In this half-semester course, a detailed study of the synthesis of organic compounds is presented. Particular attention is given to functional group compatibility, diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity, recent developments in organic reactions, as well as reaction catalysis. The primary literature is examined with an eye to better understand the design of the synthetic approach.
In this half-semester course, the basic principles of the drug discovery process are explored. Topics include traditional and novel approaches, mode of action, quantitative structure activity relationships, absorption, distribution, metabolism, and inactivation of medicinal agents. In addition, major drug classes are presented along with specific case studies for each category.
This half-semester course uses a firm grounding in chemistry to seek answers to the complex environmental questions faced by modern society. The scientific literature and field and laboratory experiments are used to explore a topic of interest such as energy production, natural cycles and their anthropogenic perturbations or environmental contaminants.
Original research projects designed for student collaboration with faculty members to build on and consolidate the previous experiences in research, project design, use of modern instrumentation for data acquisition and analysis, problem solution, and oral and written communication of results. A minimum of eight hours of laboratory work per week is required.
Credits: 0.50 When Offered: Fall semester only
Corequisite: None Prerequisites: None Major/Minor Restrictions: Only Chemistry, Biochemistry Majors and Minors Class Restriction: Only Senior Area of Inquiry: None Liberal Arts CORE: None
Original research projects designed for student collaboration with faculty members to build on and consolidate the previous experiences in research, project design, use of modern instrumentation for data acquisition and analysis, problem solution, and oral and written communication of results. A minimum of eight hours of laboratory work per week is required.
Credits: 0.50 When Offered: Spring semester only
Corequisite: None Prerequisites: None Major/Minor Restrictions: Only Chemistry, Biochemistry Majors and Minors Class Restriction: Only Senior Area of Inquiry: None Liberal Arts CORE: None
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
This introduction to modern standard Chinese emphasizes understanding and speaking, with practice in reading and writing approximately 300 characters in either traditional or simplified forms. It covers basic structural patterns and vocabulary needed for ordinary conversation as well as future development.
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
This introduction to modern standard Chinese emphasizes understanding and speaking, with practice in reading and writing approximately 300 characters in either traditional or simplified forms. It covers basic structural patterns and vocabulary needed for ordinary conversation as well as future development.
CHIN 195 - Elementary-Level Chinese 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
Offers continued training in Modern Standard Chinese, with emphasis on reading and writing skills. Grammar review is combined with introduction to variations in speech and writing. Recitation and conversation sessions, role-play, and skits reinforce listening and speaking ability. By the end of the year, students may expect to communicate in both speech and writing on everyday topics.
Offers continued training in Modern Standard Chinese, with emphasis on reading and writing skills. Grammar review is combined with introduction to variations in speech and writing. Recitation and conversation sessions, role-play, and skits reinforce listening and speaking ability. By the end of the year, students may expect to communicate in both speech and writing on everyday topics.
Offers an introduction to representative works of Chinese literature in English translation, as well as works of Chinese film with English subtitles. Specific focus and selections vary from year to year. No knowledge of Chinese is expected.
Prerequisites: None Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: None Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression Liberal Arts CORE: Global Engagements
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
CHIN 295 - Intermediate-Level Chinese 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
Chinese medicine as a full-bodied version (not a part) of Chinese culture was first recorded in The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic dating back to the 5th century BC. Interrelating astronomy, cosmology, nature-human correspondence, seasonal climates’ impact on health, lifestyle adjustments, acupuncture, herbs, medical ethics and other topics, this text remains the cornerstone of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) today. The book’s broad and inter-defining perspectives set the tones for Chinese medical culture as a whole, further innovated throughout the ages up to the present day in and beyond China including our own New York State through the practice, teaching, and research of acupuncture.
Credits: 1.0 Corequisite: None Prerequisites: None Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: None Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression Liberal Arts CORE: Global Engagements
By focusing on film, this course increases students’ fluency in all aspects of Chinese language. Students improve listening and speaking skills through viewing and discussion of materials that can range from film and television shows to online videos and podcasts; they improve reading, writing, and narration skills through work with written scripts. Through discussion and essay assignments, they learn to express personal responses, thoughts, and feelings.
or equivalent experience Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: None Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression Liberal Arts CORE: Global Engagements
Through readings on developments in contemporary Chinese society, this course introduces students to the vocabulary and sentence structures specific to written Chinese. Exercises accompanying the readings and essay assignments help develop writing skills. The topics presented in the essays, such as the population explosion, new marriage practices, and new trends in popular culture, provide rich material for class discussion and improve the students’ speaking, listening, and narration skills.
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
Study group students complete one language course taught by CET Shanghai staff. Placement determined by CET language-teaching staff.
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
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
Introduces the styles and conventions of Chinese newspaper language. Emphasis is on vocabulary expansion, forms, and structures that differ from everyday spoken Chinese, and tactics and skills for rapid reading. Aural-oral skills are reinforced through classroom discussions and supplementary materials.
Designed to expand and consolidate students’ aural and oral mastery of advanced vocabulary and grammatical patterns through the study of modern Chinese writers and their work. All readings are original works of literature (poetry, short fiction, familiar prose) written for Chinese readers. Conversation sessions take on contemporary topics ranging from the modern Chinese family to women’s issues, economic changes, and the urban experience.
Using primary materials in Chinese, this course builds discussion of the Chinese worldview and value system around clusters of key characters featuring interrelated themes of current relevance. Discussion takes place in Chinese but broadens into English when necessary to allow for more critical perspectives and more depth. To facilitate this process, some secondary readings in English are included. This approach brings together advanced Chinese majors/minors and students from various cultural backgrounds with native / near native Chinese language competence to explore Chinese culture on the same platform.
Focuses on topics central to social, economic, and political transitions in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, with a special emphasis on Shanghai. It adopts a culturally immersive, interdisciplinary approach to comprehending changing Chinese lifestyles from perspectives that may include consumer culture, gender, workplace relations, ethnic diversity, and the environment. The course typically includes a cultural immersion internship and is enriched by readings, video viewings, guest lectures, and discussion. The goal is to arrive at an understanding of contemporary issues in China through both analysis and experience.
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
CHIN 482 - Topics in Chinese Culture (Study Group)
Explores many of the topics introduced in its companion course, CHIN 481. Materials from literature, film, art, music, performance, and popular culture allow glimpses of the personal experience of people living through the changes and continuities discussed in CHIN 481, with an emphasis on cultural heritage and creative renovation of tradition. Guest lectures, readings, and discussion are enriched by culturally immersive field trips, visits to museums and temples, attendance at performances, and face-to-face meetings with scholars, artists, performers, and others. The course challenges students to develop sensitivity and imagination as well as understanding.
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
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
Study group students complete one language course taught by CET Shanghai staff. Placement determined by CET language-teaching staff.
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
Students pursuing honors research enroll in 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: None
CLAS 220 - Reviving the Polis: Staging Greeks in the 21st Century
Explores the dramatic challenge of producing a Greek tragedy. Students focus on a Greek play of global impact, one that is performed all over the world today in a variety of different cultural and social contexts. Students begin with an introductory segment that explores what is distinctive about Greek tragedy and has made it a central part of an increasingly complex theatrical canon. The course concludes with students working in groups to experiment with and stage their own interpretations of scenes from the play.
Credits: 1 Crosslisted: THEA 220 Corequisite: CLAS 220L Prerequisites: None Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: None Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression Liberal Arts CORE: Global Engagements
Credits: 0 Corequisite: CLAS 220 Prerequisites: None Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: None Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression Liberal Arts CORE: None
Beginning with the first poems in the Western tradition, this course studies the epic genre in all its distinctiveness and variety. It explores the themes and ideology of epic, ranging from the heroic to the philosophical and didactic, and considers how the poet deals with fundamental questions: the nature of heroism, life and death, individual and community, mortals and immortals, memory, and the power of poetry. It also examines the craft of the epic poet, uniquely situated between orality and writing. Authors studied include Homer, Hesiod, Apollonius, Lucretius, and Vergil.
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
Examines selected plays of the three great tragedians—Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides—and of the comedian Aristophanes. Focuses on the tragic account of human nature and its relationship to the gods, but considers as well comedy’s response to that account. Other topics for discussion include the role of Athenian politics, religion, and sociology within the plays and the importance of the classical stage in Athenian life.
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
Introduces students to the myths of the ancient world, focusing on those of the Greeks, Etruscans, and Romans, with consideration also of those of the Near East, south Asia, and northern Europe. Students not only acquire a thorough knowledge of the major myths surrounding both gods and heroes but also gain an appreciation of the variety of approaches to understanding and interpreting them, exploring questions of the universality, transferability, and common inheritance of myths across cultures. Readings are drawn from ancient texts and from modern critical works.
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
CLAS 232 - Sexuality and Gender in Ancient Greece and Rome
Considers concepts of sexuality and gender in the Graeco-Roman world. It explores the portrayal of gender in classical mythology and examines the legal, economic, social, and religious position of women and men as reflected in historical documents and the archaeological record. Special attention is given to comparing mythological images with the realities of people’s lives in Greek and Roman society.
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
Surveys the pre-Hellenic, archaic, classical, and Hellenistic art and architecture of Greece with a special emphasis on the political, social, and religious contexts in which art was produced and how it reflects the ideas and concerns of the ancient Greeks, both individually and collectively.
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
An introduction to Minoan, Mycenaean, and Greek civilizations, including a survey of major sites and monuments. Attention is given to ways in which arguments are developed from the archaeological record.
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
An introduction to the archaeology of the Italian peninsula from earliest prehistoric to late imperial times, including the major sites and monuments of native Italic cultures, Greek and Phoenician colonization, Etruscan civilization, Rome, and Pompeii. Attention is given to the ways in which arguments are developed from the archaeological record.
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
The history of ancient Greece from the Archaic period to the conquests of Alexander the Great. Through readings of Herodotus and Thucydides, emphasis is placed on political and social developments at Athens and Sparta, the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars, and the events that led to the rise of Alexander’s empire.
Credits: 1.00 Corequisite: None Prerequisites: None Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: None Recommended: May be taken for history major credit. Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression Liberal Arts CORE: Global Engagements
The history of ancient Rome from its foundation through the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Emphasis is placed on political, constitutional, and social developments.
Credits: 1.00 Corequisite: None Prerequisites: None Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: No Junior, Senior Recommended: May be taken for history major credit. Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression Liberal Arts CORE: None
CLAS 240 - World Archaeology, Material Culture, and Identity
From Neolithic settlements to the great cities of the ancient world, such as Uruk, Mohenjo Daro, Pompeii, Copan, and Teotihuacan, and encompassing Native American remains in our local central New York environment, this interdisciplinary course offers a global study of archaeology and focuses on the role of material culture in shaping human identity. The course entertains questions such as, how did the world’s first great cities come to be? Where did writing come from? Why did ancient people all over the world revere their dead? What ends did human sacrifice serve? What are the lessons of archaeology regarding the human transformation of the environment? Perspectives on these issues are offered by faculty who specialize in a wide range of facets of the study of archaeology in different cultures of the world.
Private and public life in the urban centers of Roman Italy forms the focus of this course. It traces the history of the city of Rome, with all of its political, economic, social, and religious institutions, from its origins in the 8th century BCE to the end of the Roman Empire in the 4th century CE. Students acquire a basic knowledge of the political and social history of Rome while discussing many of the ancient written sources that have a bearing on the subject of the private and public lives of Romans. Readings include Virgil, Livy, Tacitus, Juvenal, Petronius, Pliny the Younger, and Suetonius. Through the different approaches of archaeological, epigraphical, art historical, topographical, environmental, and historical studies, students become acquainted with the material culture of the ancient Roman city. Emphasis is placed on Rome, the capital itself, and the prosperous towns on the Bay of Naples, Herculaneum and Pompeii, that were destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE.
Credits: 1.00 Prerequisites:LATN 122 or LATN 123 or LATN 201 or LATN 202 Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: None Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression Liberal Arts CORE: None
CLAS 250E - The Ancient Roman City (Extended Study)
Through direct study of the material culture of Rome and the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, the course investigates what life was like for men, women, and children of every socio-economic class: from the grandiose villas and urban palaces to the physical spaces where Roman urban life developed and made its fundamental contribution to western civilization.
Provides an introduction to the history of ancient Greece and development of the Greek city-state, or polis, with a special focus on Athens. Students learn about the importance of the study of material remains for tracing the rise of Bronze Age and later Iron Age centers. Through a combined study of literary and historical texts, archaeology, and epigraphy, students gain an understanding of the social, political, economic, and religious institutions that shaped the ancient Greek city-state and provided a foundation for many later developments of western civilization. An interdisciplinary approach is applied to exploring the structures that defined the identity of the individual within a single polity as well as within the broader Pan-Hellenic context.
CLAS 251E - The Ancient Greek City (Extended Study)
The extended study introduces students at first hand to the physical settings where Greek urban life developed and made its fundamental contribution to western civilization. During the three weeks that students are based in Athens, they observe and interpret the evidence that material culture provides for understanding the social, political, and religious institutions that shaped the ancient Greek city-state, a subject that they have studied on-campus in the course CLAS 251. The extended study places special emphasis on how material culture illuminates the ways in which these varied institutions defined the identity of an individual within the ancient Greek city and in a broader Pan-Hellenic context.
Focuses on the Greek island of Crete to consider how the construction of identity depends on an imaginary past. Ancient Greece posited for itself an even more ancient past located on the island of Crete. The myths and stories sited on Crete (e.g., the births of Zeus and Hera, the stories of Daedalus and Icarus, Pasiphae and the Minotaur, Theseus and Ariadne) ponder the nature of the divine, the polity, creativity, and eros - topics crucial to the fashioning of a self. Course readings include selections from Hesiod’s Theogony, Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, Xenophon’s Symposium, Plato’s Laws, Euripides’ Hippolytus, Euripides’ Bacchae, Diodorus Siculus’s Library, and Plutarch’s Lives.
Credits: 1.00 Corequisite: None Prerequisites: None Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: Only Sophomore Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression Liberal Arts CORE: None
CLAS 253 - Excavating Ancient Greeks and Romans in Southern Italy
The voyage of Odysseus is a mythic reflection of the exploration of the western Mediterranean that gathered full momentum in the 9th c. BCE, as both Phoenicians and Greeks plied new trade routes in search of metals and founded settlements in search of arable land. The Greek foundations in southern Italy and Sicily grew to be among the most wealthy and powerful centers of the classical world and, in turn, had a profound influence on the burgeoning city of Rome. Focuses on how the interdisciplinary field of archaeology has illuminated much of the history of the Greeks in Italy and their relationship with native Italic populations.
or higher-level Greek course Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: None Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression Liberal Arts CORE: None
CLAS 253E - Excavating Ancient Greeks and Romans in Southern Italy (Extended Study)
This extended study allows students to approach the history and achievements of the western Greeks through direct examination of physical settings and material culture. Students first travel to several of the main archaeological sites in Sicily and southern Italy that they have studied in the spring semester seminar,
, and then participate in archaeological excavations that lie in the shadow of some of the most impressive temples built by the ancient Greeks at Paestum.
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
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
This senior seminar focuses on proficiency in Greek and/or Latin, on competence in conducting research in classical studies, and on developing an understanding of and appreciation for the reception of classical literature and art.
Credits: 1.00 Corequisite: None Prerequisites: None Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: Only Senior Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression Liberal Arts CORE: None
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
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
An introduction to computer science through the study of programming utilizing the programming language Python. Topics include program control, modular design, recursion, fundamental data structures including lists and maps, and a variety of problem-solving techniques.
Prerequisites: None Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: No Senior Recommended: Recommended for students in all disciplines who desire a rigorous introduction to computers and programming. Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics Liberal Arts CORE: None
A continuation of COSC 101 and the first course in the major. Develops advanced programming topics such as abstract data types and algorithms and their analyses. Abstract data structures may include lists, stacks, queues, and maps. The concepts of information hiding, data abstraction, and modular design are emphasized. Object-oriented programming is used throughout.
or equivalent programming experience. Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: None Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics Liberal Arts CORE: None
Required corequisite to COSC 102. This weekly two-hour laboratory includes the design and implementation of programs that illustrate the topics of the course.
The goal of this course is to introduce students to how modern web applications are designed and created. Through lecture, discussion, and programming assignments, student learn programming constructs in Python, including variables and types, control flow, objects and classes; web front-end technologies such as HTML and CSS; and the Django web application framework. In addition to core software engineering and design topics, this course considers issues related to accessibility, sensitivity to culture and locale, and security and privacy. No prior programming experience is required. This course does not count toward the major.
Prerequisites: None Major/Minor Restrictions: No Computer Science/Mathematics, Computer Science Majors and Minors Class Restriction: None Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics Liberal Arts CORE: None
A study of the fundamental concepts of computer architecture. Topics include the representation of information, components of the computer and how they interact, microarchitecture and microprogramming, conventional machine and assembly language, and advanced architectures. Several types of computer design are reviewed; an ARM architecture is the subject of detailed study.
(may be taken concurrently) Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: None Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics Liberal Arts CORE: None
Introduces foundational methods in the design and analysis of information-processing and problem-solving techniques. Asymptotic time and space complexity are used as an evaluation framework throughout. Data structures include maps, trees, and heaps. Algorithmic approaches include greedy, divide-and-conquer, dynamic programming, and dealing with intractability. Graphs are used extensively, and important graph problems and their algorithms are examined closely.
Credits: 1 Corequisite: COSC 202L Prerequisites: COSC 102 Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: None Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics Liberal Arts CORE: None
A weekly two-hour laboratory in which students develop and practice skills for algorithmic reasoning, design, and analysis and improve mathematical and technical writing through a variety of collaborative exercises.
Credits: 0.25 Corequisite: COSC 202 Prerequisites: None Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: None Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics Liberal Arts CORE: None
A study of the hardware and software infrastructure computer applications depend on. Topics include the C programming language, data storage and representation, hardware organization, assembly, memory locality and caching, multiprocessing and synchronization, and networking.
Credits: 1 Corequisite: COSC 208L Prerequisites: COSC 102 Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: None Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics Liberal Arts CORE: None
A weekly two-hour laboratory that focuses on the design, implementation, and analysis of computer systems and the applications that depend on them.
Credits: 0.25 Corequisite: COSC 208 Prerequisites: None Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: None Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics Liberal Arts CORE: None
Introduces students to the study of operating systems. Topics include the hardware/software interface, scheduling, resource allocation, memory and storage management, the scope and nature of services provided to applications, and system performance evaluation.
Credits: 0.25 Corequisite:COSC 301 Prerequisites: None Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: None Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics Liberal Arts CORE: None
Provides a conceptual framework within which both theoretical and concrete analyses of computer algorithms may be developed. Topics to be covered include: time and space complexity; graph algorithms; problem-solving techniques including divide-and-conquer, greedy algorithms, and dynamic programming; intractability; and approximation.
Introduces the different models of computation and focuses attention on the relative strength of each model and the relationship of one model to another. Concepts introduced include type theory, finite automata, regular expressions and languages, context-free grammars, push-down automata, Turing machines and their schema, diagonalization arguments, Church’s Thesis, the Halting problem, and computational complexity.
A study of the fundamental hardware of a computer, including the underlying digital electronics, the basic hardware of a computer, and some modern extensions such as graphical processing units.
A survey of influential topics in computer security and privacy with an emphasis on how they affect individuals and societies. Security topics include applied cryptography, identity management, network security, website security, operating systems security, and side channel attacks. Privacy topics include web tracking, anonymous browsing, database (de)anonymization, mobile and IoT data collection, contextual integrity, useable privacy, and privacy regulation. Students learn technical details of security and privacy vulnerabilities and defenses, practice programming and testing computer systems to detect and prevent vulnerabilities, and discuss the influence of human behavior and societal factors on security and privacy.
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
Introduces students to the practice of software engineering by creating software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications. An integral part of the course is for students working in small groups to take a Saas project from conception through planning, development, testing, and deployment. Student groups are normally paired with a local non-profit with a need that can be addressed through a new or modified Saas application. The project will be developed using a modern application framework (e.g., Ruby on Rails) and deployed using a cloud provider such as Heroku. Through the course and project, students will learn and use Agile methodologies and tools, including user stories, behavior- and test- driven development, pair programming, version control for team-based development, and continuous integration. Moreover, students will learn and apply fundamental programming constructs and techniques including design patterns for software architecture, higher-order functions, metaprogramming, and reflection, to improve the maintainability, modularity and reusability of their code.
Credits: 1 Corequisite: COSC 415L Prerequisites: COSC 202 or COSC 208 or COSC 301 Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: None Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics Liberal Arts CORE: None
Credits: 0.25 Corequisite: COSC 415 Prerequisites: None Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: None Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics Liberal Arts CORE: None
Surveys the salient features of diverse programming languages and examines the foundations and principles of language design. Topics include formal description of language syntax, ambiguity, storage allocation, parameter linkage, and current issues in language design.
An introduction to the concepts and techniques of interactive computer graphics. A broad spectrum of subjects including picture generation and display, geometry modeling and representation (including hierarchical models), illumination models, ray tracing, and the design of user interfaces are covered.
COSC 445L - Parallel and Distributed Computing Lab
Required corequisite to COSC 445.
Credits: 0.25 Corequisite:COSC 445 Prerequisites: None Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: None Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics Liberal Arts CORE: None
Introduces the principles underlying modern database systems. These principles guide how information is represented as structured data, how computations on the data are expressed in query languages, and how systems are designed to enable efficient computation on large data sets. Topics include database design, data models, query languages, query processing and optimization, data storage and access, transaction management, and advanced topics as time permits.
Credits: 0.25 Corequisite:COSC 460 Prerequisites: None Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: None Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics Liberal Arts CORE: None
Introduces the fundamental concepts in computer networks. Topics include layered network architecture, error detection and correction, medium access control, routing, congestion control, and internetworking. If time permits, the following advanced topics may also be included: network security, multimedia, multicast, and wireless networking.
Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: None Recommended: Some knowledge of differential calculus and elementary probability and statistics is helpful. Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics Liberal Arts CORE: None
Students complete weekly laboratory assignments in which they build network applications and implement increasingly complex network protocols in order to gain a deeper understanding of topics covered in class. Required corequisite to
Credits: 0.25 Corequisite:COSC 465 Prerequisites: None Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: None Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics Liberal Arts CORE: None
Prerequisites: Varied based on topic Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: None Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics Liberal Arts CORE: None
Credits: 0.25 Corequisite:COSC 480 Prerequisites: None Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: None Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics Liberal Arts CORE: None
Opportunity for research-based individual study under the guidance of a member of the faculty. Research methods in the particular area of study and investigation of current literature are also addressed. This course may count as one of the electives for the COSC major; this course may only be taken once for major credit.
Credits: 1 Prerequisites: COSC 202 or COSC 208 or COSC 290 and permission of Instructor Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: None Area of Inquiry: Natural Sciences & Mathematics Liberal Arts CORE: None
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
Opportunity for honors-level research-based individual study under the guidance of a member of the faculty. Research methods in the particular area of study and investigation of current literature are also addressed. This course is graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Students who pass with a grade of S earn department graduation honors. Upon successful completion, and a presentation to the department, the student qualifies for high honors at graduation. This course may not count as one of the electives for the COSC major.
A study of the fundamental principles underlying financial accounting and reporting. Emphasis is on analysis, interpretation, and understanding of accounting information, and how such information influences management decision-making. Recommended as a tool course, this course does not count toward the major, minor, or Area of Inquiry requirements.
Credits: 1.00 Corequisite: None Prerequisites: None Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: No First-year Area of Inquiry: None Liberal Arts CORE: None
A general introduction to the subject matter and analytical tools of economics including micro- and macroeconomic theory.
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
Using an interdisciplinary approach, this course provides a general survey of China’s economic reform and related public policy issues since 1978. In addition to offering a basic knowledge about the Chinese economy and its reforms in the past quarter century, the course develops a framework to help students understand and evaluate the evolution of China’s economic development strategy and public policy in recent years that has guided the country’s economic reform.
An introduction to the study of environmental problems with the perspective and analytical tools of economics. Sources of market failure with respect to environmental issues are discussed, and methods for analyzing environmental policies are developed. These tools are applied to current issues of pollution, resource use, and sustainability.
Explores the economic causes and consequences of immigration using theoretical and empirical perspectives. Importantly, the migration experience relates to the residents of both origin and destination countries. Course coverage pertaining to migrants and their source countries might include immigrant selection, assimilation, and the consequences of brain drain. Coverage related to residents of receiving countries might include the fiscal and labor market effects of immigration. The course is of particular interest to student wanting to examine economic policy, labor, and productivity questions.
Major/Minor Restrictions: None Class Restriction: No Junior, Senior Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents Liberal Arts CORE: Global Engagements
