Course Descriptions

ARB 240 - Accelerated Persian for Arabic Speakers

Accelerated Persian for Arabic Speakers is a one semester course for students who have already completed ARB 101. Because the Persian and Arabic languages share the same alphabet, on the first day of class students will be introduced to the few additional letters present in Persian. By the next class period, we will begin to focus on sentence structure, verb conjugation, and vocabulary building. Elementary Persian books often state that one of the main challenges of Persian is vocabulary building. However, students of Arabic will not find this to be the case. Arabic and Persian share about sixty per cent similar vocabulary and thus our class will progress at a rapid speed due to the Arabic language background that all students will have. It is expected that both languages will complement the other.  Pre-requisite: Arabic 101 (Fall)

Satisfies a major requirement in the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies’ Arab Studies major

Satisfies a minor requirement in Arab Studies

Satisfies an interdisciplinary minor requirement in Middle Eastern Studies

Satisfies an advanced Arabic course requirement.

ARB 250 - Gender and Sexuality in the Middle East

Joubin

The objective of the course is to attain an interdisciplinary approach to the study of gender and sexuality in the Middle East. During the past few decades Middle East Gender studies has expanded rapidly, and this course will introduce students to the milestone monographs that established the field. From a focus on women as a category of analysis, to gender and masculinity studies, the field has expanded rapidly. This course examines gender as a category of analysis and focuses on productions of knowledge of sexual difference in Middle East society. We will examine the implication of modernity on men and women in the Middle East, following scholarship that does not adhere to the tradition versus modernity dichotomy, and we will pay particular attention to studies that examine the ambiguity of modernity. The intersection of nationalist and gendered discourse is among the themes this course will focus on. This course is conducted in English.

Satisfies a major requirement in Center for Interdisciplinary Studies major in Arab Studies and in Gender and Sexuality Studies.
Satisfies a minor requirement in Arab Studies and in Gender and Sexuality Studies.
Satisfies a requirement in Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric.
Satisfies an interdisciplinary minor requirement in International Studies and in Middle East Studies.

Prerequisites & Notes
(Spring)

ARB 251 - Queer Middle East Culture Studies

(Conducted in English.) The objective of the course is to attain an interdisciplinary approach to queer Middle East culture studies. Middle East queer studies, as poignantly argued by leading scholars in the field, is often locked into a pre-modern East and modern West binary lens whereby the East is viewed as captured by tradition while the West is seen as inherently progressive. To challenge this prevalent binary lens, we will begin with an examination of the homoerotic poetry of Abbasid poet Abu Nuwas and end with Joseph Massad’s analysis of the intersection of the Gay International, Orientalism, sexual rights, and the Arab world. Through an examination of the formative manuscripts in the field as well as a selection of literature, film, drama, and art, we will engage with the intricate sites of multifarious meanings and transformations in the growing field of Middle East queer studies.

Satisfies a major and interdisciplinary minor requirement in Arab Studies.
Satisfies a major requirement in Gender & Sexuality Studies.
Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric requirement.
Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.

ARB 295 - Studies in Arabic Culture

Arabic 295, a one-semester course in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), is designed for students who have had two years of college level Arabic courses or the equivalent. The course, which is conducted entirely in Arabic, enhances the students’ understanding of Arabic culture and grammar through video clips, film, proverbs, television serials, music, and literature. Discussion and presentations are centered on this material. Class meets for one hour, three times per week. Conducted in Arabic.

ARB 321 - Contemporary Arabic Literature

Advanced readings of novels by contemporary Arab authors such as: Ilyas Khouri, Naguib Mahfouz, Abdel Rahman al-Munif, Salwa Bakr, Ghassan Kanafani, Tawfiq Hakim, and Hanan al-Shaykh.  Discussion topics include: modernity, civil war in Lebanon, gender relations, changing relations between Middle East and West, social transformations after independence, and the plight of the Palestinians.  Presentations and compositions in Arabic are among the requirements. Conducted in Arabic.

Satisfies a minor requirement in Arabic.
Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.
Counts toward the Asian Studies Interdisciplinary Minor, the Middle East Studies interdisciplinary minor, the International Studies Interdisciplinary Minor (Middle East sections), and Communication Studies Interdisciplinary Minor.
Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric distribution requirements.

Prerequisites & Notes
Arabic 202 or permission of instructor.

ARB 325 - Contemporary Syrian Television Drama

ARB 326 - Politically Critical Parodies in Syria: Past and Present

Satisfies Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes

ARB 202 or placement. (Fall)

ARB 327 - Mediating Conflict: Syrian Television Drama and Revolution

Prior to the 2011 Revolution, by subtly deconstructing regime narratives, Syrian political parodies played a vital role in undermining the Asad regime while operating within a framework of government co-optation. Given the regime’s clamp down on oppositional writing, one would expect that Syrian drama would not have survived after the uprising. Yet, the contrary has been true. As the regime has created grand narratives to discount the revolution, drama creators have created storylines that expose hypocrisy and presented various sides of the conflict. In this course we will study miniseries from the commencement of the 2011 uprising, paying special attention to symbols and metaphors that have emerged in drama to serve as socio-political critique.

Satisfies a major requirement for the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies major in Arab Studies

Satisfies a minor requirement in Arab Studies

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement

Satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement

Prerequisites & Notes
(Fall)

ARB 328 - Gender & Sexuality in Syrian Television Drama

In this course, which is conducted entirely in Arabic, we will study how many Syrian screenwriters involved in pre-uprising television drama managed to question the very foundation of regime legitimacy. We will study how prior to the 2011, in order to achieve the goal of prompting critique and change, Syrian television drama used the lens of gender and sexuality as a major trope. Since the 2011 uprising, moreover, screenwriters have become more explicit and less reliant on gender metaphors for critique and political engagement. Those screenwriters outwardly embracing the regime narrative eschew politics in their gender constructions and instead focus on reform of societal norms. Throughout the course, we will use Youtube clips to examine debates among cultural producers on the direction of Syrian television drama since the uprising.

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.
Satisfies a major requirement in Arab Studies through the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies.
Satisfies a minor requirement in Arab Studies.
Satisfies an interdisciplinary minor requirement in Middle East Studies.
Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
ARB 202 or permission of instructor.

ARB 329 - Middle Eastern Melodrama

(Conducted in Arabic.)This class will begin with an examination of Egyptian drama from the 1990s through the Arab uprisings of 2011 to explore television’s role as a producer of national culture. Our study of Syrian television drama will begin with the early political parodies of the 1960s through 80s, which culminated in the production of the most esteemed dramas in the Arab world. Secular in approach and entirely of a male perspective, the main concern of these political parodies was an embattled, subordinate masculinity within the family, which served as a microcosm of the state. This course will culminate in a close viewing of the phenomena of dubbed Turkish miniseries in the Arab world. Finally, we will examine the rise of pan-Arab miniseries, whose escapist storylines serve as a distraction from current politics. Through press releases, on-line interviews, and internet research we will remain highly sensitive to questions of reception, audience, and impact. Students will continue to enhance and master key Arabic grammar concepts through practical application in compositions and presentations. The course is conducted entirely in Arabic. 

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
Permission of the instructor.

ARB 330 - The Arab Spring: Portraits of the Popular Uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East (In Translation)

This course provides a deep analysis of the popular uprisings that shook Tunisia and neighboring countries in what came to be known as the “Arab Spring.” We will pay particular attention to youth, their frustrations, insecurities, and challenges. Through selected ethnographies, articles and films, we will explore topics including: cyber/community activism, cultural production, migration, and human mobility.  (The course is taught in English)

ARB 340 - Gender and Politics in Contemporary Syrian Literature

Satisfies a minor requirement in Arabic.
Satisfies a major requirement in Gender Studies.
Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.
Counts toward the Asian Studies interdisciplinary minor, the Middle East Studies interdisciplinary minor, the International Studies interdisciplinary minor (Middle East sections), and Communication Studies interdisciplinary minor.
Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing and Rhetoric requirements.
 

Prerequisites & Notes
Arabic 202 or permission of instructor.

ARB 342 - Postcolonial Syrian Film

This course will trace the development of postcolonial Syrian film from the 1960s until the present. We will begin with the political critiques of Muhammad al-Maghout and Durayd Lahham in the 1960s and 70s and end with films produced after the uprising in 2011. Topics include gender and family dynamics, political critique, the question of Palestine, and government co-optation of intellectuals. The course is taught entirely in Arabic.

Satisfies a major requirement for Center for Interdisciplinary Studies Arab Studies major.
Satisfies a minor requirement for Arab Studies.
Satisfies the Liberal Arts distribution requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
ARB 202 or permission of the instructor.

ARB 395 - Independent Study for Advanced Students

Advanced study under the direction of the faculty member, who approves the topic, determines meeting times, and decides the means of evaluating the students’ work.

Prerequisites & Notes
Permission of the instructor. (Fall and Spring)

ARB 396 - Independent Study for Advanced Students

Advanced study under the direction of the faculty member, who approves the topic, determines meeting times, and decides the means of evaluating the students’ work.

Prerequisites & Notes
Permission of the instructor needed.

ART 100 - Survey of Western Art

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
(Fall and Spring)

ART 102 - Survey of Asian Art

Introducing students to an overview of the arts of East, South, and Southeast Asia, this course will concentrate on the materials of objects and the cultural, religious, and political context of arts production and consumption. We will explore early cultural artifacts, burial tombs and temple architecture, transcultural exchanges of sacred images, works of court artists from various imperial workshops, and art related to popular cultures.

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.
Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.

ART 124 - Survey of American Art

How do you create a visual arts culture in America?  Whose America is it?  What kinds of contributions and encounters does it include from Native Americans to the Digital Age?  What did the so-called Founding Fathers think about the role of art in the new nation?  How does it shape and is shaped by nationhood?  How does it relate to Europe?  How does it relate to a global world?  This course, open to first-year students and to all students, without any prerequisite, will delve into these questions just at the moment when the visual cultures of nationhood are being challenged and reshaped by international forces such as populism, global migration, and changing borders.  (Formerly ART 124 - American Art)

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
(Fall)

ART 126 - Survey of Western Architecture

Major developments in western architecture that occurred from Stonehenge to the present. (Formerly ART 226 Survey of Western Architecture)
**Fall 2018 will be the last opportunity to take ART 126 with Prof. Ligo before his retirement.

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
(Fall)

ART 130 - Earth Art-From Lascaux to Lutyens

The world history of garden design as a manifestation of humanity’s ever-changing relationship with the natural world. Important gardens and their creators will be studied in light of the theology, politics, architecture, painting, theatre and stage design, poetry, and philosophy that shaped them. (Formerly Art 230 - Earth Art-From Lascaux to Lutyens)

Satisfies depth and breadth course requirement in the Humanities track of the Environmental Studies major or interdisciplinary minor.

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

 

Prerequisites & Notes
(Spring)

ART 204 - The Gothic Cathedral

ART 206 - From Catacombs to Cathedrals

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.
 

Prerequisites & Notes
(Spring)

ART 208 - Origins of the Modern in Northern Renaissance Art

When King Charles V ascended the French throne in the mid-fourteenth century, he and his three brothers vied with one another as to who could commission the most elaborate illuminated manuscript, the most highly bejeweled reliquary, or the most sumptuously painted altarpiece to decorate their private chapels in their numerous palaces and castles in Paris and the provinces.  Two hundred and fifty years later that sort of patronage was a distant memory.  Events such as the invention of the printing press and the Protestant Reformation had a profound effect on material culture.  A feudal economy was transformed into a mercantile economy, inaugurating “modern” social structures that remain with us today.  Art changed accordingly:  street vendors hawked cheap woodcuts of patron saints on market days; engravings of peasants behaving boorishly were a little more expensive, but suited the middle class; wealthy merchants from the flourishing port city of Antwerp sought paintings of their peasants at work and play.  We will study the profound changes that took place in the production of art between 1350 and 1580 in northern Europe within the context of the rise of early modern culture.

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.
 

Prerequisites & Notes
(Not offered 2017-18)

ART 210 - Renaissance Art in Italy

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.
 

Prerequisites & Notes
(Spring)

ART 212 - What’s Baroque? Seventeenth-Century Art

Satisfies Visual and Performing Arts requirement.
 

ART 214 - Royalty, Rogues and Revolution in Eighteenth-Century Art

Once thought of as only a transitional period between the great art of the Counter-Reformation of the 17^th century and the dynamic modernization of the better known art of the 19^th century, recent scholarship has shown how the art of the 18^th century speaks to a changing world in terms of gender, class, travel, and leisure with the rise of secular rationalism and a new idea, “Might it be that things are not what they might seem to be?”  These changes seem to be reflected in our current concerns which deal with the challenges of equally virtual realities.  Beneath the frills of paint and flirtations of fashionable young people, lie the very serious dreams of autonomy, collective identity and freedom.  Can the painting of the personal freedom have anything to do with political liberty?  The answer just might be found in this course.  (Formerly ART 214 - Eighteenth-Century Art)

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
(Fall)

ART 216 - The Age of Artistic Revolutions - 19th Century European Painting

The hundred year period from 1790 to 1890 witnessed the greatest series of revolutions in painting in the entire history of Western art.  When these hundred years began art was produced for the sake of the Church or the King; when these hundred years ended art was being produced for the sake of art.  This remarkable revolution took place though a series of clearly definable mini revolutions or “isms.” Neo-classicism was revolted against by Romanticism; Romanticism was revolted against by Realism; Realism was revolted against by Impressionism; Impressionism was revolted against by Symbolism; and Symbolism was revolted against by Expressionism. In order to trace the emergence and development of the above revolutions, we will be studying the work of leading nineteenth-century artists from France, England, Germany and Spain in light of the political, theological, philosophical, psychological and art historical influences that shaped their work. (Formerly ART 216 - Nineteenth-Century Painting)

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.
 
 

Prerequisites & Notes
(Spring) 

ART 218 - An Explosion of “-isms”: The History of European Painting & Sculpture from 1890-1960

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.
 

Prerequisites & Notes
(Fall)

ART 220 - The Greening of Modern Architecture

Architecture and Environmental Studies are natural companions.  Unfortunately developments in the history of modern architecture until the final third of the twentieth century rarely acknowledged their companionship.  During the past fifty years, however, there has been an explosion of theoretical writing and architectural practice to redress this oversight.  The focus of the assigned readings in this course will familiarize the participants with the leading theorists in the field of sustainable architecture, and enable them to design a private dwelling that is both modern and sustainable.
Spring 2019 is the final semester this course will be offered with Professor Larry Ligo.

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.
 

ART 222 - Painted Women, Women Painting

Satisfies Visual and Performing Arts requirement.
Satisfies the Justice, Equality, and Community requirement

Prerequisites & Notes
(Fall)

ART 224 - The Opium Wars & Beyond: The Arts in China since 1842

This course focuses on modern and contemporary Chinese art, including painting, photography, sculpture, film, mixed-media works, and performance art from the mid-19th century to the contemporary period.  Some key questions we will pursue include: How did commercial and political exchanges with Europe, the United States, and Japan shape the trajectory of Chinese arts? What roles did new mediums-such as photography and film-play in shaping Chinese art and national identity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries? In what ways did politics impact the development of visual representation in the socialist era? And, how are we to understand the varied styles and movements that brought contemporary Chinese art immense international critical acclaim and market success in the last decades of the 20th century? This course provides students with a firm understanding of the development of modern and contemporary Chinese art within social, political, and historical contexts. 

Satisfies a major requirement in Art.
Satisfies a major requirement in Chinese Studies.
Satisfies a minor requirement in Art.
Satisfies a requirement in East Asian Studies interdisciplinary minor.
Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.
Satisfies the Cultural Diversity requirement.

ART 228 - Seminar: French Impressionism

What is French Impressionism and why do we all seem to love it so?

What was once derisively called “mere impressions” of “ugliness” is, almost a century and a half later, arguably the most popular art of our time.  The works by Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Auguste Renoir, Frédéric Bazille, Berthe Morisot, Gustave Caillebotte, Camille Pissarro, Alfred Sisley, Mary Cassatt, and many others known as “The Independents,” were shown in eight exhibitions from 1874 to 1886.  This seminar will examine the beginnings, techniques, historical context, critiques, and legacies of these artists who are now considered as having executed some of the most beautiful paintings ever made. 

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
(Not offered 2017-18.)

ART 232 - Classics Abroad: Greek and Roman Architecture

ART 234 - Contemporary Art of Yesterday and Today

ART 320 - Art and Compassionate Care: The Empathetic Clinician

This transdisciplinary course examines the historical relationship of art and medicine and recognizes the amazing similarities between visual culture and medicine. How does art both reflect and affect medical practice and vis-a-versa? We will be looking at works from cave paintings and prehistoric pregnancies to CAT scans including representations of disability, magic and religion, disease and wellness, injuries, neurology and dermatology, orthopedics and surgery, maternity and obstetrics, oncology, HIV/AIDS, chronic illness, mental health, cures and death and other practices related to the interface of art and medicine. In seeing these connections, we can identify, for example, how the observation and articulated analysis of an abstract painting requires much of the same skill set for the critic/historian as for the physician making a verbal diagnosis through the careful examination of a blood smear or skin condition. Thus the seminar will study the history of the images of medicine as well as the tools of the verbal and written interpretation of the visual. The hope is that the examination of the mutual nature of these transdisciplinary dynamics will produce a greater sense of empathy and understanding of both artistic and medical practices. Open to all students, but art majors and premedical and disabilities studies students are especially encouraged to consider this new seminar offering.

Satisfies a requirement in the Health & Human Values interdisciplinary minor.
Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

ART 320-370 - Seminars in Art History (320-370)

ART 390 - Independent Study - Art History

ART 400 - Perspectives in Art History

 

Prerequisites & Notes
Normally limited to majors. (Fall)

ART 402 - Art History Capstone Seminar

ART 496 - Senior Art History Honors Thesis

ART 101 - Basic Drawing

An introduction to building skills, techniques and critical awareness across a variety of drawing media.  Students will sharpen their awareness of the intimate links between observation and creative expression in the context of contemporary art practices.  Topics include figure, still life, landscape, narrative and abstraction.  No prior experience is required. (Formerly ART 201 - Basic Drawing)

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
(Fall)

ART 103 - Basic Painting

This painting course is designed for beginners interested in building a range of skills from traditional principles of oil paint to experimental techniques across a variety of painting media.  Students will develop a respect and attention for the complexity of color, variety of texture, diversity of application and brush work needed for a successful composition.  The goal of this course is not to make perfect paintings, but to build an understanding of paint and process in the context of contemporary art practices.  (Formerly ART 203 - Basic Painting)

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
(Fall)

ART 104 - Figure Painting

Explores classical and contemporary approaches to figure painting.  Provides foundation of painting principles in oil and acrylic using live models as well as photography and digital manipulations.  Issues related to the body in contemporary art practices, art theory, and contemporary painting practices will be discussed and used as a catalyst for the painting process. (Formerly ART 204 - Figure Painting)

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.
 
 

Prerequisites & Notes
(Not offered 2017-18.)

ART 105 - Introduction to Print Media

An introduction to contemporary studio art practices through hands-on experimentation with print media. Projects explore the unique opportunities and peculiarities of printmaking techniques including digital printing, etching and photogravure.  This course includes a community engagement workshop utilizing skills acquired in the course to collaborate with underrepresented artists from local organizations.  No prior art experience is required. (Formerly ART 215 - Introduction to Print Media)

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
(Fall)

ART 107 - Introduction to Works on Paper

In this course we will utilize printmaking processes to explore the fundamentals of drawing.  A mixed media approach to constructing images from paper will be studied through assignments that stress a hybrid of innovative printmaking and direct-drawing techniques.  Projects will introduce a no-holds-barred approach to developing artwork by taking advantage of numerous technologies including digital photography, medieval woodcuts and nineteenth-century lithography.  No prior art experience is required. (Formerly ART 217 - Works on Paper)

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
(Fall)

ART 109 - Basic Sculpture

A hands-on introduction to the fundamentals of contemporary mixed media sculpture through woodworking, welding, mold-making, bronze casting and 3D printing.  No prior experience is required or expected.  Cultivate awareness through making, reading and discussing the unique roles sculpture plays in the broader social world.  Become a more thoughtful, accountable and empathetic human being by exploring your interiority, your biases, your cultural preconceptions and the collective limits of your personal philosophy through working with your hands and the unique way of knowing that is sculpture.  You will get dirty.

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
(Fall)

ART 111 - Introduction to Digital Art

ART 111 is an introduction to digital art, both its history and production. Using sketches and found imagery, students will use the Adobe Creative Suite and open source software to produce 2D, 3D and 4D art. Through readings, online learning tools, in-class exercises, discussions and critiques, students learn the conceptual, formal and technical skills needed for digital art production in relationship to the genre’s historical context and contemporary practices. By connecting this knowledge to their own research interests, they will produce memorable artworks that critically engage contemporary culture. (Formerly ART 211 - Introduction to Digital Art)

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.
Satisfies a requirement in the Digital Studies interdisciplinary minor.
 

Prerequisites & Notes
(Fall and Spring)

ART 201 - Advanced Drawing

A continuation of concepts and skills introduced in Basic Drawing.  Designed to strengthen skills in drawing technique and process through the development of individual projects.  Includes discussions of advanced topics in contemporary art theory and practice. (Formerly ART 301 - Advanced Drawing)

Prerequisites & Notes
Art 101
(Spring)

ART 203 - Advanced Painting

This course is designed to strengthen technique in a chosen medium and to develop personal projects.  A wide interpretation of painting is applied.  Includes discussion of advanced topics in contemporary art theory and practices. (Formerly ART 303 - Advanced Painting)

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
ART 103
(Spring)

ART 205 - Advanced Printmaking

In this course individualized projects will be developed that explore mixed media applications of printmaking processes. Students will build on printmaking skills already attained and new techniques will be introduced.  Both traditional and unconventional approaches to print media will be encouraged.  The course will culminate with a series of interrelated works created by each student. (Formerly ART 305 - Advanced Printmaking)

 

Prerequisites & Notes
ART 105, 107, 205 (formerly Introduction to Print Media), 207or 331

ART 209 - Advanced Sculpture

Sculptural concepts with attention to complex processes such as large-scale fabrication and bronze casting. Individual development of particular media chosen by the student. (Formerly ART 309 - Advanced Sculpture)

Prerequisites & Notes
ART 109
(Spring)

ART 211 - Advanced Digital Art

 

Prerequisites & Notes
Art 111
(Spring)

ART 270 - Special Topics in Digital Art: Art for Games

A rotating studio course in digital and new media techniques, disciplines, and theory emphasizing individual creative development and skilled approaches to technical problem solving in visual art.  Topics include exploring the computer as an artistic medium, digital performance, digital storytelling, video art, and code as art.  Through interdisciplinary exploration, students employ a combination of digital and traditional methods, using the computer to establish various digital techniques.  May be repeated twice when topics vary.

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

SPRING 2019 TOPIC: Art for Games

 

Prerequisites & Notes
Art 111 or 211
Repeatable for credit.

ART 321 - Seminars in Studio Art (321-371)

Courses numbered with odd numbers from 321 through 371 are studio art seminars limited to ten upperclass students with preference given to art majors. They are offered on an irregular basis in areas of special interest to the faculty.

ART 331 - Printmaking - Japan

Instructor
Starr

This course is an introduction to printmaking and bookmaking with an emphasis on examples from Japanese artists and a focus on Japanese techniques (including the traditional Japanese woodblock printing technique and screen printing techniques).  We will explore contemporary applications of the traditional techniques in response to ideas presented in Professor Suzanne Churchill’s ENG 390 - WordArt Japan course.  Each student will develop their own approach to image making while experiencing the unique opportunities and peculiarities of print media.  No studio art experience is required.

The spring 2018 course will be interlinked with Professor Suzanne Churchill’s ENG 390 - Word Art .  Students must sign up for both courses and will receive 2 course credits.  Students will create their own books using paper from Japan and create digital facsimiles.  While ostensibly, ENG 390 will emphasize writing and digital publication, and ART 331 will focus on images and printmaking, the pairing of the two courses will deconstruct work/image, print/digital, and East/West binaries through multimedia investigations that require interdisciplinary approaches and encourage cross-fertilization. 

Counts towards the East Asian Studies major and interdisciplinary minor.
Satisfies a Visual and Performing Arts requirement.
Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.

ART 391 - Independent Study - Studio Art

ART 397 - Junior Advanced Study

ART 401 - Senior Exhibition and Advanced Study

BIO 102 - Special Topics in Biology I

Satisfies the Liberal Studies requirement. 
 

Prerequisites & Notes
Not open to students who have credit for BIO 111/113 or 112/114 except by permission of the chair.

BIO 103 - Microbes & Human Disease

Satisfies the Liberal Studies requirement. 
 

Prerequisites & Notes
Not open to students who have credit for BIO 106, 111/113, or 112/114, except by permission of the chair. 

BIO 106 - Microbes & Our Health

Introduction to the science of biology by examining microscopic organisms and their influence on human health.  Designed to meet science distribution requirement of non-science majors.  One laboratory meeting per week.

Satisfies the Natural Science requirement.
 

Prerequisites & Notes
Not open to students who have credit for Biology 103, 111/113, or 112/114 except by permission of the chair.

BIO 107 - Special Topics in Biology II

Satisfies the Natural Science requirement.
 

Spring 2019 Topic: Biological Memory
Instructor: Sarafova

Prerequisites & Notes
Not open to students who have credit for BIO 111/113 or 112/114 except by permission of the department chair.

BIO 108 - Human Biology

Introduction to the science of biology by exploring human health, physiology, and disease.  Designed to meet science requirements of non-science majors.  One laboratory meeting per week.

Satisfies the Natural Science requirement.
 

Prerequisites & Notes
Not open to students who have credit for BIO 111/113 or 112/114 except by permission of the chair. 

BIO 109 - Biology of Plants

Introduction to the science of biology through topics in botany.  Designed to meet science requirements of non-science majors.  One laboratory meeting per week.

Satisfies Natural Science requirement.
 

Prerequisites & Notes
Not open to students who have credit for BIO 105, 111/113, or 112/114, except by permission of the chair.

BIO 111 - Molecules, Genes, & Cells

Satisfies the Natural Science requirement.
 

Prerequisites & Notes
Students with credit for BIO 113 may not enroll in BIO 111.

BIO 112 - Organisms, Evolution, & Ecosystems

Satisfies the Natural Science requirement.
 

Prerequisites & Notes
Students with credit for BIO 114 may not enroll in BIO 112.

BIO 113 - Integrated Concepts in Biology I

Introduction to biology’s core concepts from molecules through cells including information, evolution, cells, emergent properties, and homeostasis.  The weekly laboratory emphasizes core competencies of the process of science, the interdisciplinary nature of modern biology, data interpretation, quantitative skills, communication in multiple formats, and experience with large databases.  Students may take BIO 113 with either BIO 112 or BIO 114 to complete biology introductory course requirements.

Satisfies the Natural Science requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
Students with credit for BIO 111 may not enroll in BIO 113.

BIO 114 - Integrated Concepts in Biology II

Introduction to biology’s core concepts from organisms through ecological systems including information, evolution, cells, emergent properties, and homeostasis.  The weekly laboratory emphasizes core competencies of the process of science, the interdisciplinary nature of modern biology, data interpretation, quantitative skills, communication in multiple formats, and experience with large databases.  Students may take BIO 114 with either BIO 111 or BIO 113 to satisfy upper level prerequisites, pre-med requirements, and biology major requirements.

Satisfies the Natural Science requirement.
 

Prerequisites & Notes
Students with credit for BIO 112 may not enroll in BIO 114.

BIO 184 - Environmental Field Studies

BIO 201 - Genetics

Integration of molecular and classical genetics, including the physical nature of genetic material, the many levels of gene and genome regulation, transmission of genetic information and patterns of inheritance, gene mapping/identification via traditional and modern methods, and genetic engineering in many contexts.

Prerequisites & Notes
BIO 111/113 is required.  BIO 112/114, CHE 115, and/or CHE 250 is recommended.  One laboratory meeting per week.  Satisfies Group A.

BIO 202 - Microbiology

BIO 208 - Cell Biology

BIO 209 - Bioinformatics Programming (= CSC 209)

(Cross-listed with CSC 209.)  An interdisciplinary introduction to computer science and structured programming using the Python programming language in the context of biological datasets and applications, including algorithms for analyzing genomic data.

Satisfies a requirement in the Data Science interdisciplinary minor.
Satisfies the Mathematical and Quantitative Thought requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
Does not carry Mathematics major credit. 
Not open to students with credit for CSC 120 (=DIG 120), CSC 121 or CSC 200 (= PHY 200).  

BIO 216 - Plants, Farms, & Forests

BIO 217 - Insects and People

Biology of insects and related arthropods, structured around application and investigation of the relationship between humans and insects. Significant broad topics include medical and veterinary entomology, forensic entomology, the role of insects in human history and culture, biodiversity of and ecosystem services provided by insects, and conservation.

Prerequisites & Notes
Successful completion of BIO 111/113 and 112/114

BIO 222 - Vertebrate Zoology

Natural history of vertebrates (fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, birds) emphasizing phylogeny, adaptations, ecology, and behavior. Laboratory sessions involve field experiments, identification of local tetrapods, and some dissection.  One weekend field trip is required.

Satisfies depth or breadth course requirement in Natural Science Track of the Environmental Studies major or interdisciplinary minor.

 

Prerequisites & Notes
Successful completion of BIO 112/114, ENV 201, or permission of the instructor is required.  One laboratory meeting per week.  Satisfies Group B. Not open to students with credit for BIO 232

BIO 223 - Animal Behavior (=PSY 323)

An evolutionary approach to the study of animal behavior.  Laboratories include research projects on the behavior of animals in captivity and in the natural environment.   

Prerequisites & Notes
Successful completion of BIO 112/114 or permission of instructor is required.  One laboratory meeting per week.  Satisfies Group B. Counts towards the Psychology major as a Research Methods course in the Cognitive/Neuroscience column.  Not open to students with credit for BIO 233.

BIO 227 - Conservation Biology & Biodiversity

This course focuses on the scientific study of biological diversity, its rapid loss in recent decades, and approaches for its conservation.  Broad topics include the definition and measurement of biodiversity, the value of biodiversity to humans, causes of biodiversity loss and extinction in the modern world, how biodiversity can be managed and conserved, as well as the challenges posed by the human dimensions of biodiversity and conservation.  Students will focus intensively on the primary literature in this course, with an emphasis on the interpretation of data and the design of investigations in conservation biology.  After completing this course, students should be able to apply the scientific method, data analysis, biological theory, and critical thought to real-world conflicts between human needs and the conservation of biological diversity.  The laboratory focuses on biodiversity and conservation assessment including field work and occasional field trips.

Satisfies Natural Science requirement.
Satisfies a depth and breadth course requirement in the Natural Science track of the Enviromental Studies major or minor.
 

Prerequisites & Notes
Successful completion of BIO112/114, ENV 201, or permission of the instructor is required.  Satisfies Group B.
Not open to students with credit for BIO 237.

BIO 230 - The Host-Pathogen Interaction

This course will focus on the co-evolution (still in progress) of the protective mechanisms of organisms against a variety of pathogens and the pathogens’ evasion mechanisms of immune surveillance. Topics will include the nature of pathogens, mucosal surfaces as the first barrier to pathogens in vertebrates, evolution of the immune response to pathogens in the plant and animal kingdom, co-evolution of evasion mechanisms in viruses, bacteria, and protozoa to bypass or neutralize the immune response, diagnosis and treatment of microbial disease. Students will research a pathogen of their choice throughout the semester and will present their findings in poster format.

Satisfies a major requirement in Biology.

Prerequisites & Notes
BIO 111 or BIO 113. General knowledge of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell structure and function is assumed.

BIO 232 - Vertebrate Natural History

Natural history of vertebrates (fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, birds) emphasizing phylogeny, adaptations, ecology, and behavior. No laboratory.

Prerequisites & Notes
Successful completion of BIO 112/114, or ENV 201, or permission of the instructor is required.  Not open to students with credit for BIO 222.

BIO 233 - Behavioral Ecology

Behavioral ecology represents the intersection of Animal Behavior, Evolutionary Biology, and Ecology.  Behavioral ecologists are particularly interested in the fitness consequences (the adaptive significance) of the behavior of animals.  In this course, we will investigate foraging behavior, anti-predator behavior, territorial behavior, conflict, sexual selection, mating systems, parental care, and social systems.

Prerequisites & Notes
Successful completion of BIO 112/114 or permission of instructor is required.  Not open to students with credit for BIO 223.

BIO 237 - Biodiversity & Conservation

Focused on the peer-reviewed scientific literature, in this course we focus on understanding important patterns of biodiversity and the processes that lead to these patterns.  We consider the function and value of biodiversity to humans and the natural world and evaluate the efficacy of approaches to the conservation of biodiversity at local, regional, and global scales.  Students acquire transferable skills including data analysis, experimental design, and the interpretation of statistical results.

Satisfies a depth and breadth course requirement in the Natural Science track of the Environmental Studies major and minor.

 

Prerequisites & Notes
Successful completion of BIO 112 or BIO 114, ENV 201, or permission of the instructor.
Not open to students with credit for BIO 227.

BIO 238 - Cell Biology & Signaling

In order to coordinate function within multicellular eukaryotic organisms, organelles and cells utilize an array of molecular transport and communication mechanisms.  Students compare wild type and altered signaling from phenotype to changes in the signaling mechanism.  Examples draw from human genetic variation and changes due to exposure to environmental toxicants.  No laboratory.

Prerequisites & Notes
Successful completion of BIO 111/113 is required.  Students with credit for BIO 208 may not enroll in BIO 238.

BIO 240 - Biostatistics for Life Scientists

Probability, descriptive statistics, and proper application, interpretation, and reporting of inferential statistics for biological research.  Instruction in experimental design and use of statistical and graphics software. Recommended for pre-med and pre-veterinary students as well as those who plan to enroll in Biology group investigation or independent study courses.

Satisfies Mathematical & Quantitative Thought distribution requirement.
Satisfies the methodology course requirement for the Natural Science track of the Environmental Studies major.
Satisfies a requirement in the Data Science interdisciplinary minor.

Prerequisites & Notes
Successful completion of BIO 111/113 and 112/114, or ENV 201, or permission of the instructor is required.   

BIO 250 - Group Investigations

BIO 251 - Light Microscopy

This group investigation course is a research-based, collaborative experience to build practical and theoretical knowledge of tissue preparation techniques and foundational light microscopy techniques such as brightfield, phase, fluorescence, and confocal microscopy.  Emerging methodologies such as superresolution and light sheet microscopy are also considered.

Prerequisites & Notes
Successful completion of BIO 111/113 is required.

BIO 252 - Avian Behavioral Ecology

BIO 256 - Applied Insect Ecology

This group investigation course examines applied ecology problems in insect pollinator communities and/or populations of urban forest pests.  Pollinator communities may be adversely affected in an urbanizing landscape, while a forest pest may actually benefit in the same landscape.  Students investigate the effects of park size, location, surrounding land use, and plant diversity on insect pollinator diversity.  Students may also investigate the spatial and temporal dynamics of the fall cankerworm as well as assess the effectiveness of control efforts.  Projects have community-based learning and outreach components.  Students study insect population and community ecology, learn basic GIS and other digital skills, insect identification, and hone skills in experimental design, data analysis, and science communication.

Prerequisites & Notes
Successful completion of BIO 112/114, ENV 201, or permission of instructor is required.

BIO 257 - Tree Taxonomy & Identification: Dendrology

This group investigation course provides a survey of the taxonomy of woody plants and an introduction to the major forest biomes of the mountain and piedmont regions of North Carolina and southwestern Virginia.  Students learn how to identify trees, shrubs, and woodly vies using summer and winter characteristics.  Class meetings emphasize time spent in the field.

Prerequisites & Notes
Successful completion of BIO 112/114, ENV 201, or permission of instructor is required.

BIO 260 - Perspective on Darwinism

This seminar course focuses on the historical importance of the Darwinian revolution in biology.  To understand more fully Darwin’s accomplishments, students study evolutionary and anti-evolutionary thinkers who came before him.  In doing so, students come to understand more deeply the resistance to the Origin of Species at the time of its publication and similar resistance to evolutionary thinking before the Darwinian era.  Post-Darwinian controversies of the late 19th and early 20th century are considered as well as those emerging in contemporary biology.

Prerequisites & Notes
Successful completion of BIO 112/114 or permission of the instructor is required.

BIO 261 - Neuroscience of Exercise

A seminar course examining the research investigating how physical activity influences the brain at multiple levels (molecular, cellular, physiology, behavioral).  Emphasis is placed on developing strategies for identifying, reading, analyzing, and discussing a variety of literature on the topic (reviews, basic research, government documents, clinical research, public health studies, popular press reports, etc.).  Oral communication, visual communication, and/or writing skills are also emphasized as ways to share scientific research with audiences of scientists and non-scientists. 

Prerequisites & Notes
Successful completion of BIO 111/113 plus at least one other Biology course or CHE 115 are required.  Restricted to sophomores and juniors.

BIO 262 - Forensic Serology

This seminar focuses on the science behind the courthouse headlines as we discuss the biological theory and analytical techniques that form forensic serology’s basics. Topics include the composition of blood and semen, the molecular basis for enzymatic and antibody based analytical techniques, DNA analysis (RFLPs, VTNRs, and SNPs), and modes of inheritance of different markers (nuclear or mitochondrial DNA and protein). We will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of applying these techniques to samples collected in ‘real life’ situations and the potential ethical implications of DNA databases such as CODIS. In addition to participating in discussions of technical literature, students will give multiple oral presentations to the class and to public audiences.

Prerequisites & Notes
Successful completion of BIO 111/113 and at least one upper level group A biology course are required. Permission of the instructor required to register for the course.

BIO 264 - Evolutionary Medicine

Evolutionary concepts help explain why we remain vulnerable to disease, how pathogens and cancer cells evolve, and how the diseases that affected our evolutionary ancestors have shaped our biology.  In this seminar, we will read and discuss a new book by Stearns and Medzhitov (2015): Evolutionary Medicine.  Topics include defense mechanisms, pathogen evolution, cancer, reproductive medicine, mismatch, and mental disorders.

Prerequisites & Notes
Successful completion of BIO 111/113 and 112/114.

BIO 266 - Synthetic Biology Discoveries

Students will read primary literature from the transdisciplinary field of synthetic biology. This relatively new discipline integrates molecular biology, chemical engineering, mathematics, and computer science. 

Prerequisites & Notes
Successful completion of BIO111/113.

BIO 267 - Cases in Environmental Health

Environmental health focuses on the factors external to people that have health implications.  In this seminar students develop skills in literature research, critical analysis, and communication exploring the intersection between cell biology, public health, and the environment.  Broad topics include regional and global examples investigating air quality, water quality, and exposure to environmental chemicals.  In groups, students define sub areas of interest such as home air quality, water purification byproducts, or mercury.  Students use research, creativity, and communication skills to compile materials and write case studies that are appropriate for use in undergraduate cell biology courses.

Satisfies depth or breadth course requirement in Natural Science Track of the Environmental Studies major or interdisciplinary minor.

Prerequisites & Notes
Successful completion of BIO 111/113, BIO 112/114, or ENV 201 is required.  

BIO 303 - Biochemistry

Satisfies a requirement in Group A of the Biology major.
Satisfies a requirement in the Chemistry major.
Satisfies a requirement in the Neuroscience major and interdisciplinary minor.
Satisfies a requirement in the Genomics major and interdisciplinary minor.
Satisfies a requiremet in the Bioinformatics major.

Prerequisites & Notes
Successful completion of BIO 111/113 and CHE 250 are required.  One laboratory meeting per week.

BIO 305 - Microanatomy of Vertebrates (Histology)

BIO 306 - Developmental Biology

Investigates cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate animal development covering topics such as fertilization, cleavage, gastrulation, axis specification, and organogenesis via analysis of classical and modern experiments.  Laboratory sessions emphasize experimental manipulations of early embryos culminating in student-designed research projects.

Prerequisites & Notes
Successful completion of BIO 111/113 is required.  BIO 201 or 208/238 recommended.  Not open to students with credit for BIO 336.  Satisfies Group A.

BIO 307 - Immunology

Introduction to the immune system with an emphasis on mammalian models.  Course focuses on the cellular and molecular levels of the immune system in health and disease.  Topics include recognition of antigens, development of lymphocyte repertoires, and adaptive immune responses.

Prerequisites & Notes
Successful completion of BIO 111/113, CHE 115, and one of the following: BIO 201, 202, or 208/238 are required.  Not open to students with credit for BIO 337.  Limited to sophomores, juniors, and seniors or permission of instructor.  One laboratory meeting per week.  Satisfies Group A.

BIO 309 - Genomics

Students use published resources to understand how genome-scale information (e.g., DNA sequences, genome variations, transcriptomes, proteomes, and clinical studies) can provide a systems biology perspective. Students also use databases and bioinformatics tools to analyze data and post their analyses online.  May be taken simultaneously with BIO 343.

Counts as an elective in the Data Science interdisciplinary minor.

Prerequisites & Notes
Successful compeletion of BIO 111/113 and 112/114 and one of the following: BIO 201, 202, 208/238, 209, 303, 306/336, 307/337, 333, or 343 are required.  Satisfies group A only in combination with BIO 343.