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2021 - 2022 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Course Search
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Political Science |
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POL 350 - International Politics of Land and Sea Resources 4 credits (Spring)
Analysis of the international politics of the conflict between the developed nations of the North and the developing nations of the South for control of the world’s resources and over trade and environmental issues. The impact of national decision-making processes, international organizations, cartels, and multinational corporations. Case studies.
Prerequisite: Third or fourth-year standing and POL 250 , POL 251 , or POL 259 .
Note: Plus-2 option available. Not offered every year.
Instructor: Moyer
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POL 352 - Advanced Seminar on the U.S. Foreign Policymaking Process 4 credits (Fall)
An in-depth study of the U.S. foreign and defense policymaking process, emphasizing international relations theory; case studies of recent important decisions; discussion of the role, structure, function, and power of the National Security Council, State Department, Defense Department, and CIA; conflict between president and Congress; impact of press, public opinion, lobbies, and elections.
Prerequisite: Third or fourth-year standing and POL 250 , POL 251 , or POL 259 .
Note: Plus-2 option available. Not offered every year.
Instructor: Moyer
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POL 354 - Political Economy of Development 4 credits (Fall)
Why are some countries poorer than others? Did Western countries get rich off the backs of poor countries? Are poor countries poor because they have backward cultures and ideas? Are poor countries just badly run by corrupt governments? We will study the politics of economic behavior in today’s poor countries. In Part 1 & 2, we will review the major concepts, theories and trends in development. In Part 3, we will read about the deep and proximate causes of poverty, such as colonialism, clientelism, weak property rights and natural resources. This equips us for Part 4: Solutions, in which we weight the evidence for various remedies for poverty, such as democracy, developmental states, good governance, and foreign aid.
Prerequisite: Third or fourth-year standing and POL 250 , POL 251 , POL 257 , POL 258 , POL 261 , POL 262 , or POL 273 . ECN 111 is highly recommended.
Instructor: Driscoll
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POL 355 - Courts and Politics in Comparative Perspective 4 credits (Fall)
What do constitutions say and how do they become enforceable documents? This seminar focuses on the politics of constitutional choice and interpretation. It looks at the political aims of constitution and the role of courts in enforcing these documents. It analyzes the political factors involved in judicial decisions and the political strategies that derive from them, as well as how constitutional meaning evolves and changes. Cases include Germany, France, Spain, United States, Canada, Russia, Argentina, and Mexico.
Prerequisite: Third or fourth-year standing and POL 216 , POL 219 , POL 239 , POL 255 , POL 258 , POL 261 , or POL 273 .
Note: Plus-2 option available.
Instructor: Sala
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POL 356 - Islam and Politics 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
This course investigates the relationship between Islam and a variety of political outcomes, such as regime type, political violence, inequality, social tolerance, and political organization. Questions we explore include: what is “Islamism” and how did it arise as a political force? Why are so few Muslim-majority countries democratic? Are Islamic parties and organizations a threat or a resource for open politics? We take an empirical approach, examining scholarly analyses from a variety of methodological perspectives.
Prerequisite: Third or fourth-year standing and a 200-level course in comparative politics, and MAT 115 , SST 115 , or STA 209 .
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Lussier
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Psychology |
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PSY 113 - Introduction to Psychology 4 credits (Fall and Spring)
An introduction to principles of psychological science and inquiry. Major topics of psychology are covered with consideration of different approaches psychologists take to describe, predict, and explain behavior. Emphasis is placed on theory, research, and application. Laboratory work is required.
Prerequisite: None.
Instructor: Staff
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PSY 214 - Social Psychology 4 credits (Fall)
Survey of contemporary experimental social psychology. Topics include: attribution theory, social cognition, stereotypes, attitudes, prosocial behavior, aggression, group processes, and applied social psychology. Attention given to interaction between theoretical development and empirical measurement. Laboratory work is required.
Prerequisite: PSY 113 . Prerequisite or co-requisite: MAT 115 , SST 115 or STA 209 (previously offered as MAT-209).
Note: Plus-2 option available.
Instructor: Staff
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PSY 220 - Decision-Making 4 credits (Spring)
An examination of cognitive biases and heuristics that describe how people think about information when making decisions under uncertainty. We examine social, emotional, and behavioral influences across laboratory and real-world situations such as medical decisions and jury verdicts, and tools for helping people make better decisions (e.g., computers, formulas, and decision trees).
Prerequisite: PSY 113 and MAT 115 , SST 115 , or STA 209 (previously offered as MAT-209).
Note: Plus-2 option available. Not offered every year.
Instructor: Staff
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PSY 222 - Industrial Psychology 4 credits (Fall)
An investigation of individual differences, learning, and motivation in the context of the work setting. Topics include testing theory, training techniques, and motivational theories.
Prerequisite: PSY 113 and MAT 115 , SST 115 , or STA 209 (previously offered as MAT-209).
Note: Plus-2 option available. Not offered every year.
Instructor: Lopatto
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PSY 225 - Research Methods 4 credits (Fall and Spring)
This course describes experimental designs and attendant statistical techniques. Students learn to use quantitative methods to pose meaningful questions to data. Topics include between-group and within-group designs, analysis of variance for main effects and interactions, the adaptation of statistical inquiry to less than optimal situations, and critical thinking about research methods.
Prerequisite: PSY 113 and MAT 115 , SST 115 , or STA 209 (previously offered as MAT-209).
Instructor: Staff
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PSY 231 - Sensation and Perception 4 credits (Fall)
This course pursues the psychological questions of how the body detects sensory information and of how the mind integrates this information into a coherent interpretation of experience. This course will showcase psychological questions of perception that enlist approaches and perspectives possibly including, but not limited to, the physiology and behavior of natural systems (e.g., us), appreciation of art and music, the engineering of smart devices (e.g., robots), and remaining challenges. Laboratory work may be required.
Prerequisite: PSY 113 . Prerequisite or co-requisite: MAT 115 , SST 115 or STA 209 .
Note: Plus-2 option available. Not offered every year.
Instructor: Staff
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PSY 232 - Human-Computer Interaction 2 credits (Fall or Spring)
See CSC 232 .
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PSY 233 - Developmental Psychology 4 credits (Spring)
This course explores psychological development from the prenatal period through adolescence. Major theoretical perspectives on the nature of developmental change are considered with a focus on empirical research and application of each perspective. Topics include physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development. Laboratory work is required.
Prerequisite: PSY 113 . Prerequisite or co-requisite: MAT 115 , SST 115 , or STA 209 .
Note: Plus-2 option available.
Instructor: Ellis
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PSY 243 - Behavior Analysis 4 credits (Spring)
The course studies behavior as it occurs in its environmental context. Topics in learning and motivation are analyzed through the experimental approach of behavior analytic psychology. Topics include classical and operant learning, choice, self-control, and extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Laboratory work is required.
Prerequisite: PSY 113 and MAT 115 , SST 115 , or STA 209 (previously offered as MAT-209).
Note: Plus-2 option available.
Instructor: Lopatto
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PSY 246 - Brain and Behavior 4 credits (Fall)
This course examines the interaction of brain and behavior. Topics include: (a) general introduction to neuroanatomy and neurophysiology; (b) neuroregulatory systems, stress, and emotion; (c) sensory and motor systems; and (d) processes of learning, memory, and cognition.
Prerequisite: PSY 113 . One semester of biology is recommended.
Instructor: Rempel-Clower, Tracy
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PSY 248 - Abnormal Psychology 4 credits (Spring)
The study of psychopathology. Emphasis is given to experimental models and the underlying psychological processes of abnormal behavior. Some attention is given to treatments. The course is structured around the categories of the DSM-5.
Prerequisite: PSY 113 . MAT 115 , SST 115 , or STA 209 is recommended.
Note: Plus-2 option available.
Instructor: Ralston
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PSY 250 - Health Psychology 4 credits (Fall)
In this course we will explore psychological and social processes that contribute to physical health and wellness across the life span. Topics include health compromising and health promoting thoughts and behaviors, such as expectancies, risk taking, and physical activity, the contributions of stress, coping, and thriving to physical health.
Prerequisite: PSY 113 .
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Ellis
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PSY 260 - Cognitive Psychology 4 credits (Spring)
This course explores the experimental research on human thinking, knowing, and remembering. Topics include attention, memory, reasoning, problem-solving, language, and individual and cultural differences in cognition. Laboratory work is required.
Prerequisite: PSY 113 and MAT 115 , SST 115 , or STA 209 .
Note: Plus-2 option available.
Instructor: Staff
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PSY 311 - History of Psychological Theories 4 credits (Fall)
Historical and philosophical origins of contemporary schools of psychology are considered. The student analyzes the nature of psychological theory and the methods used to disconfirm theories, as well as the reasons for the emergence and decline of schools of psychological thought.
Prerequisite: Two psychology courses numbered 200 or above, and MAT 115 /SST 115 or STA 209 .
Note: Plus-2 option available. Not offered every year.
Instructor: Lopatto
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PSY 315 - Advanced Social Psychology: Cross-Cultural Differences in Self-Construal 4 credits (Spring)
This seminar focuses on the construction of independent versus interdependent selves in cultures descendent from East Asian versus Western European historical and philosophical traditions. We will consider sources of these differences, as well as a variety of social consequences. This will provide the foundation for examining lay theories about the causes of behavior and considering the extent to which behavior is differentially determined by the person or the situation in different cultural contexts.
Prerequisite: PSY 214 and PSY 225 .
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Staff
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PSY 317 - Personality Psychology 4 credits (Spring)
A survey of classical and contemporary approaches to understanding healthy adult personalities. Emphasis will be placed on the trait approach, the coherence of personality across time and situations, beliefs about the self, social aspects of personality, and empirical research methods used to study personality. Laboratory work may be required.
Prerequisite: PSY 225 and two additional psychology courses numbered 200 or above.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Staff
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PSY 325 - Longitudinal & Time-Series Analysis 4 credits (Spring)
This course covers statistical models for psychological research designs drawing data from the same participants over time. This course couches statistical concepts in the practical applications that inspired them and addresses how they help test psychological, behavioral, and health-medical hypotheses. We will consider how different analyses of over-time data depend on theories of development and have implications for growing interest in data science. Laboratory work may be required.
Prerequisite: PSY 225 and two additional PSY courses at the 200-level.
Note: Plus-2 option available. Not offered every year.
Instructor: Staff
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PSY 331 - Ecological Psychology 4 credits (Spring)
This advanced course in perception explores how people learn to fit into their environment, and, in turn, reshape their environments to suit their goals. Perception depends on the way they physically act on their goals amidst environmental structure. This course blends physiological, behavioral, and cognitive psychology but also takes an interdisciplinary approach ranging from physics and biology of motor coordination to applications in engineering and robotics. Laboratory work may be required.
Prerequisite: PSY 225 and PSY 231 .
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Staff
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PSY 332 - Advanced Developmental Psychology 4 credits (Fall)
An advanced investigation of substantive topics in developmental psychology. Emphasis is placed on theory and research. Laboratory work may be required.
Prerequisite: PSY 225 , PSY 233 , and one additional psychology course numbered 200 or above.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Ellis
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PSY 334 - Adult Development 4 credits (Fall)
A consideration of human development during adulthood with emphasis on models and empirical work that illustrate factors that constrain and optimize development. Topics covered may include memory, dementia, personality, and social roles. Laboratory work may be required.
Prerequisite: PSY 225 and two psychology courses numbered 200 or above.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Ellis
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PSY 335 - Psychology of Food and Eating 4 credits (Fall)
This course looks at eating behavior from a variety of psychological perspectives. Topics include biological regulation of food intake, hunger and fullness, food preferences, cultural and social influences on eating, early life experience, learned behavior, and the interaction of physiology and the food environment. We will focus on critical analysis of methodologies, empirical evidence, and theoretical approaches through examination of the primary literature. Laboratory work may be required.
Prerequisite: PSY 225 , and PSY 246 or NRS 250 plus one additional psychology course numbered 200 or above.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Tracy
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PSY 336 - Advanced Behavioral Neuroscience 4 credits (Spring)
A laboratory-centered introduction to advanced topics in behavioral neuroscience and basic research techniques used to investigate brain-behavior relationships. Participants will gain experience in stereotaxic neurosurgery, psychopharmacology, and various behavioral measures. A research-team approach is used for both the literature discussion and the laboratory activities each week.
Prerequisite: PSY 225 and PSY 246 .
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Rempel-Clower
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PSY 337 - Psychological Measurement 4 credits (Fall)
Students will learn about methods of test development, the statistical analysis of test data, and social implications of testing. In lab, students will develop testing instruments and learn multivariate data analysis. Topics covered include intelligence and personality testing, systems of behavioral observation, regression, factor analysis, and theories of test construction.
Prerequisite: PSY 225 and two additional psychology courses numbered 200 or above.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Ralston
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PSY 345 - Psychopharmacology 4 credits (Spring)
An investigation of the biological mechanisms and behavioral effects of psychoactive substances. Topics covered will include principles of pharmacology, research methods in psychopharmacology, mechanisms of drug action, drug abuse and addiction, and clinical applications. Required laboratory work using animal models will focus on the use of behavioral tools to characterize drug effects and the use of pharmacological tools for understanding brain-behavior relationships.
Prerequisite: PSY 225 and PSY 246 or NRS 250 .
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Tracy
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PSY 346 - Neural Plasticity 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
Students in this course will examine how changes in the brain, in conjunction with cognitive and behavioral processes, result from the interactions between an organism and the environment throughout the life span. Topics will include neural and functional consequences of environmental deprivation or enrichment, sensory system plasticity, language learning, recovery from stroke, and cognitive enhancement.
Prerequisite: PSY 246 or NRS 250 and PSY 225 .
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Rempel-Clower
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PSY 348 - Behavioral Medicine 4 credits (Fall)
This course describes psychophysiological and behavioral principles and methods in the context of the biopsychosocial model of health and illness. Topics include behavioral pathogens, stress, pain, psychoneuroimmunology, and behavior management. Laboratory work may be required.
Prerequisite: PSY 225 and PSY 243 .
Note: Plus-2 option available.
Instructor: Lopatto
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PSY 349 - Counseling Psychology 4 credits (Fall)
A survey of major counseling theories and techniques, with emphasis on the key concepts, the role of the counselor, therapeutic goals, and the main techniques derived from each theory. Issues pertaining to the ethical application of counseling approaches to diverse populations will be a major focus throughout. Class time will focus on the merits of each approach through review of research literature. Further, students will learn basic counseling skills through observation, case study, and supervised role-plays. Laboratory work may be required.
Prerequisite: PSY 225 and PSY 248 .
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Ralston
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PSY 355 - Psychology of Language 4 credits (Fall)
An examination of experimental psycholinguistics. Topics include how humans perceive, comprehend, and produce language; research with brain-damaged individuals; language acquisition; and the role of memory and cognition on processing language. Laboratory work may be required.
Prerequisite: PSY 225 and PSY 260 .
Note: Plus-2 option available. Not offered every year.
Instructor: Staff
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PSY 360 - Advanced Cognitive Psychology 4 credits (Fall)
An in-depth examination of primary research on variable topics within cognitive psychology. Past offerings of this course concerned applying the working memory model, specifically central executive functions, to issues concerning reasoning, attention, language, metacognition, aging, prospective memory, frontal lobe functioning, and mental disorders.
Prerequisite: PSY 225 and PSY 260 .
Note: Plus-2 option available. Not offered every year.
Instructor: Staff
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PSY 370 - Multicultural Psychology 4 credits (Fall)
This course surveys the psychological research on culture, ethnicity, race, and minority status in the United States. Emphasis will be placed on developing an understanding of the experiences of non-white ethnic minorities through the study of empirical research. Topics will vary and may include: racial identity, racism, acculturation, health disparities, and mental health issues.
Prerequisite: PSY 225 and two additional psychology courses numbered 200 or above.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Staff
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PSY 495 - Senior Seminar 4 credits (Spring)
A critical exploration of topics of both historical and contemporary significance in psychology with intense interrogation of the field’s diverse perspectives and methods.
Prerequisite: Senior psychology majors.
Instructor: Staff
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Religious Studies |
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REL 101 - Studying Religion: Judaism and Christianity 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
This course introduces Religious Studies by exploring the diverse ways that Jews and Christians have sought to shape themselves, in body and soul, as individuals and as members of communities dedicated to God. We will make use of a wide range of primary and secondary sources to explore the histories, practices, texts, and ideas that constitute these religious traditions; to consider how Christians and Jews have represented themselves and how scholars today use historical, critical methods to understand and explain these traditions.
Prerequisite: First or second-year standing.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Staff
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REL 102 - Studying Religion: America 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
This course introduces Religious Studies by focusing on religious traditions in “America.” Students will gain knowledge about the history and development of some of the major religious traditions in the United States, such as Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism. Exploring “religion” and “America” as sites of contestation over meaning, identity, and purpose, students also gain the skills to analyze perspectives, interests, and issues of representation.
Prerequisite: First or second-year standing.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Rietz
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REL 103 - Studying Religion: the Middle East 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
This course introduces religious studies through examination of the Middle East. We will begin by exploring the intertwined development of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam through topics such as myths or origin, the Crusades, and medieval interactions in the Mediterranean region. We will then turn to religion in the modern Middle East, focusing on issues like European colonialism, Christian missionary movements in the Middle East, and the development of the nation-state in the region.
Prerequisite: First or second-year standing.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Elfenbein, Saba
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REL 104 - Studying Religion: India 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
What is “religion” and why should we study it? In what ways does religion influence individuals and societies, and how, in turn, is it shaped by them? This course, which serves as an introduction to religious studies, addresses these and other questions through case studies drawn from the traditions that originated in India (Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism). Using a wide range of sources, we will explore multiple dimensions of religion, such as the narrative, philosophical, ritual, experiential, and social.
Prerequisite: First or second-year standing.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: T. Dobe
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REL 105 - Studying Religion: East Asia 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
This course explores the dynamic cultural landscape of East Asia, providing an overview of religion as it has been constructed in the states that are today known as China, Japan and Korea. Moving beyond the paradigms of practice defined as the singular traditions of Confucianism, Daoism, Shintoism and Buddhism, the course delves into unnamed traditions, and practices that are across traditions, in order to provide students with tools to resist simplistic understandings of religious identity.
Prerequisite: None.
Instructor: D. Chen
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REL 211 - The Hebrew Bible 4 credits (Fall)
The history, religion, and thought of the Hebrew-Jewish people as recorded in scripture. Special attention given to the formation of this literature and to the rise and development of major biblical motifs.
Prerequisite: REL 101 , REL 102 , REL 103 , REL 104 , REL 105 or second-year standing.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Rietz
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REL 214 - The Christian Scriptures 4 credits (Spring)
The history, religion, and thought of early Christianity as recorded in the New Testament. Special attention to the formation of this biblical literature, the theology of the various writers, and the development of major New Testament motifs in relation to the Hebrew Bible.
Prerequisite: REL 101 , REL 102 , REL 103 , REL 104 , REL 105 , or second-year standing.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Rietz
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REL 220 - The Traditions of Islam 4 credits
An examination of the spirit of Islam as presented in the Qur’an, the Sunna of the Prophet, Islamic law, theology, and mysticism. Special attention given to the status of women in Islam. Contemporary movements within the Islamic world discussed.
Prerequisite: REL 101 , REL 102 , REL 103 , REL 104 , REL 105 , or second-year standing.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Elfenbein
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REL 221 - Being Muslim in America 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
Cross-listed as: HIS 221 . Muslims have been a part of American life for a very long time. This course will explore the history and contemporary realities of Muslims in America and the emergence of American forms of Islam and Muslim community life. Of particular interest is how race, class, and gender have intersected in the history of Islam and Muslim communities in the United States.
Prerequisite: HIS 100 , REL 101 , REL 102 , REL 103 , REL 104 , REL 105 , or second-year standing.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Elfenbein
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REL 222 - The Life of the Quran 4 credits Fall or Spring)
This course explores the life of the Quran as a text and cultural object. We explore literary and other aspects of the Quran and how Muslim communities have brought the Quran to life throughout history. In addition to reading selections of the Quran, we will see how the Quran receives expression in material, visual, and aural culture.
Prerequisite: REL 101 , REL 102 , REL 103 , REL 104 , REL 105 , or second-year standing.
Note: Plus-2 option available. FLO option available in Arabic +2 option only.
Instructor: Saba
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REL 224 - Zen Buddhism 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
The course explores the history, doctrine, literature, and practices of Chan and Zen Buddhism in Asia and in the United States. It includes four major parts:(1) Chinese Chan, (2) Japanese Zen, (3) American Zen, and (4) Zen rituals and mind cultivation. The final section introduces Zen practices, including meditation, Zen garden, Zen arts, and tea ceremony.
Prerequisite: REL 101 , REL 102 , REL 103 , REL 104 , REL 105 , or second-year standing.
Instructor: Y. Chen
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REL 225 - The Buddhist Tradition 4 credits
An examination of the classical doctrines and practices of Nikaya and Mahayana Buddhism and their historical developments in various social and cultural contexts in Asia and the West.
Prerequisite: REL 101 , REL 102 , REL 103 , REL 104 , REL 105 , or second-year standing.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Staff
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REL 226 - Religious Traditions of India 4 credits
Indian religion is marked by ongoing dialogues among the South Asian traditions we call Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Islam. The interaction between these traditions shows the ways each has defined itself independently and in response to challenges presented by the others. This course will introduce the historical and philosophical foundations for these traditions, as well as familiarize students with these intersecting traditions as living religions. The course will include special attention to the role of women and the links between religion and politics.
Prerequisite: REL 101 , REL 102 , REL 103 , REL 104 , REL 105 , or second-year standing.
Note: Plus-2 option available.
Instructor: T. Dobe
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REL 227 - Global Christianities 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
Christianity has grown explosively in Africa, Latin America and Asia in recent time. This course explores these new Christian traditions and histories by focusing on one central question - Is Christianity a western religion? Answers will come harder than many assume. In today’s world, the phrase “white Christian” now is in fact as strange as “Swedish Buddhist” still sounds to many.
Prerequisite: REL 101 , REL 102 , REL 103 , REL 104 , REL 105 , or second year standing.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: T. Dobe
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REL 228 - Gods of Bollywood 4 credits (Fall)
From the mystical Upanishads to the rain-drenched saris of Bollywood heroines, the sacred, the erotic and the spectacular have long been intertwined in South Asia. This course will explore themes of love, performance and identity in India both historically and by using Bollywood films as visual texts. We will examine religion’s intimate connections to culture, gender and meaning in the modern world as we ask, “What is Indian about Indian Cinema?”
Prerequisite: REL 101 , REL 102 , REL 103 , REL 104 , or second-year standing.
Note: Plus-2 option available. Not offered every year.
Instructor: T Dobe
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REL 229 - Violence and Nonviolence 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
This course examines the often surprising intersections between violence and nonviolence religious traditions and the lives of leaders such as Gandhi, MLK and Malcolm X. We will focus on Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism as we engage critical contemporary theories of violence, nonviolence and social change. Together we will debate questions of terrorism, anticolonial and anti-racist revolution, militant nonviolence and the embodied practice of conflict transformation. For current course content please see the variable topic course listing below or search the online live schedule of courses.
Prerequisite: REL 101 , REL 102 , REL 103 , REL 104 , REL 105 , PCS 101 or second-year standing.
Note: Plis-2 option available. Not offered every year.
Instructor: T. Dobe
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REL 240 - Religion is Everywhere 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
The course will use interdisciplinary approaches to explore and engage the world around us to create new knowledge. Categories, such as religion, that scholars use to organize and study the world will be applied to other aspects of human life. This course will examine things like sports, rock and roll and Coca Cola as religion, and, in turn, consider how that study helps us to think differently about what is commonly called religion.
Prerequisite: REL 101 , REL 102 , REL 103 , REL 104 , REL 105 , AMS 130 , or second year standing.
Instructor: Rietz
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REL 241 - Religion, Law, and Politics 4 credits (Spring)
Focusing on the “religion clauses” of the U.S. Constitution, we study the history out of which the clauses emerged and the Supreme Court cases that have shaped their meaning. We engage questions about who can exercise their religion freely and to what extent can the state support religious institutions. We explore how these questions intersect with debates over LGBTQ rights, reproductive health, and Native American Land claims, among others.
Prerequisite: REL 101 , REL 102 , REL 103 , REL 104 , or second-year standing.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Staff
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REL 250 - Spirituality 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
As the number of people in the U.S. who claim to be “religious” decreases, the number of people who embrace what they call “spirituality” is increasing. What is it to be “spiritual”? And how is it related to being “religious”? We explore these questions historically and philosophically, consider the links between spirituality and capitalism, and reflect on the various experiences, practices, and ideas that different people describe as spiritual.
Prerequisite: REL 101 , REL 102 , REL 103 , REL 104 , REL 105 , or second-year standing.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Staff
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REL 251 - Religion, Philosophy, and the Good Life 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
What is the good life? A happy life? A meaningful life? A virtuous life? A life of rich relationships with others? A combination of some or all of these? And does inquiring into the good life help us achieve it? If so, how? We explore these questions and others by considering how different philosophical and religious traditions have sought to understand and guide human life and by reflecting on our own lives and experiences.
Prerequisite: REL 101 , REL 102 , REL 103 , REL 104 , REL 105 , one 100-level Philosophy course, or second-year standing.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Staff
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REL 252 - Religion, Healing, and Health 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
The course investigates the religious and social dimensions of healing across the world, with a focus on the fundamental differences and intersections between religious healing and medical treatments. Course topics include the religious views of suffering and pain, the movement of religious health tourism, and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Students will learn how Yoga, Ayurveda, chiropractic treatment, acupuncture, mindfulness, and energy healing are interpreted and practiced in the religious and medical contexts.
Prerequisite: REL 101 , REL 102 , REL 103 , REL 104 , REL 105 , or second-year standing.
Instructor: Y. Chen
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REL 254 - Women and Religion 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
The course examines women’s lives and experiences in different religious communities. Students study women’s rituals, gender roles, and women’s self-perception influenced by religions and societies . Students will gain skills to interpret the world we share and understand that that religion is a powerful force that keeps shaping identity.
Prerequisite: REL 101 , REL 102 , REL 103 , REL 104 , REL 105 , or second-year standing.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Y. Chen
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REL 256 - Religion and Politics in Modern China 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
The course surveys the religious problems and explores the political influence on religions in China from the 1900s to the present. The major topics include the government’s view of new religious movements, the changing relationship between religious institutions and the state, and the rise of religious tourism.
Prerequisite: REL 101 , REL 102 , REL 103 , REL 104 , REL 105 , or second-year standing.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Y. Chen
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REL 265 - The Crusades in the Middle East 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
Cross-listed as: HIS 265 . What did it feel like to get crusaded? In this course, we will examine the roughly two-century period from the First Crusade in 1095 to the final expulsion of Latin Crusaders from the Middle East in 1291. Our explorations will center on the perspectives of the invaded, rather than the invaders. How did Muslims, Jews, and Easter Christians of the medieval Middle East respond to the presences of the Frankish invaders from Europe?
Prerequisite: HIS 100 , REL 101 , REL 102 , REL 103 , REL 104 , REL 105 , or second-year standing.
Instructor: Saba
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REL 266 - Apocalyptic “Sectuality” 4 credits
What is the meaning of this age? Are we standing at the dawn of a golden age in history? Or are we at the brink of global destruction and the end of history? In this class, we will take an interdisciplinary approach to examine selected apocalyptic movements and texts in an attempt to understand how meaning is constructed. We will discuss several early Jewish and Christian apocalyptic texts and communities as well as modern apocalyptic communities.
Prerequisite: REL 101 , REL 102 , REL 103 , REL 104 , REL 105 , or second-year standing.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Rietz
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REL 267 - Islam in the Modern Era 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
Cross-listed as: HIS 267 . This course explores Islamic traditions during the modern period (post-1800), focusing especially on the way that modern colonialism and imperialism transformed life in Muslim communities in South Asia and the Middle East. We will explore this general issue through more specific topics such as historical change in Islamic legal traditions and in the place of religion in economic and political life in Muslim communities.
Prerequisite: HIS 100 , REL 101 , REL 102 , REL 103 , REL 104 , REL 105 , or second-year standing.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Elfenbein
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REL 268 - Islam and Gender 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
Cross-listed as: HIS 268 . This course explores Islamic discourses about wo/men and gender in Islam, focusing attention on the processes by which the Muslim community has articulated and policed gender-specific ideals over time, particularly as they relate to: community identity, conceptions of cultural authenticity, the interpretation of the foundational sources of Islam and legal traditions. We will give significant attention to these issues as they pertain to 19th and 20th century debates about “re-forming” Muslim women.
Prerequisite: HIS 100 , REL 101 , REL 102 , REL 103 , REL 104 , REL 105 , or second-year standing.
Note: Plus-2 option available.
Instructor: Elfenbein
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REL 285 - Islamic Law in Theory and Practice 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
Cross-listed as: HIS 285 . This course will use the work of 12th century scholar Ibn Rushd (Averroës) as a window into the theory and historical practice of Islamic law. We will cover a range of specific topics including criminal law, family law, inheritance law, and the laws of war. The class will also study how this legal system has been implemented across time, debates surrounding the questions of gender, and the contested place of religion in modern legal systems.
Prerequisite: HIS 100 , REL 101 , REL 102 , REL 103 , REL 104 , REL 105 , or second-year standing.
Note: Not offered every year. Plus-2 option available. Foreign language option in Arabic available for the +2 option only.
Instructor: Saba
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REL 311 - Theory and Method in the Study of Religion 4 credits (Fall)
This seminar focuses on the history and assumptions of the comparative method in the study of religion and culture. This genealogical narrative involves a critical examination of a variety of sources and perspectives on religion leading up to and emerging from the European Enlightenment, including the development of various methodological and critical positions in the modern study of religion during the 19th and 20th centuries. Readings from a wide range of contemporary scholarship will illustrate the state of the field today.
Prerequisite: Third-year or fourth-year standing and declared major.
Note: Plus-2 option available.
Instructor: Saba
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REL 326 - Anthropology of Religion 4 credits
See ANT 326 .
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REL 394 - Advanced Topics in Religious Studies 4 credits (Spring)
An advanced intensive seminar devoted to selected topics in religious studies. Topics have included mysticism, South Asian saints, and religion and democracy. This seminar may be repeated for credit if content is different. For current course content please see the variable topic course listing below or search the online live schedule of courses.
Prerequisite: REL 311 ; additional prerequisites may vary depending on topic.
Instructor: Staff
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Russian |
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RUS 101 - Beginning Russian I 4 credits (Fall)
Intensive treatment of elementary Russian grammar, with special emphasis on pronunciation, basic conversational ability, and thorough coverage of contrastive English-Russian grammar. Conducted primarily in Russian. Meets five times a week.
Prerequisite: None.
Instructor: Staff
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RUS 102 - Beginning Russian II 4 credits (Spring)
A follow-up course to RUS 101 , stressing the further study of grammatical usage and the development of reading and speaking ability. Conducted in Russian. Meets five times a week.
Prerequisite: RUS 101 .
Instructor: Staff
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RUS 200 - Conversational Russian 1 credits (Fall and Spring)
Conversation on free and structured themes, with topics drawn from different aspects of Russian and American life. May be repeated once for credit when content changes.
Prerequisite: RUS 102 .
Instructor: Staff
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RUS 221 - Intermediate Russian I 4 credits (Fall)
A reading and discussion course whose materials focus on contemporary culture with emphasis on the continuing study of grammatical concepts introduced in RUS 101 and RUS 102 .
Prerequisite: RUS 102 .
Instructor: Staff
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RUS 222 - Intermediate Russian II 4 credits (Spring)
A continuation of RUS 221 . Materials focus on major aspects of Russian culture, with added emphasis on the study of more complex grammatical concepts.
Prerequisite: RUS 221 .
Instructor: Staff
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RUS 247 - The Russian Short Story 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
Cross-listed as: GLS 247 . The development of the genre from its beginning in 18th-century Sentimentalism to the present. Authors could include Karamzin, Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Bulgakov, Babel, Olesha, Makanin, Tolstaya, and Sorokin. Conducted in English.
Prerequisite: None.
Note: Plus-2 option available. Not offered every year.
Instructor: Herold
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RUS 248 - The Russian Novel 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
Cross-listed as: GLS 248 . Study of the Russian novel in the 19th century. Novels by Pushkin, Lermontov, Dostoevsky, Turgenev, and Tolstoy considered. Conducted in English.
Prerequisite: None.
Note: Not offered every year.
Plus-2 option available.
Foreign language option available in Russian for course and +2.
Instructor: Greene, Herold
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RUS 251 - The Theme of the African in Russian Literature and Culture 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
A survey of the varying cultural and racial perceptions of Africa and people of African descent as reflected in 19th- and 20th-century Russian literature. Examines tsarist and Soviet history of Russian intellectual contact with the African diaspora and the impact of this contact on the development of the “African” as a literary theme in Russian and Soviet literature. Conducted in English.
Prerequisite: None.
Note: Not offered every year.
Plus-2 option available.
Foreign language option available in Russian for course and +2.
Instructor: Greene
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RUS 261 - History of Russian Film 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
Cross-listed as: GLS 261 . From Eisenstein to Tarkovsky and beyond. Through lecture, discussion, and film analysis, this course will examine the fascinating and controversial history of Russian film from Andrei Tarkovsky’s sophisticated Solaris to the daring films of the glasnost era; from chernukha (noir) films of the 1990s to contemporary cinema about the Russian mafia, New Russians and the dramatic search for a new Russian identity. Conducted in English.
Prerequisite: Second-year standing.
Note: Plus-2 option available. Not offered every year.
Instructor: Staff
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RUS 281 - Major Russian Writers 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
Cross-listed as: GLS 281 . This course examines the artistic oeuvre of a single major Russian writer within the context of his cultural and literary milieu. The following writers could be offered in alternating years: Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Gogol, Chekhov, Nabokov. Conducted in English. For current course content please see the variable topic course listing below or search the online live schedule of courses.
Prerequisite: None.
Note: Plus-2 option available in Russian.
Instructor: Staff
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RUS 313 - Present through the Past: Russian Cultural Traditions 4 credits (Fall)
A focused examination of the major cultural icons and clichés that have developed in Russian culture through the centuries, with an emphasis on what an educated speaker of the language should know, including the “enigmatic Russian soul,” the Bronze Horseman, the Russian “troika,” the battleship Aurora, the communal apartment, Soviet bards, and Pussy Riot among other cultural phenomena. Advanced grammar study is combined with critical reading of a range of literary and cultural texts. Conducted in Russian
Prerequisite: RUS 222 .
Instructor: Staff
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RUS 389 - Advanced Russian Seminar 4 credits (Fall and Spring)
A cultural and linguistic study of a selected Russian cultural phenomenon from the 19th, 20th, or 21st century. Variable content, with discussion centered on a single author, genre, or literary period; intellectual history; popular culture; a cultural period; or analysis of an aspect of culture (film, theatre, music, etc.). Conducted in Russian. For current course content please see the variable topic course listing below or search the online live schedule of courses.
Prerequisite: RUS 313 .
Note: May be repeated 3 times with varied content.
Instructor: Staff
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Russian, Central, and Eastern European Studies |
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RES 291 - Perspectives in 20th-Century Central and Eastern European Literature 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
Cross-listed as: GLS 291 . This course examines and analyzes a number of 20th-century works in translation from several countries of Central and Eastern Europe (primarily, but not limited to, the former-Yugoslavia, Poland, and the former-Czechoslovakia). Attention is devoted to how writers, artists, poets, and others attempt to understand and respond to major events and issues in specific countries, and in the region in general: war, genocide, revolution, totalitarianism, political repression, clashes of religion and culture, and quests for (self-)identity.
Prerequisite: None.
Note: Not offered every year.
Plus-2 option available.
Foreign language option available in Polish for course and +2.
Instructor: Armstrong
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RES 495 - Senior Research or Seminar 2 or 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
An interdisciplinary senior seminar or senior research project for students completing the concentration in Russian, Central and Eastern European Studies. May be repeated in consecutive semesters by a student pursuing a single research project. Credits earned each semester must fulfill program requirements as specified in program description.
Instructor: Staff
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Science |
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SCI 125 - Introduction to Earth System Science w/lab 4 credits (Fall)
See ENV 125 .
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SCI 200 - Creative Careers: Learning from Alumni 2 credits (Spring)
See SST 200 .
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SCI 237 - Chemistry of Artists’ Materials 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
See ART 237 .
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Science Laboratory |
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SCI 100 - Science Laboratory 1 credits (Fall and Spring)
Individual or small-group instruction emphasizing problem-solving skills. This class must be taken in conjunction with first-year sequences in physics, chemistry, or biology. May be repeated once for credit with permission of the director.
Prerequisite: Consultation with the related course instructor and permission of the director of the science lab are required.
Note: Instruction is available without credit to students who cannot take the course or who need only occasional assistance. S/D/F only
Instructor: Mahlab
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SCI 240 - Science Education Methods 1 credits
This discussion seminar is open to all students who have taken at least one year of science, and is encouraged for those students who are biology and chemistry student mentors, science laboratory teaching assistants, or students interested in pursuing a career in science teaching. This class will review some of the current literature in science education and focuses on examining the stages of the teaching and learning process and tools for improving teaching and learning.
Prerequisite: One year (two semesters) of biology, chemistry, mathematics/computer science, physics, or psychology; and permission of the instructor.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Mahlab
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Social Studies |
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SST 115 - Introduction to Statistics 4 credits (Fall and Spring)
See MAT 115 .
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SST 125 - Introduction to Geographic Information System (GIS) Analysis 2 credits (Fall)
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) deals with the analysis and management of geographic information. This course offers an introduction to methods of managing and processing geographic information. Emphasis will be placed on the nature of geographic information, data models and structures for geographic information, geographic data input, data manipulation and data storage, and spatial analytic and modeling techniques.
Prerequisite: None.
Instructor: Brottem
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SST 140 - Medieval and Renaissance Culture: 1100–1650 4 credits (Spring)
See HUM 140 .
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SST 200 - Creative Careers: Learning from Alumni 2 credits (Spring)
Cross-listed as: HUM 200 and SCI 200 . This course is sponsored by the Wilson Center for Innovation and Leadership. Alumni with significant careers in the humanities, social sciences and sciences return to campus to talk about the ways that they shaped their successes and learned from their failures after graduation. Leadership and career-focused readings together with discussions with 18 or more alumni will help students think creatively about their possible futures. The second goal of this course is to help create a multi-generational network or community of Grinnell alumni, faculty, and current students in order to enhance our potential for changing the world to promoting the stewardship of Grinnell College.
Prerequisite: None.
Note: Plus-2 option available for Social Studies and Humanities only. S/D/F only.
Instructor: Caulkins
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SST 213 - Media and the Middle East 4 credits (Fall)
See HUM 213 .
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SST 225 - Applied Geographic Information Systems Analysis (GIS) 4 credits (Spring)
This course will represent a continuation of SST 125 by enabling students who took that course to build upon and apply the skills they learned through an independent project of their choice. The course will also include a limited number of advanced labs as well as lectures on GIS conceptualization and project planning. Students will be expected to learn and implement intermediate to advanced GIS methods in their projects.
Prerequisite: SST 125 . Prerequisite or co-requisite: MAT 115 or SST 115 .
Instructor: Brottem
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Sociology |
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SOC 111 - Introduction to Sociology 4 credits (Fall and Spring)
Introduction to basic concepts, theory, and methods concerning human behavior and social structure. Special attention is paid to the scope and limitations of sociological analysis and the major empirical areas of investigation in sociology.
Prerequisite: None.
Instructor: Staff
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SOC 220 - Sociology of Global Development 4 credits (Fall)
Provides an overview of global development with a focus on the social consequences of development practices for people living in developing countries. Also examines the ways in which consumption patterns in industrialized countries affect global development. Case study approach used to consider the effects of general practices on specific locales, such as the role of powerful forces (economic, political, ideological, religious) in shaping living conditions at the local level.
Prerequisite: SOC 111 .
Note: Plus-2 option available. Not offered every year.
Instructor: Inglis
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SOC 230 - Mass Media and Society 4 credits (Fall)
This course takes a global and transnational approach in analyzing the role of mass media in society; their organizational operations within a particular economic, political, and social environment; and the impact of the content they produce. It will examine theories on the relationship between mass media, the public sphere, and democracy; the economic and social organization of media industries; the framing and reception of media messages; and the growth of new media technologies.
Prerequisite: SOC 111 .
Instructor: Quinsaat
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SOC 235 - Class, Capital, and Inequality 4 credits (Spring)
In this course we will engage with traditional and contemporary debates on the role of class in allocating resources and influencing life chances within capitalist society. We will necessarily interrogate the ways in which an individual’s class position informs and reflects experiences associated with race, gender, and sex, among other identities. Ultimately, we will consider the weight or force of class analytics in explaining social and economic inequality in the modern era.
Prerequisite: SOC 111 , ECN 111 , or POL 101 .
Note: Plus-2 option available. Not offered every year.
Instructor: Inglis
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SOC 240 - Social Movements 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
This survey of contemporary social movements focuses on the processes of social and cultural change, collective group behavior, and the process and critiques of reform revolution and social movement change. We will examine definitions and theories of reform, revolution, and social movements and make comparative analyses of goals and ideologies and their development, inside and beyond the boundaries of the United States.
Prerequisite: SOC 111 .
Note: Plus-2 option available. Not offered every year.
Instructor: Haenfler, Scott
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SOC 242 - Deviance and Social Control 4 credits (Fall)
Analysis of the causes and control of deviant behavior, e.g., alcohol and drug abuse, suicide, assault, and sexual deviance. Topics include how definitions of deviance change, how people become deviant, how deviant groups are organized, and how transactions among deviants occur.
Prerequisite: SOC 111 .
Note: Plus-2 option available. Not offered every year.
Instructor: Haenfler
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SOC 248 - Self and Society 4 credits (Spring)
The study of human social interaction. Focuses on how people interact in small groups, change their beliefs, interpret behavior, develop a sense of identity, and construct their social worlds. Attention to the social psychology of collective behavior and of everyday life.
Prerequisite: SOC 111 or PSY 113 .
Note: Plus-2 option available. Not offered every year.
Instructor: Staff
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SOC 250 - Sociology of Religion 4 credits (Fall or Spring)
This course examines religion as a social institution that oppresses, liberates, mitigates social change, and intersects with other social institutions. In this course, we examine behavior, belonging and belief, as well as the relationships and processes that sustain religious systems of meaning. Among other things, we discuss atheism, cults, reenchantment, fundamentalism, new religious movements, capitalism, and the impact of religion on other social categories such as gender, sexuality, and ethnicity.
Prerequisite: SOC 111 .
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Snook
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