2020-2021 University Catalog 
    
    Apr 19, 2024  
2020-2021 University Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Course Descriptions


 

Geography

  
  • GEOG 304 - Criminal Underworld: Drugs, Guns, Bodies


    Examines the violent networks of the illicit global economy: from guns and drugs smuggling, to human trafficking and animal poaching among others. Drawing from multiple scholarly traditions, it compares the concrete geographical organization of these illicit networks - that is, where and how they become grounded - and asks the following questions: What are the relationships of these illegal activities to legal circuits of power and profit? In what ways are transnational criminal networks redefining the nature of contemporary violence and the meaning of peace?

    Credits: 1.00
    Crosslisted: PCON 304 
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: No First-year
    Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 305 - Geopolitics of the Middle East


    Focuses on episodes in modern history when events in the Middle East have had geopolitical consequences. Students examine how things happening “over there” have repercussions (or generate concerns about repercussions) in the international system of states as a whole. In order to pay close attention to the systemic effects of events in the Middle East, case studies privilege the moments in between major wars that shook the region. Of necessity, the course focuses extensively on the period known as “The Cold War.” Analyses are organized around the careers of three fluids: oil, water, and blood. The first two are quite “dear” in the Middle East and have organized entire political economies. The evidence would suggest that the third has not been considered as precious, particularly by the great powers and would-be hegemons of the modern era.

    Credits: 1.00
    Crosslisted: MIST 305  
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: No First-year
    Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
    Liberal Arts CORE: Global Engagements


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 306 - The Geography of Happiness


    Achieving some degree of happiness is a primary goal for most people. Certainly, a huge industry has emerged in recent years to feed the public’s desire for ways to improve their happiness. There is also a rapidly growing amount of research on the subject. This course starts with an overview of the diverse, multidisciplinary scholarship on factors that may contribute to happiness. But the main goal of the course is to consider themes central to the discipline of geography: how do environmental changes, efforts to achieve sustainable development, and culture affect the geography of happiness? Do people achieve a greater sense of well-being when interacting with wilderness or by exploring nature in their backyards? Does environmental stewardship improve happiness? What roles do attitudes about food and leisure play in how happy people are? Students explore these questions via out-of-class excursions, films, diverse mix of scholarly and popular press readings, guest speakers, and individual research projects.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: No Senior, No First-year
    Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 309 - Latin America: Critical Landscapes of Development


    Explores the development experience of Latin America through examination of pressing environmental, economic, political, and social issues that currently face the region as a whole and play out differently across the region. The focus is guided by a critical reading of development theory, paying particular attention to Latin American theorizations and empirical experiences, and concern for the subjects, places, and scales that have been excluded from the presumed benefits of development. Mindful that Latin America’s development experience is historically embedded, students examine the transformation of Latin American societies and environments through legacies of conquest and colonialism, processes of globalization and neo-liberalization, dynamics of rural and urban change, changes in gender and race relations, and transformations of political and civil society dynamics. These issues are grounded in case studies drawn from Central America, the Caribbean, Andean countries, the Southern Cone, and Brazil. The course’s point of entry is contemporary environmental crises and the role of natural and human resources in shaping the development experience of the region.

    Credits: 1.00
    Crosslisted: ALST 309  
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: No First-year
    Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
    Liberal Arts CORE: Global Engagements


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 310 - Geopolitics


    Broadly defined, Geopolitics is the study of “the relationship among politics and geography, demography, and economics, especially with respect to the foreign policy of a nation.” As the study of political geography on a global scale, geopolitics examines the relationship between territories, boundaries, and states in the “closed system” we call planet earth. But geopolitics is more than an academic field. Geopolitical thought has actually instructed states how to relate to one another in the contest for territory, security, and resources. For example, the history of geopolitical analysis is closely connected to – and has often justified – various imperial projects. As a result, this course examines the relation between the development of geopolitical thought on one hand, and geopolitical events on the other. Of particular importance to the relation between theories of geopolitics and the actual geostrategies of states has been the development of conflict on a planetary scale. And so, this course traces that relation through the study of geopolitical thought and practice in the course of imperial struggles in the 19th century, World Wars and the threat of nuclear wars in the 20th century, and new global challenges such as resource wars and environmental security in our own time.

    Credits: 1.00
    Crosslisted: PCON 310 
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: No First-year
    Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 311 - Global Urban


    An exploration of contemporary urban geography and academic writing about the city. It introduces students to the ways in which urban geography has played a role, along with other disciplines that focus on the urban, in understanding cities and the issues that surround them. This includes an examination of how cities are conceived, lived, and represented. The course investigates the following topics: What are the various ways that people create, and attempt to materialize, their geographical imaginations of what they want the city to be? What are the ways in which different social groups make claims on space and place, and how does the scale at which these activities occur have effects? What are the critical questions to ask about urban landscapes today? How would you formulate a research proposal on such topics? The course offers a theoretical and practical framework within which to examine the city as a site of socio-cultural and political-economic transformation. In this framework, students analyze how the state, market, and civil society intersect, and how this has changed over the 20th century in the U.S. and other parts of the world.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: No First-year
    Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
    Liberal Arts CORE: Global Engagements


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 312 - The American City


    Focuses on the historical development and contemporary spatial patterns and processes of American cities. Topics emphasized include the decentralization of people and jobs within urban areas, metropolitan political fragmentation, racial residential segregation, inner-city gentrification, urban public service provision issues, the role of new immigrant groups, and feminist perspectives on urban geography, plus international and interregional comparisons to elicit distinctive characteristics of urbanization in the US.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: No First-year
    Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
    Liberal Arts CORE: Global Engagements


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 313 - Geographical Political Economy: Asia in Globalization


    Contemporary sociocultural and environmental issues cannot be understood without a good grasp of globalizing, yet place-specific political economic contexts in which these issues are embedded. The course aims to prepare students with conceptual and analytical foundations of economic geography with a particular attention to the roles of states, firms, and workers in the increasingly interconnected world. A strong empirical emphasis is given to Asia, although other world regions are addressed throughout the course for comparative and integrative purposes. Questions asked in this course include: what causes territorial economic growth and decline? How do place-specific economic structures influence policies? How are “the economy” and environment interrelated? Does advanced technology make geography irrelevant? Does economic growth produce socio-spatial inequality? In answering these questions, Asia offers a critical empirical arena to test theories and hypotheses, many of which have been developed primarily in the Euro-American contexts.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: No First-year
    Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 315 - Sustainable Livelihoods in Asia


    We are living in the world of growing uncertainty filled with various “shocks” such as natural disasters, financial crises, and development projects, and more insidious “distress” via resource depletion, excessive industrial specialization, and demographic transitions. This course focuses on how households and communities cope with, resist, adapt to, and challenge these large structural “disturbances” in locally specific and ingenious ways in order to take control and enhance their livelihood opportunities and cultural identities. Case studies are drawn from various parts of Asia, with a particular focus on Japan. Although theoretical foundations of this course are grounded in the literature on sustainable livelihood and community resilience in geography and neighboring fields, it is designed for students with various disciplinary backgrounds and interest in Asia. Students are expected to apply their disciplinary skills and regional knowledge to the course project.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: No First-year
    Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 316 - Environmental and Public Health Geographies


    Considers patterns of spatial and social distribution of disease and of health and medical resources. Alternative analytical approaches to describing and explaining these patterns of distribution are demonstrated. Selected topics include disease systems and disease ecology, the population analysis of mortality and morbidity, environmental influences on health, and the distribution and accessibility of health resources. Examples are drawn from both contemporary and historical societies throughout the world.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: No First-year
    Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
    Liberal Arts CORE: Global Engagements


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 318 - International Migration, U.S. Immigration, and Immigrants


    Introduces students to approaches to the study of international migration, immigrant assimilation and adjustment, ethnic social and economic stratification, and immigration policy formation and analysis. These topics are explored within the historical and contemporary context of the United States and New York. The class considers theoretical perspectives that have been applied to the study of migration as well as approaches used by sociologists and geographers in empirical analyses of US immigration, immigrant populations, and ethnic relations. These analytical issues are considered in detail for immigrant and ethnic groups within New York State and the New York metropolitan community. Finally, students consider the relationships among patterns of immigration and ethnic relations, cultural change, international relations and transnational linkages, and US immigration policy reform.

    Credits: 1.00
    Crosslisted: SOCI 318  
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


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  • GEOG 319 - Population and Environment


    Engages students in the analysis of the relationship between historical and contemporary human population dynamics and environmental processes and change. Theoretical perspectives on the relationships between and among population processes and the environment are considered on the basis of empirical evidence and also within the context of political debate and popular discourse. Students engage this topic through analytics skills in demography to measure and model population characteristics such as growth, distribution, fertility, mortality, and migration; and in selected environmental processes including climate and weather, land and landscapes, water resources, and biological resources and biodiversity. Having gained perspectives and skills to address population and environment interactions, students examine a global, national, or regional case study of observed and expected relationships between population processes and environmental resources, processes, and systems.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: No First-year
    Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 321 - Gender, Justice, and Environmental Change


    Explores how the environment (both physical and social) shapes, and is shaped by, the roles of men and women in society. Addresses environmental issues from the dual perspective of gender relations and social justice to advance understandings of the fundamental relationship between human activities and our physical and social environments. To this end, students work across diverse geographies to explore (1) the social relations underlying environmental problems; (2) the ways in which gender, class, race, ethnicity, age and dis/ability intersect in environmental issues; and (3) the social and environmental processes that underlie the construction of gender and the life-worlds of the individuals in those “geographies.” Students bring a global perspective to the issues by drawing out local-global linkages. Case studies are drawn from North America, Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: No First-year
    Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
    Liberal Arts CORE: Global Engagements


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 323 - Arctic Transformations


    The Arctic is one of the most rapidly changing regions of the world today, environmentally, culturally, and politically. Rapid biophysical change occurs here today due to climate change, but equally noteworthy are cultural, social, and political transformations experienced by people living and working in the Arctic. People are under increasing pressure to change along with transformation of their biophysical environments, particularly as new actors express interest in the Arctic as space opening up to global transportation, mineral exploration, and trade and ecotourism. Within geography, interest in Arctic phenomena includes grappling with complex issues related to social and biophysical changes in this region, which often originate beyond the region but have specific meaning for the region. Students investigate three vibrant areas of Arctic transformation: cultural transformation occurring among indigenous and local peoples, biological and physical transformation of the environment, and political transformation within and related to the region.

    Credits: 1.00
    Crosslisted: REST 323  
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: No First-year
    Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
    Liberal Arts CORE: Global Engagements


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 325 - Water and Society


    No natural substance is more vital to human existence or used in more different ways than fresh water. This course considers the natural and social processes (with primary focus on the latter) that shape water use both within and outside of the United States, including physical factors, technology, economics, culture, law, and political systems and ideologies. The focus is on the services that water provides, the causes and consequences of water scarcity, and the ways in which water’s services might be obtained in more sustainable ways.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: No First-year
    Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 326 - Environmental Hazards


    Environmental hazards are threats to people and the things they value. Hazards are a complex mix of natural processes and human actions; thus, they do not just happen, but are caused. This course emphasizes the role of institutions, technology, and human behavior in hazard creation, as well as ways in which society responds to hazards of multiple origins: case studies center on earthquakes, hurricanes, and wildfire (natural hazards); toxic pollution (technological hazards); and invasive species (biological hazards). A key theme explores ways in which society may mitigate the risk of environmental hazards and manage them more effectively.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: No Senior, No First-year
    Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 327 - Australia’s Stolen Generations: The Legacies of Carrolup (Extended Study)


    The intellectual goal of this extended study is to address issues of both population vulnerabilities and cultural resilience by considering Aborigines in Australia, and specifically engaging the historical geography and the contemporary experience of the Noongar community in Western Australia. Three themes form the curricular program of the extended study. (1) Students study the historical geography of Aborigines in Australia within the context of European colonization and settlement, federation and nation-building. These issues are framed using concepts of population vulnerability, environmental impact, and cultural heritage and identity at the national, regional and local geographic scales. (2) Students study the impacts of national, regional and local policies directed toward indigenous peoples on Aboriginal families and children, given particular focus to programs concerning part-Aboriginal children, Australia’s “Stolen Generations.” (3) Students learn the ways in which Aboriginal culture and ‘care for country’ has remained resilient across time, space, and generations.

    Credits: 0.50
    Crosslisted: PCON 327  
    Corequisite: GEOG 319  
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: None
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 328 - Sustainability and Natural Resources


    Uses social science perspectives on sustainability and sustainable development to analyze the production and consumption of major natural resources. Addresses the following questions: What are natural resources, and how do their geographies combine with those of wealth and poverty, of political power and technological and institutional capacity, to affect the potential for actions towards sustainable development? How is our understanding of sustainable resource development enriched by critical perspectives from the social sciences about the meaning of such contested concepts as sustainability and development, and about issues of equity, power, participation, property rights, and unequal impacts (of both resource depletion and environmental policies)? How can the three dimensions (environmental, social, and economic) of sustainability better guide the production and consumption of natural resources, renewable or nonrenewable, in different places and by different actors? The topical and regional focus of the course varies from year to year; it may, for example, focus on oil (or energy more generally), on minerals, or on biological and genetic resources; and on specific geographic areas, such as central New York, Latin America, or the Arctic.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: No First-year
    Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
    Liberal Arts CORE: Global Engagements


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 329 - Environmental Security


    About how the environment poses one of the most important security threats of the 21st century. From an interdisciplinary perspective, students are introduced to the different ways that climate change and environmental problems more generally are presenting new kinds of security threats. In many ways, greater environmental concern from governments and international organizations over the dramatic environmental changes afoot in the world is a welcome development. But will the “environmental security” framework reinforce global inequalities and maintain the status quo? Or might it mean rethinking the very foundations of what we mean by “security”?

    Credits: 1.00
    Crosslisted: PCON 329  
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: No Sophomore, No First-year
    Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 331 - Environmental Data Science


    Introduces fundamental concepts and tools central to the emerging field of Environmental Data Science. Satellites, environmental sensors, and citizen science networks collect a tremendous amount of geospatial data that offers unprecedented insight into the environment. The integration of computational tools, statistics, and an understanding of the earth system is essential for utilizing big data to understand environmental processes (e.g. climate change, food security). Topics covered include data provenance and reproducibility, data fusion, visualization, and statistical programing for environmental data. Students learn how to manipulate and analyze large climatic, ecological, and geospatial data sets using a statistical programing language. No prior programming experience is required.

    Credits: 1
    Prerequisites:   or    None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 332 - Weather and Climate


    Focuses on the principles of meteorology and climatology with particular emphasis on Earth/energy dynamics, atmospheric circulation, and middle latitude climatology. Elements of Earth’s energy system are used first to establish the basic causal forces that drive all weather phenomena. These concepts are extended into a section on atmospheric forces and thermodynamics, and used to build an understanding of the middle latitude climate system, including middle tropospheric circulation vorticity concepts and surface cyclone and anticyclone development. During this process, students perform several exercises that focus on atmospheric data analysis and forecasting. These exercises make use of numerous online meteorological data resources and culminate in a case study project involving the detailed analysis of a significant weather event.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: No First-year
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 335 - Soil Geography


    Focuses on the factors that influence soil distributions at scales ranging from a hillside to an entire continent. Begins with an introduction to soil morphology and genesis as a means to begin to understand the spatial variability of different soil properties. These concepts are extended into a section on soil geomorphology and the role soils play in global change research. Additional topics to be emphasized include soil survey and predictive soil mapping. Throughout the course students perform exercises and/or participate in field excursions that focus on learning how to differentiate soils on the landscape.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: GEOG 231  
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: No First-year
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 336 - Biogeography


    Focuses on the factors that influence plant and animal distributions at scales ranging from population to biome. To set the stage for discussing the geography of life, students first examine the earth’s physical setting. This leads to consideration of the fundamental processes determining plant and animal distributions. The interactions among these processes are also examined, thereby introducing the concept of the ecosystem. The functions of an ecosystem are discussed with focuses on energy and matter flow, population dynamics, succession, and disturbance. The culmination of these processes is reflected in broad-scale geographic patterns. Thus, the characteristics of the major biomes are examined. Finally, because humans and the environment are inextricably linked, students explore several impacts humans have on the landscape, including fragmentation, extinction, and species introductions.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: No First-year
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 338 - Earth System Ecology


    Examines how plants influence exchanges of energy, carbon, and water between the biosphere and the atmosphere. Begins with an examination of key biological and physical processes that regulate ecosystem carbon and water cycles, paying particular attention to critical linkages between the two. This leads to a consideration of how these processes function at larger spatial scales, and how they vary with time in response to climatic drivers. The land surface energy balance is discussed here as well, because it is inextricably linked with ecosystem carbon and water cycling. Finally, the interplay between ecosystems and climate is examined.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: No First-year
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 340 - Geographic Information Systems and Society


    Explores the impact of geographic information systems (GIS) on society. Begins by considering how technological advances in GIS have transformed the nature of geographic data creation and opened up entirely new fields of spatial analysis. Various theoretical perspectives are employed to better understand issues of privacy and ethics as they relate to GIS technologies. Specific topics include locational privacy, participatory GIS, volunteered geographic information, location-based services, the geoweb and new media, digital social/spatial inequalities, and the role of GIS in security and surveillance.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: No First-year
    Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 341 - Cartography


    As an academic discipline, geography focuses on the nature and causes of spatial variation. This focus is wide ranging and includes human and geophysical processes. Although the scope of geography is broad and the interest and expertise among geographers varied, one commonality is the use of maps and/or graphics for spatial analysis and visual communication. This course provides students with a fundamental understanding of cartography, including mapping theory, technique, and application. This objective is accomplished through a blend of lecture and exercises that introduce students to the theory and philosophy of cartography, map and graphic design, and appropriate forms of visual communication. The course begins with an introduction to cartography, including its history, and proceeds through examinations of statistical graphing, map projections, map design, symbology, and thematic mapping.

    Credits: 0.50
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: None
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 346 - Advanced Geographic Information Systems


    Focuses on geographic information systems (GIS) theory and complex spatial analysis. It is divided into two segments: GIS concepts and theory, and advanced GIS analysis and application. The first segment explores the evolution of GIS from a set of cartographic and data analytical tools used primarily by geographers to a more encompassing set of ideas and tools used by many disciplines to examine spatial processes. Included in the first segment is a thorough examination of issues associated with mapping and referencing the non-spherical earth, conceptual models for representing spatial phenomena, and data-quality issues. The second segment focuses on a select set of spatial analytical issues that can be addressed using GIS. These issues include analysis of continuous spatial phenomena (e.g., terrain), model building using multiple sources of spatial data, network analysis, and the integration of remotely sensed data in a GIS.

    Credits: 0.50
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: GEOG 245  
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: None
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 347 - Satellite Image Analysis


    Image analysis is a method used in geography to analyze remotely sensed data, including both satellite images and data collected from aircraft, in order to obtain information about earth’s surface phenomena from afar. The primary objective is to better understand, measure, and monitor features and human activities on Earth. Most typically, image analysis involves generating landcover maps using multi-spectral data collected by satellites. This course begins by focusing on the physical principles upon which image analysis is based, including the principles of acquiring and interpreting electromagnetic data collected by non-photographic sensors. Students then explore the basic tools of digital image processing (e.g., image enhancement, contract manipulation, etc.). This leads to a consideration of the process of image classification. Lastly, students discuss accuracy assessment as it applies to landcover classification, and spend a significant amount of time in the geography department computer lab performing analysis on remote sensing data.

    Credits: 0.50
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: GEOG 245 
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: None
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 391 - Independent Study


    Opportunity for individual study in areas not covered by formal course offerings, under the guidance of a member of the faculty.

    Credits: variable
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 401 - Seminar in Geography


    The senior seminar focuses on emerging research within a subfield of contemporary geography chosen by the instructor. Students identify and pursue advanced work on topics within that subfield.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: Only Geography, Environmental Geography Majors
    Class Restriction: Only Senior
    Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 490 - Honors Preparation in Geography


    Students enroll in this course in the fall semester of the senior year if granted permission to explore a potential honors project and prepare a formal proposal to pursue honors work in geography. Permission to enroll in this course does not guarantee permission to pursue honors in geography.

    Credits: 0.50
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: None
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 491 - Independent Study


    Opportunity for individual study in areas not covered by formal course offerings, under the guidance of a member of the faculty.

    Credits: variable
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOG 499 - Honors Studies in Geography


    Students pursuing honors research enroll in this course in the spring semester of the senior year. The research proposal must be approved by the Department of Geography.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term



Geology

  
  • GEOL 101 - Environmental Geology


    Many geologic processes and events have a significant impact on human societies. Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, landslides and floods all threaten lives and property and societies rely on water, mineral, climate, and energy resources to thrive. Similarly, society has many impacts on the Earth system through water and air pollution and climate change. This course examines the complex interplay between human activities and the environment through a multi-disciplinary approach, with the goal of applying science to better manage natural hazard risk, understand and mitigate future climate change, and use water, mineral and energy resources more sustainably.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: GEOL 101L  
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 101L - Environmental Geology Lab


    Required corequisite to GEOL 101 . Labs are field-based as much as possible and are designed, not only to build a deeper understanding of the course material, but also to provide hands-on experience with some of the scientific techniques geologists use to study the environment.

    Credits: 0.25
    Corequisite: GEOL 101  
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 102 - Sustainable Earth


    Focuses on Earth and its complex and life-sustaining resources, within an integrated framework including the terrestrial realm, the atmosphere, and the hydrosphere (freshwater, oceans, and glacial ice). Students develop a deeper understanding of the physical, chemical, biological and human interactions that determine the past, present and future states of Earth. Places a strong emphasis on the societal impacts of earth system science and provides a fundamental basis for understanding the world in which we seek to live sustainably.

    Credits: 1.00
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 105 - Megageology


    A course tracing the history of the Earth from the origin of the solar system to the present. Also considered are the origin and evolution of the Earth’s crust and interior; plate tectonics, continental drift and mountain building; absolute age dating; the origin of the hydrosphere and atmosphere; earthquakes and volcanism. The results of recent planetary exploration are incorporated into an examination of the origin of the solar system.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 115 - Evolution: Dinosaurs to Darwin


    The origin and evolution of dinosaurs and extinct mammals, including human ancestors, are examined as a vehicle for understanding how geologic and environmental forces—plate tectonics, asteroid strikes, and climate change—have shaped life processes through time. Interactive exercises promote exploration of Darwin’s (r)evolutionary ideas and facilitate debates about dinosaur physiology, social behavior, and future cloning. Evaluating evidence for dinosaur and mega-mammal extinctions provides the basis for understanding the current extinction crisis and for exploring species conservation strategies during a time of rapid environmental change.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 120 - The Geology of America’s Parks (Extended Study)


    Designed to introduce students to geological processes, materials, and basic field techniques using sites at National Parks in the United States and Canada. Major goals include developing a facility with basic field methods used in geology and other natural sciences, promoting understanding of how regional geological history and active modern processes shape landscapes, and exploring the impacts of human interactions with the natural world.

    Credits: 0.50
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: At least one course in geology or other introductory field-oriented science course
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: Only First-year, Sophomore
    Area of Inquiry: None
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 135 - Oceanography and the Environment


    A study of the major contemporary concepts of biological, chemical, geological, and physical oceanography. The nature and origin of ocean basins by global plate tectonics, sedimentation, sea water composition, water masses, oceanic circulation, waves, tides, life in the sea, and biological productivity, are all discussed. The role of human impacts and environmental change, including ocean warming and acidification, and marine pollution are stressed throughout the course.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 190 - Evolution of Planet Earth


    Explores our planet’s 4.5-billion year history and how geologists unearth the past through examination of minerals, rocks, and fossils. Earth’s evolution is a natural experiment that cannot be reproduced, and students make use of primary observational and interpretative tools that geologists use to understand the past. Age-dating techniques, plate tectonics and origin of continental crust, mountain building events, and evolution of Earth’s landscape, atmosphere, oceans, and biosphere are examined in the context of the geological evolution of North America.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: GEOL 190L  
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: No Senior
    Recommended: For students interested in concentrating in geology or environmental geology. 
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 190L - Evolution of Planet Earth Lab


    Required corequisite to  . Laboratory sessions focus on providing a familiarization with common rocks, minerals, and fossils, and geologic field techniques, with an emphasis on how these materials and techniques are used to understand Earth and its history.

    Credits: 0.25
    Corequisite: GEOL 190  
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 201 - Mineralogy and Geochemistry


    Rocks and minerals are the stuff of which planets are composed. They are the source of nutrients that sustain all life on this planet, and the materials from which civilizations are built. Students come to understand the physical and chemical nature of minerals, and gain a familiarity with the most common minerals found on Earth. Other important topics covered include how and when Earth’s materials were formed, and how their physical and chemical behaviors both control and tell us about major processes on the planet.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: GEOL 201L  
    Prerequisites: One course in geology
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 201L - Mineralogy and Geochemistry Lab


    Required corequisite to  . Labs introduce a variety of techniques used to study and identify minerals, including working with minerals in hand specimen, under the microscope, and using x-ray analysis.  Hands-on activities build a deeper understanding of crystal structures and optics, and a familiarity with the most common minerals that compose the Earth and influence geologic processes and the quality of life our planet.

    Credits: 0.25
    Corequisite: GEOL 201  
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 215 - Paleontology of Marine Life


    Considers the fossil record of marine life from its origin to the present, emphasizing the evolution of invertebrate animals and marine environments through time. In class, lab, and the field, students explore the anatomy, ecology, evolutionary history, and life-sustaining ecosystem services of shelly animals—from ancient to modern—that co-existed in reefs and adjacent habitats. Evolutionary events, including several biologic “revolutions,” are linked to dramatic environmental and climatic changes in Earth’s past. Familiarity with the record of past mass extinctions helps student gain facility in evaluating the magnitude of today’s biodiversity crisis and identifying best practice solutions for protecting marine environments during rapid global change.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: GEOL 215L  
    Prerequisites: One course in geology or biology
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 215L - Paleontology of Marine Life Lab


    Required corequisite to  . Lab and field exercises emphasize hands-on learning about fossil preservation; classification, identification, and paleoecology of invertebrate organisms that inhabited reef and adjacent environments; and paleontological techniques (including dissections).

    Credits: 0.25
    Corequisite: GEOL 215  
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 225 - Sedimentology and Surficial Processes


    A detailed study of modern sedimentary environments and their use in interpreting ancient sedimentary rocks. The chemical and physical processes leading to weathering, erosion, transport, deposition, and lithification of sediments are considered. Interpretation of local Paleozoic, Pleistocene, and Holocene sediments is carried out through field study projects. Economic aspects of sedimentary rocks, such as the occurrence of oil, natural gas, and coal, are discussed.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: GEOL 225L  
    Prerequisites: One course in Geology
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None
    Formerly: GEOL 302


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 225L - Sedimentology and Surficial Processes Lab


    Required corequisite to GEOL 225 .

    Credits: 0.25
    Corequisite: GEOL 225  
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None
    Formerly: GEOL 302L


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 235 - Tectonics and Earth Structure


    Mountain ranges, rifting continents and earthquakes show that the Earth is constantly deforming. Serves as an introduction to the principles of structural geology and geophysics, and explores the physical processes deforming Earth’s surface and interior and driving plate tectonics. Students will examine how and why deformation occurs, and what lines of evidence we use to study deformation on all scales, from the microscopic to global. The course will cover tectonic processes, brittle and ductile deformation mechanisms, earthquakes and seismic waves, and solid Earth properties.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: GEOL 235L  
    Prerequisites: One course in Geology
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None
    Formerly: GEOL 305


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 235L - Tectonics and Earth Structure Lab


    Required corequisite of GEOL 235.

    Credits: 0.25
    Corequisite: GEOL 235  
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None
    Formerly: GEOL 305L


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 253 - Environmental Geochemistry and Analysis


    The focus of this interdisciplinary laboratory and field-based course is the development of practical skills essential to the study of natural systems. Through a series of student-designed local projects, students learn how to address environmental questions, including experimental design, collection and analysis of samples, interpretation of data, and presentation of conclusions. Specific skills include techniques for the chemical analysis of natural materials including rock, soil, and water, statistical analysis, sample collection, and methods of data presentation. Laboratory and lecture are fully integrated and meet once or twice a week. Occasional day-long sampling and field trips.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: GEOL 253L  
    Prerequisites: GEOL 190  
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None
    Formerly: GEOL 203


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 253L - Environmental Geochemistry and Analysis Lab


    Required corequisite to  . There is no separation between lab and class, they are fully integrated; work on projects is the primary focus of the entire course. Occasional day-long sampling and field trips.

    Credits: 0.25
    Corequisite: GEOL 253  
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None
    Formerly: GEOL 203L


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 260 - Volcanology


    Our fascination with volcanoes stems primarily from their awesome powers of destruction, yet their constructive role in shaping our landscape, atmosphere, and oceans has been crucial in Earth’s history. This course explores the fundamental concepts of volcanology, from the geological, chemical, and physical processes that generate volcanoes to the implications of volcanic activity on humankind. Through case studies, this course examines the tectonic environments that generate volcanoes and what they tell us about Earth’s internal processes; eruptive styles and volcanic forms; volcanic rocks; properties and generation of magmas; features of lava and pyroclastic flows; and volcanic hazards, including their prediction and mitigation.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: GEOL 260L  
    Prerequisites: GEOL 190  
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None
    Formerly: GEOL 220


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 260L - Volcanology Lab


    Required corequisite to  . Activities in the lab are widely varied, from learning important field techniques for understanding the eruptive history of volcanoes to exploring the physical principles behind volcanic behavior.

    Credits: 0.25
    Corequisite: GEOL 260  
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None
    Formerly: GEOL 220L


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 291 - Independent Study


    Opportunity for individual study in areas not covered by formal course offerings, under the guidance of a member of the faculty.

    Credits: variable
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 301 - Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology


    Deals with the origin and evolution of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Petrology and melting of the mantle are examined, and the origin and differentiation of magmas in different tectonic settings are explored. Metamorphic rocks are examined using mineral assemblages, metamorphic facies, and thermobarometry with the goal of understanding the crustal history of mountain building. These topics are unified by concepts of plate tectonics. May include a weekend field trip.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: GEOL 301L  
    Prerequisites: GEOL 201  
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None
    Formerly: GEOL 202


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 301L - Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology Lab


    Required corequisite to GEOL 301. Laboratories involve the study of rock suites from classic areas around the world.

    Credits: 0.25
    Corequisite: GEOL 301  
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None
    Formerly: GEOL 202L


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 310 - Environmental Economic Geology


    Examines the global distribution of mineral resources, the economic and engineering factors that govern their availability, and the environmental effects of their production and use. Mineral resources to be considered include ferrous and non-ferrous metals, precious metals, and energy fuels. Topics to be explored, in addition to the origin, nature, and geological settings of the world’s great mineral deposits, include mineral law, mineral exploration and production, strategic mineral reserves, minerals and human health, and environmental impact of mining and use, and remediation.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: GEOL 201  
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Recommended: GEOL 301  
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 311 - Environmental Geophysics


    Near-surface features of the Earth display a stunning variety of structures and compositions. These features give insight in the geology of a region, and can also be important in the fields of environmental studies, engineering, and archaeology. Many subsurface structures are not visible at the surface, but can be illuminated using geophysical measurements and modeling. In this course, students will learn the science behind several geophysical techniques, including gravity surveying, reflection and refraction seismology, GPS monitoring, and electric and magnetic methods. Two weekend field days are required.

    Credits: 1.00
    Prerequisites: One geology course
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Recommended: One semester of calculus 
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 320 - Techniques of Field Geology


    A five-week summer field program introduces the basic field techniques used in geologic mapping. Students prepare geologic maps and stratigraphic sections in assigned map areas and develop geological histories, focusing on igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic processes. The course consists of field work in such locations as Colorado, Wyoming, and Idaho.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 335 - Hydrology and Geomorphology


    The geologic materials nearest the Earth’s surface are those that interact with the biosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere. This course explores the nature of surficial geologic materials and processes by using geographic information system (GIS) tools and hydrological modeling software. Major topics are landform development, chemical weathering, soil development and quality, and surface and groundwater hydrology.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: GEOL 335L  
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Recommended: A previous earth science or geology course is recommended.
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None
    Formerly: GEOL 210


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 335L - Hydrology and Geomorphology Lab


    Required corequisite to GEOL 335 .

    Credits: 0.25
    Corequisite: GEOL 335  
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None
    Formerly: GEOL 210L


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 370 - Geoinformatics


    Focuses on the digital analysis of geologic data. The complexity of natural systems - including geomorphology, plate tectonics, and climate systems - benefit from computer-assisted manipulation of large-scale datasets. Covers application of GIS and Matlab to geologic datasets, access and use of public data sources, digital analysis of large datasets, and modeling of natural geological systems.

    Credits: 1.00
    Prerequisites: GEOL course number 190 or higher
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None
    Formerly: GEOL 270


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 391 - Independent Study


    Opportunity for individual study in areas not covered by formal course offerings, under the guidance of a member of the faculty.

    Credits: variable
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 403 - Geochemistry


    Explores the fundamental chemical principles that govern how our planet came to be what it is today. In particular, focus will be on how to use chemistry as a tool to understand major geological processes, from the formation of the planet to processes that are particularly important to environmental quality, and thus to humans.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: GEOL 201  and CHEM 101  
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 411 - Isotopes in the Earth Sciences


    The age of the Earth, genesis and growth of continents, global climate change, and the formation of the solar system are all understood primarily through isotope and trace element geochemistry. This course explores how geochemical tracers are used to understand processes in the Earth and solar system that are not possible to observe directly. Methods to be investigated include geochronology, radiogenic isotopes in magmatic systems, stable isotopes as applied to understanding fluids in low- and high-temperature environments, stable isotopes and the paleoclimate record, and the radiogenic and stable isotope cosmochemistry of meteorites and lunar samples. Current research in these fields is a focus.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: GEOL 201   (may be taken concurrently)
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 416 - Marine Geology


    The course is designed to provide a realistic understanding of rapidly evolving concepts in the field of geological oceanography. Sedimentary and geophysical data are discussed in the context of global plate tectonics. These data are used to examine the processes responsible for the origin and evolution of continental margins and ocean basins and to reconstruct global climate history.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: GEOL 225   (may be taken concurrently)
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 418 - Tectonics Seminar


    Analyzes large-scale structures of the Earth’s crust and interior. There is particular emphasis on the interpretation of modern and ancient orogenic belts in terms of plate tectonics models. Includes discussion of the details of plate boundary structures and plate interactions, evolution of the Earth’s lithosphere through geologic time, and the use of isotopes in geological investigations. Student presentations are required.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: GEOL 235   (may be taken concurrently)
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 420 - Solid Earth Processes


    Focuses on how the Earth’s processes such as volcanism, plate motion, and mantle dynamics are studied by geologists. Through a seminar-style approach, students consider the techniques used to understand the solid Earth, with emphasis on volcanic and plate tectonic systems. Methods studied include (a) volcanic systems: gas, plume, and thermal monitoring for prediction of eruptions, lava chemistry, heat flow, geochronology, field observations, and lava flow dynamics; (b) plate tectonics: earthquake observations, ground deformation, and gravity; (c) planetary geology: remote sensing, spectroscopy, and plume sampling. Each technique is examined in the context of a specific case study (e.g., Mount Pinatubo, Hawaii, Yellowstone, Los Angeles fault zones, Venus, and the moons of Jupiter) through readings and discussions of current geological literature. Experts currently working in the field are often consulted as resources.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 441 - Senior Research Seminar


    Students engaged in senior or honors research are required to register for this course designed to guide them in the proper preparation of a research paper or honors thesis. Students are instructed in research techniques, including library research, statistical analysis, and other approaches commonly used in the geosciences. Other matters addressed in this seminar include the format of the research paper or honors thesis, techniques of scientific writing, and how to prepare an oral presentation.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 450 - Paleoclimatology


    Earth’s climate has fluctuated widely in the past, between warm periods and ice ages, and times of great drought versus wetter intervals. The planet currently faces abrupt climate change resulting from human-induced environmental modification. Paleoclimatology, the study of past climates and environments of the Earth, provides a long-term perspective on the nature of global climate variability that is critical for evaluating the sensitivity of the Earth system to past, present, and future changes. This course provides students with an overview of paleoclimatology by examining the use of proxy records such as marine and lake sediment sequences, ice cores, tree rings, corals, and historical data to reconstruct past climatic conditions. Dating methods are introduced, and seminal publications in paleoclimatology are reviewed in tandem with current research papers addressing outstanding questions in paleoclimatology. Throughout, students critically analyze their current understanding of past climates and environments, and identify promising directions for future research. Topics include abrupt climate change, human evolution and climate, biosphere-climate interactions, and paleoclimate modeling.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: GEOL 215  or GEOL 225  
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None
    Formerly: GEOL 350


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GEOL 491 - Independent Study


    Opportunity for individual study in areas not covered by formal course offerings, under the guidance of a member of the faculty.

    Credits: variable
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term



German

  
  • GERM 121 - Beginning German I


    Introduces students to the basic structures of German and focuses on the four language skills of understanding, speaking, reading, and writing German in cultural, functional contexts. The courses simultaneously introduce students to the vibrant societies and cultures of German-speaking Europe.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GERM 122 - Beginning German II


    Continued introduction to the basic structures of German and focuses on the four language skills of understanding, speaking, reading, and writing German in cultural, functional contexts. The courses simultaneously introduce students to the vibrant societies and cultures of German-speaking Europe.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GERM 195 - Elementary-Level German Language Abroad


    Elementary-level language courses taken abroad with a Colgate study group, an approved program, or in a foreign institution of higher learning.

    Credits: 1
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GERM 201 - Intermediate German I


    Completes the presentation of basic structures of German and helps students develop greater facility and sophistication in using these structures, in comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing. Continues the exploration of German cultures begun on the 100 level with a focus on Germany in Europe.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: GERM 122  or equivalent
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Restrictions: Not open to students who score 3 or higher on a German AP exam
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: Global Engagements


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GERM 202 - Intermediate German II


    Completes the presentation of basic structures of German and helps students develop greater facility and sophistication in using these structures, in comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing. Continues the exploration of German cultures begun on the 100 level with a focus on Germanophone Europe.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: GERM 201  or equivalent
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: Global Engagements


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GERM 230 - Once Upon a Time: Fairy Tales


    Castles, enchanted forests, princes and princesses, wicked stepmothers, dangerous beasts, moral lessons and terrible punishments: this course re-visits the world of childhood bedtime stories with the aim of developing a critical appreciation of the meaning, structure, and function of classic fairy tales. Beginning with the tales of Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm, the course also examines Disney film adaptations and modern rewritings by authors such as Roald Dahl, Margaret Atwood, and Anne Sexton. Questions to consider include: What is a fairy tale? How have fairy tales been used to teach moral lessons and reinforce cultural values? How have these stories been re-imagined for different audiences? Readings and discussions will culminate in a collaborative multimedia project. Course taught in English.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: Global Engagements


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GERM 291 - Independent Study


    Opportunity for individual study in areas not covered by formal course offerings, under the guidance of a member of the faculty.

    Credits: variable
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


    Click here for Course Offerings by term


  
  • GERM 295 - Intermediate-Level German Language Abroad


    Intermediate-level language courses taken abroad with a Colgate study group, an approved program, or in a foreign institution of higher learning.

    Credits: 1
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


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  • GERM 322 - German Expressionist Cinema


    Students screen a selection of representative German films and analyze them with an eye to the social and historical context in which they were made and to their innovation and influence in the development of cinema art and film language. The films are also discussed in terms of larger theoretical and methodological issues (film and literature, realism, representations of class or gender stereotypes, film and political propaganda, etc.). Taught in English. Participation in the accompanying FLAC section is mandatory for students wishing to earn German major/minor credit for this course.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: GERM 322L  
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


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  • GERM 322L - Required Film Screening


    Required corequisite to GERM 322 .

    Credits: 0.00
    Corequisite: GERM 322
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


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  • GERM 325 - Transnationalism in Contemporary German Culture


    As demographic changes in Europe unmoor conventional conceptions of national culture, the discourse of transnationalism has emerged to address contemporary political and cultural phenomena no longer confined to the stages of nation-states. This course examines the transnational imagination at work in recent German cultural production, with a focus on cinematic negotiations of German and European identity. Factors contributing to these negotiations include the tenuous legacy of German unification, the consolidation of the European Union, and the migration of people to Germany from non-European backgrounds. The course’s method of inquiry is multidisciplinary, addressing contemporary films in conjunction with their historical contexts, as well as contemporary social and political theory. To address the aesthetic qualities of transnational cinema, students familiarize themselves with the terminology and methodologies of film studies and perform critical visual analyses of the cinematic material. Participation in the accompanying FLAC section is mandatory for students wishing to earn GERM major/minor credit for this course.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: GERM 325L  
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Recommended: FMST 200  is desirable but not required
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: Global Engagements


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  • GERM 326 - Germany and the Environmental Imagination


    Germany is widely recognized as a global leader in environmental policy and green technology. To what extent does Germany’s role as a pioneer in the global environmental movement have its roots in German culture? Building on interdisciplinary scholarship in the growing field of environmental humanities, this course offers an introduction to environmental thought in German literature, culture, and the arts from the 18th-century to the present. The goal of the course is to develop an ecocritical model of reading, focusing on the way literature and other artworks stage the encounter between people and nature in a range of different genres: fairy tales, prose, poetry, landscape painting, and film. Tracing the emergence of the German environmental imagination in key texts from German literature, art, and film, the course also examines the emergence of the modern environmental movement in Germany, and explores how literature and the arts contribute to contemporary debates about environmental justice, species extinction, and sustainability. Course taught in English with an optional FLAC section in German.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: Global Engagements


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  • GERM 327 - Reinventing Berlin: Memory, Culture, and Urban Space


    Berlin has long been considered the quintessential modern metropolis and one that continually reinvents itself as an ongoing experiment in urban culture. Today, the capital of united Germany’s “Berlin Republic” is a vibrant, ethnically diverse city with political and cultural meanings that resonate far beyond its borders. Students approach contemporary Berlin by way of historical, political and cultural stories of its urban landscape. Through study of monuments, architecture and city planning, film, art and literature, eyewitness reporting and historical analysis, students explore re­inventions of the city and the transformations of its urban space and public culture in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. In doing do, the changing conceptualizations of civic and national identity, collective memory and imagined futures elicited by Berlin’s complex history are also addressed. Participation in the accompanying FLAC section is mandatory for students wishing to earn GERM major/minor credit.

    Credits: 1
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


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  • GERM 330 - Kafka


    Kafka may be the most dizzyingly overdetermined proper name in world literature. Not only does it stand for the author, it has come to signify a host of political, institutional, existential, and aesthetic conditions. One refers to “Kafkaesque” experiences, sensibilities, or bureaucracies; situations, movies, the 20th century, and modern life are all regularly dubbed “Kafkan” or “Kafkaish.” The name seems to have a life of its own; but to understand what it means, students must animate Kafka by reading him. Students read, discuss, and think about a range of Kafka’s writing, from novels and short stories to diary entries and legal brief, paying close attention not only to the texts and their various obsessions, but to their emergence in his creative process and their afterlives in translation and the works of other artists. Students explore the multicultural Central European milieu that Kafka inhabited and examine the global transmission and remediation of his work in its critical reception, multiple translations, and adaptations; its transmutation into a style; and its metastasis in popular culture. Taught in English. Participation in the accompanying FLAC section is mandatory for students wishing to earn GERM major/minor credit for this course.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: Global Engagements


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  • GERM 341 - Advanced Conversation and Composition (Study Group)


    Especially geared to the needs of American students studying and living in a German environment. Addresses methods for coping in everyday situations as well as in the special setting of a German university. The first part is taught by the director while traveling; the second part is taught by the director or tutors in accordance with the very specific needs of each individual student.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


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  • GERM 351 - Introduction to German Literary Studies


    Introduces students to a variety of German literary texts from the 18th century to the present, in their cultural and historical contexts. Through its exploration of topics such as revolution and social change; constructions of gender; national identity; migration and minority experience; and modernity and aesthetic innovation, the course considers the versatile powers of literature to interpret and influence personal and collective experience. The course also serves as a workshop in which to develop techniques and vocabulary of literary and cultural analysis. In addition to furthering critical understanding of German literature as part of living culture, this course will help students strengthen and expand German language skills in all four areas: reading, writing, comprehension and speaking. Taught in German.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: GERM 202  or equivalent
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


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  • GERM 353 - Proseminar in German Studies


    Introduces students to the academic study of German by exploring key topics and foundational methods of the discipline, while further developing advanced German language competencies. Deepening students’ familiarity with Germanophone Europe, the course adopts a multimedia approach to German studies (print, visual art, stage, radio and film) to advance cultural and transcultural literacy. The focus of the course depends on the instructor, who may emphasize linguistic structures through the study of advanced grammar and syntax; the relationship between crisis and critique in the history of Germanophone Europe; the gray zones between the past and the present, the living and the dead in studies of ghosts and the uncanny; or the borderlands of European multi-culture. Taught in German.

    Credits: 1
    Prerequisites: GERM 202 or equivalent
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


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  • GERM 391 - Independent Study


    Opportunity for individual study in areas not covered by formal course offerings, under the guidance of a member of the faculty.

    Credits: variable
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


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  • GERM 395 - Advanced-Level German Language Abroad


    Advanced-level language courses taken abroad with a Colgate study group, an approved program, or in a foreign institution of higher learning.

    Credits: 1
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


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  • GERM 457 - German Literature and Culture On-Site (Study Group)


    Designed to create a frame of reference for students by presenting them with on-site study of German history and culture and connecting it to the present experience abroad. In addition to study trips in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, the course incorporates current theater performances, concerts, and visits to museums and art galleries. As with GERM 341, the course has two components: the pre-term weeks (in March) devoted to travel, and the term at the University of Freiburg during which regular class sessions are scheduled.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: None
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: Global Engagements


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  • GERM 461 - Goethe


    Introduces Goethe’s writing and thought through selected plays, narrative fiction, critical writings, and poems. Topics include Goethe’s interest and influence in various cultural spheres, such as the visual arts, the scientific fields of his time, and politics in the age of revolutions. Students explore his comparative approach to world languages and literatures, his changing aesthetic positions during his lifetime, and his literary explorations of gender and love. The seminar interprets Goethe in the context of his time and also examines his dominant and debated position in the German cultural tradition.

    Credits: 1.00
    Prerequisites: Two GERM 300-level courses
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


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  • GERM 475 - Romanticism/Junges Deutschland


    German Romanticism and the movement known as Young Germany evolved in the years between the French Revolution to the “March Revolution” of 1848 and circled around the aspirations and disappointments of the revolutionary spirit. The literature of these years follows shifts in the intellectual debates of the times: the proclamation of individual rights, the crumbling of traditional social structures and the rise of new social forms, the plight of the lone individual detached from traditional moorings. Works we will read include folk fairy tales of the Grimm Brothers, the poetry of Novalis and Eichendorff, fantastic tales by E.T.A. Hoffmann, and the socially critical poetry of Heinrich Heine.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: Two GERM 300-level courses
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


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  • GERM 477 - Literature at the Turn of the Century


    At the dawn of the 20th-century, central Europeans lived, debated, and created amidst great doubts that their world had any future. At the heart of a conflicted and paradoxical modernity arose a keen sense of the unreality and futility of human affairs. Yet modernity’s seemingly unresolvable challenges—including questions about the political arrangements of diverse and multilingual societies, the constitution of the human psyche, the chances of human survival on the eve of World War I, as well as class, inter-ethnic and gender relations—spawned a furor of pioneering responses in the urban centers of Germanophone Europe. Exploring the resources of this rich period (1890-1924), this course investigates the cultural, literary, philosophical, artistic, and musical activity abounding in Vienna, Prague, and other sites of central European modernity. Readings include works by Zweig, Roth, Hofmannsthal, Schnitzler, Freud, Musil, Kraus, and Kafka. Focus is on reading and writing about central Europe will be supplemented by visual works of art, architecture and cinema relevant to the period.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: Two GERM 300-level courses
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


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  • GERM 479 - 20th-Century Literature


    Examines the literature and cultures of German-speaking Europe in the 20th century. Because of the wealth of the material, selections vary from semester to semester. Areas of focus may include: the Weimar Republic, exilic literature by émigrés of National Socialism, comparative approaches to West and East German literature, confronting the Holocaust, Austrian and Swiss writers, migration and transnationalism, and the literature of German unification and the Berlin Republic.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: Two GERM 300-level courses
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


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  • GERM 481 - Lyric Poetry


    A survey of selected examples of German poetry from the Baroque period to the present. Poems are examined with an eye to developments in form and to poetry’s engagement with the changing world in which it is created, from the Thirty Years’ War to the European Union.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: Two GERM 300-level courses
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


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  • GERM 482 - The Novella and the Village: Modern Tales from the Country


    Examining a unique German form from Goethe to the present, students explore the narrative forms of the novella and the short novel in the context of increasing urbanization in German-speaking lands, with a focus on the 19th-century.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: None
    Prerequisites: Two GERM 300-level courses
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


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  • GERM 485 - Drama


    Examines the history, theory, and practice of German drama with a focus on a selection of major dramatic works from the 18th century to the present. As theater continues to thrive as a unique aesthetic and social institution of German-speaking Europe, students conduct a performance-oriented study of theater as a medium of cultural and transcultural communication. Canonical playwrights to be studied may include Lessing, Schiller, Goethe, Kleist, Büchner, Nestroy, Ibsen, Brecht, Soyfer, Peter Weiss, or Heiner Müller. Contemporary playwrights may include Sibylle Berg, Nurkan Erpulat, Elfriede Jelinek, Dea Loher, Falk Richter, Yael Ronen or Roland Schimmelpfennig. Investigating the genres of the bürgerliches Trauerspiel, the Volksstück, epic theater, postdrama, and postmigratory theater, students also undertake experiments in drama pedagogy.

    Credits: 1.00
    Corequisite: GERM 485L  
    Prerequisites: Two GERM 300-level courses
    Major/Minor Restrictions: None
    Class Restriction: None
    Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
    Liberal Arts CORE: None


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