding more completely the compositional techniques of great composers as well as developing one's own fluency in writing music. Students learn advanced contrapuntal techniques in Renaissance, Baroque and 20th-centry styles, studying the works of such composers as Palestrina, Bach and Barber. Prerequisite: Music 214. Offered Fall Semester, 2005-06, and alternate years.


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Based upon courses from participating departments, the seminar introduces students to the historical and cross-cultural experiences of Africans and African Americans. It affords students the chance to engage in interdisciplinary interpretation and analysis and encourages them to interpret their own heritage in light of the African/African American experience.


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Students in this course examine technology, the mass market and consumerism, and the increasingly complex relations between identity and material goods. They will also explore the images, institutions and stories of environmental, feminist and Civil Rights activists in the context of Cold War America. Topics and texts include Yosemite National Park, Japenese internment camps, Adrienne Rich's poetry and prose, Freedom Summer, Las Vegas and the Mall of America.


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Students apply theories and methods of culture studies to a selected major topic in American culture. The course employs a discussion format, focusing on critical reading, analytic essays. Recent topics include Masculinity in America, American Adolescence and Campus Ecology. The course is usually offered Spring Semester. May be repeated if topics are different.


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This course undertakes an intensive study of a particular period or topic through the interdisciplinary perspective of American studies. This course employs a seminar format, with concentration on student research. Recent topics include: Disney's America, American Women of Color, Man and Nature, and California Dreams. Offered Spring Semester. May be repeated if topics are different.


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This course provides a strong visual foundation in fundamental drawing skills. Students explore elements of line, space, texture and value, as well as their dynamics in composition. Projects emphasize translating observed three-dimensional subjects onto two-dimensional surfaces. In addition, students are introduced to the aesthetics of drawing and drawing as a means of self-expression through the study of old and contemporary masters. Materials fee. Offered each semester.


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Emphasizing concepts and ideas and using drawing as a means of expression, this studio course for majors and non-majors delves into the dynamics of composition and design principles through the use of a variety of techniques and media. It couples drawing assignments with viewing and discussing contemporary and old masterpieces to broaden appreciation and understanding of drawing as a method of visual communication. Materials fee. Offered each semester.


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Within an art historical context, this course explores an appreciation of color and the interaction of color as it affects one's daily life. Problems are developed to foster investigation and experimentation into the formal properties of color theory and expand creativity in the painter's approach to composition and expressive content. Materials fee. Offered each semester.


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This beginning studio course in sculpture introduces the basic aesthetic, conceptual and technical fundamentals of three-dimensional art-making and design. Students learn how to operate tools safely and efficiently, how to construct things with wood and other materials and how to describe and discuss sculpture and other objects and spaces. The course uses hands-on instruction, readings, slide talks, field trips and discussion. Materials fee. Offered each semester.


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This introductory course employs wheel throwing techniques in clay. Students are introduced to historical and contemporary approaches to clay. Course includes clay mixing, kiln loading, various firing procedures and glaze and surface embellishment. Materials fee. Offered each semester.


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This introduction to photography provides majors and non-majors with a strong foundation in the fundamentals of visual art, black and white photography, and digital photography as a medium for artistic expression. Students learn camera operation, black and white film processing, scanning, silver and digital printing, and print presentation and are introduced to the aesthetics and history of must provide their own 35 mm camera with manual settings. Offered annually. Materials fee.


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This introduction to art history examines select artistic traditions of Europe, North America, and Africa from c. 1400 to the present. Through lectures, discussions, and other activities, students develop skills in visual analysis and interpretation. The course considers a variety of artistic media, including painting, sculpture, architecture, and textiles, as well as broader issues of aesthetics, function, and patronage. Offered annually.


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This sculpture course introduces students to metal forming, shaping, fastening and brazing and welding, building upon concepts from the foundation course and presenting the next level of sculpture topics, issues and concerns. Both majors and non-majors discover an art and industrial process that has great artistic and practical application The course makes use of hands-on instruction, readings, slide talks and discussion. Materials fee. Prerequisite: Art 114 or 122. Offered annually. Spring Semester only.


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Emphasizing individual concepts, personal expression and strong composition, this course explores relief and lithography. Using large-scale, multicolor moveable block, collograph, wood or lino block techniques and lithography stones or aluminum plates in both black and white and color, students produce multiple images on one of the department's three presses. Students become familiar with the heritage of old masters as well as contemporary artists in printmaking. Prerequisites: Art 111 and 112 (or 120), and 113. Materials fee. Offered annually.


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This course provides an introduction to the computer as a tool for creating visual art. During the semester, students explore digital painting, drawing, scanning, image manipulation and digitized sound and video. Class projects include digital artist books, posters and multimedia presentations. Relationships between traditional and electronic art forms are explored. Prerequisites: Art 117 and one other two dimensional foundation course (Art 111, 112, 113, 115, or 120) or permission of the instructor. Materials fee. Offered annually.


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This intermediate level course assumes the student has a substantial understanding of ceramic processes, plus a good awareness of his or her own interests in the realm of ceramic expression. The instructor helps students focus their efforts by proposing specific areas of investigation. Prerequisites: Art 116 or 119. Previous studio experience in ceramics is accepted when approved by the instructor. Materials fee. Offered annually.


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This course is for experienced studio and art history students and those interested in contemporary theory. Students directly encounter art and new theory, explore art criticism (in part through practicing it) and learn about ethics to help think about value judgments. Recommended for students contemplating art history or studio graduate work. Prerequisite: Completion of BTS-T.


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This seminar-style course focuses on a specific art historical topic, and students learn how to pursue art historical practice beyond the introductory level. Topics change with each offering. Prerequisite: at least one art history course or permission of the instructor. Offered annually.


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This seminar explores methods by which art historians and curators analyze works of art. Students develop an advanced understanding of these methods by application of various methods to works of art, by examining historical factors surrounding principle movements in the study of art history and by engaging in lively class debates about them. Readings, discussions and presentations culminate in an independent research project that allows each student to find his or her own place in the discipline. Prerequisite: two upper division courses in art history.


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This survey of Japanese novels and short stories from the middle of the 19th century to the present includes works by Soseki, Tanizaki and two recent Nobel recipients, Kawabata and Oe. Women writers such as Ichiyo, Ariyoshi and Enchi are considered. Students will also view four or five films to supplement their readings. The course focuses on the cultural context of the writings.


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This half-semester course compares English and Japanese on the basis of phonology, morphology, syntax and pragmatics. It is intended for students who plan to teach ESL (not necessarily just in Japan and Asia) and for those who want a deeper understanding of the Japanese language. Occasional references will be made to Korean and Chinese. Knowledge of Japanese, though helpful, is not necessary.


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This course introduces students to the art form of brush-written Chinese calligraphy. Students explore the aesthetic concepts, the evolution of different styles and the practical techniques of Chinese calligraphy. Class lectures complement hands-on practice in which students master the basic strokes, the structure and compositions, and the line movements that are involved in producing artistic calligraphy. No knowledge of Chinese language is required. All readings and visual demonstrations will be in English. Materials fee.


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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaims that "the inherent dignity and ... the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family [are] the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world." Who speaks to human rights in East Asia? What ethical perspectives are voiced? Case studies presented through memoirs, films, reports, and multidisciplinary analyses provide the material for exploring diverse normative claims about individual rights in East Asia. Prerequisites: Asian Studies 275 or permission of the instructor and completion of BTS-T.


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This course offers non-majors a chance to explore biology within the laboratory and in the field. It offers a thoughtful, reflective experience in which students examine the process of science as a way of relating to mystery and phenomena of nature such as fertilization, embryogenesis, evolution, and ecology against the backdrop of modern culture.


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In this core course, students study the mechanisms of evolution, the evolutionary history of biological diversity, and the diversity of life. The structure and function of organisms are compared within an ecological/evolutionary context. Key adaptations to survival are examined among organisms from bacteria and protists to plants, fungi, and animals. Labs investigate population genetics, phylogeny, form, and behavior of selected organisms and provide experience in experimental design and scientific writing. Students attend lectures plus one 2.5-hour laboratory per week. Prerequisite: Biology 125. Offered Spring Semester.


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Genetics examines relationships between genotype and phenotype in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms from classical, molecular and population perspectives. Lectures cover ideas and technologies contributing to understanding mechanisms of gene transmission and regulation. Laboratories utilize model organisms to investigate classical and molecular modes of inheritance. Students attend lectures plus one three-hour laboratory per week. Prerequisites: Biology 125 and one semester of chemistry or concurrent registration.


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Students focus on the natural history of Upper Midwest vertebrates and phylogenetic, morphological and functional relationships of these animals. Laboratories include identification, morphology and specimen preparation. During field trips, students document bird migrations, amphibian chorusing and other animal activities. Independent projects explore topics ranging from bluebird nesting behavior to thermal conductivity and insulation in animals. Students attend lectures plus one 3-hour laboratory per week. Prerequisites: Biology 125, 126. Offered annually.


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Ecology focuses on the study of the interrelationships that determine the distribution and abundance of organisms. This course examines organism-environment interactions and the study of populations, communities and ecosystems. Consideration is given to use of ecological studies in ecosystem management. Students attend lectures plus one 3-hour laboratory per week. Prerequisites: Biology 125 and 126. Offered both semesters.


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What happened to the dinosaurs? Can some human congenital heart defects be explained by reference to cardiovascular systems of diving turtles? Examining the origin and evolution of vertebrates, comparing morphology across vertebrate taxa and examining selective factors leading to modern forms is of value to health science students, graduate studies in biology and people who like dinosaurs. Students attend lectures plus one 3-hour laboratory per week. Prerequisites: Biology 125 and 126.


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The cell is the fundamental unit of life, capable of growth, motility, signal transduction and functional specialization. Students study features common to cells: metabolism, membrane transport, motility, signal mechanisms and intracellular trafficking, seeing how these are elaborated in cells with particular specializations. Research techniques suitable for cell physiology are emphasized. Students attend lectures plus one 3-hour laboratory per week. Prerequisites: Biology 125, 126, Chemistry 125, 126. Offered annually.


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The last decade has unveiled the mechanism by which a single cell gives rise to an embryo rich in pattern and cellular diversity. This course traces the use of surgical, genetic and molecular techniques as they have uncovered developmental blueprints encoding the universal body plan fundamental to all metazoan life. Students attend lectures plus one 3-hour laboratory per week. Prerequisites: Biology 125, 126 and 233. Taught annually.


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Neuroethology is the study of how nervous systems generate natural behaviors in animals. The nervous system interfaces an animal with its environment, determining how an animal perceives, learns, and reacts to stimuli. This course explores the neural mechanisms underlying diverse behaviors - such as escape reflexes, locomotion, and communication - in a wide range of invertebrate and vertebrate species. Lecture concepts are unpacked through laboratory experimentation and student presentation. Prerequisites: Math 120 (or equivalent) and one of the following: Biology 233, 247, 266, Neuroscience 234, or Psychology 238 or permission of the instructor.


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Specific topics announced prior to each term are based on student interests and available staff. Past offerings include cardiovascular physiology, evolution, stress biology, and animal behavior. Class work includes comprehensive review of literature on the specific topic. Class meetings present topics in discussion format. Prerequisites: Biology 125, 126, and junior or senior standing. May be repeated if topics are different.


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A quarter-credit course devoted to a broad study of the field of biomolecular science through the reading and discussion of primary and secondary literature across the field. Through exploration of the breadth of the field, biomolecular concentrators plan their own 300-level course structure. While required of all biomolecular concentrators, this course is open to all interested students. P/N only. Prerequisites: either Biology 125, or Chemistry 125 or the equivalent. Offered Spring Semester.


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Students enrolled in this lab course practice techniques of modern analytical chemistry using state-of-the-art instrumentation, including pH meters, liquid chromatographs, and a variety of spectrophotometers. Date acquisition via computer-interfaced instrumentation and electronic record-keeping is emphasized. Students practice and develop group skills by working in "companies" throughout the semester. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in Chemistry 255. P/N only. Offered both semester.


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Students delve further into the topics of kinetics, thermodynamics and atomic and molecular structure that were introduced in the first-year courses. This course emphasizes the mathematical aspects of chemistry. Specific topics include reaction mechanisms, the laws of thermodynamics, statistical thermodynamics, equilibrium, spectroscopy and molecular orbital theory. Prerequisites: Chemistry 126 and concurrent registration in Chemistry 357. Previous completion of Physics 124 or 126 is recommended. Offered both semesters.


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This course examines how modern theories of chemical bonding are applied to an understanding of the chemistry of the elements of the periodic table. Students explore chemical structures and spectra on the basis of molecular symmetry and group theory. Topics covered include inorganic reactions, chemical periodicity, acid-base systems, coordination compounds, organometallic compounds, nonmetal chemistry and cluster compounds. Prerequisite: Chemistry 248. Offered Spring Semester.


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This course explores use of computational techniques to understand reaction pathways. Students use computers to perform energy minimization and molecular orbital calculations on molecules taken primarily from, but not limited to, the realm of organic chemistry. Application of concepts such as kinetics, stereochemistry and acid-base chemistry in relation to understanding reaction mechanisms is an important part of the course. Prerequisites: Chemistry 248 and 371 (or permission of instructor). Offered Spring Semester of 2005 and alternate years thereafter.


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Students learn mathematical topics that form an essential background for the study of computer science, including functions, relations, basic logic, predicate calculus and formal reasoning, verification of programs, proof techniques, basics of counting, graphs and trees, discrete probability, and introduction to computability. Prerequisites: Computer Science 121 or 125 or permission of instructor. Students with especially weak or especially strong mathematics backgrounds should consult with the program director.


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This course provides an introduction to the structure and creation of computer software, using C++ programming language and emphasizing object-oriented programming and software life-cycle methodology. Concepts and skills are applied in a team project based on the waterfall model of software development. Topics include object-oriented programming, specification, high-level memory management, indirect addressing, formal methods, tools including UML, team softward process, requirements analysis, software design strategies, and elementary ethical analysis of software systems. Prerequisite: Computer Science 121 or permission of instructor. Concurrent registration in Computer Science 252 is required.


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Students investigate the implementation of software using strategies and concepts presented in Computer Science 251, explore standard technologies for creation and management of multi- module software systems, and carry out stages of a life cycle-based team software probject, through hands-on computational exercises and with direct support provided in a small group context. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in Computer Science 251.


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The software we design has real effects in people's lives. This course explores the ethical and social considerations inherent in computer-based systems, develops skills in thinking about those considerations and in collecting data to determine their effects, and expands students' abilities to integrate these issues and skills into software development procedures, largely through an extensive team analysis of a "live" software project. Coursework uses extended case studies and surveys topics such as professional and ethical responsibilities, risk, liability, intellectual property, privacy, and computer crime. Prerequisites: Computer Science 125 or 251, or permission of instructor and completion of BTS-T.


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Ballroom classes are taught from a social/aesthetic perspective. In this course, students learn fundamental steps, rhythms and styling in foxtrot, slow waltz, Viennese waltz, east coast swing and cha cha.


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This course provides students with an introduction to ballet vocabulary, technique and body awareness. Offered both semesters. Can be repeated with instructor's permission.


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This introduction to experiential anatomy uses movement and embodied awareness to explore structural and functional relationships and expressive and creative potential within the body. Emphasis is placed on "living the bodywhole" (bodymindmotionspirit) in building a value system for daily operation and for specialized performance activities. Valuable for anyone interested in living with ease, energy, and efficiency in life.


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This course provides instruction in basic steps, rhythms and styling for tango, rumba, west coast swing and quickstep. Students learn advanced patterns in slow waltz. Emphasis is on styling and quality of movement. Prerequisite: Dance 106 or permission of instructor.


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This course offers an expansion of ballet vocabulary and technique with an emphasis on movement quality, integrity and efficiency. Outside work includes practicing, reading, writing and concert attendance. This section is open to majors and general students with instructor's permission. Prerequisite: Dance 121 (at least twice) and/or permission of the instructor. Offered both semesters. 221 may be repeated with instructors permission.


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This course offers an expansion of ballet vocabulary and technique with an emphasis on movement quality, integrity and efficiency. Outside work includes practicing, reading, writing and concert attendance. This section is open to majors and general students with instructor's permission. Prerequisite: Dance 121 (at least twice) and/or permission of the instructor. Offered both semesters. 221 may be repeated with instructor's permission.


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This course deepens and expands the body awareness focus of Dance 201, emphasizing the somatic perspective in which it is grounded. The somatic disciplines of Body-Mind Centering, Bartenieff Fundamentals, Ideokinesis, and Experimental Anatomy provide the theoretical foundation of this course. It includes exploration of the "attention-intention-action cycle" as life practice. Prerequisites: Dance 201 and Dance 111b or Dance 115.


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This modern section builds on the concepts and components of Modern Dance I and II. This section is open to majors and general students with instructor's permission. Offered both semesters. 311 may be repeated with instructor's permission. Prerequisite: Dance 211 (at least twice) and/or permission of the instructor.


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This course offers a further exploration of ballet vocabulary and technique for the advanced dancer with an emphasis on clarity, intention and musicality. This ballet section is open to majors and general students with instructor's permission. Offered both semesters. 321 may be repeated with instructor's permission. Prerequisite: 221.


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This course develops the methodological framework which guides economic inquiry, while it reviews mathematical fundamentals and develops quantitative skills used in core courses of the major. Students learn to apply mathematical optimization to economic problems. This course may substitute for the second required math course if taken prior to the core courses. Prerequisites: one of Economics 110-122 and Math 110, 120, or 122. 233 does not count as a Level II economics analysis class toward the major. Offered annually.


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Students in this course learn and apply economic analysis, tempered by an appreciation for the political and institutional contexts of the less developed countries, to gain an understanding of these countries' economies. Using cases involving both written and oral analysis, students explore topics such as economic growth in Brazil, trade strategies in Singapore, poverty and income distribution in Taiwan, or macroeconomic performance in Mexico. Prerequisite: one of Economics 110-122 or permission of instructor.


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The health care sector in the U.S. is undergoing rapid change which affects patients, providers and payers. Managed care and managed competition are restructuring the delivery of health care services and reducing costs, while frustrating physicians and patients. The course examines the economic factors leading to the changes, current issues and controversies and federal health policies. Students from nursing, pre-med and the sciences are encouraged to enroll. Prerequisites: one of Economics 110-122 or permission of instructor.


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Many aspects of our lives and our society are influenced by the ideas (or the theories) of economists. This course explores where economic ideas have come from, how they have changed over time and the extent to which they are compelling. While the ideas of many important figures are covered, economists such as Smith, Ricardo, Marx, Marshall and Keynes receive particular attention. Prerequisite: one of Economics 110-122 or permission of instructor.


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This course addresses the economic institutions and forces that determine levels of income, output, employment and prices in our society. Questions related to employment prospects and standard of living provide an important focus. Classical and Keynesian perspectives are employed in attempting to understand these matters, the macroeconomics problems in market economies and the policies that economists prescribe as remedies for these problems. Prerequisites: Calculus I and one of Economics 110-122, or permission of the instructor. Offered each semester.


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Microeconomics is the study of the resource allocation decisions by households, producers and firms and the resources allocation process in various types of market structures. Students are trained in the use of economic models and optimizing techniques to address a variety of real-world problems, including case studies from business and public policy. Prerequisites: Calculus I and one of Economics 110-122, or permission of the instructor. Offered each semester.


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Government action affects us all. We pay taxes; we use public roads, schools and parks. Some prices we pay are lower due to government subsidies; others are higher due to taxes. Government actions influence both the efficiency of our economy and the equity and equality within our society. Students learn valuable analytical tools for evaluating public projects, tax policies, entitlement programs and voting behavior. Prerequisite: Economics 262, Statistics 263 or Statistics 316, or permission of instructor and completion of BTS-T.


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This course addresses the institutions that comprise modern monetary systems and the influence that these systems have on levels of income, output, employment and prices in market economies. Monetary theory and monetary policy, including both the nature of our central bank and the role that it plays in our monetary system, are also addressed in some detail. Prerequisite: Economics 261 and Statistics 263 or Statistics 316, or permission of instructor. Offered annually.


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This course offers the students an integrated approach of theory, policy and enterprise to understand international trade and investment. The course focuses on the costs and benefits of global economic interdependence for students who plan to enter an international business career or to work for government and international organizations in activities affected by international economic relations. Prerequisite: Economics 261, 262, or permission of instructor. Offered each semester.


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Students study theories of and research into human behavior, growth and development. Through lectures, discussions, case studies and field experiences, students analyze the impact of applied psychology upon schools, teachers, and students. Students also examine the interaction between individual characteristics and needs and political, economic and philosophical issues confronting contemporary American students. Required 20-hour field experience. Recommended to be taken Spring Semester sophomore year to begin the licensure sequence. Offered both semesters.


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This course provides a theoretical and practical foundation for assisting secondary readers. Students learn the essentials of good reading instruction and apply the in the making of a three-week literature unit. Required 10-hour field experience. Prerequisites: Education 290 and 330, or permission of instructor.


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This course, being offered for the last time in Spring 2007, provides students with the background needed to teach elementary reading. Students learn about whole language and skills-based instruction and examine how to integrate the two in a balance reading program. Required 10-hour field experience. Prerequisites: Education 290 and 330, or permission of instructor.


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This course is designed to assist students in developing their own teacher style as they prepare to become full-time teachers. Topics include the roles and responsibilities of teachers, methods of instruction, planning, classroom management, assessment and reporting and other current educational issues. Through micro-teaching and school-based field experiences, they also practice instructional skills and techniques. Required 20-hour field experience. Prerequisite: Education 290 and approval of Teacher Education Application.


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This course prepares pre-service communication arts/literature teachers to share their love of the English language with secondary students. Attention is given to the theory and techniques of teaching speech, listening, media literacy, writing, literature and reading. In addition, students explore topics including multicultural literature, adolescent literature, responding to and evaluating writing, unit planning in the language arts, and the National Council of Teachers of English Standards. Offered Spring Semester Only.


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This course introduces students to teaching Latin in grades K-12. Theories, methods, issues and trends are examined. Other topics include curriculum development and textbook, computer and audio visual resources. Offered upon demand. Arranged with Department of Education chair and Latin instructor. Spring Semester only.


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Prospective science teachers learn strategies for the practical application of learning theory to secondary school science classrooms. Topics include: the national science standards movement and No Child Left Behind: inquiry learning in the science classroom; lesson planning; teaching in the classroom and in the laboratory; technology: managing a science laboratory: and continuing professional development. Spring Semester only.


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Students acquire the skills, knowledge and attitudes to become successful teachers in secondary social studies classroom. They use the curriculum standards of the National Council for Social Studies and those identified by the State of Minnesota to develop goals, outcomes, and assessments for the various content areas. Students acquire the knowledge, skills, and understandings necessary to address appropriate skills development in 5-12 social studies classrooms. Spring Semester only.


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Prospective teachers learn strategies to use when communicating with students who are experiencing personal difficulties. Communication with parents, family members and other professionals who have a vested interest in the student's well-being is emphasized. Professional ethics and liability are major components of the course. The course uses role playing into help students develop communication expertise. Topics include confidentiality, professional liability and boundaries, crisis intervention, abuse and neglect, mental health, and reporting and making referrals. Prerequisite: Education 290 or permission of instructor.


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Offered concurrently with student teaching, this course meets during and after student teaching. It focuses on professional development, including personal philosophies of teaching/education, professional ethics and portfolio development. Student teachers examine school governance and administration, finance, contemporary issues and employment preparation. Student teachers only.


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All candidates must have a multicultural field experience to help develop their competence in teaching in multicultural environments. A minimum of 80 hours of field experience in a multicultural school environment (an Interim or its equivalent) is required prior to student teaching. All field experiences must be pre-approved. Below is a summary of options: Education 170 (Urban Schools and Communities); Education 347 (Teaching English as a Second Language); Education 378 (Multicultural Education in Hawaii); Education 379 (Urban Education Seminar and Practicum); ACM Interdisciplinary 335 Methods and Materials for Teaching ESL; or pre-approved internships in multicultural schools with special cognitive component. See Education Department faculty and web site for advice and information. Education 382 is not a course. Rather it is a recording mechanism indicating St. Olaf students who have completed their multicultural education requirement. Students register for Education 382 during their professional semester.


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In this reflective capstone course, teacher candidates study, experience and reflect upon the influences that technology, cultural diversity, personal health and chemical abuse have upon schooling, home life, community stability and, ultimately, their own students' achievement. Students build upon student teaching to determine the essential knowledge and skills of educators as change agents and their future roles as first-year teachers. This workshop follows student teaching. Student teachers only.


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As they read a variety of mostly contemporary literature from English-speaking countries around the world, students learn strategies of critical analysis and interpretation. They also practice and develop skills in writing and oral communication. This course is required of those beginning the English major. It is not recommended for general education students. For more information on this course please go to: http://www.stolaf.edu/depts/english/courses/index.html


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Students read novels and short stories by 20 to 30 Australian and New Nealand authors, including Keri Hulme, Janet Frame, Frank Sargeson, Patricia Grace, Henry Lawson, David Malouf, Richard Flanagan, and Kim Scott. They encounter distinctive voices and strategies, and they discuss issues of cultural identity, natural environment, indigenous peoples, and gender.


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These courses treat specific periods in British literature and examine the relationship between literary texts and movements and their particular cultural, political and historical contexts. Each offering of this course examines a different literary era and emphasizes specific literary and historical issues. Students may register for the course more than once provided a different era is studied. For more information on this course please go to: http://www.stolaf.edu/depts/english/courses/index.html


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These courses treat specific periods in American literature and examine the relationship between literary texts and movements and their particular cultural, political and historical contexts. Each offering of this course examines a different literary era and emphasizes specific literary and historical issues. Students may register for the course more than once provided a different era is studied. For more information about this course please go to: http://www.stolaf.edu/depts/english/courses/index.html


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From the intimate personal essay to more externally driven literary journalism, creative nonfiction covers a range of forms. Students learn to combine fictional techniques, personal recollections and direct exposition in assignments that might include memoir, personal essay, cultural criticism, nature writing, book and film reviewing and new journalism. Contemporary nonfiction writers such as Annie Dillard, Scott Russell Sanders, Judith Ortiz Cofer and John McPhee provide models and inspiration for writing in the course. For more information on this course please refer to: http://www.stolaf.edu/depts/english/courses/index.html


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Students encounter principles and approaches to linguistic analysis based on phonemics, morphology, and syntax. Students explore aspects of semantics, language acquisition, variation and change, including grammatical analysis of documents ranging from film clips and advertisements to professional memos and literary texts. The course provides an overview of the history of English, serves as introduction to the linguistics concentration, and fulfills the linguistic requirement of the Communication Arts and Literature License. For more information on this course please refer to: http://www.stolaf.edu/depts/english/courses/index.html


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Students explore specific periods in British literature and examine the relationship between literary texts and movements and their particular cultural, political and historical contexts. Each offering of this course examines a different literary era and emphasizes specific literary and historical issues. Prerequisites: English 185 plus one additional course of relevant background. For more information on this course please refer to: http://www.stolaf.edu/depts/english/courses/index.html


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Students explore specific periods in American literature and examine the relationship between literary texts and movements and their particular cultural, political and historical contexts. Each offering of this course examines a different literary era and emphasizes specific literary and historical issues. Prerequisites: English 185 plus one additional course of relevant background. For more information about this course please refer to: http://www.stolaf.edu/depts/english/courses/index.html


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Students focus on poetry, deepening their understanding of the form and completing a substantial portfolio of polished work. Class sessions include discussion of models in contemporary poetry, exploration of various options with the form, and workshopping of student writing. Prerequisite: Approval of portfolio by department committee. For more information about this course please refer to: http://www.stolaf.edu/depts/english/courses/index.html


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In the first part of this seminar, students examine, on the basis of common readings, some broad literary topic. In the second, they undertake individual research projects, share and respond to each other's work-in-progress and present their completed project to the seminar. May be repeated if topics are different. Prerequisites: English 185 plus one additional course of relevant background. For more information on this course please refer to: http://www.stolaf.edu/depts/english/courses/index.html


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Conservation biology focuses on the study of biological diversity. Students examine why we should be concerned about the number and types of species on earth, what factors threaten the survival of species and how we can conserve them. Using principles of ecology and evolution, with input from other disciplines, students gain a better understanding of the impact of humans on biodiversity and the importance of responsible environmental decision-making. Counts toward major and concentration: Environmental Studies.


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This interdisciplinary seminar uses basic concepts of environmental science to explore global environmental issues. Topics are drawn from recent texts and current periodic literature, and participants will recognize many of the seminar issues from coverage in the media. Because most environmental problems involve issues beyond the science, the seminar examines the economic, political and ethical dimensions of environmental questions and environmental decision-making.


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This course explores key concepts of ecology, focusing explicitly on the ideal of ecological sustainability for the St. Olaf campus. Students attend both to contemporary environmental issues and to the ideas and institutions that shape human resource use. Working groups research topics such as curriculum, clothes, cars, water, waste, food, energy, procurement, and landscape in the context of American religious and environmental values.


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This course examines relations between conceptions of "nature" and political issues of power, justice, liberty, and equality; and it explores theoretical foundations from which ecologically grounded institutions, policies, and political understandings arise. The course attends to issues currently being addressed by international green political theorists, including "ecological citizenship" and "green democracy."


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This course analyzes environmental regulation in the United States with respect to its historical evolution, its ability to achieve environmental targets, its efficiency or cost-effectiveness, its distributional impact on jobs, people, and industries across the country, and its international ramifications. Class meetings include open discussions with individuals from agencies charged with developing and enforcing environmental regulation.


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This course is an interdisciplinary seminar on climate throughout the earth's history, including recent changes caused by humankind. It examines the climate system in the larger framework of planetary evolution and explores evidence from the geologic record for climates of the past. Using current scientific literature, students investigate causes of climate change and consider scenarios for future climate based on models incorporating alternative global development strategies.


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This seminar-style course develops students' abilities to reflect on Americans' encounters with their landscape traditions. Students study ways Americans have built on the land and have worshipped and represented nature in paintings, photographs, and advertisements. Students learn to read landscapes, to discover how important artistically, religiously, and ecologically the landscape tradition has been in the Unites States, and to become thoughtful viewers and creators of landscapes. Counts toward major: Art, Art History and Environmental Studies. Counts toward concentration: American Studies, Environmental Studies.


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A capstone seminar for seniors in the major and concentration, this course involves intensive study of special topics utilizing student research projects and presentations and relying on the disciplinary expertise gained from their major and courses within the environmental studies concentration. Often the topic is a local or regional environmental issue, providing participants with opportunities to interact with government and regulatory agencies and community groups. Prerequisites: Environmental Studies 137, senior status, or permission of the Environmental Studies Program director and instructor. Offered Spring Semester.


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Current first aid/CPR certification is necessary to qualify for Red Cross certification to lifeguard. Prerequisite: Physical Eduction 121 or 130.


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This capstone seminar required of all majors focuses on the exploration of current research and the integration of key foundation disciplines in the study of families. Students will explore topics through assigned readings and lecture material.


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Students expand their ability to communicate in French, understand French texts and interpret French and U.S. cultures through study and discussion of specific social and cultural topics that are relevant (eg. stereotypes, the family, education, immigration). Explicit focus oncross-cultural comparison/contrast and analysis. Students develop their ability to listen, speak, read and write, while paying particular attention to listening and reading strategies. Prerequisite: French 112 or placement.


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Students read a variety of French literary texts. The course focuses on aspects of literary analysis, terminology, methodology and literary history. Students develop critical skills through discussion and analytical writing. Taught in French. Prerequisite: French 232 or 233, or equivalent.


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Students study a particular genre or medium (e.g., novel, play, poetry, short story, film) from a variety of periods and authors, with particular emphasis on form. Coursework includes close reading, discussion, in-depth analysis and interpretation of works. Sample topics: "Medieval Romance," "The Short Story," "Autobiography" and "Modern Quebecois Theater." May be repeated if genre is different. Taught in French. Prerequisite: minimum of one 270-level course.


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This course pursues the expansion of Christianity throughout the Roman world and the synthesis of the Judeo-Christian and the Greco-Roman in the early Middle Ages. Students consider the development of a unified world view as expressed in religious devotions, philosophy, literature, and art and in monasticism and feudalism in Church and Empire. Students discuss works by Augustine, Benedict, Hildegard of Bingen, Aquinas, Dante, Chaucer, and Christine de Pisan, medieval drama and the artistry of Chartres Cathedral.


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Revolutionary changes occurred in economics, politics, philosophy, aesthetics and women's roles at the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century. Students consider the development of modern social and natural sciences and examine various attempts to restate the Western tradition in the face of continuing intellectual and social transformations. Students discuss Burke, Paine, Wollstonecraft, Shelley, Mill, Kierkegaard, Darwin, Marx, Freud, Nietzsche, Dostoevsky, Woolf, Proust, Niebuhr, and King and the artistry of Beethoven, Ibsen, David, and Picasso.


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Students Examine fictional works such as short stories, novel excerpts, and other prose texts, including film, with an eye to understanding how they work. Students retell stories in oral and written form and adapt them to different audiences. Coursework includes analysis of plot, characterization, style and point of view, review of cases, tenses and word order, as well as regular group conversations with native speakers. Taught in German. Prerequisite: German 232 or equivalent.


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Students Explore the form, history and theory of a particular genre or medium, including film, the novella, young adult literature, drama, poetry and short story, or the works of a single author. Coursework includes close reading, discussion, analysis and interpretation of texts. Taught in German. Prerequisite: minimum of one 270-level course (two recommended). May be repeated if topic is different.


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In this two-course sequence students learn the basics of ancient Greek. By studying the language's vocabulary, grammar, and syntax, they not only gain appreciation for its intricacies and nuances but also learn more about their own language and about language in general. Completion of both semesters equips students to translate almost any ancient Greek text with the aid of a dictionary. Prerequisite: Greek 111 or equivalent.


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The New Testament is the most famous and most widely translated Greek text from antiquity. Students delight in reading one or more of the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, or selected Pauline letters in the original language. Questions about the transmission of the text and about its theological implications provoke lively discussions. Prerequisite: Greek 231 or equivalent.


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Like the genre that it describes, the word "drama" is itself of Greek origin. From the treasure- trove left to us by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, and Menander, students translate one or two complete plays and discuss the evolution of the Greek theater, staging, and modern interpretations. Prerequisite: Greek 231 or equivalent.


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Focusing on social and cultural history, students use literature, film, and propaganda to examine total war and its impact on gender, state, and society. How did the 19th century prepare Europeans for war? How did different experiences in the trenches and on the home front contribute to gender anxieties? Was the war an agent of progress or midwife to the brutality of the 20th century?


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This seminar, using only eyewitness accounts, examines African slavery in the United States, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Typical readings include the narrative of Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs' autobiography, and the writings of slave-holders like Mary Chesnut. Topics include the slave trade, the origins of African-American culture, women and slavery, and the origins of the Civil War. The course concludes with an examination of the process of emancipation.


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Students examine the overthrow of American segregation through several decades of agitation for civil rights. This seminar focuses primarily on the South, though students also discuss northern race relations. Primary accounts from the era constitute the assigned readings. Among the topics covered are the segregated South, Martin Luther King and his critics, the Black Power movement, and the rise of white backlash politics.


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This course surveys European history and culture since the Reformation. Topics include the impact of Protestantism, the development of nation states, the Enlightenment, revolutionary ideas and experiences, the Napoleonic era, imperialism, mass political movements, and global warfare. Through original texts, historical studies, and literature, students explore relations among religions, states and societies and understandings of liberty and reason, natural environments, family life, and gender roles.


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As they study the development of American institutions and society from the Civil War to the present, students examine economic, social, and political themes with a special emphasis on changing interpretations. Major topics are Reconstruction, urbanization, populism, progressivism, depression, New Deal, foreign relations, civil rights, social reform, equality for women, and other recent trends.


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This course is a survey of Mediterranean civilization from the early history of Italy through the Roman Republic and Empire.


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This course explores topics in European History, designed to emphasize active skills of critical reading, textual and contextual analysis, historiographical argument, and historical writing.


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This course examines European history during the period of about 300 to 1000. Topics include the culture of late antiquity, the foundation of Christian institutions, the age of migrations, the Byzantine Empire and its relationship with the West, the emergence of Islam, the Carolingian revival, the manorial system, and the development of feudalism, with attention given to women's roles in medieval society throughout the course. Prerequisite: History 190 recommended.


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Students examine intellectual, political, social, and spiritual currents, 1300 to 1550, particularly in the city of Florence, but also in broader Italian and European Renaissance contexts. Topics include humanism, the political life of the northern Italian city states, changes in spirituality and in the life of the church, the status of women, and the development of political theory. Readings include Petrarch, Machiavelli, and Erasmus.


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This course offers a survey of modern Scandinavian history from the period of the Protestant Reformation to the present with special attention to recent developments. Foreign Language Across the Curriculum course available in Norwegian.


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This course begins with the Communist revolution of 1917 and traces the growth of the Soviet Union under Lenin, Stalin, and their successors. Students analyze the "crisis" of the Soviet system in order to explain why the last of the European empires collapsed in 1991. Foreign Language Across the Curriculum course available in Russian.


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This course explores topics in Non-Western history, designed to emphasize active skills of critical reading, textual and contextual analysis, historiographical argument, and historical writing.


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Students examine reform and revolution at the end of Qing dynasty; the creation and collapse of the first Republic; warlordism, cultural change, the rise of Chinese nationalism; Japanese invasion, civil war, and the Communist victory; the People's Republic since 1949; economic and social change, Sino-Soviet conflict, the Cultural Revolution, Maoism and Mao's legacy, and China's recent economic and political transformation. Applied Foreign Language Component available in Chinese.


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A study of Japan from the origins of the Yamato state culture to the emergence of modern Japan, this course provides an overview of traditional Japanese thought, values, and culture. This course examines social, economic and political change, intellectual and religious history, and the development of Japanese arts and literature, as well as Japan's relations with China, Korea, and the West.


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By examining the interaction of people and environment on the North American continent from the 15th century to the present, this course shows how history "takes place" in ecological contexts that change over time. Students compare Native American and Euro-American religious beliefs, social values, economic aspirations, and technological developments and examine their consequences for the flora, fauna, and peoples of the continent.


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In this study of African Americans in U. S. society from African origins to the present, students explore the African heritage, the experience of slavery, segregation, and the rise of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. The course pays particular attention to the issue of black nationalism as a force in American life.


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Students examine the limitations and the enormous potential of film in depicting and interpreting past events in U.S. history. They analyze films using a variety of theoretical models and explore the connection between the present and the interpretation in film of famous past episodes in U.S. history, including, but not limited to, the American Revolution, the Civil War, Custer's "Last Stand," and the turbulent events of the 1960s. Required writing assignments enable students to demonstrate their analytical skills. Group projects offer the opportunity to write screenplays.


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Students study the emergence and development of Greek civilization from the early Bronze Age through the Hellenistic period, concentrating on such topics as the Homeric Age, Greek colonization of the Mediterranean basin, Athens' evolution from democratic city-state to imperialist power, the Golden Age of Athens, social and intellectual trends, Alexander and the oecumene ideal. Prerequisite: History 190 or 203 recommended or permission of instructor. May be repeated if topics are different.


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This seminar covers various topics in early modern European history, depending upon the instructor. May be repeated if topics are different.


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This seminar covers various topics in modern European history, depending upon the instructor. Recent topics have included "The Holocaust and History," "Race, Gender, and Medicine," and "Stalin." May be repeated if topics are different.


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This seminar covers varying topics in American history, depending upon the instructor. Recent topics have included "Women and Slavery," "The American Revolution," and "American Consumer Culture." May be repeated if topics are different.


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Oral communication is an essential part of science and mathematics. Students work closely with a faculty member to learn and practice important aspects of communicating technical information to both expert and non-expert audiences. Enrollment by permission of instructor only. Prerequisite: Previous participation in summer communication series. P/N only.


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Faculty offer integrative seminars in the Center for Integrative Studies (CIS) on selected topics, open to students of at least sophomore standing, that model the integration of tools and resources from various disciplines in new approaches to interesting subjects. Each seminar is normally offered twice, in successive academic years, then is either retired or adopted into another department or interdisciplinary program's offerings. Full descriptions of current CIS seminars can be found at http://www.stolaf.edu/depts/cis/courseconnections.htm.


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In this two-course sequence students learn the basics of classical Latin. By studying the language's vocabulary, grammar, and syntax, they not only gain appreciation for its intricacies and nuances but also learn more about their own language and about language in general. Completion of both semesters equips students to translate almost any classical Latin text with the aid of a dictionary. Prerequisite: Latin 111 or equivalent.


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Lord Tennyson called Vergil the "wielder of the stateliest measure ever moulded by the lips of man." Students encounter that stately measure when they translate selections from Vergil's three major poems (Eclogues, Georgics, Aeneid). They also engage in spirited discussion of Homer's influence on Vergil and of Vergil's influence on the literature, art and music of Western civilization. Prerequisite: Latin 231 or equivalent. Offered in alternate years.


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The writings of Sallust, Livy and Tacitus provide breathtaking views of ancient Rome and memorable vignettes from the city's colorful history. Extended passages from the historians' works form the core of readings for a survey of Roman historiography and of historical writing in general. Prerequisite: Latin 231 or equivalent.


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Modern mathematics is characterized by the interaction of theoretical and computational techniques. In this course, students study topics from pure and applied mathematics with the aid of computation, utilizing symbolical, graphical, and numerical computational techniques. Students develop computational skills sufficient to investigate mathematical questions independently. No previous programming experience is required. Prerequisite: Linear Algebra.


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Students are introduced to modeling and mathematical optimization techniques (e.g., linear programming, network flows, discrete optimization, constrained and unconstrained nonlinear programming, queuing theory). The course emphasizes applications, but prior computer experience is not assumed. Prerequisites: Mathematics 126 or 128 and 220. Recommended: Mathematics 226 and/or 262. Spring Semester only.


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A sequel to Mathematics 230, this course studies differential equations from a more rigorous mathematical perspective and extends their use as modeling tools. Students examine dynamical systems and their use in the study of chaos and fractals and partial differential equations and their use to describe complex physical phenomena such as wave motion and diffusion. Mathematical computing plays an important role. Prerequisite: Mathematics 230. Formerly offered as Mathematics 326. Offered periodically.


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This course offers a continuation of group theory and field theory, including group actions, Sylow theory and Galois theory. Other topics may include representation theory, module theory and more, depending on the instructor. Prerequisite: Math 252. Offered in 2002-03 and then alternate years.


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A course that explores the development of selected film genres (such as horror, film noir, and documentary film) from the beginnings of film to the present, assessing the impact of each genre on the cinema of one or more nations. Students examine how genres have been re-imagined in different cultures or time periods and how cultural rituals and myths, icons and archetypes, and hybridization affect the development of genres. Prerequisite: Media Studies 160 or premission of the instructor.


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Building on principles learned in 111, students encounter more advanced rhythmic patterns, tonal melodies and chord progressions. Keyboard activities include harmonizing melodies, realizing figured basses and playing chord progressions. Prerequisites: Music 111 and 113. Offered Spring Semester.


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Building on principles learned in 113, students develop a harmonic vocabulary through analysis of seventh chords, secondary functions and common chord modulation, Studies in melody explore species counterpoint, develop through melodic reduction and phrase structure. Binary and ternary forms are also studied. Prerequisites: Music 111 and 113. Offered Spring Semester.


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This course addresses both the theory and practical application of F. M. Alexander's discoveries of the process of human coordination. Students learn to apply the Alexander Technique to their practice and performance activities. Offered during Spring Semester.


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Intended primarily for music majors, this course introduces basic techniques for performance on the trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium and tuba. Each student develops a basic proficiency on any three of these instruments. Pedagogical techniques, repertoire, literature and instrument maintenance are also included. Students play a solo with piano accompaniment and perform with the class ensemble at the end of the term. Offered Spring Semester.


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Intended primarily for music majors, this course introduces basic techniques for performance on selected instruments in the woodwind family. Tone production and technical facility are highlighted. Discussion topics include posture, breathing, embouchure, history of the woodwind instruments, instrument families, reed adjustment, maintenance and basic repair, resource materials, method books, solo and ensemble editions, and similarities and differences in teaching the various woodwind instruments.


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This course continues the aural study of chromatic harmony, melodies and 20th-century rhythms introduced in Music 211. Students also work on basic improvisation skills, including working from jazz chord symbols, improvising melodies from given guidelines, improvising cadenzas and improvising jazz melodies. Prerequisites: Music 211 and 213.


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Building on principles learned in 213, students examine the techniques and materials of music since 1875, including chromaticism and extended tonality. Analysis of late 19th- and 20th-century music is included. Prerequisites: Music 211 and 213.


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Students are introduced to a number of compositional techniques and are given opportunities to create original works of music and hear them performed. The course also includes listening to important 20th-century works and discussing current trends in music, the changing role of the composer in society and practical composition issues. Prerequisites: Music 112, 114, or permission of instructor.


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Continuing the study begun in 241, students encounter the history and development of Western European music from ca. 1750 to the present and study the major forms, styles and representative literature of the Classic and Romantic eras and the 20th and 21st centuries. Prerequisite: Music 114.


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Students learn basic conducting gestures, with and without baton, through exercises in meter patterns, preparatory beats and cut-offs, cueing, dynamics, fermata, articulations, phrasing, left hand independence, and face/eye usage. Prerequisite: Music 114 or permission of instructor.


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Students learn conducting techniques for instrumental literature, including rehearsal techniques, score preparation, and reading the full score. They study characteristic examples from standard band and orchestra literature and receive practical experience in conducting an instrumental ensemble. Course work includes observation of conducting faculty. Prerequisite: 251.


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This advanced piano class for B.M. music majors emphasizes sight playing, score reading, harmonization and transposition, more advanced harmonic idioms, improvisation, ensemble playing, and performance preparation. Students earning a grade of B- or higher meet the department's keyboard proficiency standards for B.M. instrumental performance majors. Prerequisite: Music 162, equivalency examination II, or audition placement.


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Students study and practice the principles for signing in French and German with good pronunciation, enunciation and expression. Course content includes phonetic analysis using the International Phonetic Alphabet and identifying and exercising the phonemic features of French and German through class performances and listening assignments. Prerequisite: Music 263 and two semesters of voice lessons.


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Students study and perform chamber music repertoire for strings, winds, percussion, and keyboard. Ensembles formed frequently include string quartets, woodwind quintets, or brass quintets. Existing ensembles may enroll, or new groups may be formed. The course requires regular and frequent rehearsals, coaching sessions with faculty and recital performances. May be repeated. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.


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Beginning with the 17th century, students trace the evolution of literature for piano through the major works of such diverse composers as Bach, Boulez, Couperin, and Cage. Course content includes lectures, readings, listening, analysis, performance, and written assignments. Special attention is paid to performance practice traditions and historical context. Prerequisites: Music 214, 241, and 242, or permission of instructor.


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Analysis is a course of discovery, using advanced tools of music theory to examine the ways in which great works of music are put together. Students examine principles of form and style and, using a range of analytical techniques, come to a deeper understanding of tonal music. The course focuses on Classical and Romantic literature, with some work in 20th-centry tonality. Prerequisite: Music 214.


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Students develop more advanced technique in writing for instruments and voice through individual study in creative composition, focusing on smaller ensembles. This course may be repeated. Prerequisite: Music 223.


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This course continues the study in creative composition begun in 223 and 324 and includes writing for large ensembles. This course may be repeated. Prerequisite: Music 221, 223, 324, and permission of instructor.


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This course offers an in-depth study of the music literature and styles of the Baroque, ca. 1600- 1750. Prerequisite: Music 241, 242.


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Students encounter in-depth studies in a specific topic or area of music history. The content and nature of this course are determined by the instructor and the department. Sample topics include American music, studies in classical music, opera, and folk and pop in art music. May be repeated if topics are different. Prerequisite: Music 241, 242. Offered every semester.


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This course continues the studies begun in Music 391. Students consider recruitment and music administration and composing and arranging music for worship. Prerequisite: Music 391.


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Neuroscience is one of the fastest growing fields, with activity ranging from the fundamentals of behavior to molecular aspects of neuronal function. This course provides a foundation and overview of the important and extensive ways in which biological and physiological processes are involved in the regulation and maintenance of behavior. Among the topics students explore are: fundamental electrophysiology, sensory and motor systems, integration, learning and memory and the mind-body connection. Prerequisites: Biology 125, or Chemistry 121 (or 125), or Physics 126, or Psychology 125. Biology 125 is strongly recommended. Counts toward major: Biology, Psychology.


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Students continue developing proficiency in spoken and written Norwegian, increasing their vocabulary, improving grammatical accuracy, and gaining experience reading and listening to authentic materials. Prerequisite: Norwegian 111, or equivalent.


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This film course focuses on the increasingly non-traditional ways of forming relationships in the Nordic countries. Rejecting the values of previous generations, young people from different backgrounds and ethnicities form relationships according to their own integrity and sexual preferences. Students attain an understanding of these cultural trends and the technical terminology to watch, read, think, talk, and write critically and intelligently about films as text.


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Contemporary Norway is much more than lutefisk, lefse, Hardanger fiddles, rosemaling, and elaborate costumes. This course examines modern Norwegian society - imperfections and all - against the back-drop of tradition, looking at such issues as Norway's role in peace negotiations, its position as an outsider in Europe, and its evolving relationship with the United States.


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This course is a continuation of the approach of Norwegian 231, in which authentic cultural and literary texts provide the basis for writing and discussion on topics such as health, work, Norwegian history, society, politics, environmental issues, and minorities in Norway. Materials include a contemporary novel. Prerequisite: Norwegian 231, or equivalent.


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A study of Norwegian literature from 1890 to the present, this chronological overview places contemporary Norwegian literature in the context of historical, cultural, and linguistic change and relates Norwegian literature to international trends. Lectures, essays, and class discussion are in Norwegian. Prerequisite: Norwegian 253 or equivalent.


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Students analyze the plays of Henrik Ibsen in English translation using a variety of critical approaches. Students investigate ethical issues and themes in Ibsen's plays by examining the plays through the lens of ethics, using readings in ethical theory to better understand both the ethical issues and the plays themselves. Students also study Ibsen's dramatic technique and the historical and literary context of his work. Prerequisite: completion of BTS-T.


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Current first aid/CPR certification is necessary to qualify for Red Cross certification in W.S.I.. Prerequisite: Physical Education 121 or 130.


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Students will examine the conceptual framework for ethical decision making using sports as a prism to examine normative perspectives. Varied ethical perspectives are analyzed through the conflicts presented in sports-related questions. Course readings and lectures examine the theoretical constructs of ethical decision making from Christian and non-Christian positions. Prerequisite: Completion of BTS-T.


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This course involves practice and game observation and a practicum in coaching a sport. Students are involved in practice planning and drill work, game preparation, and administration, as well as game rules and coaching strategies. This course applies toward the coaching sequence only. Prerequisite: Physical Education 238 and permission of instructor.


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This course examines historically significant conceptions of reality and knowledge focusing on philosophy's contributions to Western culture. Major philosophers from ancient, medieval, and modern Western philosophy are introduced and assessed for their contributions to our understanding of the universe, human nature, and values. Some sections offer a survey of Western philosophy; others stress intensive study of central figures and works. Consult departmental prospectus for details. Open to first-year students and sophomores only.


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Is there anything about the human mind that cannot in principle be understood scientifically? Are we just complex physical machines? This course looks at recent attempts to answer such questions. Students examine the philosophical foundations of various approaches to the study of the mind and consider the possible moral and social implications of these approaches with respect to questions of free will, personal identity, and our responsibility for our actions.


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An introduction to Kierkegaard's work and to existentialism, this course emphasizes the aesthetic, ethical, and religious "stages on life's way." Existential questions concerning the meaning of human existence, passion and faith, freedom and choice, despair, and the absurd are examined.


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This course examines the development of Western philosophy in the 17th and 18th centuries. Students explore the historical foundations of central issues in metaphysics and epistemology in the works of such thinkers as Descartes, Pascal, Hobbes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant. Topics may include conceptions of God, freedom, knowledge and skepticism, the nature of ideas, and the foundations of modern science. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy or consent of instructor.


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Formal systems of logic attempt to make principles of good reasoning explicit. This course introduces two such systems of logic: propositional and predicate calculus. Students learn to use formal techniques to analyze arguments and explore philosophical issues related to meta- theory, including consistency and completeness, the paradoxes of material implication, ontological commitment, and the interpretation of quantifiers.


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Contemplating art in relation to religious and moral as well as aesthetic values, students address such issues as the nature of creation and creativity, the character of visual metaphor, and the meaning of selected historical and contemporary works of art. While developing a more informed appreciation of aesthetic properties of art, students analyze major texts in philosophy of art and art criticism.


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This course examines the main Western ethical theories and their application to contemporary moral concerns. Theoretical issues may include rights, duties, virtue, hedonism, egoism, the relation between ethics and theology, the fact-value distinction, relativism, and pluralism. Students discuss current topics such as global economic justice, euthanasia and the death penalty, animal rights, censorship, racism, privacy rights versus public safety, reproductive ethics, and environmental ethics. Prerequisite: Completion of BTS-T.


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Moral issues concerning friendship and love are analyzed from the perspective of normative moral theories and various theories of value. Issues may include the role of friendship in the moral life, exploitative versus fulfilling relationships, and the conflict between altruism and self-love. Since loving is itself a form of valuing, value theory is approached by investigating philosophical and theological works concerning the basic types of love: philia, eros, and agape. Prerequisite: Completion of BTS-T.


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Valuing nature raises significant philosophical and ethical issues. This course considers the nature of animal life, the character and control of pollution, the conflict between preservationism and conservationism, corporate and governmental responsibility for the eco-crisis, the use of economic categories to assess wilderness areas and endangered species, the conflict between eco-holism and individualism, and the philosophy of wilderness management. Prerequisite: Completion of BTS-T.


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An introduction to moral philosophy emphasizing normative theories, the foundations of morality (metaethics), and moral reasoning. Normative theories (e.g. virtue ethics, deontological ethics, theological ethics, and utilitarianism) explore the nature of the good and the difference between right and wrong. Metaethics concerns the origins and objectivity of moral judgments, studying moral relativism, moral subjectivism, divine command theory, and ideal observer theories. Students explore moral reasoning in theory and practice using contemporary moral issues as examples. Prerequisites: One course in philosophy and completion of BTS-T, or permission of instructor.


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Intended as a capstone course for the major, the seminar studies a selected topic, figure, or movement in philosophy, with emphasis on independent research and student presentations. Consult department's prospectus for details. May be repeated is topics are different. Prerequisite: upper level philosophy major or consent of instructor.


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This two-semester in-depth course addresses topics in classical and modern physics using algebra, geometry, and some calculus. The course is well-suited for students of biology or chemistry or for those desiring a thorough introduction beyond the high-school level.
Physics 125 explores the character of electric and magnetic forces and fields, then takes up the extended description of matter (vibrations, waves - sound and light). Finally, both particle and wave descriptions are shown to be necessary for discussing quantum mechanics and its application to atomic physics. One laboratory meeting per week. Prerequisites: Mathematics 120 or 122 and Physics 124,


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This three-semester calculus-based sequence leads the student through basic principles that account electrical power distribution systems, stereos, and black holes. It is the starting point for a major in physics and is also appropriate for majors in fields such as chemistry or mathematics who desire more mathematical depth than would be used in the two-semester 124-125 sequence.
Physics 127 explores special relativity, vibrational motion, waves, fluids, heat, and geometric optics. There is one 2.5-hour laboratory meeting per week. Prerequisites: Physics 126 or permission of instructor, and concurrent registration in (or previous completion of) Mathematics 126 or 128.


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In 1945, humanity's relationship to science was forever changed by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This course examines the scientific developments that led to these first atomic weapons, from the discovery of the nucleus to the manipulation of fission processes for the explosive release of nuclear energy. It also considers present- day weapons and nuclear power plants and discusses scientific developments in the human contexts that influenced them. Prerequisite: High School algebra


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Quantum mechanics has changed the conceptual framework for our understanding of atoms and molecules, both as free particles and in condensed states of matter. It also guides our understanding of the nucleus and elementary particles. This course examines these discoveries and several applications they produced. Prerequisites: Physics 228 and concurrent registration in Physics 245 and Math 230.


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This course utilizes integral and vector calculus in a thorough and analytic examination of classical electromagnetic theory and the physical laws on which it is based. Topics include electric and magnetic fields, macroscopic interaction of electromagnetism with matter, and the propagation of electromagnetic waves in various media. Concurrent registration for a 0.25-course lab (Physics 385) is required. Prerequisites: Physics 228 and 229, Mathematics 226 or 228, and 230. Offered Spring Semester.


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This course is an introduction to some of the central, interrelated concepts and questions of political theory. Some of the readings will be drawn from recognized classics in the field while others will arise from contemporary debates about political issues and cultural diversity within the U.S. The course pays considerable attention to historical shifts in political thought but is not designed to provide a chronology of the great Western political thinkers. Instead, this course aims to provoke and sustain a semester-long exploration of what it means to be a political actor -- that is, a citizen -- and what it means to think about politics.


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War and peace, justice and power -- these are age-old topics of the politics among nations. This course examines them by emphasizing certain problem areas in the world and evaluating the principal theories for understanding international politics.


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This course explores the diverse modes of inquiry in the discipline of political science. Broadly centered around the question, "How do you know?," students focus on different methods of locating and collecting data, reviewing political texts and contested concepts, and constructing theoretical explanations of political phenomena. Prerequisite: one previous course in department.


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Currents of nationalism, regionalism and globalization organize political life around the world. What trends and policies promote regional integration? What forces frustrate integration? To answer these questions this course investigates security, economic, and cultural relations at the beginning of the 21st century within Asia and between Asia and Russia and the U.S. This course looks at the historical interaction of national, regional and global forces for additional answers. Prerequisites: Previous course in Asian Studies or Political Science, or permission of instructor.


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Socrates founded political philosophy by asking the question "What is justice?" Ancient political philosophers followed his lead offering different answers. Students study the most famous works of classical political philosophy and their relation to larger themes in contemporary politics. The main texts assigned are Plato's Republic, Aristotle's Politics and selections from St. Augustine's City of God and St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa.


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The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the principles of American constitutional law as well s the political struggles that shaped them. The course focuses not only on constitutional doctrine, but also on competing interpretations and political effects of landmark decisions. This course emphasizes debates over civil rights and civil liberties that have been central to modern Supreme Court jurisprudence.


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What are the factors shaping Soviet and post-Soviet political development? Students consider the impact of the Russian Empire on Soviet political development, Stalinism and its causes, political change under Khrushchev and Brezhnev, and changes occurring during and after Perestroika. Students examine conceptual models of post-Soviet politics, current policies and institutions, and political and economic changes in the former U.S.S.R.


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This course examines the basic principles and methods of psychological science from an evolutionary and cultural perspective. Students use critical thinking skills to examine fascinating topics: dreaming, cultural influences, identity, learning, thinking and the biology of behavior. Applying basic research methods, students act as skeptical scientists. This course applies to almost any career choice in today's world and provides insight into self and others.


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Students engage in hands-on laboratory experiments to (1) understand the experimental basis of current scientific theory in psychology; and (2) develop proficiency in using equipment, testing hypotheses, collecting data, and interpreting results. Phenomena selected for these introductory investigations are robust, central to introductory psychology, of interest to students, and relevant to psychological research. Prerequisite/corequisite: Psychology.


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This course prepares the student with tools for understanding how research studies in psychology are conceptualized, designed, carried out, interpreted, and disseminated to the public. Use of library and Internet resources, ethical guidelines in the conduct of research and the skills of good scientific writing will be emphasized. Students work independently and in small groups to design and conduct their own research projects. Prerequisites: Psychology 125, Statistics 110, 212, or 263.


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Focus includes information processing, learning and remembering speech, artistic, musical and athletic performance, invention and other forms of creativity. Students unlock the mind's mysteries using state-of-the-art scientific instrumentation, developing cognitive science knowledge and research skills. The course includes three hours lecture and one three-hour laboratory per week. Prerequisites: Psychology 125, Statistics110, 212 or 263.


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This course will help students better understand the development of themselves and others from the moment of conception and across the life span. The course focuses on the biological and environmental factors that shape human development. Major changes in physical, cognitive, personality and social development are discussed. Teaching methods include lecture, discussions, individual and small-group projects. Prerequisite: Psychology 125.


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Why are people prejudiced and how can we reduce prejudice? Why do people help others? What is self-esteem and how do we defend it? How does romantic attraction develop? What are emotions and how do they influence us? In this introduction to the ways people interact and think about each other, students design their own theories of social behavior. Prerequisite: Psychology 125.


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Students apply psychological facts and principles to the problems that permeate business and industry. Topics include organizational structure, personnel management, employee-supervisor relationships, job satisfaction and motivation, communication and leadership. Prerequisite: Psychology 125, Statistics 110, 212 or 263.


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Students will examine theories of normal personality development in an effort to understand the factors that shape personality. Is personality biologically determined? Is it a result of interpersonal experiences, learning and reinforcement? Are other factors involved as well? We will investigate prominent personality theories and research and their conceptualizations of this fundamental aspect of human experience. Prerequisite: Psychology 125. Offered every year.


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This seminar explores research on mental imagery and visual perception, focusing on the use of imagery in thinking. Drawing on both 19th-century empirical studies of visual imagery and contemporary brain scan research, students explore individual differences in mental representations of problem solving and abstract concepts, including numbers, colors, and time. Students also research mental conceptions as represented in dance notation, pictorial instructions, and scientific images. Prerequisites: Psychology 125, 231, and 235 or 237.


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With recent advances in neuroscience, we can now describe the biological correlates of many psychological disorders, including schizophrenia, depression and anxiety disorders. In this discussion-based course, students use published research findings to examine the connections between the symptoms of these pathologies and changes in brain neurobiology, biochemistry, and physiology. Prerequisites: Psychology 125, 231, and 238, or Neuroscience 234 and Psychology 246, or consent of instructor.


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This seminar investigates "the good life," exploring what psychology can tell us about human flourishing and psychological well-being. Empirical evidence is examined to understand some of the best aspects of life, such as the function of positive emotions, the role of traits in well-being, sources of meaning and life satisfaction, and character strength and virtue. Personality and sociocultural factors are emphasized in this exploration of the positive potentials of human life. Prerequisites: Psychology 231 and Psychology 249 or 271 or consent of the instructor.


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This course examines several major theoretical perspectives on psychotherapy. Students review empirically supported treatments for specific clinical disorders, as well as "nonspecific" factors that affect the therapeutic process. Students explore ethical and legal challenges related to psychotherapy delivery, as well as multicultural and other diversity issues. Course format is primarily discussion-based. This course is only open to juniors and seniors and is offered every year. Prerequisites: Psychology 125, 231, and 264 or 271.


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Complex cognitive processes such as memory, language and spatial perception have a neurological basis. This course provides the opportunity to examine the relationship between human brain structures and their expression in cognition. Students examine cerebral asymmetry, head trauma, learning disabilities and aphasia. The course includes three hours lecture and three hours laboratory per week. Prerequisites: Psychology 125, 231, and 238 or Neuroscience 234; completion of BTS-T.


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"Issues courses" allow in-depth study of particular themes or topics in psychology. Students "get below the surface" of broad textbook summaries and introductory material. Past seminars have included: linguistics, personal narrative and lifestory, addictions, women and madness, integrative therapies and the biopsychology of mental disorders. Prerequisite: See department website. Specific topics are announced each year. May be repeated if topics are different.


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Examining essential Christian beliefs with special attention to their implications for the moral life, students in this course will analyze the meaning and truth of Christian symbols and claims about God, Christ, creation, fall, providence, redemption, etc., and explore their bearing upon ethical perspectives and principles, moral character and community and societal institutions and practices. Readings include classical and contemporary Christian theological sources. Prerequisite: BTS-B.


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This course examines what Christians are doing when they worship -- in both senses (actions and intentions). Christian groups in present and history are compared to discover forms, functions and theologies of worship illuminated by connections to Judaism, Israel and other religions. Prerequisite: BTS-B.


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This course features close reading of the prophetic literature of Israel with attention to literary forms, historical context and theological insights. Students discuss the contribution of the Hebrew prophets to Jewish and Christian tradition and prophecy as a religious phenomenon. Prerequisite: BTS-B.


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Students examine contemporary Buddhist moral teachings on social issues such as violence and peacemaking, human rights and social justice and humanity and the environment. Coursework focuses on the writings of Vietnamese monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh, Tibetan leader-in-exile Tenzin Gyatso (Fourteenth Dalai Lama), American ecologist Joanna Macy and others. Students consider the moral paradigms of Christianity and Buddhism: Christ and the Bodhisattva. Prerequisite: BTS-T.


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The nature and boundaries of communities, as well as the quality of relationships within communities, are determined by theology as well as by social, political and ethnic factors. Students examine the ways in which the world's religions, particularly Christianity, have interpreted each other's significance and truth claims and considers the ethical implications of these different responses. Prerequisite: BTS-T.


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Students critically analyze the development of Christian thought from its beginnings to the 9th century. Special attention is placed on the theological controversies which led to the formation of the Christian community's central doctrines: God as Trinity, Jesus Christ as divine and human, salvation as divine action and human response. Students read from Irenaeus, Origen, Athanasius, Augustine and others. Prerequisite: BTS-B.


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May be repeated if topics are different. Prerequisite: BTS-B. Spring 2007: Paul Among the Martyrs. For more information on this course please go to: http://www.stolaf.edu/depts/religion/courses/index.html


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This integrative seminar focuses on the pursuit of research, the explanation of research to fellow students and the exploration of connections among diverse approaches to the selected topic, Which chagnes annually. May be repeated if topics are different. Prerequisite: BTS-B.


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Students continue their grammar, oral and written work with an emphasis on conversation and reading selections from classical and contemporary Russian authors. Russian Language and Area Studies 231 or equivalent is prerequisite to 232.


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How do anthropologists study other cultures? Peoples around the world create different realities through the ways they conceptualize experience (cultures) and how they organize themselves to do what they need to do (societies). Anthropologists describe and compare cultures and societies, focusing on different aspects such as family and kinship, inequality and power, religion and values, economy and technology, cultural and social change.


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As an overview of belief systems and ways of life, this course explores ethnographic case studies of Native American groups from the major culture areas of North America north of Mexico. Topics addressed in this course include language families, social organization systems, ecological and economic adaptations, material culture, religions, and revitalization movements. This course will also examine the impacts of colonial encounters upon Native American cultures.


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Focusing on present day Arab and Middle Eastern countries, the course explores the role of the institutions of family and religion in maintaining continuity, while also identifying sources of change such as the colonial experience, regional and global interdependence, the social impact of oil, fundamentalist movements and the co-existence of traditional and "modern" values.


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Southeast Asia is a diverse region, stretching from the sleek high-rises of Singapore to hermetic Rangoon; from Islam to Buddhism; from computer chip manufacture to swidden agriculture. Students read ethnographies, novels and local histories to better understand Southeast Asian family life, religion, language and education. Through focusing on the experience of modernity, Students examine how Southeast Asians make sense of their group affiliations, their pasts and their futures. The course aims to challenge contemporary understandings of place, entitlement and home both in Southeast Asia and beyond.


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Hunters and gatherers, herders and agriculturalists who have developed successful strategies for utilizing natural resources while maintaining ecological balance are in danger of losing their ways of life. Deforestation, dams, pollution, global warming, desert expansion and population pressure -- the products of globalization and economic development -- are threatening the loss of invaluable cultural knowledge as well as sustainable adaptations. Students explore humans and the environment and the survival of indigenous peoples. Offered Fall or Spring Semester.


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Students analyze the influence of social and cultural factors on health, illness, and medical treatment. Using novels, monographs, videos, and guest speakers, the course explores the social nature of disease and illness, the social organization of medical care and health professions, medical education, the growth of alternative health care, medical ethics, the ecology of health care, and the connections among faith, healing, and medicine.


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This course provides an overview of the major thinkers who sought to create a science of human society, the ideas they found fundamental to a science of society and how human society changes through history. Classical thinkers such as Marx, Durkheim, Simmel, Weber, and Mead are studied along with the schools of theory which they inspired: positivism, interpretive and critical conflict theory.


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Students learn to design and conduct qualitative research in the tradition of sociological and anthropological ethnography. Students discuss theoretical approaches to ethnography and learn data collection methods through case studies and fieldwork assignments. Students use their own research to gain experience in interpreting field notes, doing analysis and writing an ethnographic interpretation of their research findings. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.


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This seminar offers in-depth reading, writing and discussion on a selected topic from areas common to sociology and anthropology with an emphasis on contemporary analysis. Specific content will vary from year to year. The seminar is open to senior majors only. Prerequisite: BTS-T.


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Students expand their skills by continuing to listen, speak, read and write on such topics as the concept of time, leisure activities and culinary traditions in North American and Hispanic cultures and to work in the Language Lab. Prerequisite: Spanish 111 or placement.


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Through exploring the geographic and human diversity of the Spanish-speaking world, students develop increasingly complex skills for analyzing and communicating in Spanish. They study such essential dimensions of that world as: (1) geography and development; (2) environmental challenges and solutions; (3) population and demographic changes and challenges; and (4) ethnic diversity. Prerequisite: Spanish 112 or placement.


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Students explore the diverse histories, circumstances and contributions of Latinos in the U.S. by reading essays, news accounts, short fiction and autobiographies, viewing videos and TV broadcasts. They consolidate their language skills and continue to develop their ability to analyze and communicate in Spanish by writing compositions, making oral presentations and engaging in other interactive group activities. They also review Spanish structures difficult for speakers of English. Prerequisite: Spanish 231 or placement.


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Seminars engage students in in-depth study of a specified topic through readings, research and oral and written student reports. Special attention is paid to theoretical and bibliographic issues. Topics vary according to the areas of expertise and professional interests of departmental faculty. May be repeated if topics are different. Prerequisites: Spanish 250 and at least two courses at the 270 or 300 level.


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This studio course covers drawing and painting as it relates to theater design and production work. Students engage in exercises and project work in perceptual drawing, scene painting, and technical drawing. Course fee is required. No prerequisite. Open to all majors and non-majors. Offered periodically, dependent upon student interest.


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Americans have long understood their diverse identities through stories. This course analyzes familiar and less familiar narratives that have formed and re-formed identity in the context of American culture. Students examine literary works, histories, cultural artifacts, and media, paying attention to the forms and themes through which the American experience is constructed. They develop their own writing skills. The course also introduces students to the American Conversations program's emphasis on civic engagement. Offered annually in the fall semester. Prerequisite: enrollment in the American Conversations program.


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This sculpture course introduces lost wax bronze casting, an art and industrial process that changed the course of human civilization. Students learn to cast, finish, and present cast metal work. The course makes use of hands-on instruction, readings, slide talks, and discussion. Materials fee. Offered annually in the fall semester.


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The study of the anatomy and physiology of the human body is founded on a thorough understanding of the structure and function of cells and tissues. Students attend lectures plus one three-hour laboratory per week. Nursing and exercise science majors may pre-register for this course. This course may not be taken after completion of CH/BI 227 or BIO 227. Offered in the fall semester. Also counts toward exercise science major.


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Microbiology examines the morphology, composition, metabolism, and genetics of micro organisms with emphasis on bacteria and viruses. Students examine the dynamic impact of microbes on humans, the immune response, and the role of microbes in the environment. Students attend lectures plus one three-hour laboratory per week. Offered annually. Prerequisites: BIO 143 or BIO 150, and one chemistry course.


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This course introduces chemical concepts that are important for students pursuing a study of chemistry or biology. Topics include atomic structure, the periodic table, bonding interactions within and between particles, water and its solutions, biological membranes, chemical reaction types, chemical stoichiometry, equilibrium systems, acids and bases, introduction to protein structure. Examples are often pulled from the realm of biological molecules and processes. Students attend three classes and one three-hour laboratory per week. Placement via online placement exam is required. Offered annually in the fall semester. Prerequisites: high school biology, chemistry, and physics; concurrent registration in MATH 119 or MATH 120 is recommended.


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This study of chemical stoichiometry, equilibrium, acid-base chemistry, coordination chemistry, and atomic and molecular structure supplies the fundamental background on which all later chemistry courses depend. It includes applications of equilibrium principles to acid-base chemistry. Students attend three classes and one three-hour laboratory per week. Offered annually in the fall semester. Also counts toward biomolecular science concentration. Students planning to continue in chemistry should consider concurrent registration in MATH 119 or MATH 120. The course cannot be taken in conjunction with or after credit in CHEM 121. Prerequisite: placement via online placement exam.


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This laboratory course introduces students to the synthesis and characterization of organic,organometallic and inorganic compounds and serves as a general introduction to green chemistry. Students purify the materials they produce by techniques such as chromatography and characterize them using optical rotation measurements, infrared spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Students attend one three-hour laboratory each week. P/N only. Offered annually in the fall semester. Also counts toward biomolecular science concentration. Prerequisite: previous or concurrent registration in CHEM 247.


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First of two elementary courses that helps students with no prior background to develop basic Mandarin skills, such as pronunciation, pinyin, grammar, and handwriting along with knowledge of Chinese culture and society. Students should achieve the Novice Mid level on the ACTFL proficiency scale and identify about 150 characters in areas of daily life and immediate needs upon completion of this course. Students attend three classes and one laboratory weekly.. Offered annually in the fall semester.


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Students in this course develop critical, historically informed, cross-cultural perspectives on race in the United States by investigating the roots of racial thought in the world of the Greeks and Romans over two millennia ago. Topics include comparative racial formation; ancient theories of race and their impacts on the modern world; racist structures across time and space; and the contingency of cultural responses to ethnic difference and “otherness.” Readings range from antiquity to 21st-century America. Offered periodically in fall and spring semesters. Also counts toward ancient studies, classics, Greek, and Latin majors.


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This course explores computer hardware and how the code we write uses it, taught through in-class labs and daily assignments focusing on the Raspberry Pi single-board computer. Topics include an introduction to computer systems, C language programming, an overview of computer organization, the component-level design of computer hardware, forms of parallelism, machine-level implementation of programming language features, memory organization, digital logic, microprogrammed and RISC architectures, multi-core architectures, and assembly programming. Offered annually. Also counts toward management studies concentration. Prerequisite: CSCI 121 or CSCI 125 or permission of instructor.


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In this two-hour lab, students investigate the implementation of software using strategies and concepts presented in CSCI 251, explore standard technologies for creation and management of multi-module software systems, and carry out stages of structured team software project, through hands-on computational exercises and with direct support provided in a small group context. Offered each semester. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in CSCI 251.


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This course presents dances derived from immigrant and native traditions and includes Cajun, Bon odori, contras, hula, squares, and vintage dance forms such as Charleston, among others. May be repeated. P/N only. Ticket/transportation fee required. Offered periodically.


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This course introduces dance techniques and styles with attention to aesthetics influenced by the African Diaspora. Students explore alignment, polyrhythm, and a polycentric body awareness while combining various movement vocabularies at a beginning level. May be repeated. P/N only. Offered each semester.


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This course explores the dance techniques of Party Dances, which began being termed "Hip Hop" dance in the 1980s. As a transformation of styles with Africanist parentage, this course focuses on the rhythm and groove embedded by the New York beginnings of proper Hip Hop. The course exposes students to the history and influence of Hip Hop on various cultures through the study of Party Dances and styles from New York to California, 1980s to 2000s. This class requires no previous dance experience or prerequisites.


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This course explores the Hip Hop dance canon through Party Dance technique, and styles under the umbrella of Hip Hop. Beginning where DANCE 113 Hip Hop I ends, it focuses on rhythm, groove, and extends into complex footwork. As an intermediate-level course, these foci are explored intricately and in-depth, with expectations that students work toward intellectual and clear kinesthetic comprehension exhibited in the body through performance. Students investigate the influence of Hip Hop as a genre on various cultures through the study of street dance technique. Prerequisite: DANCE 113.


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This course explores the Hip Hop dance canon through Party Dance technique, and styles under the umbrella of Hip Hop. Beginning where DANCE 113 Hip Hop I ends, it focuses on rhythm, groove, and extends into complex footwork. As an intermediate-level course, these foci are explored intricately and in-depth, with expectations that students work toward intellectual and clear kinesthetic comprehension exhibited in the body through performance. Students investigate the influence of Hip Hop as a genre on various cultures through the study of street dance technique. May be repeated. Prerequisite: DANCE 113.


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Students study musculoskeletal anatomy (structure) and kinesiology (science of human motion) from the perspective of dance training and performance. Students learn anatomical terminology, identify select bones (major features, articulations) and muscles (locations, actions), and analyze their influence during coordinated movement patterns. Students learn joint structure and mechanics, alignment and imbalances, movement behavior, conditioning needs, and injury prevention. Students learn to notice, measure, experience, sense, and reflect upon the impact of anatomical characteristics and anomalies. Offered alternate years in the fall semester. Prerequisite: students taking this course should have previous experience in a movement intensive practice similar to dance, athletics, or exercise science.


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Game theory is the formal study of the strategic interactions between individuals and between groups of individuals. Game theory has become a widely adopted tool of analysis in economics, business, law, politics, anthropology, sociology, and international relations.This course introduces students to the theoretical constructs of game theory and focuses on economic applications in the fields of labor economics, international trade, environmental economics, macroeconomics, and industrial organization. Offered annually. Prerequisite: one of ECON 110-121 or permission of instructor.


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Classic economics assumes that people make decisions rationally. Behaviorial economics weakens that assumption, incorporating the findings of psychology into economic models. Students learn to apply behaviorial economics theories to improve their understanding of business, marketing, public policy, and other domains of economics. Students utilize skills they have learned from microeconomic theory and statistics orally and in writing. Offered annually. Prerequisites: ECON 262 and one of ECON 260 or ECON 263 or STAT 272, or permission of instructor.


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This course addresses the institutions that comprise modern monetary systems and the influence that these systems have on levels of income, output, employment, and prices in market economies. Monetary theory and monetary policy, including both the nature of our central bank and the role that it plays in our monetary system, are also addressed in some detail. Offered annually. Prerequisite: ECON 261 and one of ECON 260 or ECON 263 or STAT 272, or permission of instructor.


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What do workers want from work? What do employers want from workers? Pressing policy issues exist for workers competing in the global economy. Unions, unemployment insurance, welfare and the minimum wage enhance the prospects of many, while leaving others even worse off. This course utilizes microeconomic theory, statistics and institutional analysis to understand labor markets. Offered annually. Prerequisites: ECON 262 and one of ECON 260 or ECON 263 or STAT 272, completion of BTS-T, or permission of instructor.


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This course emphasizes theoretical foundations, mathematical structure, and applications of major econometric techniques appropriate for cross-sectional and panel data. Topics to be covered include generalized least squares, dummy variables, non-linear models, instrumental variables techniques, fixed- and random-effects models, and limited dependent variable models. This course is recommended for students interested in analysis of issues in microeconomics and public policy. Offered annually. ECON 384 and ECON 385 may not both be used to satisfy the economic analysis requirements for either the economics or quantitative economics major. Prerequisite: ECON 262 and one of ECON 260 or ECON 263 or STAT 272; or permission of instructor.


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Focusing on global literatures in English and/or multicultural literatures within a single nation, this topics course examines literature as a human expression that embraces both commonality and difference within and across cultures. This course also employs critical approaches specifically designed to address cross-cultural literary issues. It may be repeated if topics are different. Offered periodically. Also counts toward race and ethnic studies major and concentration. Prerequisite: FYW.


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Students explore the histories, cultural patterns, religious practices, key institutions, gender issues, narrative styles, and significant contributions to our nation of an array of racial and multicultural groups. Such diverse writers as Leslie Silko, Chaim Potok, Amy Tan, and Toni Morrison raise questions about voice and identity, both individual and collective. Offered annually. Also counts toward race and ethnic studies major and Africa and the African Diaspora, educational studies, and race and ethnic studies concentrations. Prerequisite: FYW.


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The 20th century was a period of great achievement in British and Irish literature, as demonstrated by the work of James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, W. B. Yeats, T. S. Eliot, and Samuel Beckett. This course examines the famously innovative work of poets, playwrights, and novelists active during the first half of the century. It then considers postwar writing and the challenges that this literature offered to the ideas and practices associated with modernism. Offered annually. Prerequisite: FYW.


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Chicano/a identity is perhaps one of the most misunderstood racial/ethnic identities in the United States. It encompasses many possible identities--such as Latino, Hispanic, and Mexican-American--while remaining politically and culturally distinct in its intended meaning. Students explore the history behind constructions of Chicano/a identity as expressed through Civil Rights Movement (post-1964) literature and politics, with the intention of demystifying the contentious sterotypes surrounding this community. Students read works by 3-4 major Chicano/a authors. Offered periodically. Also counts toward Latin American studies and race and ethnic studies majors and Latin American studies and race and ethnic studies concentrations. Prerequisite: FYW.


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This course focuses on verbal folklore: narratives, songs, and shorter forms such as proverbs. It explores their intrinsic qualities as literary creations and also the ways in which they operate together in combination or in dialogue. The folktale and the epic, for example, incorporate a variety of these forms, such as the proverb, the song, or the riddle, to form a complex whole. Offered periodically. Prerequisite: FYW.


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The 17th century movement now known as the Scientific Revolution brought radically altered ideas about human beings, truth, knowledge, and our place in the universe. This course examines its effects on English literature from about 1600 to 1700. Students discuss how changing views, particularly on astronomy and medicine, inspired literary works. Authors may include William Shakespeare; Christopher Marlowe; Ben Jonson; John Donne; Francis Bacon; John Milton; and Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle. Fee may be required. Offered alternate years in the fall semester. Prerequisite: FYW.


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Students explore what it means to be literate in an age of new media by reading critical scholarship and comparing the ways they read, interpret, and learn from digital texts, such as fan fiction websites, social media, and video games, to ways they read, interpret, and learn from printed media (e.g., books, poems, or plays). In their final, digital project, students critically examine the use of new media to make humanities scholarship more "public." Offered periodically. Also counts toward media studies concentration. Prerequisite: FYW.


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This advanced course rotates between various topics in film that may include genres and styles, authorship, national and transnational cinemas, industrial history, and film's relationship to other art forms and popular culture at large. Students study films within a context that emphasizes specialized theoretical, cultural, or historical concerns and questions. May be repeated if topic is different. Offered annually in the spring semester. Prerequisite: FILM 101.


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Around the world, cultures from ancient to modern times have told stories of war, love, and magic. Epic literature has common features: characters like warriors, lovers, monsters, kings, and queens, showing qualities like courage and cowardice, faithfulness and duplicity. However, each epic tradition also captures distinctive aspects of its culture; often epic stories shape a national identity that persists through the ages. Students in this course read extracts of the Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh, Greek Osyssey, Anglo-Saxon Beowulf, Persian Shahnameh, and Indian Ramayana. Students analyze the anthropology of the texts and their implicit and explicit value claims, and study how epic is situated in socio-historical contexts and how genre shapes texts. Assignments include a photo essay, a class presentation, a research paper, and a reflection paper on this course as an example of liberal arts education.


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Students examine the Renaissance's return to classical values and the Reformation's return to early Christian attitudes which challenge the authority of the medieval synthesis. Students trace the development of new sources of authority including the new science with its influence on art, literature, politics, and philosophy. Discussions consider writers and artists such as Luther, Calvin, Michelangelo, Teresa of Avila, Caravaggio, Shakespeare, Descartes, Milton, Rembrandt, Aphra Behn, Locke, Bach, Rousseau, Voltaire, and Goethe. Offered annually in the fall semester. Prerequisites: GCON 113, GCON 115, and GCON 116.


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This course provides an introduction to the study of folklore and presents a spectrum of approaches to the interpretation of fairy tales. Students read and discuss writings stemming from oral traditions such as the Nibelungenlied, and chapbooks including Till Eulenspiegel, and Faust; eighteenth-century fables created on models from antiquity; fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm; and Kunstmärchen (literary fairy tales by known writers). Students explore the literary aspects of the works and their historical contexts. Also counts toward Nordic studies major and concentration.


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Students examine a major period of German history and its impact on the institutional, intellectual, and artistic heritage of Europe. This course involves close reading and analysis of primary sources as well as critical evaluations of the period and focus on history as an interpretive reconstruction of the past. Sample periods include: the Reformation, Weimar Classicism, the German revolution of 1848, post-1945 Germany, and post-unification.The course emphasizes strategies for writing papers in German. Taught in German. May be repeated if topic is different. Offered every three years. Prerequisite: GERM 251 or GERM 252.


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This course introduces students to the historical forces leading to and scholarly debates about slavery in African history. Students examine the nature and development of domestic slavery to the 19th century as well as the slave trade systems across the Saharan Desert and the Atlantic Ocean. Students "do history" using primary sources to retrieve the African voices and agency in discussions of the slave trade and debate themes such as ethnicity, kinship, state formation, and colonialism. Offered annually. Also counts toward Africa and the African Diaspora concentration. Prerequisite: first-year student standing.


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Students examine the overthrow of American segregation through several decades of agitation for civil rights. This seminar focuses primarily on the South, though students also discuss northern race relations. Primary accounts from the era constitute the assigned readings. Among the topics covered are the segregated South, Martin Luther King and his critics, the Black Power movement, and the rise of white backlash politics. Offered periodically. Also counts toward race and ethnic studies major and Africa and the African Diaspora and race and ethnic studies concentrations. Prerequisite: first-year student standing.


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This course traces the political, economic, social, sexual, and familial experiences of two generations of women and girls in Germany from 1914 to 1948. We will focus on how gender, nation, and race operated as intersectional identities during each of four governments. Half of the course will be focused on the construction and radicalization of Nazi policies to create the "master race" while destroying the "undesirables" such as Jews, Roma and Sinti, and people with disabilities during its colonization of Europe. This course comes with a serious trigger warning: We will discuss difficult topics such as forced and invasive medical practices, extreme sexual violence, and female perpetration in the Holocaust.


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A survey of Nordic history from the time of the Viking expansion to the period of the Kalmar Union. Topics include Viking expansion and conquest; Nordic cultural and religious life; the coming of Christianity; the sagas and other literary sources; later medieval developments. Offered annually. Also counts toward medieval studies major and Nordic studies concentration.


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This seminar covers the emergence and development of Roman civilization from the founding of Rome to the end of the Western Empire. Students explore such topics as the Greek and Etruscan legacy, evolution from republic to autocracy, the Augustan Age, Pax Romana, social and intellectual trends, the triumph of Christianity and Rome's final transformation. May be repeated if topic is different. Offered periodically. Also counts toward ancient studies, classics, and Latin majors. Prerequisite: HIST 190 or HIST 204 or permission of instructor.


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This course investigates the mathematically sophisticated financial models used by large institutional investors to properly price exotic financial instruments and to perform analytic portfolio management. Prerequisites: MATH 126 or MATH 128, and MATH 220; MATH 262 is recommended.


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This course covers partial differential equations from an applied perspective and emphasizes simple models involving phenomena such as wave motion and diffusion. Topics and techniques such as separation of variables, boundary value problems, Fourier series, and orthogonal functions are developed carefully. Mathematical computing is used freely. Offered alternate years. Also counts toward neuroscience and mathematical biology concentrations. Prerequisite: MATH 226 and MATH 230.


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This course introduces students to the principles of entrepreneurship, covering both the theory and practical aspects of the subject. Students acquire an understanding of the entrepreneurial process: opportunity recognition, resource marshaling, and team building, driven by communication, creativity, and leadership. Discussions focus on the relationship of liberal arts disciplines to the entrepreneur, the role of entrepreneurship in society and history, risks and rewards of entrepreneurship, and the elements of entrepreneurial behavior. Study concentrates on the entrepreneurial process from idea creation to ultimate business or other organizational activity. A variety of instructional techniques are used, including group projects and guest presenters. Offered annually. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or above.


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This course explores the relationship between concert music and popular music's cultural context. Students learn the basic elements of music and critical listening skills, using a variety of activities, including group work and individual presentations, to achieve these goals. Offered annually. Does not count toward B.A. music major or any B.M. music major.


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An introduction to the diversity of musics on Earth. Topics include performance practice, methods for analysis and comparison of various musics, and interdisciplinary approaches to studying the powerful influence of music in human life. Offered annually in the fall semester. Also counts toward race and ethnic studies major and educational studies and race and ethnic studies concentrations. Prerequisites: MUSIC 114 and MUSIC 141.


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How does a musician find work with little or no prior professional experience? What skills do musicians need to refine before and after graduation? This course invites students to engage in self-reflection, topical discussions, capacity-building, and best professional practices for individual musicians in the performance industry. Topics include the basics of the music business (agents and roles in the industry, copyright law and contracts), artist identity development, and practical skills for a musical career (creating a digital portfolio, professional networking, building a private studio). Offered alternate years in the fall semester.


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Students survey the solo art song repertoire of Germany, Italy, and Spain. The course highlights the significant features and development of the art song, and provides context, approaches, and resources for studying this literature. Course work includes in-class performance. Offered fall semester 2019-20 and alternate years. Prerequisite: MUSIC 214 and MUSIC 141or permission of instructor; MUSIC 263 and MUSIC 264 preferred.


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Students gain insight into Norwegian identity and culture, expand vocabulary, and improve fluency and grammatical accuracy by reading a variety of texts and writing essays. Speaking assignments help students understand readings and become more effective speakers. Offered annually in the fall semester. Also counts toward management studies concentration. Prerequisite: NORW 232 or equivalent.


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An introduction to Kierkegaard's work and to existentialism, this course emphasizes the aesthetic, ethical, and religious "stages on life's way." Existential questions concerning the meaning of human existence, passion and faith, freedom and choice, despair, and the absurd are examined. Offered annually. Also counts toward Nordic studies concentration.


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This course analyzes issues concerning race and social justice from the perspective of normative ethical frameworks and various theories of value. Students investigate, interpret, and critique both intellectual foundations and reasons for endorsement of the various approaches to study in grace and social justice. Students pay critical attention tohow the black intellectual tradition understands the meanings and moral implications of such ideas. Offered periodically. Also counts toward race and ethnic studies major and concentration. Prerequisite: BTS-T or permission of instructor.


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An advanced introduction to moral philosophy emphasizing normative theories, the foundations of morality (metaethics), and moral reasoning. Normative theories (e.g. virtue ethics, deontological ethics, theological ethics, and utilitarianism) explore the nature of the good and the difference between right and wrong. Metaethics concerns the origins and objectivity of moral judgments, studying moral relativism, moral subjectivism, divine command theory, and ideal observer theories. Students explore moral reasoning in theory and practice using contemporary moral issues as examples. Offered periodically. Prerequisites: one course in philosophy and BTS-T or permission of instructor.


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The goal of this course is to expand students' knowledge of conflict, cooperation, trade, development, inequality, imperialism, and power in world politics. The course uses substantive examples to teach about issues and institutions in "world politics" and to examine appropriate mechanisms to understand and explain international phenomena. Also counts toward management studies concentration.


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Focus includes information processing, learning and remembering speech, artistic, musical and athletic performance, invention and other forms of creativity. Students unlock the mind's mysteries using state-of-the-art scientific instrumentation, developing cognitive science knowledge and research skills. Students attend lectures plus one three-hour laboratory per week. Offered annually. Also counts toward linguistic studies and neuroscience concentrations. Prerequisite: PSYCH 125.


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This course helps students better understand human development from the moment of conception and across the life span. The course focuses on biological and environmental factors that shape human development. Major changes in physical, cognitive, personality and social development are discussed. Offered each semester. Also counts toward kinesiology, nursing, social work, and women's and gender studies majors and educational studies, family studies, and women's and gender studies concentrations. Prerequisite: PSYCH 125.


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This seminar examines the amazing, transformational journey from birth to age three. Topics include prenatal development, birth and the newborn, physical and motor development, caregiver relationships, infant mental health, cognition, and language development. Students explore questions such as: how long-lasting are the effects of early experiences? How is early development similar and how is it different across diverse cultural contexts? How do nature and nurture interact to influence development? How can research findings help infants? Offered periodically. Also counts toward linguistic studies concentration. Prerequisites: PSYCH 230 and PSYCH 241 or permission of instructor.


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The Bible has been a catalyst for social transformation and a cudgel for repression, intersecting with racism, gender performance, sexuality, climate change, and religious violence. This course explores historical, literary, and ideological approaches to biblical interpretation, focused on how its messages and interpretations shape and are shaped by the worlds they inhabit. Sustained attention will be given to readings of the Bible from historically marginalized communities (including Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Ecofeminist, Queer, and Jewish perspectives).


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This course addresses how religion -- beliefs, practices, values, the ways it functions in society -- is reflected in contemporary film. Religion addresses fundamental questions of human existence: Why are we here? How should we live? Why is there suffering and evil? What happens when we die? The course will alternate between close readings of central religious texts which probe such questions (including the Jewish Scriptures, the New Testament, and later theologians and philosophers) and films that take up the questions, as well. While the central focus is on Christian and Jewish sources, the course also considers non-theistic perspectives. Through analysis and discussion of both text and film, students begin to form their own answers.


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This course examines the rise of political and liberation theology movements, the situations and issues to which they respond, theological formulations of political/liberation theologies, and the relationship of these theologies to traditional Christian doctrines. Special focus on the relationship between the theological and political, nature of christology and redemption, images and role of God, and understandings of human nature. Offered periodically. Prerequisite: BTS:B.


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In this course students investigate the relationship between historical and emergent environmental decline and Christianity's scriptures, claims, traditions, and practices. Students explore how variant ecotheological perspectives address the intersectional realities of gender, race, and socio-economic status when responding to a number of contemporary environmental issues and whether Christianity might aid in the envisaging of future solutions. Offered annually. Also counts toward environmental studies major and concentration. Prerequisite: BTS-B.


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Students examine the formation of Islamic traditions and institutions and their religious meaning, paying special attention to the dynamism and crises of Islam in the 19th and 20th centuries. Offered periodically. Also counts toward medieval studies major and Middle Eastern studies concentration. Prerequisite: BTS-B.


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This course examines the ethical teachings of Jesus as found in the canonical Gospels (with special focus on the Sermon on the Mount), explores how these teachings have been understood at some major moments in Western history, and brings them to bear on the task of contemporary ethical reflection. Issues examined include, for example, non-violence, social and economic justice, sexuality, and ethnic conflict. Offered periodically. Also counts toward ancient studies major. Prerequisites: completion of BTS-T or permission of instructor.


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A study of competing and complementary approaches to the study of religion prevalent in the contemporary academy, this course prepares sophomore and junior religion majors for more advanced research seminars. Paying attention to the emphases and presuppositions of each approach, students develop an improved ability to understand the way that these different approaches affect scholarship and contribute to agreements and disagreements about what religion is and should be. Offered annually. Prerequisite: BTS-B or permission of instructor.


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This course will look at Russian fairy tales and how they have been adapted to film, theater, ballet and opera. All readings and course work will be in English. We will begin by looking at and defining Russian fairy tales within both a folklore and a literary perspective. Then we will look at specific works that have become cultural touchstones in Russia and abroad. Students will explore what made these works popular and how they have been adapted to different audiences throughout the years.


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This course traces the development of Russian literature from its medieval beginnings to the end of the 19th century. Students study a variety of genres including sagas, the novel, the short story and lyric poetry. Major authors to be studied include: Pushkin, Gogol, Turgenev, Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. Taught in English. Offered alternate years. Counts toward Russian area studies major; does not count toward Russian language major.


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Approaching the world as a "global village," the course will focus on the development of the world as an interdependent entity, the relationship between the "developed" and "developing" world, alternative explanations for planned social change, and new institutions for this international world. Global challenges such as the information revolution, population, the status of women, and migration are analyzed to illustrate this interdependence. Offered annually in the fall or spring semester. Also counts toward management studies concentration.


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Students gain the skills necessary to conduct and critically evaluate quantitative research. Students learn the underlying theoretical assumptions and orientations of quantitative research, including research design, sampling techniques, strategies for data collection, and approaches to analysis. Students gain practice in data analysis by conducting are search project and using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), a standard in sociology. Offered annually in the fall semester. Also counts toward environmental studies major (social science emphasis) and management studies concentration. Prerequisite: STAT 110 or STAT 212; open to junior or senior sociology/anthropology majors only.


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Students examine the diverse elements that have shaped the cultures of U.S. Hispanics and Latinx through an exploration of political, social, economic, religious, and artistic topics. They develop critical analysis through reading, discussion, and written and/or oral projects. Students examine processes of identity and inclusion, and its connections to historical narratives. Students analyze materials through an intersectional lens of race, colorism, language, generational differences, class, gender, and sexuality. Taught in Spanish. Offered every three semesters. Also counts toward race and ethnic studies major and concentration. Prerequisite: SPAN 250.


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Seminars engage students in in-depth study of a specified topic through readings, research and oral and written student reports. Special attention is paid to theoretical and bibliographic issues. Topics vary according to the areas of expertise and professional interests of departmental faculty. May be repeated if topic is different. Taught in Spanish. Offered alternate years. Prerequisites: SPAN 250 and at least one 270-level course.


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This course immediately precedes SWRK 380. The course provides an overview of how structural oppression across cultural positions (e.g. race, sexuality, ability, class) may affect client systems. Students integrate awareness, knowledge, and skills for engaging in anti-oppressive, inclusive practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. This includes role plays assisting clients who are challenged by oppression as part of their presenting problems and brief immersions with diverse communities. Offered annually in September. Also counts toward race and ethnic studies major and concentration. Prerequisite: SWRK 261. For senior majors only.


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This studio course focuses on the fundamentals of stage direction. Students develop skills of play selection, audience analysis, text interpretation, working with actors, stage picturization and blocking, design considerations, and the process of casting and rehearsals. A primary focus is on developing a point of view about theater and directing by the study of other directors and theories of theater. Offered annually in the fall semester. Also counts toward management studies concentration. Prerequisites: THEAT 110 or THEAT 180, and THEAT 115 or THEAT 130 or THEAT 131, and THEAT 140.


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The design and production of lighting and sound in theater, dance, music, and general presentation work plays a significant role in the experience of these events. This course introduces the production problems of lighting and sound and includes design projects in both lighting and sound. Open to majors and non-majors. Offered annually in the fall semester. Prerequisite: THEAT 140 is recommended.


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This course provides an introduction to the cultural and historical background of four groups in the United States: African Americans, Native Americans, Latinos and Asian Americans. Emphasis is on race relations and the distinguishing characteristics of these cultures as reflected in the academic disciplines of the creative and performing arts, the humanities, the social and behavioral sciences and the general area of popular culture. Contributions to cultural pluralism are accentuated as well as the special issues of identity faced by these Americans. This course emphasizes literary texts. Counts towards American studies major and Africa and the Americas concentration.


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This course explores video as a creative medium. Students learn basic video production and editing techniques, producing a number of individual and group projects. During the semester students examine a wide variety of videos and films, exploring experimental, documentary, and narrative approaches. The class also considers the history of video art and its relationship to other time-based and static art forms. Prerequisite: Art 104 or permission of the instructor. Materials fee. Offered alternate years. Counts toward film studies concentration.


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This course explores in depth the issues most crucial to artists working today in an increasingly globalized art scene. Students investigate the complexities of new media, new methods of production and exhibition, and theoretical models through readings and a required field trip to a contemporary art museum. Students analyze both journalistic criticism and theoretical texts, encompassing a wide variety of perspectives, and respond through short writing assignments and classroom discussion. Fee for field trip may be required. Prerequisite: at least one art history or studio art course, or permission of the instructor. Offered alternate years.


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Students examine contemporary Buddhist moral teachings on social issues such as violence and peacemaking, human rights and social justice and humanity and the environment. Coursework focuses on the writings of Vietnamese monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh, Tibetan leader-in-exile Tenzin Gyatso (Fourteenth Dalai Lama), American ecologist Joanna Macy and others. Students consider the moral paradigms of Christianity and Buddhism: Christ and the Bodhisattva. Prerequisite: completion of BTS-T or permission of instructor.


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This course focuses on learning modern field and laboratory methods to test ecological hypotheses. Students work on group and individual projects to collect and analyze data and give oral and written presentations on projects. Class periods focus on discussion of primary literature and project results. Class trips include visits to local natural areas. Students attend lecture/discussion plus one four-hour laboratory per week. Prerequisites: Biology 125, 126, and 261; or Chemistry/Biology 125-127 and Biology 126 and 261. Counts toward environmental studies major (natural science track).


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This advanced Chinese language course aims to develop students' language proficiency and introduce students to various aspects of contemporary Chinese social life and culture. Course materials include films with excerpts of written scripts, newspapers, television, and essays related to the unit topics. Classroom activities include lectures, language drills, discussions, debates, presentations, and performances. Prerequisite: Chinese 302 or permission of instructor.


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Students learn a widely-used style of programming based on first order predicate logic. Topics include declarative programming, Horn clauses, declarative and procedural semantics of logic programs, clauses as relations, goals, backtracking, and resolution. Programming projects and exercises use Prolog, the most significant logic programming language. Additional topics include the relationship of Prolog to logic and applications to artificial intelligence. Prerequisite: Computer Science 251 or permission of instructor. Offered alternate years.


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This course deepens and expands the body awareness focus of Dance 201, emphasizing the somatic perspective in which it is grounded. The somatic disciplines of Body-Mind Centering, Bartenieff Fundamentals, Ideokinesis, and Experimental Anatomy provide the theoretical foundation of this course. It includes exploration of the "attention-intention-action cycle" as life practice. Prerequisites: Dance 201 and Dance 212. Offered alternate years in the spring semester.


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This course considers Anglophone writing from Africa and the Caribbean. Linked by the slave trade and colonization, the drive for national independence, and the challenges of globalization, African and Caribbean writers have long been in dialogue. In order to provide a historical understanding of transatlantic Anglophone literature and an appreciation for its ongoing transformation, readings encompass influential works by established writers and contemporary works by emerging voices. Prerequisite: FYW. Offered in alternate years.


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Since the 19th century, immigrants from Asia and the Pacific Islands have formed communities whose writing has expressed their shifting role as Asian Americans in the culture and economy of the United States. This course provides a multi-genre overview of Asian-American literary traditions in socio-historical context and with attention to current concerns such as diasporic displacement, gender, intergenerational conflicts, sexuality, transnationalism, and U.S. militarism. Prerequisite: FYW. Offered alternate years.


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Exciting writing in English is coming from South Asia: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. An area shaped greatly by British colonization, South Asia is changing rapidly now with globalization. Students explore this area's history, culture, and religion by reading literature that tells compelling stories about individuals and groups that seem far different and far away from 21st-century Minnesota. Prerequisite: FYW. Offered alternate years.


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Two themes persist in early British literature: the role of fate (Old English wyrd) versus free will and the powers of wonders--from the miraculous to the magical. These themes are traced in the Old English period in sermons, charms and riddles, biblical epics and Christian texts, and the heroic epic Beowulf. Readings from the Middle English period include lyric and ballad, romance from the Arthurian and non-Arthurian traditions, drama, allegory, mystical treatises and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Prerequisite: FYW. Offered alternate years.


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From the intimate personal essay to more externally driven literary journalism, creative nonfiction covers a range of forms. Students learn to combine fictional techniques, personal recollections, and direct exposition in assignments that might include memoir, personal essay, cultural criticism, nature writing, book and film reviewing, and "new journalism." Contemporary nonfiction writers such as Annie Dillard, Scott Russell Sanders, Judith Ortiz Cofer, and John McPhee provide models and inspiration for writing in the course. Prerequisite: FYW and sophomore status.


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Students study individuals or groups of authors, looking at themes such as the individual as cultural hybrid, the place of politics in literature, ethnocentrism and imperialism. They examine the formation of literature from the clashes of culture, and the relationship between non- traditional literary forms and traditional European aesthetics. Prerequisites: English 185 plus at least two courses at level II. Click on course title in the class and lab for more information about the course for that term.


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Env Studies 381 Garden's Healing Power
This topic explores the role gardens play in healing the broken relationship society currently has with the environment and losses people have experienced through illness, death, or the loss of a beloved institution.
Students look into rain gardens, Japanese gardens, healing gardens at hospitals and wellness centers, and play spaces designed to put very young children in touch with nature before the virtual world socializes them to find fulfillment only through electronic devices.
The class will visit such gardens here in Northfield, learn from experts, and pursue civic engagement activity at nearby Way Park. Students have opportunities there to enhance its new rain gardens, move forward healing garden remembering the Northfield Hospital having been there for over 75 years, conceive of a natural lands play space, and tie all of these elements together in an inspiring vision for the city and Way Park visitors.


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Students translate selections from one or more genres of ancient Greek literature while exploring a specific topic or theme chosen by the instructor. Close study of the text is combined with discussion of broader literary, historical, and cultural questions. Sample topics: "Hellenistic Greek," "Famous Speeches in Ancient Greek Texts," "Praise and Blame in the Greek Poetic Tradition," "Tall Tales from Homer to Lucian." Prerequisite: Greek 231 or equivalent. Offered every third year.


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This course introduces students to the historical forces leading to and scholarly debates about slavery in African history. Students examine the nature and development of domestic slavery to the 19th century as well as the slave trade systems across the Saharan Desert and the Atlantic Ocean. Students "do history" using primary sources to retrieve the African voices and agency in discussions of the slave trade and debate themes such as ethnicity, kinship, state formation, and colonialism. For first-year students only. Offered annually. Counts toward Africa and the Americas concentration.


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This course covers European history in the period from 1000 to 1500. Topics include the medieval papacy, the Crusades and reconquest of Spain, towns and commercial life, the medieval monarchy, scholasticism in the setting of the universities, late medieval spirituality, and the crises of plague and warfare in the late Middle Ages, with attention given to women's roles in medieval society throughout the course. Prerequisite: History 190 recommended. Offered alternate years. Counts towards medieval studies major.


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In this study of African-Americans in U. S. society from African origins to the present, students explore the African heritage, the experience of slavery, segregation, and the rise of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. The course pays particular attention to the issue of black nationalism as a force in American life. Offered most years. Counts towards American studies and ARMS majors and ARMS and Africa & the Americas concentrations.


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Orphans, HIV/AIDS, abuse, poverty: many Oles want to address these global issues directly. Students study and apply ethical reasoning to decisions about serving abroad. Vocations of service invite the examination of motivation, values, needs, faith stances, and privilege. Through the lenses of Christian, multicultural, and feminist ethics and concepts of vocation, students sharpen their thinking about "helping" in another cultural context. Designed particularly for students interested in global careers in health, ministry, social welfare, education, and community development. Open to juniors and seniors from any major. Prerequisite: Completion of BTS-T, or permission of instructor.


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This course is an introduction to topological spaces and their structures mainly from the point-set perspective. Standard topics include separation axioms, compactness, and connectedness. Other topics from geometric and algebraic viewpoints may be included. Prerequisite: Math 244. Offered in 2012-13 and alternate years.


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This course focuses on contemporary media from theoretical and critical perspectives. Primary emphasis is given to the specific identifying characteristics of news, advertising, entertainment, and social media and to how those media serve as forums for cultural negotiation in our society. In particular, attention is paid to how media representations of race, class and gender presently exist as both products and producers of contemporary cultures. Prerequisite: Media Studies 160. Counts towards American studies and women's and gender studies majors and film studies and women's and gender studies concentrations.


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Intended for vocal music education and choral church music students, this course introduces fundamental characteristics of orchestra and band instruments, including ranges and transpositions. Students study and learn to use basic approaches to scoring, orchestration, and arranging. Prerequisite: Music 214. Offered fall semester 2012-13 and alternate years.


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Intended for all theory/composition and instrumental music education students, this course introduces the practical fundamentals of orchestration. Students learn about instrument ranges, nomenclature, proper notation, characteristics of orchestral and band instruments, transposition, and scoring for various instrumental combinations including full orchestra, concert band, and marching band. Prerequisite: Music 114 and junior standing. Recommended: Music 166, 167, 168, 169, or equivalent experience. Offered fall semester 2013-14 and alternate years.


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Students study and practice principles for singing in English and Italian with good pronunciation, enunciation, and expression. Course content includes phonetic analysis using the International Phonetic Alphabet and identifying and exercising the phonemic features of English and Italian through class performances and listening assignments. Prerequisite: two semesters of voice lessons. Offered fall semester 2012-13 and alternate years.


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Intensive study of musical masterworks from ca.1890 to the present, focusing on formal and stylistic trends as well as the political, philosophical and economic contexts of Western art and popular music from French impressionism through American hip hop. Course work includes bibliographic instruction, lecture/discussion, and an analytic research paper. Prerequisites: Music 241, 242. Offered fall semester 2012-13 and alternate years.


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Students examine scores and listen to a broad range of string etudes, solos, sonatas, concertos, and orchestral excerpts with attention to notable performers of the past and present. Through required readings, listening assignments, video viewing, discussion, and hands-on teaching, students engage with practical issues of teaching, repertoire selection for beginning and intermediate players, performance and basic studio management. Prerequisites: Music 214, 241, and 242 or permission of instructor. Offered fall semester 2013-14 and alternate years.


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Students study the role of music in worship with an emphasis on strategies for developing music groups, including handbells and Orff instruments, in worship and church education. Prerequisite: Music 214 or permission of instructor. Offered fall semester 2012-13 and alternate years.


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This course explores the childbearing process in healthy and high-risk families. Clinical experiences are provided with families during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and following birth. Clinical settings include hospital birth centers, clinics, and home care agencies. Students develop the role of educator by working with parents to integrate and care for a new member of the family system. Prerequisite: Nursing 336. Offered annually in the fall semester. Counts toward women's and gender studies major and concentration.


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Students explore contemporary approaches to classical issues in theory of knowledge which include the nature and limits of knowledge; theories of justification; conceptions of truth; relativism and skepticism; and the standards of knowledge in the sciences, mathematics, history, ethics and religion. Specific issues discussed vary year to year. May be repeated if topics are different. Prerequisites: two courses in philosophy, one of which must be either 235 or 236 or permission of the department chair. Offered in 2012-13 and alternate years.


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Physics 232, the third course in the three-semester calculus-based sequence, explores special relativity, waves and oscillations, atomic physics, heat, and statistical mechanics. There is one 2.5 hour laboratory meeting per week. Prerequisites: Physics 131 or permission of instructor, and concurrent registration in (or previous completion of) Mathematics 220. Offered annually in the fall semester.


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Some formerly developing countries have found the way to join the ranks of the industrialized nations, others have not. What explains the difference? By introducing students to theories of modernization, dependency, world systems, order, class, revolution, state, and political economy, the course attempts to provide the framework for answering this question. Counts toward Hispanic studies major and Latin American/Latino studies concentration.


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The theologies of Thomas Aquinas and Martin Luther influence the lives and beliefs of Catholics and Protestants, yet cause persistent division between them. Students examine the distinctive theological contributions of the two theologians, particularly their respective doctrines of justification, sacraments, and God. Students interpret and evaluate each theologian's doctrines as well as modern efforts to reconcile their differences. Offered annually or in alternate years. Prerequisite: BTS-B. Counts towards medieval studies major.


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This course addresses theological understandings of love, desire, embodiment, and relationship in the context of human sexuality. Students study classic theological treatments of sexuality, with attention to the tensions among divergent appraisals of sex; and they study contemporary theological discussions about subjects that have given rise to controversy, such as marriage, gender, same-sex relations, family, or commodification. Focus for 2012-13: Sexuality in Jewish and Christian theology. Prerequisite: BTS-B. Counts toward women's and gender studies major and concentration.


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This course offers a critical analysis of the development of Christian thought in the modern period, 17th century to 1970. Students pay special attention to the rise of modern historical and philosophical outlooks that challenge traditional Christian claims and to the appropriation and criticism of these outlooks in modern theology. Students read from Edwards, Schleiermacher, Barth, Bultmann and others. Prerequisite: BTS-B.


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This course traces the development of Russian literature from its medieval beginnings to the end of the 19th century. Students study a variety of genres including sagas, the novel, the short story and lyric poetry. Major authors to be studied include: Pushkin, Gogol, Turgenev, Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. Taught in English. No prerequisites. Offered in alternate years.


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This course explores the forces that shape contemporary Latin American society, including material and cultural interactions with Europe, Africa, and the U.S. Emphasis is placed on understanding the formation of the region in terms of the responses of key groups of actors (indigenous peoples, women, peasants, workers, the poor, migrants, revolutionaries) to the actions of outside and/or more powerful forces and institutions (foreign invaders, the state, the military, missionaries, multinational corporations). Offered annually in the fall or spring semester. Counts toward Hispanic studies major and Latin American/Latino studies concentration.


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What do self-determination and cultural identity mean for Native American peoples today? Students examine the impact of colonization on Native American peoples, including federal policies, treaty rights, and sovereignty. Issues include economy and politics on reservations, family and gender roles, orality and literacy, persistence and revitalization of religious life and culture, urban life, and recent social movements and organizations. Offered every other year in the fall semester. Counts towards American studies and ARMS majors and ARMS concentration.


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This course immediately precedes the Field Practicum (Social Work 380). Students integrate principles and skills of culturally competent assessment, planning, intervention, and evaluation with diverse clients - individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. They roleplay diverse practice situations and articulate implications of social policy for cross-cultural practice Brief immersion opportunities in diverse communities are included. Additional fee. Prerequisite: Social Work 261. For senior majors only. Offered annually in September.


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Play texts are the raw material for our classes in acting, directing, design, and historical studies. This introductory course for theater majors introduces students to canonical texts and performances that have helped to define our field, Primary emphasis is on the text as a blueprint for production focusing on analysis, variety of interpretation, the changing nature of theater space, and our growing awareness of the changing nature of performance. Students are expected to communicate clarity of understanding both orally and in writing. Non-majors are invited to take this course, though its primary focus is a comprehensive preparation for further theater studies. Offered annually in the fall semester. (Theater 180 was formerly Theater 210: Plays and Playwrights.)


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This course is a survey of African-American art, from folk and decorative arts of the 19th century, to Modernist painting and sculpture in the 20th, to the multi-media productions of today. Issues of race and identity are explored through examinations of the visual productions of African American artists. The course is discussion-based. Working in groups, students learn to closely examine artworks and related texts. Individual research and writing projects deepen students' engagement with the material. Offered periodically. Also counts toward race and ethnic studies major and Africa and the African Diaspora and race and ethnic studies concentrations.


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In this seminar, students explore the early medieval period, a time of dynamic transformation. Migrating and conquering cultures brought new approaches to art and architecture that forever changed the visual landscape of the early medieval world. Students examine the art of the Christian empires of the Mediterranean, the monastic traditions of Egypt and Nubia, Germanic cultures (the barbarians), the Islamic caliphate in Spain, and the Carolingians and Ottonians in northern Europe.


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This interdisciplinary course introduces the field of Asian American Studies and the multiple cultural and historical productions of Asia and America, from art and film to food and lifestyles. Critical analysis of topics such as ethnic/cultural identities, stereotypes, citizenships, media/popcultures, body images, sexuality, practices of different Asian communities, and various contemporary issues are explored through interactive in-class activities, films, presentations, and field trips. Offered periodically. Also counts toward Chinese, Japanese, and race and ethnic studies majors and race and ethnic studies concentration.


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While explicit racism is not tolerated, implicit language-related racism is usually invisible and pervasive. Why? This course examines the relationship between language, race, and power. Through exploring materials from different times (from the nineteenth century to contemporary), spaces (Japan and USA), and texts (language policies, popular media), students examine the role of language in constructing racial Other and how speakers "negotiate" race with language. Offered periodically. Also counts toward the Japanese and race and ethnic studies majors and the linguistics studies and race and ethnic studies concentrations.


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This course introduces the fundamentals of forensic science. Class periods may focus on the historic development of forensic science, proper collection and storage of evidence, background in scientific concepts, scientific techniques used to analyze evidence, the types of information that can be obtained, and the statistical methods for making a case in a court of law. Some topics that may be covered include hair, drug, paint, fiber, fingerprint, accelerant, or DNA analysis. The laboratory component features the use of forensic techniques to collect and analyze evidence including fingerprinting, drug analysis, alcohol investigation, DNA fingerprinting, and fiber analysis. Students attend three classes and one three-hour laboratory per week. Does not count toward the chemistry major. Offered annually in the spring semester.


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In this course students read (in English translation) and discuss 13 Greek tragedies by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides and five Latin tragedies by Seneca. The focus is on comparing and contrasting the tragic heroines and the roles they play. Students write a response paper, a literary analysis, and a short research paper. They also consider how the tragedies would have been staged in the ancient world, and how have they been adapted in modern times.


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Students explore West African dance genres that embody a strong rhythmic foundation. They experience rhythmic patterns as an organizing principle for the human body, an expressive capacity, and a social connector. Students investigate the cultural and social milieu from which dance genres emerge. These classes represent a broad perspective on dance forms that, in their evolution, have intersected and created a matrix of different philosophies and aesthetic approaches. This class will provide students experience with selected dances, styles and techniques as movement practices that embody an aspect of African culture and history. In this introductory course, students will be introduced to two dances from West Africa that they will study in some depth: they are Kpanlogo and Gota.


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Students engage in the physical practice and theory of Bartenieff Fundamentals, part of Laban Movement Analysis. Students increase body/mind awareness and body connectivity through mindful practice of physical exercises, supported by some reading and reflective personal assessments. The movement practice focuses on breath and core engagement through rhythmic repetition in subtle, simple, and complex movements on the floor, at mid-level, and standing. This course includes repertoire developed to help improve key dance specified areas and is appropriate for all populations and levels of fitness. May be repeated. P/N only.


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This course provides a deepening exploration of jazz dance studies, styles, and techniques for students at an intermediate level. Students acquire movement vocabulary within the jazz idiom while developing skills in: efficiency and ease of movement, proper body alignment, isolation of body parts, diversity of rhythmic patterns, and exploring a range of dynamics and energetic qualities within their dancing. The course emphasizes the historical roots of jazz dance and jazz music. Students will engage in a survey of embodied practices connecting our jazz studies to their African and Latin diasporic roots, vernacular dance forms, improvisation, and learning a broad stylistic range of jazz dance choreography. Previous Jazz dance experience required.


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Intermediate West African Dance is a continuation of the exploration of Beginners West African dance through kinesthetic engagement and selected philosophical and aesthetic perspectives. This course will explore selected dances and their associated cultural functions to enter an embodied dialogue in African Diasporic dance. Primary focus will be placed on dances from West Africa. Many dances from these countries have gained exposure in the West through National Dance Company tours, and dancers from these companies have relocated to the States and teach the repertory of their national dances.


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This course for beginning and intermediate movers focuses on the dance concept of groove, and how it serves as a linkage between many American styles of music and dance that have African roots - from blues to jazz to hip hop styles. The class will be a hybrid of movement, reading, viewing, writing and creating to support both embodied and scholarly understanding and appreciation of the role groove plays in American dance culture/s.


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For some "community dance" encompasses the dances that are part of a community's social life. For others it refers specifically to a movement with the motto "dance is for everyone" that has sought to bring participation in dance to all, particularly underserved communities. This class addresses both. The class is open to all, both students with no experience and those with who are interested in potentially using community dance in future endeavors.


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The course introduces students to the historical, social, cultural, and political aspects of selected traditional African dance forms ranging from West, East North, South and Central Africa. The course equipped students with the knowledge and skills to explore dance as cultural practice from the perspectives of those involved as dancers, dance makers, teachers, and researchers. In this course the relationship between the dances and the accompanying music will be explored from an Afrocentric lens. By studying these perspectives, students learnt how different people in Africa and diaspora around the world understand dance and how dance influences their value systems, transmission, and socio-politico-cultural knowledge production. It also deals with the origin, context of performance, as well as the costumes, props and make-up and other information on the dances.


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This course provides students with theoretical and practical knowledge about assessing the language proficiency of English Language Learners. Students learn how to construct and administer appropriate and non-discriminatory assessment and evaluation tools. Students administer several assessments and write a formal report. Required field experience component. Should be taken concurrently with EDUC 352. Offered annually in the spring semester. Also counts toward linguistic studies concentration. Prerequisite: EDUC 330.


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The poet Lucille Clifton calls us in with these words from her poem "won't you celebrate with me": come celebrate / with me that everyday / something has tried to kill me / and has failed. This course is an invitation for you to engage, learn from, and marinate in the teachings, visions, and wisdom of women of color who have done just that: Survived. Lived. Loved. This course honors and celebrates the literary and theoretical contributions made by Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Mixed, and Trans women, as students analyze their writings through theoretical frameworks (e.g., women of color feminism) conceived and authored by women of color. In so doing, they not only leave with a greater appreciation and reverence for the women of color in their lives but also tap into the vision of collective liberation that binds these women warriors together.


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This literature class traces an arc from the politically engaged writing of the Black Arts Movement (BAM) in the 1960s and 70s to the present early 21st-century moment, which has been seen as both a renaissance for Black literature as well as a significant time of racial reckoning. Students read poetry, plays, essays, and manifestos by BAM and contemporary authors and explore the relationships between literature and jazz, hip-hop, and visual media. Literary analysis essays and a final project provide opportunities to investigate the intersections of identity, politics, and aesthetics and to explore ways that literature can confront racism and shape social change.


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Focusing primarily on contemporary works, this course introduces students to Arab American literature and film by exploring different literary and film genres (the novel, memoir, poetry, documentary film, feature film). Students examine shared thematic concerns related to immigration, exile, displacement, gender, religion, and racism. Students also consider how this literature and film draws upon and responds to past and present sociopolitical conflicts. Offered alternate years in the fall semester. Also counts toward film and media studies and race and ethnic studies majors and film and media studies, Middle Eastern studies, and race and ethnic studies concentrations. Prerequisite: WRIT 120 or equivalent.


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This course explores the problem of "tradition" by studying how contemporary poets and playwrights "play" with the literature of Renaissance England. Students study theories of authorship and interpretation before focusing on literature by authors such as John Donne, George Herbert, Queen Elizabeth I, Jen Bervin, Margaret Edison, Jay Wright, and Wallace Shawn. Thematic questions for the course include: What is literary tradition? What is the difference between literature and literary criticism? What authority do authors have over their work? Students read, write about, perform, and generate their own literary dialogues with Renaissance texts.


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From Beyoncé to bitcoin, from reality TV to Reddit, how can media, celebrity, and consumerism be claimed for poetry? As the line between high art and popular culture has continued to collapse, many poets have both embraced and critiqued pop and digital culture in their work. In this course, students read contemporary poetry that engages pop culture, explore the tensions between the pop and the poetic in their own poems, experiment with found poetry and other innovative writing methods, participate in peer workshops, and produce a final portfolio of new and revised poems.


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Using "guerrilla-style" filmmaking tactics, this class focuses on bringing formal structure to videos in ways that create satisfying stories--both fictitious and documentary--while giving students background on how to best utilize their lens, editing skills, as well as sound and visual effects to help bring out their stories. These experiences prepare students to make their own low-budget short films.


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Where do monsters come from and what do they want? What kinds of sociocultural, economic, and other vital critiques does the monstrous offer? In this course, students examine what historical conditions have given rise to monsters like vampires, zombies, and other blood-thirsty creatures, and theorize on why monsters seem to (un)naturally (re)adapt to our ever-changing ways of life. By considering myths from around the world, students trace the roots of these monsters and locate contexts where these monsters have found newer homes and renewed relevance. But monsters are hardly phenomena solely tied to the past: they also lurk in the future, in the unknown, in how the "normal" is constructed. The course puts monsters into conversation with anxieties around race, glass, gender, indigeneity versus foreignness, immigration, illness, disability, technology, political ideologies, and much more. After this course, students will never see monsters the same way again.


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Students critically examine a variety of national, metro, and local media. Students then learn to write their own news copy, including hard news, features, editorials, arts and entertainment reviews, sports, business, and travel stories. Students also learn UPI/AP style copy editing and proofreading, important skills for students applying for internships and print media jobs. Offered periodically. Also counts toward management studies and media studies concentrations. Prerequisites: WRIT 120 or equivalent and at least sophomore status.


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This course will study postcolonial literature from across the British empire and the Anglophone postcolonies. Novelists, poets, philosophers, revolutionaries, anthropologists, and psychologists will guide us through a set of overarching questions: What has it meant to be a subject of European empire and a citizen of postcolonial nation states? How do the experiences of the imperial past resonate in the postcolony and the (ex-)metropole? And what place have the literary arts occupied within this conversation? We will inform our encounters with literature by reading in the fields of postcolonial studies, history, film, the visual arts, music, and dance. Possible writers include Jean Rhys, Zadie Smith, Paul Gilroy, Tsitsi Dangarembga, Frantz Fanon, Edward Said, Jasbir Puar, Mohsin Hamid, Arundhati Roy, Salman Rushdie, Amitav Ghosh, Flann O'Brien, and Michael Ondaatje."


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This is the second 0.5 credit course in a two course series that is part of the Engineering Fellows experience. Students engage in a team-based engineering design project alongside a domain expert within the St. Olaf Community. Students also participate in professional development activities in preparation for continuing in the field of engineering and engage in a community based activity to support youth interest in engineering. Prerequisite: ENGR 390; Open only to juniors and seniors.


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Students in this course will become experts at communicating about the environment. We will interpret, critique, and create texts (written, oral, digital) about major environmental issues, including climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and environmental (in)justice. Students in the course will become comfortable placing texts within critical discourses (e.g., Prometheanism vs. sustainable development) and creating their own public-facing, data-driven texts addressing environmental issues. Class time will include workshops on quantitative and qualitative skills for communicating about environmental data. Fulfills either NS or SS attributes of the Environmental Studies major or concentration. Prerequisite: ENVST 137 or ENCON 111.


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This course provides a historical overview of documentary cinema. At the same time, the class examines the major theoretical questions and concerns that frame and distinguish between different types of documentary filmmaking. We address the documentary's particular investment in public, social and political issues, alongside the ethical questions that this mode of production raises. The course will engage with a variety of films from different countries and periods, but the last few weeks will be devoted to a specific movement or style of documentary. Films may include Nanook of the North, The Spanish Earth, Blood of the Beasts, Night and Fog, Sans Soleil, Titicut Follies, The Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes, Gimme Shelter, The Thin Blue Line, Fahrenheit 9/11, and Flee. May be repeated if topic is different, and can also count towards 200 electives for FMS majors that have already completed a different version of FMS 350. Prerequisite: FMS 101.


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Students are introduced to contemporary French political, economic and social institutions and/or issues through close textual analysis of articles from the contemporary French press and other media (e.g., the internet, cinema). Students read, analyze, discuss and write in French on a wide variety of non-literary topics. Taught in French. Offered alternate years. Also counts toward linguistic studies and management studies concentrations. Prerequisite: minimum of one 250-level course (two recommended).


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You may be familiar with the "power of data" but have you considered the power structures that are embedded in data? Data collection is at the center of many advances in the 21st century. Almost every area of modern life depends on data in some form. The influence of data-dependent fields has grown to affect all aspects of our lives from dating to health to business to public policy to entertainment. Thanks to advances in technology, we now live in a world inundated with data. But how can we use all of this data to yield useful and meaningful information? We will spend the semester investigating various aspects of data collection and presentation of data. We will explore data in our own lives and the data we consume in news, the popular press, and scientific studies. In this course we will move further to examine how data reflects the societal power structures under which it was collected and supports systems of privilege and discrimination. We will explore ways of thinking about data informed by intersectional feminism. This course is NOT a mathematics or a statistics course, and no mathematical or statistical knowledge is assumed. All students are welcome! A key component of the course is a weekly data journal where students are required to collect and engage creatively in the presentation of data.


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We will spend most of our lives at work. What is work? Is work a means to an end or should work be meaningful? Both? How is it different from play? What is the work of a college student? Using readings from sources in religious and philosophical traditions such as the Bible and Aristotle as well as contemporary texts, this class will encourage us to think wholistically about work. We will explore ideas such as work as an act of co-creation, the limits to work, and work as a calling -- all as a part of doing the work of a student.


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While Covid-19 has strained healthcare systems around the world, the pandemic has shown that the value of healthcare professionals cannot be underestimated. What careers are available in healthcare beyond physicians and nurses? What skills are needed to be successful in this demanding industry? In this course we will explore the many complexities and facets of healthcare and see where you might fit in. Readings will focus on the essential skills for healthcare professionals: teamwork, resilience, and effective communication. Assignments will be varied and include an annotated bibliography, reflections on current issues in healthcare and large and small group discussions.


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St. Olaf's campus shapes our experience here in many ways. Chairs invite us to pause and take in the natural beauty while the buildings' architecture suggests tradition and a respect for formal education. Even the way a classroom is set up can suggest what is expected from us in that room. This class will invite students to critically read and analyze the spaces around the. We will map them, measure them, and uncover their stories. Then we will look at how these spaces might be improved in order to better fit the needs of today's (and tomorrow's) Oles.


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Movement and dance encourages the exploration of complex ideas through investigation, knowledge, and expression of the body. Movement and dance embodies both historical and cultural values and also awakens new perceptions which help you learn and think in new ways. Over the course of the semester, we will consider the role of movement and dance as a vital form of human expression, understanding, communication, and interaction. This seminar will involve lecture, discussion, and several experiential movement labs. No dance experience required.


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There is growing concern among policy experts and economists about the rate at which developing countries, especially those in Africa, have been accumulating debt in recent times. While debt build up is a global problem, the consequences of a debt crisis would be felt disproportionately by poor countries. A high debt-to-GDP ratio elevates the risk of growth collapse and may pose serious implications for job creation and poverty alleviation in developing economies. In this seminar, students explore the debt problem in developing economies with a focus on how resource endowment affects the relationship between public debt and economic growth. Texts will focus on resources for infrastructure deals, public debt, and economic growth. Students will read articles and write case studies.


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The desire for freedom motivates social justice movements, spiritual renewal and individual rebellion against or suspicion of authority figures. Some religions promise it, others presuppose it. Freedom lies at the heart of many ethical systems. The intellectual challenge raised by freedom lies in saying what it is, what makes it valuable, and how to get it if you lack it. This seminar examines attempts to answer these questions by philosophers and political theorists, religious leaders, abolitionists, revolutionaries and others through the ages and in a variety of social and cultural settings.


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Students practice college success skills and study history in a unique way by playing two Reacting to the Past role-immersion games. The first game is set in Ancient Greece, where, as Athenians, students debate the merits of democracy in Classical Athens after the Peloponnesian War. In the second game, set in Imperial China, students adopt the personas of Grand Secretaries of the Hanlin Academy and apply Confucian principles to issues of governance and social order during a time of crisis in the Forbidden City. Most class sessions are run by students, who learn about history by experiencing it for themselves. While playing the games, students practice critical reading, research, oral and written communication, and collaboration, among other skills. Along the way, students participate in enduring debates about democracy, free speech, the nature of justice, good government, altruism and humaneness, and the tension between moral principles and political authority.


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Human beings are social creatures. The connections we have with others shape our identities and enhance our sense of belonging in the world. In the digital age, more and more of us are connected via virtual communities, online networks of people who come together around a common interest, issue, or concern. This seminar will explore what it means to be a community, whether and how virtual communities are "real" communities, and what the opportunities and challenges present in life together online can teach us about what it means to be human together. During the semester students will investigate a particular online community and explore whether/how its status as a community connects its participants in meaningful ways.


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Students examine contemporary issues in Germany such as national politics, environmental sustainability, diversity and migration, and the legacy of the GDR. They compare multiple perspectives on these issues by reading, discussing, and analyzing diverse expository texts including (auto)biographical writings, journalistic articles, and critical essays. Coursework includes writing assignments and oral presentations that emphasize textual analysis with a focus on texts' strategic organization, argumentative structure, style, content, and layers of critical voices. Advanced grammar review supports analytical tasks. Taught in German. A one-hour weekly small group discussion section led by a native German speaker is required. Offered annually in the spring semester. Also counts toward management studies concentration. Prerequisite: GERM 232 or by placement test.


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Students examine the artistic heritage of the German-speaking countries and develop the skill of interpreting and analyzing art works in their cultural context. The specific topic may vary and may be broadly or narrowly defined to include a specific art form, theme, period, artist, or the art of the German-speaking countries. Topics include: the arts in turn-of-the-century Vienna, the Bauhaus, Weimar cinema, and German Expressionism. Taught in English. May be repeated if topic is different. Offered periodically.


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Students hone their skills of analyzing the forms and contexts of production and reception of German-language literary works of various genres. Coursework includes close reading, discussion, analysis, and interpretation of visual and/or written texts. Recent topics: authors as public intellectuals, die Fantasie, Frauenliteratur. Taught in German. May be repeated if topic is different. Offered in alternate years. Prerequisite: at least one 270-level course.


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This course examines the culture of girls and girlhood in a global context. Girls are an important part of all communities, yet the physical, emotional, and social landscape of girls often remains below our notice. The transition from girl to woman is an experience that has changed radically across time and place yet the landmarks of girlhood remain remarkably unchanged. Girls make up billions of dollars in the consumer media industry, yet also suffer disproportionately from the increasing disappearance of protections for privacy and personal freedom. Girl culture is critically shaped by issues of race, gender, and class informing not only the experiences of girlhood but those of the women they will become. From play to trafficking, "alternative" forms of aggression and bullying, education and empowerment, gossip, social justice, bodies and body image, media, friendships, gender identity and trans issues, puberty, dreams of becoming a scientist or a Youtube star, we will explore the many facets of being a girl.


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This seminar, using only eyewitness accounts, examines African slavery in the United States, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Typical readings include the narrative of Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs' autobiography, and the writings of slave-holders like Mary Chesnut. Topics include the slave trade, the origins of African-American culture, women and slavery, and the origins of the Civil War. The course concludes with an examination of the process of emancipation. Offered periodically. Also counts toward race and ethnic studies major and Africa and the African Diaspora and race and ethnic studies concentrations.


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This is a 100-level course focused on a brief but extraordinarily complex decade, and one that is crucial for understanding the political and cultural debates of the present. The 1960s were years defined by movements for social and racial justice, decolonization and the Cold War, new media technologies and pop music, cultural experimentation, geopolitical conflict, and political realignment.From the United States to Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond, the Sixties serve a unique set of functions in our collective memory. Our class will examine how literature, film, music, advertisements, and television have continually cast and recast the history and meaning of this period to meet the demands of the present.


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This seminar focuses on U.S. society and politics during the era of World War II. How did the U.S. mobilize for the war, challenging isolationist currents in American society? How did wartime military and production demands reconfigure gender, race, ethnicity, and class in the U.S., while also reinforcing inequalities? How did global contests between fascism and antifascism shape U.S. politics? How did the war extend or diminish the New Deal? This course examines changes in everyday life in U.S. cities and communities while also paying attention to national politics and structural changes. Working closely with primary and secondary sources, students will practice the craft of history through seminar discussions and research.


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This course examines the process of colonization in North America, emphasizing interactions between Indigenous, European, and African-descended peoples. We begin with an examination of Native American communities as they existed before the European invasions, and their creative responses to European colonization during two centuries of contact. Alongside European-Native affairs, the course devotes equal attention to the development of the transatlantic slave trade, plantation systems in the southern colonies, and the emergence of African-American culture that formed in response to these historical experiences. Additional topics include imperial rivalry and warfare, and comparative colonial and gender systems. Students gain valuable self-initiated research experience utilizing primary sources and major historiographical works.


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The US is often referred to as a "nation of immigrants." But who does this idea include and who does it leave out? How is immigration history a part of our present? How do immigrants' stories deepen our understanding about public attitudes and policies? What impacts do immigration law, policy, and enforcement have on immigrants and the country as a whole? This course provides students an overview of U.S. immigration history and an introduction to scholarly methods, approaches, and debates that shape understandings of migration. We will consider histories of race and colonialism alongside insights from Native American, African American, Asian American, and Chican@ Studies.


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This 200-level course will explore the history and legacy of the Cold War, a global conflict that was and is as much a contest of geopolitical power and influence as it is a battle waged in the circulation or suppression of ideas, beliefs, culture, propaganda, and misinformation. From the Russian Revolution in 1917 through World War II, the War in Vietnam and beyond, we will explore crucial moments when media and misinformation have been leveraged by governments, the press, and the culture industry to shape public opinion, to influence the democratic process, and to manufacture political consensus or social division at home and abroad.


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This upper-level Russian history seminar focuses on the themes of national identity, ethnicity, and imperial rule in modern Russian history. Multi-ethnic peoples have always populated the massive geographic area that comes to be known as "Russia." How did the state at various times in history seek to integrate, assimilate or rule over ethnic and religious minorities? What were the strategies and practices of imperial rule under the Romanov monarchy? How and why did policies of assimilation alternate with policies of tolerance, and why were these policies unevenly applied? How did the Soviet project define national identity? We will consider these questions over a broad sweep of history with the goal of identifying analytical categories and models that are appropriate to the Russian context. The course will also introduce key theoretical texts on national identity, colonialism and imperialism. We will interrogate these theories and test them against the Russian version of colonial rule -- a colonialism that differed from European models yet, some would argue, has persisted to this day. Finally, we will consider (to the extent possible) the perspective of colonized peoples and what an alternative narrative history of Russian expansion might look like "from below."


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For centuries, Latin America has been a crucial site in the growth of global capitalism, with profound consequences for the way that the region’s peoples have related to their ecologies. This course examines the history of capitalist development and expansion in the region from the dawn of colonial rule to the turn of the twenty-first century. Students will conceptualize and execute a substantial research project into the ecological history of capitalism in Latin America, thus establishing a working knowledge of Latin American history, as well as familiarity with some of the key questions, debates and methods in environmental history.


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The Romans claimed that satire was a literary genre of their own creation. Students are able to weigh the merits of that claim as they translate selections from the wry and witty texts of prominent Roman satirists such as Horace, Petronius, Martial, and Juvenal. Offered periodically. Also counts toward ancient studies and medieval studies majors. Prerequisite: LATIN 231 or equivalent.


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This course introduces students to the essential modeling techniques of formulation, implementation, validation, and analysis. Students engage in these areas by combining experiment, mathematical theory, statistics, and computation to better understand a wide variety of biological systems. Offered annually in the spring semester. Also counts toward neuroscience, public health studies, and mathematical biology concentrations. Prerequisite: MATH 126 or MATH 128, and familiarity with R programming (BIO 150 or STAT 212 or CS 125 or equivalent programming experience).


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This course is an introduction to dynamical systems (nonlinear systems of ordinary differential equations) with applications to biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering. The course will sequence with Math 230 and carry the attributes C/M. Emphasis will be placed on communication and visualization of dynamical systems behavior. The class will be similar in substantial ways to PHYS 374: Classical Mechanics, a required physics class for majors, so enrollment should be limited to those who have not taken and/or do not intend to take that course.


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This course explores three different moments of revolutionary upheaval in the Middle East: Syria and Iraq in the 1950s and ‘60s, Iran in the 1970s and 1980s, and Egypt during and after the Arab Spring, in the period between 2010-2015. How did revolutionary groups together with a mixture of internal and external pressures produce changes that affected politics and different dimensions of society and culture? How did these revolutionary upheavals set in motion counter-revolutions and unintended consequences? Students will work with primary and secondary literature, newspapers, documentaries, film, and literature, and will have the opportunity to develop specific topics of research depending on their own academic background and interests.


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Students examine scores and listen to a broad range of string etudes, solos, sonatas, concertos, and orchestral excerpts with attention to notable performers of the past and present. Through required readings, listening assignments, video viewing, discussion, and hands-on teaching, students engage with practical issues of teaching, repertoire selection for beginning and intermediate players, performance and basic studio management. Prerequisites: MUSIC 214, MUSIC 141, and MUSIC 242 or permission of instructor.


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This course introduces students to the religious situation of Viking and Medieval Scandinavia before and after the advent of Christianity. Through exploring Norse mythology, Nordic Christianization, and Nordic memory of the pagan past, students examine the relationship between religion (both structure and belief) and the everyday lifeworld of a people. Offered annually.


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This course investigates literary portrayals of mental health and investigates the ethics of portraying mental illness in a literary text. We will be attentive to how mental health and mental illness have been understood and defined differently in different historical periods, as well as how discrimination on the basis of gender, race, and immigrant status impacts mental health and mental health treatment. Students will also complete the Writing in the Major requirement for Norwegian.


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This course surveys the influential philosophical traditions of India and China. Students explore the major traditions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Confucianism, and Taoism and consider other traditions with which they have interacted. Where appropriate, comparisons are drawn to Western philosophical traditions. Offered annually. Also counts toward Asian studies major.


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In this seminar, students engage in a contemplative discussion of the works of the "father of existentialism," Søren Kierkegaard. His thoughts about the challenge of living a meaningful life take us through unusual territory. We examine the significance of anxiety and despair, beauty and boredom, humor and seriousness, the joy and pain of embodiment, the tension between religious faith and secular reason, and, finally, the importance of commitment and love.


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On January 6, 2021, President Trump inspired a failed insurrectionist attempt. The attempt is unjustifiable, but it raises the question: Is there such a thing as a just insurrection? If the liberationist strategy of insurrection almost always fails, is it unjustifiable to violently resist one’s oppressor, even if this is the only viable path to liberation? How would philosophical theorizing (say, ethics and political philosophy) change if it had to start from the premise of oppression rather than a premise of freedom? How does an abolitionist perspective (rather than a gradualist perspective) change how we think about contemporary justice issues--e.g., responsibility for implicit bias or prison reform? Who are the philosophers theorizing the liberationist strategies and virtues necessary to overcome oppression? What do they have to say about these issues, the current state of professional philosophy, and the power dynamics that limit philosophical thinking? In addition to considering these questions, we will consider liberationist perspectives on racism and antiracism, the relationship of Black Lives Matter to the Black Power movement, the ongoing controversy over Critical Race Theory, and whether it is possible or desirable to study oppressed groups without keeping score about which groups suffer most. This course satisfies the Expanding Perspectives distribution requirement for the philosophy major.


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Increases in the misuse of opioids, especially medications to treat pain, has been identified as a major health concern in the United States in recent years. In this discussion-based course, students use published basic and applied neuroscience and biopsychosocial research to examine the history of the epidemic/crisis, endorphin and opioid function, pain and pain management, opioid contributions to eating, reinforcement and reward, drug use and misuse, opioid-mediated addictions, health outcomes, prevention and treatment issues, and public policy. Counts toward the Neuroscience concentration. Prerequisites: PSYCH 230, plus PSYCH 238 or NEURO 239, or permission of instructor.


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With recent advances in neuroscience, we can now describe the biological correlates of many psychological (schizophrenia, depression and anxiety disorders), neurological (Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Diseases) and health-related (eating disorders) disorders. In this discussion-based course, students use published basic and applied neuroscience research findings to examine the connections between the signs and symptoms of these pathologies and changes in brain neurobiology, neurochemistry, and neurophysiology. Counts toward the Neuroscience concentration. Prerequisites: PSYCH 230, plus PSYCH 238 or NEURO 239, or permission of instructor.


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In this course, students consider the modern age in light of their Enduring Questions experience. Topics include artists and authors from the twentieth century to the present, such as Freud, Picasso, Woolf, Arendt, and Borges, addressing topics such as the rise of nationalism, rejections of colonialism, globalization, migration, and race and racism. Students identify and evaluate their own ethical views in relation to ethical theories, like consequentialism and virtue ethics, encountered throughout the Enduring Questions program. Offered annually in the spring semester. Prerequisites: GCON 113, GCON 115, GCON 116, and QUEST 217.


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Ecospirituality asks how attention to distinct bioregions leads to a flourishing life. Amidst climate catastrophe, encountering wisdom across spiritual traditions helps students learn from place. This course focuses on Indigenous, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, and Spiritual-but-Not-Religious practices in rural and urban environments; amidst plains, forests, prairies; submerged in streams, bogs, and big water. While marrying region to practice, students use data collection, storytelling, ritual, handarts, food, and music to reflect upon their own ecospirituality.


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This course explores environmental themes in Russian literature and culture from the nineteenth century to the present day. Beginning with the early ecological concerns in classic Russian literature (Tolstoy, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Chekhov), we move on to works by major Soviet writers and filmmakers (Tarkovsky, Aitmatov, Bitov) and conclude with the post-Soviet environmental movement in Russia. This course is both a study in environmentalism and a broad introduction to Russian culture. Taught in English; all readings in English; no prerequisites.


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This course examines the development of differing approaches to some aspect of Russian life and culture as presented in the classical texts of Russian literature. Actual topics vary according to year and instructor. Offered periodically. Counts toward Russian area studies major; does not count toward Russian language major. Prerequisites: WRIT 120, equivalent or permission of the instructor.


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This course considers masterworks of Russian and Soviet cinema from the Bolshevik revolution to the present. Students examine significant Russian contributions to world cinema. Readings and topics include basic cinema analysis, Russian cinema criticism, and Russian film theory. Offered alternate years. Counts toward Russian area studies and film and media studies majors and film and media studies concentration; does not count toward Russian language major.


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This course investigates the place of women, girls, and all who identify as female in sport, exercise, and wellness from a socio-cultural vantage provided by the fields of the anthropology of sport, the sociology of sport, feminism, and body studies. Female participation in wellness and physical culture has not come without struggle into arenas strongly marked by male hegemony. While human participation in sport has been documented since ancient times, it is only in the last 50 years that female participation has garnered attention, asking us to rethink many assumptions about the the human body, cultural constructions of power such as competition and aggression, gender, race, class, age, ability, and our place in the ecology and evolution of this planet.


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Students examine the diverse elements that have shaped the cultures of U.S. Hispanics and Latinx through an exploration of political, social, economic, religious, and artistic topics. They develop critical analysis through reading, discussion, and written and/or oral projects. Students examine processes of identity and inclusion, and its connections to historical narratives. Students analyze materials through an intersectional lens of race, colorism, language, generational differences, class, gender, and sexuality. Taught in Spanish. Offered periodically. Also counts toward race and ethnic studies major and concentration. Prerequisite: SPAN 250 or SPAN 251.


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A studio course for the student with previous acting experience. Through scene and monologue work students explore text and character analysis as well as the requirements of major theatrical period styles. Students perform regularly throughout the semester. The course requires trips to professional theaters in the Twin Cities. A ticket fee is required. Offered annually in the spring semester. Also counts toward musical theather concentration. Prerequisites: THEAT 110 or THEAT 180, and THEAT 130 or THEAT 131 or permission of the instructor.


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From Black Power to Black Lives Matter, from the Combahee River Collective to the Crunk Feminist Collective, the concept now known as intersectionality was first theorized by feminists of color in the 1970s and continues to provide a crucial lens for grappling with questions of identity, power, and social justice. In this seminar, we will think and write alongside intersectional writers and activists such as Gloria Anzaldúa, Kimberlé Crenshaw, bell hooks, and Audre Lorde as we build more complex understandings of the relationships between gender, race, sexuality, class, and other aspects of identity. Through encounters with many types of texts--including poems, personal essays, scholarly articles, videos, manifestos, and social media posts--you'll sharpen your critical thinking, close reading, argumentation, and research skills. You will not only write about intersectionality, but also will practice intersectional methods--teasing out nuances, imagining new frameworks, and holding in mind conflicting ideas--that will allow you to grow as a writer and person. Assignments will include individual essays, a presentation in pairs, and a group podcast that discusses research-based, practical applications of intersectionality for everyday life, our campus community, and the wider culture.


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As the most recognized expression of physical culture, organized sports occupy a prominent position around the world. For centuries, athletic success--or failure--can and has been used as a tool to make war, peace, politics, and money. This seminar is designed for students interested in the political, cultural, and historical impact of sports and physical culture. You do not need to be a collegiate athlete--or even particularly sporty--to enroll! Some of our guiding questions for the semester include: When did organized athletics emerge--and what implications does that hold for us today? How do national and international interests collide in the arena of sports? Can and should sporting achievement be viewed independently of other contexts? How can we understand and analyze sports as "physical culture"? What athletic pursuits and other physical cultures matter to our St. Olaf campus community? In this seminar, we will use tools from the fields of cultural and literary analysis to think, talk, and write about the present, past, and future of sports and physical culture--from the intramural clubs at St. Olaf to international competitions like the Olympic Games. We will analyze historical and contemporary source texts, craft and debate persuasive arguments, research and write about physical culture(s), and reflect on our shared physical, emotional, and critical-rhetorical growth at St. Olaf.


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This seminar will introduce students to what Asia has been in the past and how Asia came to be in the present, focusing on material histories. We will critically examine the circulation of objects, art, ideas, and people across borders and bodies of water. We will trace the circuitry and paths of various artifacts to explore the implications of exploration, global movement, and material flows. The seminar aims to help students interrogate their assumptions about Asia to develop a broad foundation for future study of or travel to the continent. As a writing and rhetoric course, students will write in multiple genres and engage in writing as a systematic, interactive process for different purposes and audiences.


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This seminar examines the mutual influences of science and society while exploring the historical, political, economic, and religious aspects of these influences. Through course reading and in-class discussions, we will examine the institutional settings that shape the practices of science and the vocation of scientists. We will analyze how social and theological perspectives may at times resist and advance science, sometimes in unexpected ways. Through in-class discussions, research, and writing assignments, students will analyze how science shapes and is shaped by its social contexts, discuss the methods that natural and social sciences use to examine phenomena, and interrogate the very nature of science itself. Together, we will explore how science and theology affect each other as they shape reflection upon the origin, nature, and destiny of human life and the cosmos.


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A theatrical play is a unique form of literature that has as much to do with music as it does with words. Using dialogue as the primary driver of story and character, this class will introduce students to various dramatic techniques that will help them write short plays that engage the audience and lead to a satisfying theatrical experience. Students will be encouraged to draw characters and conflicts from their own lives and take full advantage of their unique worlds to give their work authenticity. Weekly playwriting exercises will be supported by reading and analyzing a new play every week. These will be mostly contemporary plays and will tie in thematically to the exercises. Students will take turns breaking down different aspects of the play be it plot, subtext, punctuation, a playwright's history, to more extrinsic aspects of the theatre such as conceptualizing costumes, imagining the play in a site-specific setting, or designing a poster for a new production. In addition, students will be responsible for writing one theatre review of a play (possibly a St. Olaf production), as well as writing a final paper that will be tailored to their chosen field of interest relating to theatre.


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In this seminar, we'll think about all kinds of games, including board games, card games, playground games, sports, and video games. We will consider why we find ourselves playing games when we have so many other things to do and how they might be able to help us be more successful in navigating the college experience. We'll research and write about communities formed around games, and we'll finish the term by reflecting on what we've learned and applying that knowledge to design a game intended to improve the success of St. Olaf students.


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Ishmael Reed coined the phrase, "Writin' is fightin'." Talib Kweli spits, "They ask me what I'm writing for / I'm writing to show you what we're fighting for." Taking inspiration from the Black literary tradition where writing is indeed fighting -- fighting against racism, (hetero)sexism, classism, colonialism, and other systems of oppression -- this seminar will ground you in critical race theory, women of color feminism, and cultural criticism in order to write your way towards freedom, liberation, and social transformation. These methods and methodologies will help you develop a critical framework to analyze and examine difference (e.g., racial, gendered, class, sexual, religious, national) in American society and culture, as we engage in readings that illuminate structures of power and expose the contradictions of concepts such as equality, democracy, citizenship, and the American dream. By the end of this seminar, you will leave equipped with the reading, thinking, and writing skills to a) help you succeed academically; b) aid you in challenging white supremacist/Eurocentric understandings of history, culture, and society; and c) write/dream a new world.


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Work interweaves every aspect of our lives, from how we survive, how we relate to one another, and how we create and attach value to things. Over time, work has shaped societies, cultures, specializations, public life, family life, belief systems, and much more. As we navigate a world marked by high production, consumption, inequality, and discontent, work has increasingly become an integral activity in how we find meaning in our lives. On the flipside, work can often mark the boundaries where leisure and pleasure begin, and whether achieving balance is ever possible or worth pursuing. In this seminar, we will study significant episodes throughout history that may enable us to understand the nature of work, why we do it, and what the future of work holds. Assigned readings, films, music selections, and weekly activities will provide us with the language, concepts, and context to explore the rich legacy of work.


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How should we define "the good life"? As Success? Or meaning? As stability or happiness or comfort? And what factors might be the measure of a "good life" life? Career or family, carbon footprint or social contributions, health or notoriety? In this seminar, students will investigate how authors, philosophers, theologians, and internet influencers have defined "the good life" and they will research how certain collegiate behaviors contribute to happiness, isolation, selfishness or community flourishing. Ultimately, students will define what the good life means to them and reflect on how their own choices (about classes, majors, co-curricular activities, friend groups, family, and free time) might help or hinder their intentions.


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Stories, whether they are classic fairy tales, superhero sagas, or the narratives we tell about our everyday lives, are full of recognizable hero and villain archetypes. Antiheroes, tricksters, witches, and warriors occur most recognizably in fantasy and science fiction, but we see them as well in real-world narratives about political parties, institutions, and interpersonal relationships. In this seminar, we will read, think, and write about the heroes and villains in our entertainment, news, and lives. Major assignments may include a profile essay, a researched essay, and a reflective essay.


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Blending the reading seminar and writing workshop, this course offers advanced practice in critical reading and writing with emphasis in the sciences. Students read and respond to popular feature stories in The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2022, creative writing, TED Talks, short documentaries, and scholarly essays. Topics include animal consciousness, dinosaurs, galaxies, the evolution of organs, the quest to preserve wild sounds, and the link between quantum mechanics and indigenous knowledge. Course activities first explore how writers and speakers communicate with multiple audiences, then students practice various communication strategies through personal narrative, information visualization, an explainer, and a researched feature story. Prerequisite: successful completion of First-Year Writing or Writing and Rhetoric.


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Through a sequence of architectural design projects, students learn drawing (hand drafting and computer-aided drawing and design) and architectural design processes that require the integration of social, artistic, technical, and environmental issues typical of real projects. Visiting architects are involved. Field trips to experience spaces/places augment the studio work. Materials fee. Offered alternate years. Also counts toward business and management studies concentration. Prerequisite: ART 102 or ART 103 or ART 104 or permission of instructor.


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Inspired by revered painter Georgia O'Keeffe's love of the New Mexican landscape, our group will explore the arts, nature, and culture of "The Land of Enchantment." Beginning in Albuquerque, we will journey to Ghost Ranch for a week in O'Keeffe's meditative and artistic space, then head to Taos, a longstanding artists' colony in the Southernmost Rocky Mountains, and the Taos Pueblo, one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the United States. Our trip culminates in the thriving arts hub of Santa Fe, visiting its galleries and museums. Offered alternate years during January term.


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This course explores major aspects of language use that reflect Japanese culture and society. Issues covered include the characteristics of the Japanese language, loan words, regional differences, politeness, gender differences, and communication styles. The course is taught in a combination of lectures, class discussions, subtitled Japanese films, anime (Japanese animation), and student presentations. Knowledge of Japanese helpful but not necessary. Readings, lectures, and discussions are all in English. Offered alternate years. Also counts toward Japanese major and applied linguistics concentration.


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In this course, students travel to Shanghai, China. They consider how direct experience provides them with their own narratives about people, places, and culture of China. Through attention to their own structured and unstructured experiences during the course, students better understand how ordinary people construct "Chinese" and "Asian" culture and society today. Through multifaceted engagement with Shanghai and other sites students may visit during their stay, they analyze the role representation and narrative play in both their encounter with and study of Asia. Offered periodically during January Term. Apply through Smith Center for Global Engagement. Also counts toward the Chinese major. Prerequisites: at least one Chinese language course.


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Students pursue guided fieldwork experience and language study in Japan. Activities and readings in this course build on the topics from ASCON 110 and 120 and language study. Students continue to explore their understanding of Asia through language activities, site visits, and ethnographic observations. Students complete language-based tasks and follow a process of inquiry that will help them understand how ordinary people construct "Asian" culture and society today. Offered annually during January term. Counts toward Asian Studies and Japanese majors and Asian Studies concentration. Priority will be given to ASCON students. Prerequisite: at least one semester of Japanese language study at St Olaf or equivalent.


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This course explores contemporary biological issues related to health and the environment, with the goal of fostering informed citizens prepared for current biological debates. Students learn the relevant biological principles in lecture and lab followed by appropriate lab or field research. Specific topics vary from year to year and may include emerging diseases, cardiovascular health, genetics, specific groups of organisms, behavior, and environmental dynamics. Students attend lectures plus one two-hour laboratory per week. Offered periodically. Also counts toward public health studies concentration.


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Issues of women's biology including views of the evolving female and biological determinism are examined. Core material covers anatomy, development, the biological basis of gender, reproduction, sexual response, the menstrual cycle and aging, and aspects of women's health such as eating disorders, cancers, and hormonal treatments. Students participate in significant amounts of group work and oral presentation. The course is open to both men and women. Offered during January Term. Also counts toward gender and sexuality studies major and concentration and public health studies concentration.


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Students gain meaningful research experience studying marine ecosystems. The course begins on campus as students develop field and analytical skills that they will apply to their research. Staying at the Discovery Bay Marine Lab in Jamaica provides access to unique coral reef and intertidal habitats where students conduct independent research projects. The course concludes on campus for data analysis and interpretation. Offered during January term. Prerequisite: BIO 150 or permission of instructor.


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Students study contemporary questions concerning the environment from the fundamental properties of matter to human impact on natural processes, including damage to and protection of the environment. Students discover how chemistry intersects with everyday living, especially the abilities and limitations of science to address environmental issues. Laboratory work explores the characteristics and analysis of hazardous and beneficial materials. Counts toward environmental studies major (arts and humanities and social science emphases) and concentration; does not count toward chemistry major. Offered during January Term.


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Students study the structure, bonding, and reactions of compounds containing metal-carbon bonds. Special topics include applications of organometallic chemistry to the synthesis of organic compounds, homogeneous catalysis, and biochemistry. Examples illustrate organometallic chemistry as a bridge between organic and inorganic chemistry. Students use bibliographic and electronic searching software to prepare research papers based on the current literature. Offered during January Term in alternate years. Prerequisite: CHEM 247.


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This course introduces the fundamentals of bioanalytical chemistry and the application of modern analysis techniques to biological samples. Current clinical applications and examples of biological problems supplement lecture material. Daily lectures are closely integrated with laboratory experiences. Topics include different types of chromatography used to separate biological mixtures in various ways, 1D- and 2D-gel electrophoresis, capillary electrophoresis, radiochemical and immunological assays, centrifugation techniques, and biological mass spectrometry. Offered during January Term in alternate years. Also counts toward biomolecular science concentration. Prerequisites: CHEM 255 or CHEM 379 or permission of instructor.


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This course entails a careful reading of the Iliad and Odyssey - two of the earliest and most influential epics of human history - with attention to their Greek historical and cultural contexts. The course then explores some of the many reincarnations of Homer's epics in later generations, from Monteverdi's opera Return of Ulysses to David's painting Anger of Achilles to the Coen brothers' film O Brother, Where Art Thou? Offered periodically during January Term. Also counts toward ancient studies, Greek, and Latin majors.


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This course introduces students to the history and art of ancient Greece. It covers more than 2000 years of Greek civilization, from the Bronze Age through the archaic, classical, and Hellenistic periods. The itinerary takes students all over Greece, with extended stays in Athens and Attica, Crete, the Peloponnese, and Thessaloniki. When not visiting museums and archaeological sites, students have the opportunity to experience modern Greek culture as well. Offered during January Term in alternate years. Apply through Smith Center for Global Engagement. Also counts toward ancient studies, Greek, and Latin majors.


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This course provides intensive exposure to New York City, one of the major dance capitals of the world. Students attend dance classes (students choose what forms of dance they want to take), performances, visit historical sites and museums, meet and interview working dance artists and alumni, and write extensively about dance. Students develop a greater understanding of and reflect upon their interests within and connected to the dance world. May be repeated. Offered periodically during January Term. Apply through Smith Center for Global Engagement. Prerequisite: At least 2 movement intensive dance courses at St Olaf, sophomore standing and above, and either DANCE 170: Veselica International Dance Ensemble or DANCE 180: Companydance. Completion of one of the following courses is highly recommended but not required: DANCE 100, DANCE 246 or DANCE 124.


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In this course, students examine how schools and communities in the Twin Cities interact to provide support and developmental opportunities for school-age children. Through lectures, readings, discussions, field trips, and in-school and co-curricular placements, students gain an understanding and awareness of how race, class, ethnicity, national origin, and gender shape the complex character of urban youth and schools. Students spend one week in orientation activities on campus and two weeks in the Twin Cities. During the time in the Twin Cities, St. Olaf students participate as tutors and classroom assistants during the school day and then assist in various after-school and community programs. The last week of January Term is spent back on campus discussing the experience. P/N only. Preference given to first-year students, but all students may apply. Offered during January Term. Also counts toward race and ethnic studies major and concentration.


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This course provides full-time placement in a school setting for students wanting to explore a career in teaching or gain greater understanding of teaching as a profession. Directed by host teachers, students may observe, assist within the classroom, tutor, teach, coach, attend faculty meetings and functions, and meet with school personnel. Students attend weekly seminars and complete assigned readings and reflective writings. Offered alternate January Terms, odd years. Counts as the January Term requirement for the non-licensure and TEFL certificate education concentration. Prerequisite: EDUC 260 or EDUC 290 or EDUC 295.


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This program provides an opportunity for students to gain direct teaching experience by serving as an intern for a teacher in a Minneapolis/St. Paul public school. The January Term will heighten students' sensitivities to the complexities of multicultural, urban education and provide exposure to models used to foster educational and personal success in diverse student populations. On/off-campus orientation will be followed by four weeks of full-time work in a classroom with a host teacher and participation in weekly seminars with the college instructor. Reading assignments, reflective journals, and guest speakers will complement the experience. Fulfills EDUC 382: Human Relations requirement. Intended for education major/licensure students. P/N only. Offered during January Term. Apply through the Education Department by Oct.15. Also counts toward race and ethnic studies major and concentration. Prerequisites: EDUC 330 or permission of instructor.


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This course examines how music and poetry are intertwined with significant American political and cultural movements of the twentieth century and today. It concentrates on the lives and work of the poets and musicians who contributed to the Civil Rights Movement and later ones, including the Women’s Liberation and Anti-War Movements. Students will encounter poets and musicians like Langston Hughes, Billie Holiday, Bob Dylan, and Nina Simone. Prerequisite: WRIT 120 or equivalent.


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This course gives students the opportunity to work on real world physics and engineering problems. Companies, non-profits, and other organizations provide projects relevant and important to the organizations' goals. Students work in teams to approach these projects from an engineering design perspective that emphasizes hands-on work, prototyping, and organizational skills. Offered annually during January Term. Prerequisite: PHYS 244 or permission of the instructor.


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Students examine several tropical socio-ecological systems, including those situated in rainforest, montane cloud forest, dry forest, coastal, agricultural and urban landscapes. They learn about the impact of human activities on these systems and about Costa Rica's various policies and management practices aimed at more sustainable land use. Students consider how each person can contribute to sustainability within their own communities, and they gain practice through hands-on community conservation efforts. Offered periodically in January term. Prerequisite: ENVST 137 or ENCON 111 or permission of instructor.


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Students delve into advanced language work and on-the-spot investigation of French culture, past and present, including theater, film, visual arts, the French court, and the medieval cathedral through background readings and visits to important monuments. Students read, discuss, see, and critique plays ranging from the classical to the contemporary. Taught in French. Offered annually during January Term. Apply through Smith Center for Global Engagement. Also counts toward business and management studies concentration. Prerequisite: One French 250-level course (two recommended).


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This course examines migrations into, out of, and around Norway over time. By examining the push and pull factors for immigration and emigration, and the challenges this creates for indigenous and minority groups, students gain an understanding of the interconnection of migrant experiences over time and geographical location. Students examine land taking of settler colonialism of Norwegian migrations both within Norway and Norwegian-America. Prerequisite: FYS and WRR.


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A full immersion in the art of theater, students attend approximately 22 performances at London and Stratford theaters. The course includes the reading of play texts, dramatic criticism, group discussions, and backstage tours. England, a theatrical center of the English-speaking world, enables students to experience a wide variety of theatrical performances ranging from traditional to modern. Excursions to Stratford-upon-Avon and other locations offer additional cultural perspectives. Offered annually during January Term. Apply through Smith Center for Global Engagement. Counts toward Theater and English majors.


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Flamenco is the collective protest of an oppressed people, a melting pot of musical influences, an oral tradition, a folkloric art, a fine art, and one of Spain's major cultural practices, globalized and marketed to the world as an expression of national identity. In this course, students study the history, theory, and practice of flamenco music in the region that produced it - Andalusia. Students also visit Madrid, exploring Spain's capital city and examining flamenco's influence on popular and classical music. Counts towards the music major. Offered periodically during January term. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.


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Students study how music can engage and advocate for those on the margins of society, inspiring social justice movements. Analyzing historical and current events, class members design a musical project that can empower a people, group or organization in addressing moral and social problems such as racial inequality, rural or urban violence, or prison reform. A Christian normative framework, along with religious and secular alternatives, help guide the ethics implications pertaining to this subject. Offered periodically during January Term.


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How does a musician find work with little or no prior professional experience? What skills do musicians need to refine before and after graduation? This course invites students to engage in self-reflection, topical discussions, capacity-building, and best professional practices for individual musicians in the performance industry. Topics include the basics of the music business (roles in the industry, copyright law and contracts), artist identity development, and practical skills for a musical career. Offered alternate years in the fall.


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Judo is an Olympic sport and martial art widely known for its dynamic throws, slick submissions, and grueling conditioning. However, the founder of judo also intended it to be a system of moral education rooted in the philosophical traditions of Japan. In this course students learn the physical aspects of judo through intensive practice and the philosophical aspects of judo through studying Zen Buddhism and the writings of judo's founder, Jigoro Kano. Offered during January Term. Also counts toward Asian studies major and concentration.


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This course takes a holistic, process approach to design. Student teams identify human-centered needs, define problems, develop and prototype solutions, test, redesign, and present final recommendations. This hands-on course emphasizes the application of scientific principles, analysis, and design to real world problems. Students write throughout the course to develop and share ideas. In the January Term, students attend lectures and a daily laboratory. In the full semester offering, students attend lectures and one 2.5-hour laboratory per week. Offered annually. Prerequisites: MATH 119 or MATH 120 and at least one of the following: PHYS 130, PHYS 124, CHEM 121, CHEM 122, CHEM 125, CH/BI 125, BIO 150, PSYCH 125, CSCI 121, or permission of instructor.


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This course offers students an introduction to the study of gender in the field of political science. It begins with fundamental questions relating to definitions and construction of gender. It then surveys scholarship relating to gendered political participation and civic engagement, women's movements, sexism, representation, voting behavior, and campaigns and elections.


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This course introduces students to the complexities of international dispute resolution. Students meet with leading figures in international law at some of the most important venues for resolving conflicts among states. Students gain a general understanding of the complex institutional mechanisms that have been created to ensure the security and improve the welfare of states as well as the international courts created to prosecute international crimes and promote human rights.


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This course combines experiential learning with ethical reflection. It offers networking and possible job shadowing opportunities in the areas of policy-making, advocacy, campaigning, federal and local government, journalism, advocacy, law, among others. Students will be matched with a number of St. Olaf alumni and professionals in Washington, D.C. and be able to talk with them about their jobs and perhaps shadow them at their workplace. The jobs-shadowing and career-related experiences will be paired with course material that will help you learn about the practice of governance, politics as a vocation, political efficacy and the ethical dimensions of leadership and public service. Offered annually during January term. Apply through Smith Center for Global Engagement. Also counts toward international relations concentration.


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Psychopaths, blazing a path of disregard and devastation through life, are a chilling example of the darker side of humanity. Students critically compare psychopathy as portrayed in the popular media to psychology's theoretical and empirical understanding. They explore questions such as: What are the hallmark characteristics of a psychopath? Where can psychopaths be found? What causes psychopathy? Students also examine the question of what the existence of psychopathy means for the rest of us. Offered periodically during January Term. Prerequisite: PSYCH 125.


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Students learn how gender is perceived, constructed, and experienced in contemporary Norway, using psychological and sociocultural perspectives to explore topics such as family life, youth development/empowerment, education, employment, media/advertising, health, and sexuality. They also examine Indigenous Sámi and immigrant perspectives. Lectures, site visits, and other field experiences augment scholarly readings and contribute to an understanding of gender equality as a foundational guiding principle and practice in an increasingly diverse Norwegian society. Offered alternate years during January Term. Apply through Smith Center for Global Engagement. Also counts toward Norwegian and gender and sexuality studies majors and Nordic studies and gender and sexuality studies concentrations. Prerequisites: PSYCH 125 or a course in Nordic studies, gender and sexuality studies, family studies, or sociology/anthropology, or permission of instructor; PSYCH 241 or PSYCH 249 strongly recommended.


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From legalized marijuana, to the widespread use of antidepressants and antianxiety medications, to the ubiquitous presence of coffee shops, the "drug culture" affects nearly everyone in our society. This course introduces the world of psychopharmacology, with an emphasis on the basic neural mechanisms underlying the effects of drugs, including their portrayal in popular movies and music. By learning how drugs can affect the way neurons communicate, students become more thoughtful consumers. Offered periodically during January Term. Also counts toward neuroscience and public health studies concentrations. Prerequisites: PSYCH 125 or PSYCH 238 or any Level I biology, chemistry, or chemistry/biology course.


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This course examines how religious faith transforms the practices of personal and social life. Students explore the nature of Christian community and the connections between Christian theological beliefs and practices. Students participate in the life of Holden Village, an isolated Lutheran retreat center in the Cascade Mountains of Washington. Offered alternate years during January Term. Apply through Smith Center for Global Engagement.


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This course examines sixteenth century Christian reforms in Germany and Spain. Students visit significant religious, historical, and cultural sites associated with Protestant and Roman Catholic figures such as Martin Luther, Teresa of Avila, and Ignatius of Loyola. Students expand their understanding of Christian theology, and how Christian beliefs developed through conversation and contestation amidst rapid societal and political changes. Special attention is given to how these reforming movements impacted Jewish and Muslim communities. Offered periodically during January term.


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Modern moral philosophy purports to tell us something about an unethical world - this course explores the gap between the ways that ethics has been discussed in the western philosophical tradition and its persistent failure to account for race, gender, religion, and disability in sensitive ways. Students are introduced to key concepts in moral philosophy and religious studies and use these concepts to consider whether and how modern ethics is worth salvaging.


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This course considers masterworks of Russian and Soviet cinema from the Bolshevik revolution to the present. Students examine significant Russian contributions to world cinema. Readings and topics include basic cinema analysis, Russian cinema criticism, and Russian film theory. Offered alternate years. Counts toward Russian studies and Russian area studies majors and film and media studies major and concentration; does not count toward Russian language major.


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This course offers a sociological understanding of social issues in South Africa in the post-apartheid era, as shaped by historical conditions including slavery, colonization, and apartheid. Students learn about issues of racism and poverty and how they intersect with other lines of inequality and are shaped by culture, policies, and institutions including government, economy, and education. The course draws heavily on guest lecturers and site visits. Offered alternate years during January term. Prerequisite: One course in sociology or anthropology, or a related social science course approved by the instructor.


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This academic civic engagement course explores the culture of Puerto Rico, including its politics, national identity, folklore, and the environment. Students travel to Puerto Rico (a territory of the U.S.A.), where they read and analyze authentic materials in Spanish and participate in talks and discussions with local professors, college students, and community leaders. Among the topics explored are colonialism, religion, citizenship, tourism, gentrification, natural disasters, race, and sustainability. Offered periodically in January Term. Apply through Smith Center for Global Engagement. Does not count toward Spanish major. Counts toward Latin American studies major and concentration and environmental studies major and concentration. Prerequisites: SPAN 232 or SPAN 233 or placement into SPAN 250.


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This course studies theater performance through the full-scale mounting of a production during the month of January, with public performances at the end of January Term or the beginning of spring semester. Students enroll in the class through either an acting audition or a production position interview held in late October or early November. No previous experience is necessary. Selected participants are notified prior to January Term registration. Details about the audition/interview are available online at the Theater Department website. Scripts are available in the Theater Department office. P/N only. Offered during January Term.


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Designed for the student with previous course work and production work in theater, this course studies theater performance through the full-scale mounting of a production during the month of January, with public performances at the end of the January Term or the beginning of spring semester. Students enroll in the course through either an acting audition or a production position interview held in late October or early November. Selected participants are notified prior to January Term registration. Details about the audition/interview are available online at the Theater Department website. Scripts are available in the Theater Department office. P/N only. Offered during January Term. Prerequisites: THEAT 133 or permission of instructor; concurrent registration in THEAT 233 or THEAT 253 (0 credit option) required.


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This course explores the diverse artistic heritages of ancient Near Eastern art and Islamic art, from early images of power and piety, to the construction of cities and ritual spaces, to the appropriation and redefinition of imagery with the development and spread of Islam. The course also examines the use and destruction of ancient images within the context of historical and contemporary attitudes toward visual images. Offered periodically. Counts toward ancient studies, art history and studio art majors and middle eastern studies concentration.


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The museum field is broad and inherently interdisciplinary, incorporating a range of topics including artistic, cultural, ethical, financial and legal questions. Students explore these issues and learn about the practicalities of a range of museum departments and jobs, including collections management and care, curation, development, and education. The class will work with objects in the Flaten Museum collection.


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This interdisciplinary course explores the timeless concept of the hero from both Asian and Western traditions. Classical heroes will be analyzed along with those featured in contemporary films, fictions, comics, and pop culture. The main goal is to compare and examine how heroes have informed intellectual, artistic, and moral traditions in various cultures and how heroic ideas were spread, transformed, and re-imagined to suit the needs of their times. Taught alternate year during fall semester. Counts toward Asian studies major and China studies and Japan studies concentrations.


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Bio 391: in this seminar course we will examine how animal vision has evolved to meet ecological needs and enable specific behavioral tasks such as prey capture, predator avoidance, navigation, mate selection, and communication. Topics will include the visual environment, biological optics, structure and function of photoreceptors, color vision, polarization vision, motion detection, stereovision, decision making, development of the visual system, and "the dress." The course will be grounded in the primary literature, and class time will consist of discussion and group work. Prerequisite: BIO 227 or NEURO 239 or permission of instructor.


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This class will introduce students to the basic vocabulary and style of Caribbean social dances such as Compas, Zouk, Twoubadou and Calypso. This high energy class can be taught to anyone with a passion to move, so no dance experience is required.


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In this class students will learn the dances of Haiti such as Yanvalou, Nago, Ibo, Contredance and Raboday to name a few. Students will discover the beauty of Haitian folkloric dance through a lively torso, pelvis and leg movements accompanied by strong rhythmic live drumming. They will be able to differentiate the traditional and the folkloric aspect of the dances, drumming and costuming. Students will also learn about the history of Haiti and experience traditional Haitian dance, rhythms, story-telling and learn about the culture, the language and the vocal traditions issue in the Rada, Igbo, Petwo and Congo.


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This course examines the history of nineteenth-century American literature by focusing on the topic of freedom. Students read works by writers who embraced America’s literary independence from Britain, the liberation of individuals from traditional institutions, and the freedom of women and people of color from various forms of oppression. Developments in such genres as the novel, the short story, the autobiographical narrative, and poetry will be considered. Writers studied include Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Melville, Whitman, Fern, Fuller, Jacobs, Douglass, Dickinson, Twain, James, Chesnutt, Crane, and Chopin. Prerequsite: FYW.


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This course examines the process of literary development in English during two consecutive and contrasting movements: the Neoclassical (1660-1780) and Romantic (1780-1840). Students read the works of representative and important writers from both periods, including Pope, Swift, Austen, Wordsworth, Blake, Shelley, Emerson, Douglass, and others, and examine the development of styles, conventions, and forms in English, Irish, and American literatures. Offered periodically. Prerequisite: FYW.


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This course introduces students to canonical texts (for example, the epics of Homer, Virgil, Ovid, Dante, and medieval romance) and explores their influence on various authors writing in English (for example, William Shakespeare, John Milton, Aphra Behn, T.S. Eliot, H.D., William Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor, and Sam Selvon). Rather than study classic works as isolated masterpieces, students explore how and why later writers and artists use canonical texts to shape their vision of the human experience. Offered periodically. Course not open to students who are taking or have completed the Great Conversation. Prerequisite: FYW.


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This course explores the interplay of visual image, written text, and material object in a variety of genres including illustrated novels, comics, fine press books, and artists’ books. Through writing, research, and book making, students engage with social, political, and aesthetic issues related to books and book production at various historical moments. This course encourages creative effort and welcomes all levels of art experience.


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Through nonfiction, fiction, and poetry, students explore the complex relations between humans and the "natural" world. Students consider questions such as the following: What does it mean to be connected to a landscape? What is a sense of place? Students also reflect on how they and the writers they read put landscape into language. Counts toward American studies major, envionmental studies major (all emphases) and concentration, and film studies concentration. Prerequisite: FYW.


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American poetry of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries is noted for constant innovation in free-verse forms. We will read an expanse of poets and forms, and create a timeline for the rise of major schools of aesthetics such as: Imagism, Confessionalism, Black Mountain School, New York School, L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E poetry, Black Arts Movement and late multicultural collections, American Surrealism, among others. We’ll also read various ideologies and philosophies of poetry writing, including manifestos, to examine how innovations move the orthodox lines of U.S. narrative and lyric verse forms (if at all). Students will analyze, imitate, and experiment with the conventions that we study each week with opportunities for feedback throughout the term. Prerequisite: FYW.


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This course studies the development of the twentieth-century British novel (including several novels written by authors writing from and about former British colonies). While the course focuses on literary innovation—the aesthetics of modernist, postcolonial, and postmodernist fiction, students will also examine how novels from the past century engage with their historical context, or the social, cultural, and political circumstances out of which they arise. Students will consider how a diverse set of writers from the UK and its colonies have refined or challenged notions of citizenship and subjecthood within a global empire, as well as how the British novel models the contradictions of intercultural relation and difference. Authors studied include Conrad, Woolf, Beckett, Jean Rhys, Zadie Smith, and Moshin Hamid. Prerequisite: FYW. See the English Department website for more information.


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If love makes the world go 'round, can it also play a role in restoring it? This course explores how affection for nature impacts physical environments and how authentic connection to other-than-human life might lead to human flourishing. Students study philosophical, religious and literary texts attending to themes of identity, human and spiritual development, the built environment and conservation ethics. Counts as an elective within the environmental studies arts-and-humanities area of emphasis.


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Solving complex environmental problems and generating creative work requires the integration and application of multiple ways of knowing. Team projects connected to community needs bring the department’s three areas of emphasis into conversation within an experiential learning framework. The course attends to the nature of environmental inquiry and creativity, one’s own perspectives and values, and how to use one’s knowledge and skills to contribute in personal, civic and work related roles. Course satisfies the experiential component requirement. Prerequisites: EnvSt 137, at least 1 course in two of the three areas of emphasis, and a declared EnvSt major or concentrator.


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This course introduces students to the areas of sport psychology, sport administration, sport physiology, and sport pedagogy and serves as a foundation to the series of courses required for coaching certification. Successful completion of the course may include certification in the American Sport Education Program (ASEP). Offered alternate years. Counts toward educational studies and management studies concentrations.


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Students examine the artistic heritage of the German-speaking countries and develop the skill of interpreting and analyzing art works in their cultural context. The specific topic may vary and may be broadly or narrowly defined to include a specific art form, theme, period, artist, or the art of the German-speaking countries. Topics include: the arts in turn-of-the-century Vienna, the Bauhaus, Weimar cinema, and German Expressionism. Taught in English. Counts toward the German major or German studies concentration. May be repeated if topic is different. Offered annually.


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Although the existence of an ancient didactic genre is contested, nevertheless the didactic mode can be seen across a variety of literary works. In this course, students will examine didactic as it is present across several different Greek literary genres and evaluate different features of the didactic mode, including the teacher-persona, the internal and external audiences, exempla, and appeals to authority. Secondary literature will provide the theoretical background. Prerequisite: GREEK 231 or equivalent.


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United States history rises and falls through periods of prosperity and privation. During the years between the two 20th-century world wars, Americans dealt with economic expansion and depression, growing wealth and widening inequality. Using primary sources that include memoirs, oral histories, photographs, film, and government reports, students will investigate controversies over immigration, gender roles, Prohibition, labor organizing, the New Deal, and civil rights. Student will focus on how historians use and interpret different types of primary sources to create narratives about this period, while asking also how histories of the 1920s and 1930s shape our understanding of recent periods of prosperity and peril.


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This seminar introduces students to the nature and development of Muslim societies in sub- Saharan Africa, from the earliest times to the present. Students also explore questions of authenticity and "historical truth" as they examine current debates on themes such as patterns of Islamization, "African Islam," and Islam in Africa. Other themes include the invention of Muslim identities, expansion of Sufism, women in Islam, Islamic education, Islam and colonialism as well as revivalism in Islam. Counts toward Africa and the Americas concentration. Offered annually.


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Using problem solving techniques, students study topics from non-continuous mathematics, including basic counting principles, mathematical induction, recursion, efficiency of algorithms,and graph theory. Offered alternate years. Students may not take this course after MATH 244, MATH 252, or MATH 282 without permission of instructor. Counts toward management studies concentration. Prerequisite: MATH 119 or MATH 120 or CSCI 121 or CSCI 125 or permission of instructor.


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For music majors with organ or piano as their principal instrument, this course provides intensive practical experience with and development of functional keyboard skills including sight-reading, score reading, keyboard harmonization, transposition, improvisation, and figured bass/continuo realization. Open to other advanced organists and pianists by permission of instructor. A grade of B- or higher satisfies the keyboard proficiency level 4 requirements. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in, or successful completion of, MUSIC 114. Counts toward BA music major and all BM majors. Offered alternate years.


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Intensive study of musical masterworks from ca.1890 to the present, focusing on formal and stylistic trends as well as the political, philosophical and economic contexts of Western art and popular music from French impressionism through American hip hop. Course work includes bibliographic instruction, lecture/discussion, and an analytic research paper. Offered spring semester 2016-2017 and alternate years. Prerequisites: MUSIC 241 and MUSIC 242.


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Early missions to Africa brought hymns and European harmony, while more recent missions have paved the way for praise and worship music to enter the African everyday. At the same time, pieces flow freely across African borders regardless of linguistic differences and African pieces find their way into North American worship. This course will examine how Christian churches serve as transnational agents of cultural production, focusing on anxieties of both missionaries and the missionized from the late 19th century through the present. Prerequisites: Music 241 and 242. WRI pending committee approval.


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Students study the role of music in worship with an emphasis on strategies for developing music groups, including handbells and Orff instruments, in worship and church education. Offered fall semester 2016-17 and alternate years. Prerequisite: MUSIC 214 or permission of instructor.


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This course continues the studies begun in 391. Students consider recruitment and music administration, and composing and arranging music for worship. Offered spring semester 2016-2017 and alternate years. Prerequisite: MUSIC 391.


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Students synthesize knowledge and apply evidence-based practice in the care and management of patients with multiple complex health conditions. The focus of this management of patients with multiple complex health conditions. The focus of this course is on caring for patients with limitations in their ability to function due to physical, mental, and psychosocial challenges. Simulation will be used to facilitate student learning in critical care environments. Counts toward the nursing major. Offered annually in the spring semester. Prerequisites: open to senior nursing majors only; NURS 315 and NURS 316; concurrent registration in NURS 317, NURS 318, and NURS 399.


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This seminar seeks a culturally respectful ethical framework for developing health policies for the increasingly interdependent world, a world of widening disparities in wealth and health. In relation to issues of health, how might relationships between individuals, institutions ,and nations be structured to reduce injustice and improve prospects for well-being, peace, and security? How might different cultural, political, and industrial conditions around the world affect western conceptions of bioethics? Offered periodically. Counts toward philosophy major. Prerequisite: BTS-T or permission of instructor.


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Seminars are special topics courses offered periodically by the department. The specific title of the seminar is listed in the Class and Lab Schedule when it is offered. May be repeated if topic is different. Prerequisites: PSCI 220 and one course in the subfield or permission of instructor.


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All children, adults, and families experience stressful life events. This seminar examines how stressors shape behavioral and biological development. We discuss psychological and physiological aspects of being "stressed." Example topics include: early life stress and neurobehavioral development, adolescent stress and coping, and the impact of stress on cognition, well-being, and health throughout the lifespan. Students explore interventions that aim to reduce stress-related risks and foster healthy development. Prerequisites: PSYCH 230, plus PSYCH 238 or NEURO 239, PSYCH 241 recommended


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This class will examine contemporary psychological research, models, and theories of leadership. We will consider what comprises effective leadership, whether leadership can be learned, the role of personality, and the influence of culture and context . As part of our analysis, we will apply leadership models and theories to real-world leaders and critique their effectiveness. Students will be encouraged to explore their own leadership potential as they complete self assessments and participate in leadership exercises. Prerequisites: Psych 230 or permission of instructor.


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With recent advances in neuroscience, we can now describe the biological correlates of many psychological (schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety disorders), neurological (Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Diseases) and health-related (eating disorders) disorders. In this discussion-based course, students use published basic and applied neuroscience research findings to examine the connections between the signs and symptoms of these pathologies and changes in brain neurobiology, neurochemistry, and neurophysiology. Prerequisites: PSYCH 230, plus PSYCH 238 or NEURO 239, or permission of instructor.


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By 2030, one in five people will be aged 65 or older. This “silver tsunami” will be either a burden or an opportunity for society, depending on the extent to which we promote healthy cognitive aging. Our research this semester will examine adults of all ages to characterize patterns of stability and decline in cognition, as well as possible underlying neural mechanisms. Students will explore multidisciplinary issues, methods and theories in the studies of aging and learning and gain substantial hands-on research experience! Prerequisite: Psych 125. An application is required to register for this course. Please contact Darla Frandrup for the link to the form.


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THE BIBLE, ANGELS AND DEMONS. How should interpreters of the biblical text make sense of references to supernatural beings like angels and demons? In what sense are they supposed to be real? How do they relate to the divine? What is their relationship with evil? Are there evil angels in the Bible and if so, where do they come from? This section will explore how different biblical texts deal with these questions. It will also examine how diverse religious communities, reading the Bible from different cultural backgrounds, have interpreted biblical texts differently in constructing concepts of spiritual, superhuman, and non-corporeal beings. From biblical texts, we will discuss figures such as the heavenly court, the serpent and Watchers of Genesis, angelic visitors, the Adversary of Job, and angels, demons, and the devil seen in many New Testament texts. We will consider how the interpretation of these biblical texts has impacted post-biblical reflection on discernment, the importance of radical hospitality, witchcraft, and heresy. In addition to the biblical text, students will work with historical writings, film, literary fiction, and traditions of scientific skepticism.


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READING THE BIBLE AROUND THE WORLD. What does the place one reads the Bible matter? What difference does who one reads with make? These questions are central to this section. Composed in what we call the Middle East, the Bible has been carried around the world. The Bible is one thing Christians in have in common, though the context in which they read it varies. Protestant Reformers insisted that the Bible be made available in the vernacular, common language of believers. Missionaries make translating the Bible among their first tasks. Despite agreement that the Bible is central to faith differing readings of the Bible often lead to disputes and divisions among Christians. In this section we consider both what the Bible says and to how it is heard/read by various audiences. We pay particular attention to readers in the global south, where Christianity is growing, read this book. In addition, we look at the ways artists interpret the Bible in images drawn from the culture of their time and place. We ask what constitutes a “good” reading and what factors contribute to one.


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READING THE BIBLE FOR LOVE AND JUSTICE. This course traces the twin themes of justice and love in the Bible. Some of the questions we’ll ask include: How do conceptions of divine love and justice change over the course of the Bible’s history? What kinds of justice and love are envisioned for human communities? How do different contexts, such as family, clan and community, national and international relations, affect biblical perspectives on justice? Where do we see biblical writers wrestling with problems posed by the apparent lack of justice? Can there be love without justice, or justice without love? A major focus of the course will be on the ways contemporary reading communities address lingering problems caused by unjust uses of the Bible, for example, in questions of gender, race, and power. We will also ask whether the Bible can continue to be a resource for reflecting on justice in the modern world, and if so, how.


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A WHOLESOME MATERIALITY: ECONOMICS, ETHICS AND THE BIBLE. What does the Bible have to do with contemporary ideas about the economy and economic justice? Can the Bible be used to guide our economic as well as spiritual practices? Understanding that economics means “the law of the household,” this section will read the Bible in light of issues such as wealth, prosperity, taxes, private property, and the market. To do so, we will look at the economic concerns of a diverse biblical world rooted in an agrarian economy, tracing the recurrence of themes such as justice, poverty, oppression, idolatry and care for the land. Alongside of this focus on the Bible itself, we will examine how philosophers, theologians, and economists read the Bible to support certain economic practices, both in the past and within the contemporary context. Doing so will allow us to inquire about the relevance of the Bible for reflecting on the ethics behind our economic choices today.


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BELONGING AS BLESSING AND CHALLENGE. The Bible is filled with stories of conflict and hope as people interpret their relationship with God and with one another. Lines are drawn and identities are defined within families, communities, and nations. In this section we will discuss how kinship, ethnicity, race, and friendship function within key Biblical narratives. How are identities defined and contested? Are the boundaries fixed or porous? Making use of historical, literary, and theological methods we will weigh the benefits and burdens of belonging. While exploring the Biblical narrative we will also examine the impact of racism on contemporary religious and political struggles.


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THE BIBLE AND SALVATION. Are the biblical messages of salvation truly “good news”? From images of personal healing to cosmic renewal, the Bible employs a surprising variety of metaphors to speak of God’s care and faithfulness toward God’s creation and covenant peoples. However, many have not found the church’s message of salvation to be “good news,” especially women, colonized peoples, and those concerned about our environment. Employing literary, historical, and cultural approaches to reading texts, in this course we will explore the rich diversity of biblical images of salvation and engage the concerns that critics have raised. We will also discuss ways theologians have utilized these biblical motifs to address specific cultures and contexts, with an eye toward identifying metaphors of salvation appropriate to our contemporary situations and mindful of modern challenges and concerns.


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CALL AND RESPONSE IN BIBLICAL TRADITIONS. For better or worse religious persons throughout history have acted out of a sense of divine calling. As in the biblical texts humans today migrate and mobilize, associate and separate, build and destroy in effort to respond to God. This section explores the tension of these lived realities by asking: 1) What authenticates calling in the Bible? 2) Who is called, and to whom? 3) For what purposes are persons called? Specifically examining the biblical underpinnings of Protestant renderings of vocation we will address these questions by attending to the relationship between self, God and neighbor in the texts and in their contemporary reception and application. Our study will be informed by consideration of four major themes related to vocation: work, family, the environment and political engagement.


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COMPARATIVE SCRIPTURES: THE BIBLE AND OTHER SACRED TEXTS. What is the place of the Bible in our religiously diverse world? In this section of Religion 121 we will study the Bibles of Judaism and Christianity together with scriptures of other religious traditions. We will consider the following questions: What is scripture? What kinds of literature are found in scriptures? What kinds of questions do scriptures address? How are scriptures used by religious people around the world? What is the relevance of scripture in the 21st century? We will carefully read and discuss selections from the Hebrew Bible of Judaism, the Old and New Testaments of Christianity, the Qur’an of Islam, the Vedas and other sacred texts of Hinduism, various Buddhist sutras, and Native American stories.


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THE BIBLE AND ETHICS. The primary focus of this section will be on what the Bible says about God's relation to humanity and world as these are created good, fallen into sin and corruption, being redeemed through Christ and the covenants, and to be fully renewed in the age of come. We will explore the bearing of these theological perspectives for ethical analysis of such moral issues as relativism, moral conflict, guilt, forgiveness, suffering, war, poverty, and sexism.


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THE BIBLE AND THE IDEA OF NATURE: In this section we are studying whether the Bible has anything to say about the modern politics of “environmentalism.” Some argue the Bible offers timeless spiritual lessons unrelated to specific political concerns, like environmentalism. But others argue the Bible testifies to God’s loving care for creation, and consequently lays down a religious obligation for modern people to protect the environment. What does the Bible say about the natural world? Using the imagery of gardens and wilderness as a way of thinking about the natural world, we are trying to determine what Biblical authors thought about nature. And we are trying to understand how modern people employ the Bible in arguments about the environment.


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THE BIBLE WITH AND WITHOUT RELIGION. The question of what it is to be religious or non-religious can be enriched by study of the Bible. In the course of studying the Bible in conjunction with this question, what seems to be non-religious can instead be deeply religious and what may appear holy might turn out to be merely profane. Students examine the Bible in light of both non-religious and religious interpretations, ranging from ancient writings significant to the texts of the Bible or selections from the present day. Additionally, students attend to the history, use, and problems of such concepts as “religion,” “secular,” and many related matters. To do this, we need to read theology, philosophy, comic books, plays, and a novel alongside of the Bible.


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This course explores the interface between religion and politics in the lives and thought of Mahatma Gandhi, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Focus will be upon the distinctive ways in which each one appropriated the theological resources of his tradition to justify and analyze the connection between religion and politics. Offered periodically during Interim. Prerequisite: BTS-B.


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This course examines the relationship between religion and violence across diverse global contexts. Students consider whether some dimensions of religion - monotheistic belief or rituals of sacrifice, for example - are more prone to produce violent conflict than others; explore debates over how to measure the power of religion vis-a-vis other drivers of behavior; and discuss ethical arguments about justified violence, suffering, and peace-building, focusing on how religious ideas and practices contribute to these debates. Offered alternate years. Prerequisite: BTS-T or permission of the instructor.


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Should one approach and treat a sacred text differently from than other texts like King Lear, Dante's Inferno, or Harry Potter? What kinds of truths do we look for in texts and what makes certain texts “sacred?” In our contemporary culture where we primarily look to science, law, history, and, of course, the Internet for information about the world, is there a role left for sacred texts? This course raises these and other questions by examining practices of reading one particular scripture, the Bible, and by considering the category of scripture across multiple traditions. We trace interpretative strategies from late antiquity to postmodernity, and we consider scriptural texts as material objects (written on stone, plant leaves, parchment, or digitized; held aloft and buried in cemeteries; sung, recited, and illuminated). This course will be of interest to students who like books and want to hone their interpretive skills! It will be run mostly as a seminar, with occasional guest speakers and field trips.


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This seminar will examine in depth the historical and theological dimensions of the death of Jesus. We will look closely at the passion narratives of the Gospels and pre-Pauline hymns and creeds in order to discern the historical circumstances of Jesus’ death, the origins and earliest forms of belief in its salvific character, and how each Gospel writer develops a distinct theological interpretation of the passion. The centrality of the cross for Paul’s theology will also receive significant attention, and we will survey the interpretations of the crucifixion in Hebrews and Revelation. A secondary focus will be on how the New Testament provides the basis for major models of the atonement in subsequent Christian tradition, and the ways in which some recent theologians have criticized traditional atonement theories. The biblical and theological work will be augmented wherever possible by representations of Jesus’ death in art, music, and film.


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NATURE IMAGERY AND THE ENVIRONMENT. Georgia O’Keeffe once wrote, “My center does not come from my mind – it feels in me like a plot of warm moist well tilled earth with the sun shining on it.” Many of her landscapes express this outlook and the belief she and so many Americans have shared that American culture comes to know itself best through nature and the environment. This seminar is about learning to read pictures, whether or not you know much about art, and sharing our understanding of pictures by writing ever more capably as the semester progresses about nature imagery from various periods of American history. A relatively short research project will combine students’ skills in reading nature imagery with insight into how groups battling over environmental and energy exploration issues have employed landscapes and pictures of animals and plants to advance their positions.


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LANGUAGE MATTERS. Evolutionary biologist Mark Pagel has called it “the most powerful, dangerous and subversive trait that natural selection has ever devised a piece of neural audio technology for rewiring other people’s minds.” Language—spoken, signed, and written—is one of the most important ways we influence others and construct ourselves. This seminar is designed for students interested in the phenomenon of human language, its beauty and persuasive power, and its roles in social and cultural identities. Questions we may address include: how does our use of technology affect our language? how do advertisers manipulate language? why are “bad words” bad? how is our language impacted by our place in a family, region, social class, etc.? Varied reading assignments, including journalism, memoir, and drama show us how some writers have thought through these questions. We discuss these writers’ ideas and the “moves” they make as writers. Writing assignments draw on our readings, on personal experience, and the results of your inquisitive research. We give sustained attention to writing as an ongoing process, devoting substantial time to workshops of your drafts. The class will read and attend a performance of a play; ticket and transportation costs will not exceed $25.


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HIP HOP GENERATION. How did we get from Watergate and DJ Kool Herc’s “break” to Obama’s playlists and Yeezus? This seminar uses hip-hop culture as a guide to the social, political, and economic changes that have taken place in the US since the early 1970s. We will focus on the historical circumstances and unique spaces out of which hip hop arises as well as the culture’s own conception of history and aesthetics, its poetics of place. While our abiding interest will be the transformations of musical sound and urban culture over the last forty years, we will also attend to the wide-ranging influence that hip hop has had on documentary and feature film, journalism, literature, dance, advertising, visual art, and even, perhaps, US politics. Writing assignments will be developmental in nature, beginning with short, “close listening” exercises and album reviews and building toward a final digitial project that incorporates various media to construct its argument.


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THE TRICKSTER. "The Trickster" is an engaging and significant phenomenon in the lives of human beings all over the world. Thinking and writing about the trickster will help us discover an important part of ourselves as humans. We will read, discuss, and write about narratives and other discourses dealing with the trickster. These will include folktales, epic and fictional tales, and theoretical works. We will reflect on these readings and respond to them in our writing, particularly by using these materials as sources of inspiration. Student writing will be discussed in conferences with the instructor. Texts include Beti's The Poor Christ of Bomba, Niane's Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali, Radin's The Trickster, and Sandars' The Epic of Gilgamesh.


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WRITING ABOUT FILM. This seminar explores various forms of film writing, from mainstream, popular reviews that understand cinema largely in relation to consumption and entertainment, to more theoretical essays that ask you to address film form within a broader framework. The course will introduce you to the basic terminology and language required for formal film analysis and criticism (mise-en-scene, editing, cinematography, genre, narrative, authorship, stardom), and ultimately ask that you incorporate this language into your own writing.


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MEMORIALIZING THE PAST. “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana’s famous line about the importance of historical awareness suggests that “the past” can be readily recalled instead of carelessly forgotten. But since recollection — whether through memory or historical accounts — is a social act through which people interpret and negotiate the meaning of events, remembering is more challenging than Santayana implies. This seminar focuses on the tensions that emerge when we try to capture the past by memorializing it. What are the benefits of relying on inscriptions and objects to stimulate memory, and what are the drawbacks? Why was opposition to the Disney Company’s proposed historical theme park so fierce that it abandoned the project? Is the national Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. — a site that is more controversial than you think — well justified? We’ll explore responses to these and other questions as a way to improve our writing about the past. Readings include selections from Plato, Pierra Nora, Philip Gourevitch, Michael Eisner, Alison Landsberg, Elie Wiesel, and Roger Rosenblatt.


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SCIENCE FICTION. The popularity of science fiction stems not only from its speculations about the future but also from what it tells us about the present. In this course we will explore the temporal fluidity of science fiction along with many of its other generic features, including plots, settings, characters, ideological perspectives, and explanations of science and technology. Students will read both sci-fi novels and short stories by influential authors from H.G. Wells to Kim Stanley Robinson. Considering the importance of cinema to the sci-fi genre, the course will also host a number of screenings, including relevant film adaptations of literary texts covered in the class. The course is likely to include Wells’s War of the Worlds, Isaac Asimov's I, Robot, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, Philip K. Dick's So Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness, along with such film classics as Metropolis, Things to Come, The Day the Earth Stood Still, 2001, Blade Runner and Gattaca. Finally, students will read scholarly texts on both specific works and the sci-fi genre as a whole.


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TWITTERIZING THE LIBERAL ARTS: WRITING ABOUT AND WITH TECHNOLOGY. Americans spend nearly 11 hours per day on electronic media, according to some sources. It is almost impossible to escape digital technologies in our day-to-day lives, including in our academic work – and why would we want to? Digital technologies offer innovative possibilities for refashioning ourselves, creating communities, and producing academic knowledge in the twenty-first century; on the other hand, digital technologies might also prove harmful to meaningful pen-and-paper work that has been done in the liberal arts for centuries. This course will investigate our preconceptions of “new” technologies to continue developing a critical digital literacy for learning and working with technology in the liberal arts. Possible assignments include critical reflection about our experiences with technology, film review, critical literary review, persuasive essay, and researched multimedia project. This course does not require any technological knowledge, and readings will draw from the humanities, social sciences, and technological sciences.


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RACE AND POWER. The presidential election of Barack Obama appeared to signal a new era of racial equality in the United States. However, race persists today as a system of power interlocked with class and gender as evidenced by the criminalization of black and brown communities and the fatal shootings of young men of color, as well as the ban on ethnic studies in Tucson, Arizona, despite the curriculum's life-changing effects in students' lives. This seminar looks at texts related to these events and others in order to understand how race continues to hold force over our social realities. Students write short essays and a research paper to strengthen their writing processes while developing analytical language to name and interrogate race in the United States.


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FANDOM, ENTERTAINMENT, AND THE SHAPING OF FAN IDENTITY. Often, the things we like aid us in forming new connections with others who have similar interests. Does this mean the entertainment we consume informs who we become, or that it reflects who we already are? Fan practices, objects of fan devotion, and fans themselves are incredibly varied, yet they are the seeds that form subcultures and unite thousands. In this seminar, we will examine the history of fan culture as well as the current state of fandom. Students are welcome to introduce their own fandoms and fan experiences to written assignments and class discussions. Major assignments will include an investigative essay, a review, and a research paper. In addition to real-world examples of participatory culture, we will also consider depictions of fandom within fictional narratives that both critique and cater to fans, such as Ready Player One, Supernatural, and Galaxy Quest.


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TELLING THE CLIMATE JUSTICE STORY. Climate change promises to be one of the most significant issues for the current and next generations. The challenges it provides--scientific, technical, economic, political and cultural--are monumental. And while climate change is truly a global issue, its effects will not be felt equally everywhere, nor will its costs (for both mitigation and adaptation) be proportionate to the ability of its victims to pay for them. In this seminar, we’ll explore the origins of the climate justice movement and its relationship to the environmental justice movements and we’ll examine strategies used by these social movements to envision and create a more egalitarian society framed on principles of social justice. Students write short essays and a research paper to strengthen their writing processes while developing the means to become active and effective advocates for change. (Open to Environmental Conversations students only.)


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EXPLORING AND RE-IMAGINING PLACE IN THE 21ST CENTURY. Place is much more than a set of geographic coordinates or physical location. When we talk about feeling out of place or feeling at home, we are invoking discourses regarding culture, race, gender, history, and politics. Place can be the Golden Gate Bridge, a web forum, Middle Earth, Yellowstone National Park, a video game, a shared memory, or a piece of art. Through discussion of literature and scholarly essays, we will examine what place means and how we give meaning to place and vice versa. We will explore the roles technology and a mobile lifestyle play in redefining our environments and how we behave in them. Major assignments may include personal narratives, research-driven profiles on place, reviews, and interactive digital projects that challenge or enhance our perception of particular places.


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DOING DEMOCRACY: THE POLITICS OF FOOD. Why do you eat what you eat? What does this say about you and your relationship to people, the environment, animals, and politics? Finally, how is the act of eating a political action, akin to public discourse? The theme of this writing course will explore various philosophies of food consumption and distribution, asking and debating questions about why certain communities experience obesity and abundance while others suffer from starvation and lack. We will investigate farming and agribusiness, philosophies of food consumption such as vegetarianism and the slow foods movement, and personal food and cooking habits. As a class, we will frame our discussions and writings around contemporary readings, advertisements, documentaries, film representations, fictional texts, recipes and cookbooks, and academic texts. As part of this exploration into how food and democracy go hand in hand, you will be expected to write a wide variety of genres including a food narrative, controversy analysis, researched argument, public argument, and manifesto.


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EXPRESSION, SOCIETY, AND THE ARTS. Wherein lies the power of creative expression? Why do societies and individuals both celebrate and fear it, perhaps fearing it so much at times as to attempt to limit or destroy it? This seminar considers the personal and communal value of the arts and of the creative expression at their core. Encountering artistic works from a variety of media, students and professor react, respond, probe, muse, and argue their way towards a deeper understanding of artistic impulse, human expression, and the occasional desire to quash both. Texts include Salman Rushdie’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator, Orson Welles' Citizen Kane, and Ice T's "Cop Killer," among others.


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CHANGING OUR MINDS. The United States is a country increasingly divided by issues of politics and religion. From immigration to abortion, from gun rights to bathroom rights, from vaccinations to marijuana use, many of us feel strongly about the issues that we care about. But from where, exactly, do our deepest held beliefs emerge? And how do we actually change the minds of others—or ourselves? In this seminar, we’ll use moral psychology to consider the roots of belief and the human capacity for change. Students will investigate an issue they care about through a variety of lenses: personal reflection, research, argument/debate, and interview/immersion with an “other” viewpoint. Ultimately students will try to convince their classmates—and themselves—to see the world in a more complex light.


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Science in World and Word is a blended reading seminar and writing workshop that explores science, technology, and the environment. Students read and respond critically and creatively to essays and creative writing in contemporary books and magazines including Best American Science and Nature Writing and The New York Times. Daily writing practice emphasizes audience awareness, research, and text/image relationships as we work to develop clarity and style in several genres and through different media.


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This study of chemical stoichiometry, equilibrium, acid-base chemistry, coordination chemistry, and atomic and molecular structure supplies the fundamental background on which all later chemistry courses depend. It includes applications of equilibrium principles to acid-base chemistry. Students attend three classes and one 3-hour laboratory each week. Prerequisites: high school chemistry and physics. Students planning to continue in Chemistry should consider concurrent registration in Mathematics 120 or 121. Placement via online placement exam is required. The course cannot be taken in conjunction with or after credit in Chemistry 121. Offered Fall Semester.


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Organic chemistry is the study of compounds containing carbon, emphasizing the structures and mechanisms of reaction of these molecules. This course focuses on structure, nomenclature, and reactions of aliphatic and alicyclic compounds, including aspects of stereochemistry and spectroscopic identification of these compounds. A full treatment of introductory organic chemistry requires subsequent enrollment in Chemistry 248. Prerequisite: Chemistry 126, or Chemistry/Biology 127, or permission of instructor. Offered Fall Semester.


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This courses introduces students to the synthesis and characterization of organic, organometallic and inorganic compounds and serves as a general introduction to green chemistry. Students purify the materials they produce by techniques such as chromatography and characterize them using optical rotation measurements, infrared spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Students attend one 3-hour laboratory each week. Prerequisites: previous or concurrent registration in Chemistry 247. P/N only. Offered Fall Semester.


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This course introduces students to poetry from a range of perspectives including, but not limited to: the poet's life; the application of categories of analysis such as race, gender, and nationality; poetry as literary craft; and the aesthetic appreciation of poems. To experience the literary medium of poetry in the fullest sense, students are required to write about, memorize, orally interpret/recite, and compose their own poetry.


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How ought citizens respond to threats to national security from terrorists and distant states? The course examines Just War theory and Jihad to enquire about the connections between religions and political violence. It considers the strategic logic of terrorism and the ethical 'costs' of responses to it. It examines conflicts between Islamic 'moderates' and 'extremists' to reveal the ethical and political spectrums within Islam. Offered annually. Required prior experience of political analysis or the study of religion.


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Students examine traditional Christian doctrines in light of feminist critiques and reformulations. The course focuses especially upon language and images of God, the person of Christ and the work of redemption and understandings of human nature. Students evaluate arguments for and against the compatibility of Christianity and feminism. Offered periodicallly. Also counts toward women's and gender studies major and concentration. Prerequisite: BTS-B.


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This course prepares McNair Scholars for the rigors of academic writing. Because the enrolled students represent a variety of disciplines, this course serves as a general introduction to writing in research; it is not meant to replace discipline-specific research methods or writing courses. Students read scholarly literature in their disciplines, write a literature review, draft various sections of a research paper, and prepare for a formal poster presentation. Offered every summer. Prerequisite: successful completion of FYW.


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Properties of axiomatic systems are illustrated with finite geometries and applied in a synthetic examination of Euclid's original postulates, well-known Euclidean theorems and non-Euclidean geometries. Euclidean, similarity and affine transformations are studied analytically. These transformations are generalized to obtain results in projective geometry or used to generate fractals in an exploration of fractal geometry. Dynamic geometry software and hands-on labs are used to explore both the transformations and properties of these geometries. Prerequisite: Mathematics 220 and 244 or 252. Interim only.


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This course examines the ethical teachings of Jesus as found in the canonical Gospels (with special focus on the Sermon on the Mount), explores how these teachings have been understood at some major moments in Western history, and brings them to bear on the task of contemporary ethical reflection. Issues examined include, for example, non-violence, social and economic justice, sexuality, and ethnic conflict. Prerequisite: Religion 121.


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Students begin learning Spanish through listening, speaking, reading and writing about topics familiar to them, including family, academic and social life, in an intercultural context. And they reinforce these skills through complementary exercises in the language laboratory. Offered Interim. Open only to students with no prior experience in Spanish or who have placed into Spanish 111.


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Organic chemistry is the study of compounds containing carbon, emphasizing the structures and mechanisms of reaction of these molecules. This course focuses on structure, nomenclature, and reactions of aliphatic and alicyclic compounds, including aspects of stereochemistry and spectroscopic identification of organic compounds. A full treatment of introductory organic chemistry requires subsequent enrollment in CHEM 248. Offered annually in the fall semester. Also counts toward biomolecular science concentration. Prerequisite: CHEM 126, or CH/BI 227, or permission of instructor.


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This course examines the literary, musical, and popular culture expressions of several counterculture movements in America after 1945, beginning with the Beat Generation of the 1950s and extending to activist, hippie, and radical black countercultures of the 1960s and Punk, No-Wave, and Hip Hop movements of the 1960s and 70s. Students read works by writers such as Kerouac, Ginsberg, Dylan, Gil Scott Heron, Patti Smith, Lydia Lunch, Los Bros Hernandez, and Chuck D, and examine relationships between countercultural expression and historical, social, and political developments of the era. Prerequisite: FYW.


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In an age of information overload, stories can rise above the noise. Effective organizational storytelling helps to engage an intended community on a meaningful and emotional level. Students will explore the craft of storytelling and study a variety of media (analogue and digital) on which the story can be delivered. The course will include case study analysis, group work and client-based projects. Offered annually. Also counts toward media studies concentration.


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Students engage with the Viking heritage from its Nordic origin to Hollywood superheroes inspired by Norse mythology. Students examine Old Norse literature, with its accounts of Odin, Thor and Loki in Eddic poetry, as well as the Icelandic sagas of Norwegian kings, Viking warriors and voyagers, including the first European encounter with North America. In the latter half of the course, students move on to both contemporary Nordic and American reworking of that heritage in literature, film and television. Offered periodically. Also counts toward Nordic studies concentration.


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The study of the anatomy and physiology of the human body is founded on a thorough understanding of the structure and function of cells and tissues. Students attend lectures plus one three-hour laboratory per week. Nursing and kinesiology majors may pre-register for this course. This course may not be taken after completion of CH/BI 227 or BIO 227. Offered in the fall semester. Also counts toward the kinesiology major.


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The course examines continuity and change in Russian political culture. The institutions and politics between the Soviet and Post-Soviet periods under the leadership of Yeltsin and Putin are explored. The course considers Russia as an energy-exporting state. The varied political developments of former Soviet republics in Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia are compared and contrasted. Also counts toward Russian area studies major and management studies concentration.


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A study of the Arthurian legend, from its Celtic origins through the classic medieval romances of Chretien and Malory, to Victorian adaptations of Tennyson and the Pre-Raphaelites, to contemporary novels and film. Analysis focuses on the myth’s characteristic forms and ideas; the errant knight’s adventures, the grail quest, triangulating desire, and adulterous love.


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This course is a continuation of CHEM 247 topics. Chemistry 248 delves into the chemistry of functional groups, especially those that play a role in the reactivity of biomolecules such as carbohydrates, lipids, proteins ,and nucleic acids. Together, CHEM 247 and CHEM 248 provide a full treatment of introductory organic chemistry. Offered annually during Spring semester. Also counts toward environmental studies major (natural science emphasis) and biomolecular science concentration. Prerequisite: CHEM 247 or permission of instructor.


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This course is a continuation of CHEM 253. Students gain more experience with techniques used in CHEM 253 and in addition use gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric analyses. Students attend one three-hour laboratory each week. P/N only. Offered annually during Spring semester. Also counts toward environmental studies major (natural science emphasis) and biomolecular science concentration. Prerequisites: CHEM 253 and previous or concurrent registration in CHEM 248.


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Students study individual texts as well as the development of women's literary tradition(s). How do women writers conform to and/or challenge the dominant paradigm for female identity, women's social roles and women's literary practice? Topics may include women's autobiographies, women writers and the land, contemporary women's fiction, and major women writers. Prerequisite: FYW.


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In this century of institutional development, national expansion, and sectional conflict, Americans continued to define a national identity. Students probe the ways in which region, religion, race, ethnicity, and gender inform individual and group contributions to the conversation. They also analyze how geographical expansion and ideas of progress influenced different visions and versions of America. Topics and texts include Transcendentalist writers, the Second Great Awakening, Black Elk Speaks, landscape painting, and Western photography.


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Students in this course examine technology, the mass market and consumerism, and the increasingly complex relations between identity and material goods. They will also explore the images, institutions, and stories of environmental, feminist, and Civil Rights activists in the context of Cold War America. Topics and texts include Yosemite National Park, Japanese internment camps, Adrienne Rich's poetry and prose, Freedom Summer, Las Vegas, and the Mall of America.


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Emphasizing concepts and ideas and using drawing as a means of expression, this studio course for majors and non-majors delves into the dynamics of composition and design principles through the use of a variety of techniques and media. It couples drawing assignments with viewing and discussing contemporary and historical examples to broaden appreciation and understanding of drawing as a method of visual communication. Materials fee.


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This introductory course employs wheel throwing techniques in clay. Students are introduced to historical and contemporary approaches to clay. Course includes clay mixing, kiln loading, various firing procedures, and glaze and surface embellishment. Materials fee. Offered each semester.


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This course explores the fundamental principles of design, color and composition through the watercolor medium. Through advanced techniques, strong drawing, and exploration of personal ideas, students develop a personal, expressive, visual language. Students are encouraged to move past trite and predictable solutions to seek alternatives, take initiative and celebrate creative risk-taking. Prerequisite: Art 111 and 112 (or 110), and 113 . Materials fee. Offered annually.


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This sculpture course introduces students to metal forming, shaping, fastening and brazing, and welding, building upon concepts from the foundation course and presenting the next level of sculpture topics, issues and concerns. Both majors and non-majors discover an art and industrial process that has great artistic and practical application The course makes use of hands-on instruction, readings, slide talks, and discussion. Materials fee. Prerequisite: Art 122. Offered annually. Spring Semester only.


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Emphasizing individual concepts, personal expression and strong composition, this course explores relief and lithography. Using large-scale, multicolor moveable block, collograph, wood or lino block techniques and lithography stones or aluminum plates in both black and white and color, students produce multiple images on one of the department's three presses. Students become familiar with the heritage of old masters as well as contemporary artists in printmaking. Prerequisites: Art 111 and 112 (or 110). Materials fee. Offered annually.


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This course explores the computer as a tool for creating visual images with movement and sound. Emphasizing concept development and creative expression, students investigate time-based software, including animation and video capture programs. The course introduces students to the work of traditional and computer animators. Prerequisites: Art 117 and one other two-dimensional foundation course: Art 111, 112, 113 (or 110), or permission of the instructor. Materials fee. Offered annually.


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Drawing the human form from life has been a mainstay in the training of artists since the Renaissance because of its unparalleled discipline in the training of the eye. Along with becoming better observers, students reach a personal understanding of the figure and an appreciation of its art historical uses. Various media and techniques are explored as a means to understand the expressive possibilities of the figure. Prerequisites: Art 111 and 112 (or 110), and 113. Offered annually.


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This intermediate level course assumes the student has a substantial understanding of ceramic processes, plus a good awareness of his or her own interests in the realm of ceramic expression. The instructor helps students focus their efforts by proposing specific areas of investigation. Prerequisites: Art 116, 119, or 121. Previous studio experience in ceramics is accepted when approved by the instructor. Materials fee. Offered annually.


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This course is for experienced studio and art history students and those interested in contemporary theory. Students directly encounter art and new theory, explore art criticism (in part through practicing it) and learn about ethics to help think about value judgments. Recommended for students contemplating art history or studio graduate work. Prerequisite: completion of BTS-T.


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This core course of Asian Studies introduces students to modern Chinese literature and society, a non-Western tradition. It examines canonical and popular works of Chinese writings including fiction, dram, autobiography, correspondences, and poetry written in classical and modern styles from the late nineteenth century to the early twenty-first century. Films also serve as supplementary material when appropriate. Students read texts in translation and approach them in the context of modern Chinese society. They also study the literature according to China's interaction with the West and the country's struggle to define itself as a modern nation. This course is offered annually.


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This course prepares sophomores and juniors for upper level study in Asian Studies by providing methodologies for individual research, including disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives on select issues. Students use research tools systematically and compile annotated bibliographies using bibliographic software. Prerequisites: Asian Studies 121 or Asian Conversations sequence or permission of instructor.


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Students focus on the natural history of Upper Midwest vertebrates and phylogenetic, morphological, and functional relationships of these animals. Laboratories include identification, morphology, and specimen preparation. During field trips, students document bird migrations, amphibian chorusing, and other animal activities. Independent projects explore topics ranging from bluebird nesting behavior to thermal conductivity and insulation in animals. Students attend lectures plus one 3-hour laboratory per week. Prerequisites: Biology 125, 126, or Chemistry/Biology 125-127.


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Specific topics announced prior to each term are based on student interests and available staff. Past offerings include cardiovascular physiology, evolution, stress biology, and animal behavior. Class work includes comprehensive review of literature on the specific topic. Class meetings present topics in discussion format. Prerequisites: Biology 125 and 126, or Chemistry/Biology 125-126 and Biology 126, and junior or senior standing. May be repeated if topics are different.


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This course introduces the fundamentals of forensic science. Lectures focus on how samples are collected and analyzed and what information can be obtained. Actual case studies will be used to supplement lectures. Topics will include hair analysis, paint analysis, drug screening, arson investigation, ballistics, DNA analysis, and fingerprint analysis. This course is also available with a laboratory component, as Chemistry 107. Offered alternate Spring semesters.


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In addition to the in-class experience shared with Chemistry 106 and described above, this course offers a laboratory component with experiments that feature the use of forensic techniques to collect and analyze evidence including fingerprinting, drug analysis, alcohol investigation, DNA fingerprinting, and fiber analysis. Students attend three classes and one 3-hour laboratory per week. Offered alternate Spring Semesters.


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The field of chemistry is constantly expanding into new frontiers. This course provides an in-depth study of advanced topics that are chosen with attention to student interest and available staff. Recently topics include bioanalytical chemistry, biophysical chemistry, and environmental chemical analysis. Topics are announced prior to registration for the term; see the current Class and Lab Schedule. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.


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Students journey back to the 5th century B.C., as the Athenians emerge triumphant from the Persian Wars and develop the "Golden Age" of Greece. Studying the history, literature and art of ancient Athens helps students understand the uniqueness of that city-state and its lasting contributions to Western civilization. Offered in alternate years.


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In this implementation-oriented examination of features commonly found in computer programming languages, students construct their own interpreters for an example programming language incorporating the various language features they study throughout the course. Topics include programming language semantics, programming language translation, implementation of control structures and memory structures, abstraction mechanisms, and language translation systems and types. Prerequisites: Computer Science 241 and either Computer Science 125 or 251, or permission of instructor.


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This course addresses computational problems arising from the need to store, access, transform, and utilize DNA-related data. Topics from computer science central to the development of problem- solving tools include: exhaustive search; algorithms (including dynamic programming, divide-and- conquer, graph and greedy algorithms); combinatorial pattern matching; clustering and trees; and hidden Markov models. Prerequisites: Computer Science 253, or Computer Science 251 and Biology 125, or equivalent computer science and biology study, or permission of instructor.


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In this advanced analysis of principles and methods for creating dances, students survey current trends in dance performance as well as choreograph new works. Prerequisite: Dance 231. Offered Spring 2008 and alternate years.


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Game theory is the formal study of the strategic interactions between individuals and between groups of individuals. Game theory has become a widely adopted tool of analysis in economics, business, law, politics, anthropology, sociology, and international relations. This course introduces students to the theoretical constructs of game theory and focuses on economic applications in the fields of labor economics, international trade, environmental economics, macroeconomics, and industrial organization. Prerequisite: one of Economics 110-121, or permission of instructor.


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Government action affects us all. We pay taxes; we use public roads, schools, and parks. Some prices we pay are lower due to government subsidies; others are higher due to taxes. Government actions influence both the efficiency of our economy and the equity and equality within our society. Students learn valuable analytical tools for evaluating public projects, tax policies, entitlement programs and voting behavior. Prerequisite: Economics 262, Statistics 263 or Statistics 272, or permission of instructor and completion of BTS-T.


