Mar 28, 2024  
Catalogue 2021-2022 
    
Catalogue 2021-2022 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Course Descriptions


 

Drama: II. Intermediate

  
  • DRAM 232 - Dramaturgy

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    This course is designed to introduce students to the art of dramatic structure, and the pleasures and challenges of production dramaturgy. Through serious historical and cultural research into how plays from various periods and genres were originally produced, we consider the dramaturg’s role in shaping how they might be realized today. In addition to weekly readings and writing assignments, the seminar include sstudent-led research projects and presentations, and culminates with the adaptation of a prose text into a short play. These adaptations are read in class during our final class meetings. Amanda Culp.

    Prerequisite(s): DRAM 102  

    One 2-hour period.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • DRAM 233 - Looking at Dance Theater


    1 unit(s)
    This course examines the roots of Dance Theater in the United States and Europe, and further examines its development and impact on both American Theater and Dance. Dance Theater embraces the worlds of the avant-garde, post modern, and modern expressionist genres and is responsible for the miasmic mixture and pure invention that we see in the 21st century. Through movement and dance we study economy of action, elements of butoh, dynamics, and physicality to create story and expression.  Leslie Sachs.

    Prerequisite(s): DRAM 102  or DANC 155 , and permission of the instructor.

    Two 2-hour periods.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • DRAM 241 - Shakespeare


    1 unit(s)
    (Same as ENGL 241 ) Study of a substantial number of the plays, roughly in chronological order, to permit a detailed consideration of the range and variety of Shakespeare’s dramatic art. Zoltán Márkus.

    Yearlong course 241-DRAM 242 .

    Not offered in 2021/22.

  
  • DRAM 242 - Shakespeare


    1 unit(s)
    (Same as ENGL 242 ) Study of a substantial number of the plays, roughly in chronological order, to permit a detailed consideration of the range and variety of Shakespeare’s dramatic art. Zoltán Márkus.

    Yearlong course DRAM 241 -242.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

  
  • DRAM 290 - Community-Engaged Learning

    Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
    0.5 to 2 unit(s)
    To be elected in consultation with the adviser and the Office of Community-Engaged Learning.

    Course Format: INT
  
  • DRAM 297 - The Actor’s Text


    0.5 unit(s)
    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: OTH
  
  • DRAM 298 - Independent Work

    Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
    0.5 to 1 unit(s)
    Independent work is the study of a topic in depth of a subject that is not already offered by the Drama Department. This means that credit cannot be given to proposed productions as this opportunity already exists in the Experimental Theatre within the department. Examples of possible independent works are: investigations in advanced technical theatre, dramaturgical research projects, and dialect work. If you are interested in electing to pursue an independent project, please consult the appropriate faculty member within the department.

    Course Format: OTH

Drama: III. Advanced

  
  • DRAM 304 - The Art of Acting


    1 unit(s)
    Advanced study of classical acting including Shakespeare, Chekhov, and Ibsen in which students examine the challenges of creating an entire acting role. Techniques explored include John Barton, Michael Chekhov, Viola Spolin, Anne Bogart, and Kristin Linklater. Christopher Grabowski.

    Prerequisite(s): DRAM 203 , DRAM 205 , 1 unit in dance or movement analysis, and permission of the instructor.

    Two 2-hour periods and one 4-hour laboratory.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • DRAM 305 - The Director’s Art

    Semester Offered: Fall.
    1 unit(s)
    An exploration of the director’s work through the study of different genres of dramatic texts and through various methods of realizing an artistic vision, from auteurship to collaborative communities. Students work on several projects during in-class exercises, and a final project is developed outside of class. Christopher Grabowski.

    Prerequisite(s): DRAM 202  or DRAM 203 , or DRAM 304 , and permission of the instructor.

    One 3-hour period. One 75-minute laboratory.

    .

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • DRAM 306 - The Art of Acting: Comedy

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1 unit(s)
    Advanced study of comic acting styles including clowning, Commedia Dell’arte, Restoration, High Comedy and Absurdism. The work of Lecoq, Suzuki, Wilde, Coward, Ionesco, Beckett and Callow are explored. Shona Tucker.

    Prerequisite(s): DRAM 203 , DRAM 205 , one unit in dance or movement analysis, and permission of the instructor.

    Two 2-hour periods and one 4-hour laboratory.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • DRAM 308 - Auditioning and Acting for the Camera


    1 unit(s)
    This course focuses on audition skills needed for the various arenas in the life of the actor: the classical and contemporary stage, commercial television, film, industrial film, etc., and provides the tools for sustaining work on the camera, including developing a reel by the end of the semester. Shona Tucker.

    Prerequisite(s): DRAM 203  and permission of the instructor.

    One 3-hour period; additional lab time required.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • DRAM 309 - Advanced Draping and Costume Design


    1 unit(s)
    This course takes the study and practice of visual representation to a more advanced level. There will be a strong emphasis on collaboration, construction, design presentation and creative thinking. In order to build both design and draping skills simultaneously, students will design as well a construct a variety of projects in this course. Kenisha Kelly.

    Prerequisite(s): DRAM 209  and DRAM 208 ; students must take both in order to take this course.

    One 3-hour period; additional lab time required.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • DRAM 310 - Advanced Playwriting

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    Building on the skills developed in DRAM 210 , this course offers students the opportunity to continue their exploration of script analysis and play construction at an advanced level. Emphasis on developing each writer’s vision and voice while also focusing on craft, form and style as well as revision processes, all culminating in staged readings of selected student work. Peter Gil-Sheridan.

    Prerequisite(s): DRAM 102  and DRAM 210 , and permission of the instructor.

    One 3-hour period; additional lab time required.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • DRAM 311 - Advanced Playwriting: Playwriting in Production

    Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
    1 unit(s)
    This advanced playwriting course is designed specifically for students who are interested in seeing their full length plays realized in live performance or other media. Writers focus heavily on rewriting their play based on notes from their instructor, collaborators, and audience members. Actors are invited to class regularly to read and perform scenes so that the writer can see how the play functions on its feet. The course culminates in a complete script ready for production. Peter Gil-Sheridan.

    Prerequisite(s): DRAM 210 ; DRAM 310  and permission of the department.

    One 3-hour period plus Friday 3-hour lab.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • DRAM 312 - Advanced Costume Design


    1 unit(s)
    Advanced Costume Design focuses on a more in-depth study and practice of the visual representation of costumes for the stage. Through various practical and theoretical projects, students explore and understand the process of design for a production including the principles and terminology used and how they can both support and enhance a theatrical experience. This course also includes experimentation with various design mediums as well as the creation of both craft and costume construction projects. Kenisha Kelly.

    Prerequisite(s): DRAM 208  and DRAM 209 .

    One 3-hour period; additional lab time required.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • DRAM 313 - Historic Costume Collection and Exhibition

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    This intensive is created to support both the research and study of clothing as artifacts. Students have the opportunity to work with objects from the Vassar College Costume Collection and another community based historical collection. For the Spring of 2022, the Vassar College Costume Collection collaborates with the historic collection of Locust Grove in Poughkeepsie, NY. Students conduct research, examine garments, learn various preservation and stabilization techniques for textile preservation, and methods for mounting historic exhibitions. This includes visits to the Locust Grove collection along with a tour of the Morse family home. The intensive is one unit and meets once a week. The course concludes with a full exhibit of the objects in the Palmer Gallery in May of 2022. Kenisha Kelly.

    One 2-hour period.

    Course Format: INT
  
  • DRAM 317 - Introduction to Screenwriting

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1 unit(s)


    (Same as FILM 317 ) Study of dramatic construction as it applies to film, plus practice in story development and screenwriting. Joseph Muszynski.

    Prerequisite(s): DRAM 102  or FILM 209 , and permission of the instructor.

    Writing sample required two weeks before preregistration.

    Open only to juniors and seniors.

    One 2-hour period plus outside screenings.

    Course Format: CLS

  
  • DRAM 320 - Scenography


    1 unit(s)
    This course explores theatrical production design as a form of visual dramaturgy. Through a study of multiple performance theories throughout the history of theatre, students explore the impact that lighting, scenery, and sound have on the storytelling process. Stephen Jones.

    One 3-hour period; additional lab time required.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • DRAM 324 - European and American Drama


    1 unit(s)
    Historical and critical study of European and American dramatic literature, theory and criticism, playwrights, and/or aesthetic movements. Denise Walen.

    Prerequisite(s): DRAM 221 /DRAM 222 .

    One 2-hour period.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • DRAM 325 - Comedy Tonight


    1 unit(s)


    Samuel Johnson observed that comedy “has been particularly unpropitious to definers,” although Renaissance thinkers confidently identified it. Renaissance theories of comedy determined that the form presented the humorous events that befall ordinary people. Comedies concerned the small misfortunes–without painful consequences–of plebian characters written in colloquial prose. Modern drama has seen the line between comedy and tragedy diminish almost completely as distinctions between the serious and the ludicrous, pain and its absence, have been obliterated. Ionesco wrote that “comic and tragic are merely two aspects of the same situation, and I have now reached the stage when I find it hard to distinguish one from the other.”  This course explores the comic vision expressed in dramatic literature from antiquity to the present day. The class also investigates theories of comedy with special emphasis on what makes people laugh. Theoretical work includes writings by Henri Bergson, Sigmund Freud, Susanne Langer, Northrup Frye, Umberto Eco and others. Plays may include work by Aristophanes, Plautus, Machiavelli, Shakespeare, Moliere, Sheridan, Wilde, Chekhov, Shaw, Brecht, Coward, Ionesco, Fo, Mamet, Albee, Frayn, Ludlum, MacDonagh, Ruhl, etc. 

     

    Prerequisite(s): DRAM 221 /DRAM 222 . Enrollment is limited to Juniors and Seniors.

    One 2-hour period.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: CLS

  
  • DRAM 336 - Seminar in Performance Studies


    1 unit(s)
    Selected topics in Western and non-Western performance traditions and literatures. Weekly assignments include performative writing, and performance labs. The Department.

    Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.

    One 2-hour period.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

  
  • DRAM 339 - Shakespeare in Production

    Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
    1 unit(s)
    Students in the course study the physical circumstances of Elizabethan public and private theaters at the beginning of the semester. The remainder of the semester is spent in critical examination of the plays of Shakespeare and several of his contemporaries using original staging practices of the early modern theater. The course emphasizes the conditions under which the plays were written and performed and uses practice as an experiential tool to critically analyze the texts as performance scripts. Denise Walen.

    Enrollment limited to Juniors and Seniors.

    One 3-hour period.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • DRAM 340 - Seminar in Performance Studies: Artaud and His Legacy

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1 unit(s)
    This course is designed to introduce students to one of the most influential thinkers about the theater through the lens of Performance Studies. We explore Artaud’s essays, poems, plays, films, radio texts, drawings and letters, and the ways in which his radical proposals have helped to form many of the great performance traditions of the late Twentieth and early Twenty-First Centuries. Some of the artists examined as part of Artaud’s legacy are Tadeusz Kantor, Tatsumi Hijikata, John Cage, Robert Kaprow, Augusto Boal, Robert Wilson, Carolee Schneeman, Meredith Monk, Yvonne Rainer, Richard Schechner, Linda Montano, and Ann Hamilton and Suzanne Lacy.  Amanda Culp.

    Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.

    One 2-hour period.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • DRAM 342 - Studies in Shakespeare

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)


    Advanced study of Shakespeare’s work and its cultural significance in various contexts from his time to today. 

     

    Topic for 2020/21b: Shakespeare Today. (Same as ENGL 342 ) This course seeks answers to the question of what Shakespeare means in our contemporary culture. What is “Shakespeare” and, for that matter, what is “culture” today? How dead is the author if he is called Shakespeare? How has Shakespeare been made, rediscovered, and reinvented? The exceeding (and frequently uncritical) appreciation of Genius Shakespeare has been variously described as “Bardolatry,” “Shakespeare cult,” “Shakespeare fetish,” and “Shakespeare myth.” Our aim is to examine the genealogy and the current effects of Shakespeare’s distinguished cultural status. We begin by clarifying a few theoretical issues and exploring how this cultural icon has been constructed from Shakespeare’s time to the present, after which we focus on specific Shakespeare plays contrasting their cultural significance and possible meanings in Shakespeare’s time with their significance and meanings today. Four Shakespeare plays are at the center of our investigations: The Taming of the ShrewThe Merchant of VeniceOthello, and The Tempest.  In this second part of the course, we pay special attention to stage, film, and digital adaptations as well as other cultural appropriations of these plays. Zoltán Márkus.

    One 2-hour period.

    Course Format: CLS

  
  • DRAM 362 - Chinese Drama and Theatre

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as CHIN 362  and MEDS 362 ) A study of Chinese culture and society through well-known dramatic genres - zaju, chuanqi, kunqu, Beijing Opera, regional operas, modern and contemporary Spoken Drama; a close reading of selected plays in English translation  (or in Chinese upon students’ request). Scheduled films of performances convey Chinese theatrical conventions and aesthetics. Research projects are chosen by students or assigned by the instructor. Based upon students’ research presentations, discussions center on a variety of major themes and genres from East-West perspectives. Students are encouraged to use Chinese language in their research projects at their appropriate proficiency levels. Wenwei Du.

    Prerequisite(s): One 200-level course in language, literature, culture, drama, Media Studies or Asian Studies; or permission of the instructor.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • DRAM 390 - Senior Project in Drama

    Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
    1 unit(s)
    Students may propose to undertake a project in one of the following areas: research in dramatic literature, theater history, performance studies, acting, directing, design, or playwriting. Proposals can range from collaborative ensemble projects to solo work, to more conventional endeavors in specific areas such as research, acting, directing, or designing. The nature of this project is to be determined in consultation with the department.  The Department.

    Prerequisite(s): Senior standing and permission of the department

    One 3-hour period plus rehearsal and crew calls.

    Course Format: INT
  
  • DRAM 391 - Senior Production Laboratory

    Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
    1 unit(s)


    Participation in the performance, design, or technical aspects of department productions. Students undertake a major assignment with significant responsibility focusing on theory, craft and collaboration. The department.

    Prerequisite(s): Senior standing, 1one unit at the 300-level in Drama, and permission of the department.

    Enrollment limited to seniors.

    May not be taken concurrently with DRAM 390 .

    Unscheduled.

    Course Format: CLS

  
  • DRAM 392 - Intensive Topics

    Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
    1 unit(s)
    This intensive course is designed to accommodate small groups of students (roughly 6-8), working in a mentored relationship with a faculty member on a topic related to an aspect of performance or performance theory. Not to be confused with the senior projects or with preparation for a performance, this course provides students the opportunity for study in a specific area in drama. Topics might include, but are not limited to, professional considerations in acting, such as the audition process and finding an agent, a deep dive into the professional actor’s creative process; stage management, archival research, directing styles or the history of directing, the historic costume collection, etc.  The Department.

    Prerequisite(s): Senior standing and permission of the department.

    One 3-hour period.

    Course Format: INT
  
  • DRAM 397 - Text Analysis Seminar


    1 unit(s)
    A performance seminar for the serious acting student to learn to analyze texts in many genres and apply the analysis to performances. Conrad Schott.

    Prerequisite(s): DRAM 102 DRAM 221 , and DRAM 222 

    One 3-hour period.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • DRAM 399 - Senior Independent Work

    Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
    0.5 to 1 unit(s)
    To be elected in consultation with the adviser

    Course Format: OTH

Chinese: I. Introductory

  
  • CHIN 105 - Elementary Chinese

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1.5 unit(s)
    An introduction to Mandarin Chinese (putong hua or guo yu). While the approach is aural-lingual, reading and writing skills are introduced early in the program. The two semesters cover about 700 characters. Grammatical analysis, pattern drills, and conversational practices are stressed throughout.  Haoming Liu.

    Open to all students.

    Yearlong course 105-CHIN 106 .

    Five 50-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • CHIN 106 - Elementary Chinese

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1.5 unit(s)
    An introduction to Mandarin Chinese (putong hua or guo yu). While the approach is aural-lingual, reading and writing skills are introduced early in the program. The two semesters cover about 700 characters. Grammatical analysis, pattern drills, and conversational practices are stressed throughout.  Haoming Liu.

    Open to all students.

    Yearlong course CHIN 105 -106.

    Five 50-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • CHIN 107 - Advanced Elementary Chinese

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1.5 unit(s)
    An elementary Chinese language course designed for students who have acquired some oral Mandarin Chinese from home or other sources but did not reach the level of CHIN 205 . It capitalizes on sudents’ already acquired knowledge to further develop the skills of listening comprehension, speaking, reading and writing in Mandarin Chinese.  Bei Hao.

    Prerequisite(s): Open to students who have previous exposure to Chinese.

    Five 50-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • CHIN 108 - Advanced Elementary Chinese

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1.5 unit(s)
    An elementary Chinese language course designed for students who have acquired some oral Mandarin Chinese from home or other sources but did not reach the level of CHIN 205 . It capitalizes on students’ already acquired knowledge to further develop the skills of listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing in Mandarin Chinese.  The Department.

    Prerequisite(s): Open to students who have completed CHIN 107  or permission of the instructor.

    Five 50-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • CHIN 160 - Introduction to Classical Chinese


    1 unit(s)


    This course is an introduction to Classical Chinese (the Chinese equivalent of Latin) for students with no previous training or background in Chinese. Classical Chinese is the literary language in which almost all of Chinese literature was written prior to the twentieth century. This course introduces students to the rudiments of reading Classical Chinese, with an emphasis on early Chinese philosophical texts. No previous background in Chinese language, history, or culture is required. Among the texts to be studied are passages from the sayings of Confucius and Taoist works. 

    Open to all students.

    Does not satisfy the foreign language proficiency requirement.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: CLS


Chinese: II. Intermediate

  
  • CHIN 205 - Intermediate Chinese

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1.5 unit(s)
    Further practice in conversation and learned patterns; acquisition of new grammatical structures, vocabulary, and about 700 additional characters. Emphasis on communicative skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Wenwei Du.

    Prerequisite(s): CHIN 105 -CHIN 106  or permission of the instructor.

    Yearlong course 205-CHIN 206 .

    Five 50-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • CHIN 206 - Intermediate Chinese

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1.5 unit(s)
    Further practice in conversation and learned patterns; acquisition of new grammatical structures, vocabulary, and about 700 additional characters. Emphasis on communicative skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.  The Department.

    Prerequisite(s): CHIN 105 -CHIN 106  or permission of the instructor.

    Yearlong course CHIN 205 -206.

    Five 50-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • CHIN 207 - Advanced Intermediate Chinese

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1.5 unit(s)
    A one-year sequential Intermediate Chinese language course designed for students who have completed CHIN 108  or acquired an equivalent level of oral and written proficiencies in Chinese from home or other sources but did not reach the level of CHIN 305 . It capitalizes on students’ already acquired knowledge to further develop the skills of listening comprehension, speaking, reading and writing in Mandarin Chinese.  The Department.

    Open to students who have completed CHIN 108  and its equivalent.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • CHIN 208 - Advanced Intermediate Chinese

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1.5 unit(s)
    A one-year sequential Intermediate Chinese language course designed for students who have completed CHIN 207  or acquired an equivalent level of oral and written proficiencies in Chinese from home or other sources but did not reach the level of CHIN 305 . It capitalizes on students’ already acquired knowledge to further develop the skills of listening comprehension, speaking, reading and writing in Mandarin Chinese.  Wenwei Du.

    Open to students who have completed CHIN 207  and its equivalent.

    Five 50-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • CHIN 214 - The Tumultuous Century: Twentieth-Century Chinese Literature


    1 unit(s)
    (Same as ASIA 214 ) This is a survey/introduction to the literature of China from the late Qing Dynasty through the present day. Texts are arranged according to trends and schools as well as to their chronological order. Authors include Wu Jianren, Lu Xun, Zhang Ailing, Ding Ling, Mo Yan and Gao Xingjian. All major genres are covered but the focus is on fiction. A few feature films are also included in association with some of the literary works and movements. No knowledge of the Chinese language, Chinese history, or culture is required for taking the course. All readings and class discussions are in English. Haoming Liu.

    Prerequisite(s): One course in language, literature, culture or Asian Studies, or permission of the instructor.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

  
  • CHIN 218 - Chinese Popular Culture


    1 unit(s)
    (Same as MEDS 218 ) The course analyzes contemporary Chinese entertainment and popular culture. It provides both historical coverage and grounding in various theoretical and methodological problems. Topics focus on thematic contents and forms of entertainment through television, radio, newspaper, cinema, theatre, music, print and material culture. The course also examines the relations between the heritage of traditional Chinese entertainment and the influences of Western culture. All readings and class discussions are in English. Wenwei Du.

    Prerequisite(s): One course in language, literature, culture, film, drama, or Asian Studies, or permission of the instructor.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

  
  • CHIN 276 - Experiencing the Other: Representation of China and the West


    1 unit(s)
    (Same as ASIA 276 ) This course examines representation of China in Western Literature and the West in Chinese Literature from the end of the 17th Century. Through such an examination, issues such as identity, perceptions of the other, self-consciousness, exoticism, and aesthetic diversity are discussed. Readings include Defoe, Goldsmith, Voltaire, Twain, Kafka, Malraux, Sax Rohmer, Pearl Buck, Brecht, and Duras on the Western side as well as Cao Xueqin, Shen Fu, Lao She, and Wang Shuo on the Chinese side. Some feature films are also included. All readings are in English or English translation, foreign films are subtitled. Haoming Liu.

    Prerequisite(s): One course on Asia or One literature course.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

  
  • CHIN 290 - Community-Engaged Learning

    Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
    0.5 to 1 unit(s)


    One-half or one unit individual or group field projects or internships. May be elected during the academic year or during the summer. Offered only pass/fail and permission of the chair is required. Open to all students. 

      The Department.

    Prerequisite(s): Two units of Chinese.

    Course Format: INT

  
  • CHIN 298 - Independent Study

    Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
    0.5 to 1 unit(s)
    One-half or one unit individual or group research project or reading course. May be elected during the academic year. Offered only pass/fail and permission of the chair is required. Open to all students.  The Department.

    Prerequisite(s): Two units of Chinese.

    Course Format: INT

Chinese: III. Advanced

  
  • CHIN 300 - Senior Thesis

    Semester Offered: Fall
    0.5 unit(s)


    A 1-unit thesis written over two semesters.

      The Department.

    Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.

    Open only to majors.

    Yearlong course 300-CHIN 301 .

    Course Format: INT

  
  • CHIN 301 - Senior Thesis

    Semester Offered: Spring
    0.5 unit(s)


    A 1-unit thesis written over two semesters. The Department.

    Open only to majors.

    Permission required.

    Yearlong course CHIN 300 -301.

    Course Format: INT

  
  • CHIN 302 - Senior Project

    Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
    1 unit(s)


    The Chinese senior project is an opportunity to do independent research on a topic of choice in the major discipline.  It is part of the honor’s requirement.  The senior project can take several forms.  The most common is a translation of an original text in Chinese, such as a short story, a play, or pieces of poetry.  Other possibilities include translation of a video recording of a performance of an original play written in Chinese, developing original computer software for language learning, etc.  Students should consult with their advisor regarding the possibilities.  Students are expected to schedule regular meetings with their project advisor and are responsible for meeting deadlines.   The Department.

    Prerequisite(s): Permission required

    Open only to majors. One-unit project done in one semester.

    Permission required.

    Course Format: INT

  
  • CHIN 303 - Senior Project

    Semester Offered: Fall
    0.5 unit(s)


    The Chinese senior project is an opportunity to do independent research on a topic of choice in the major discipline.  It is part of the honor’s requirement.  The senior project can take several forms.  The most common is a translation of an original text in Chinese, such as a short story, a play, or pieces of poetry.  Other possibilities include translation of a video recording of a performance of an original play written in Chinese, developing original computer software for language learning, etc.  Students should consult with their advisor regarding the possibilities.  Students are expected to schedule regular meetings with their project advisor and are responsible for meeting deadlines.   The Department.

    Prerequisite(s): Permission required

    Open only to majors. One-unit project done in two semesters.

    Permission required.

    Yearlong course 303-CHIN 304 .

    Course Format: INT

  
  • CHIN 304 - Senior Project

    Semester Offered: Spring
    0.5 unit(s)


    The Chinese senior project is an opportunity to do independent research on a topic of choice in the major discipline.  It is part of the honor’s requirement.  The senior project can take several forms.  The most common is a translation of an original text in Chinese, such as a short story, a play, or pieces of poetry.  Other possibilities include translation of a video recording of a performance of an original play written in Chinese, developing original computer software for language learning, etc.  Students should consult with their advisor regarding the possibilities.  Students are expected to schedule regular meetings with their project advisor and are responsible for meeting deadlines.   The Department.

    Prerequisite(s): Permission required

    Open only to majors. One-unit project done in two semesters.

    Permission required.

    Yearlong course CHIN 303 -304.

    Course Format: INT

  
  • CHIN 305 - Advanced Chinese

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1 unit(s)
    Intensive instruction in the reading of Chinese language materials, reflecting aspects of a changing China. Emphasis is on communicative skills.  Anne Parries.

    Prerequisite(s): CHIN 205 -CHIN 206  or permission of the instructor.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • CHIN 306 - Advanced Chinese

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    Intensive instruction in the reading of Chinese language materials, reflecting aspects of a changing China. Emphasis is on communicative skills.  Anne Parries.

    Prerequisite(s): CHIN 205 -CHIN 206  and CHIN 305  or permission of the instructor.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • CHIN 350 - Advanced Readings in Chinese: Genres and Themes

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1 unit(s)
    This course is equivalent to a fourth-year Chinese course or beyond, and may be repeated for credit if topic changes. The course aims to further develop the advanced students’ speaking, reading and writing proficiency. The course explores different genres of texts from various journalistic and literary writings. Readings are arranged according to thematic topics. Course discussions and lectures are conducted in Chinese. Anne Parries.

    Prerequisite(s): CHIN 306  or permission of the instructor.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • CHIN 351 - Advanced Readings of Original Literary Works

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    This course is equivalent to a fourth-year Chinese course or beyond, and may be repeated for credit if topic changes. This course involves close reading of a single literary work of an extensive length, shorter texts of a single author, or texts which have a common thematic interest. Emphasis is on baihua literature while samples of semi-wenyan texts are introduced. Through close reading and classroom discussion of the material, students are trained to approach authentic texts with linguistic confidence and useful methods. Course discussions and lectures are conducted in Chinese. Anne Parries.

    Prerequisite(s): CHIN 306  or permission of the instructor.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • CHIN 355 - Special Topics in Chinese


    1 unit(s)
    Advanced study of Chinese Culture in Chinese; an examination of selected topics in recent culture or of a single topic across different time periods. Designed for students with sufficient knowledge of Chinese beyond the fourth-year level. May be taken more than once for credit when topic changes. The Department.

    Prerequisite(s): CHIN 351 , or permission of the instructor.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • CHIN 360 - Classical Chinese

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    This course is for students with at least two years of modern Chinese or the equivalent. It introduces students to the rudiments of reading Wenyan, or Classical Chinese (the Chinese equivalent of Latin), with an emphasis on early Chinese philosophical texts. In addition to learning Classical Chinese, students in this course work with and are tested on modern Chinese translations of the classical texts.  Bryan Van Norden.

    Prerequisite(s): CHIN 205 -CHIN 206  or equivalent.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • CHIN 362 - Chinese Drama and Theatre

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as DRAM 362  and MEDS 362 ) A study of Chinese culture and society through well-known dramatic genres - zaju, chuanqi, kunqu, Beijing Opera, regional operas, modern and contemporary Spoken Drama; a close reading of selected plays in English translation  (or in Chinese upon students’ request). Scheduled films of performances convey Chinese theatrical conventions and aesthetics. Research projects are chosen by students or assigned by the instructor. Based upon students’ research presentations, discussions center on a variety of major themes and genres from East-West perspectives. Students are encouraged to use Chinese language in their research projects at their appropriate proficiency levels. Wenwei Du.

    Prerequisite(s): One 200-level course in language, literature, culture, drama, Media Studies or Asian Studies; or permission of the instructor.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • CHIN 367 - Chinese Linguistics


    1 unit(s)
    (Same as ASIA 367 ) This course offers a systematic and comprehensive introduction to the history and nature of the Chinese language in terms of its phonology, morphology and syntax in comparison with English. It also highlights the construction and evolution of Chinese characters and explores social dimensions of the language such as language planning and standardization, relations of Mandarin with the dialects, and interactions between Chinese and other languages. Topics also include unique linguistic devices in the Chinese rhetoric and figure of speech. Classes are conducted and readings are done in English or bilingually. Students with background in Chinese can choose to do projects in Chinese at their appropriate levels. Wenwei Du.

    Prerequisite(s): Two courses in a combination of language, linguistics, literature, culture, or Asian Studies, or permission of the instructor.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • CHIN 370 - Early Chinese Literature: Spring and Autumn: Tradition According To Zuo and the Book of Odes


    1 unit(s)
    (Same as ASIA 370 ) This intensive course reads selections from early Chinese literature including the Book of Odes, and Spring and Autumn: The Tradition According to Zuo, two of the five Confucian classics whose composition dates between 11th and 6th centuries BCE. Poems of later ages which bear clear traces of influence and borrowings may also be added to complement the reading and discussions of the archaic works. Crucial secondary literature and reference works are introduced. Requirements: texts to be read in the original; students should have near native proficiency in modern Chinese, elementary knowledge of literary Chinese a plus.  Students are required to do research on assigned texts by using reference books and secondary sources. Memorization, identification and parsing of assigned passages or odes are also required. Haoming Liu.

    Prerequisite(s): Near native proficiency in modern Chinese. Basic knowledge of literary Chinese preferable.

    One 3-hour period.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: INT
  
  • CHIN 371 - Intensive and Focused Study of Chinese Performing Arts


    1 unit(s)
    Each student can choose one dramatic or performing genre for a historical survey or choose texts of various genres based on one thematic focus or one historical period for an in-depth study or research. Wenwei Du.

    Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: INT
  
  • CHIN 372 - In-depth Study or Research on Aspects of Chinese Language


    1 unit(s)
    Each student can choose one or a cluster of related topics on phonetics, morphology, syntax, figures of speech, dialects, literary and vernacular language, or language policy for an intensive study or research. Wenwei Du.

    Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: INT
  
  • CHIN 399 - Senior Independent Work

    Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
    0.5 to 1 unit(s)
    One-half or one unit of credit given only in exceptional cases and by permission of the chair. Offered only pass/fail. The department.

    Prerequisite(s): Four units of Chinese.

    Course Format: OTH

Japanese: I. Introductory

  
  • JAPA 105 - Elementary Japanese

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1.5 unit(s)
    An introduction to modern Japanese. Students develop communicative skills based on the fundamentals of grammar, vocabulary and conversational expressions. Emphasis is placed on both oral and written proficiency. The course introduces hiragana and katakana syllabaries as well as approximately 150 kanji (Chinese characters).  Hiromi Dollase.

    Open to all students.

    Yearlong course 105-JAPA 106 .

    Five 50-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • JAPA 106 - Elementary Japanese

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1.5 unit(s)
    An introduction to modern Japanese. Students develop communicative skills based on the fundamentals of grammar, vocabulary and conversational expressions. Emphasis is placed on both oral and written proficiency. The course introduces hiragana and katakana syllabaries as well as approximately 150 kanji (Chinese characters).  Yuko Matsubara.

    Open to all students.

    Yearlong course JAPA 105 -106.

    Five 50-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS

Japanese: II. Intermediate

  
  • JAPA 205 - Intermediate Japanese

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1.5 unit(s)
    This course puts equal emphasis on the further development of oral-aural proficiency and reading-writing skills with an intense review of basic grammar as well as an introduction of more advanced grammar, new vocabulary, expressions, and another 350 kanji (Chinese characters).  Yuko Matsubara.

    Prerequisite(s): JAPA 105 -JAPA 106  or permission of the instructor.

    Yearlong course 205-JAPA 206 .

    Five 50-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • JAPA 206 - Intermediate Japanese

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1.5 unit(s)
    This course puts equal emphasis on the further development of oral-aural proficiency and reading-writing skills with an intense review of basic grammar as well as an introduction of more advanced grammar, new vocabulary, expressions, and another 350 kanji (Chinese characters).  Hiromi Dollase.

    Prerequisite(s): JAPA 105 -JAPA 106  or permission of the instructor.

    Yearlong course JAPA 205 -206.

    Five 50-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • JAPA 223 - The Gothic and the Supernatural in Japanese Literature

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as ASIA 223 ) This course introduces students to Japanese supernatural stories. We interpret the hidden psyche of the Japanese people and culture that create such bizarre tales. We see not only to what extent the supernatural creatures - demons, vampires, and mountain witches - in these stories represent the “hysteria” of Japanese commoners resulting from social and cultural oppression, but also to what extent these supernatural motifs have been adopted and modified by writers of various literary periods. This course consists of four parts; female ghosts, master authors of ghost stories, Gothic fantasy and dark urban psyche. Joshua Rogers.

    Prerequisite(s): One course in language, literature, culture or Asian Studies, or permission of the instructor.

    Two 75-minute periods.

  
  • JAPA 290 - Community-Engaged Learning

    Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
    0.5 or 1 unit(s)


    One-half or one unit individual or group field projects or internships. May be elected during the academic year or during the summer. Offered only pass/fail and permission of the chair is required. Open to all students. 

      The Department.

    Prerequisite(s): Two units of Japanese.

    Course Format: INT

  
  • JAPA 298 - Independent Study

    Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
    0.5 to 1 unit(s)
    One-half or one unit individual or group research project or reading course. May be elected during the academic year. Offered only pass/fail and permission of the chair is required. Open to all students.  The Department.

    Prerequisite(s): Two units of Japanese.

    Course Format: INT

Japanese: III. Advanced

  
  • JAPA 300 - Senior Thesis

    Semester Offered: Fall
    0.5 unit(s)
    A 1-unit thesis written over two semesters. The Department.

    Open only to majors. Permission required.

    Yearlong course 300-JAPA 301 .

    Course Format: INT
  
  • JAPA 301 - Senior Thesis

    Semester Offered: Spring
    0.5 unit(s)
    A 1-unit thesis written over two semesters. The Department.

    Open only to majors. Permission required.

    Yearlong course JAPA 300 -301.

    Course Format: INT
  
  • JAPA 302 - Senior Project

    Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
    1 unit(s)
    The Japanese senior project is an opportunity to do independent research on a topic of choice in the major discipline.  It is part of the honor’s requirement.  The senior project can take several forms.  The most common is a translation of an original text in Japanese, such as a short story, a play, or pieces of poetry.  Other possibilities include translation of a video recording of a performance of an original play written in Japanese, developing original computer software for language learning, etc.  Students should consult with their advisor regarding the possibilities.  Students are expected to schedule regular meetings with their project advisor and are responsible for meeting deadlines.   The Department.

    Prerequisite(s): Permission required

    Open only to majors. One-unit project done in one semester. Permission required.

    Course Format: INT
  
  • JAPA 303 - Senior Project

    Semester Offered: Fall
    0.5 unit(s)
    The Japanese senior project is an opportunity to do independent research on a topic of choice in the major discipline.  It is part of the honor’s requirement.  The senior project can take several forms.  The most common is a translation of an original text in Japanese, such as a short story, a play, or pieces of poetry.  Other possibilities include translation of a video recording of a performance of an original play written in Japanese, developing original computer software for language learning, etc.  Students should consult with their advisor regarding the possibilities.  Students are expected to schedule regular meetings with their project advisor and are responsible for meeting deadlines.   The Department.

    Prerequisite(s): Permission required

    Open only to majors. One-unit project done in two semesters. Permission required.

    Yearlong course 303-JAPA 304 .

    Course Format: INT
  
  • JAPA 304 - Senior Project

    Semester Offered: Spring
    0.5 unit(s)
    The Japanese senior project is an opportunity to do independent research on a topic of choice in the major discipline.  It is part of the honor’s requirement.  The senior project can take several forms.  The most common is a translation of an original text in Japanese, such as a short story, a play, or pieces of poetry.  Other possibilities include translation of a video recording of a performance of an original play written in Japanese, developing original computer software for language learning, etc.  Students should consult with their advisor regarding the possibilities.  Students are expected to schedule regular meetings with their project advisor and are responsible for meeting deadlines.   The Department.

    Prerequisite(s): Permission required

    Open only to majors. One-unit project done in two semesters. Permission required.

    Yearlong course JAPA 303 -304.

    Course Format: INT
  
  • JAPA 305 - Advanced Japanese

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1 unit(s)
    This course is designed to develop each student’s ability to read contemporary Japanese text from newspapers, magazines, and literary works, with a solid grammatical foundation and mastery of kanji, as well as gaining proficiency in writing at an advanced level. Continued training in aural-oral proficiency in spoken Japanese through exercises, classroom interactions and audio-visual materials.  Joshua Rogers.

    Prerequisite(s): JAPA 205 -JAPA 206  or permission of the instructor.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • JAPA 306 - Advanced Japanese

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    This course is designed to develop each student’s ability to read contemporary Japanese text from newspapers, magazines, and literary works, with a solid grammatical foundation and mastery of kanji, as well as gaining proficiency in writing at an advanced level. Continued training in aural-oral proficiency in spoken Japanese through exercises, classroom interactions and audio-visual materials.  Joshua Rogers.

    Prerequisite(s): JAPA 205 -JAPA 206 , and JAPA 305  or permission of the instructor.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • JAPA 350 - Advanced Readings in Japanese: Genres and Themes

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1 unit(s)
    This course is equivalent to a fourth-year Japanese course or beyond, and may be repeated for credit if topic changes. The aim of this course is to further develop the advanced students’ speaking, reading, and writing proficiency. The course explores different genres of texts ranging from contemporary Japanese media sources to literature. Readings are arranged according to thematic topics. Discussions and lectures are conducted entirely in Japanese.  Yuko Matsubara.

    Prerequisite(s): JAPA 306  or permission of the instructor.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • JAPA 351 - Advanced Readings of Original Literary Works

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    This course is equivalent to a fourth-year Japanese course or beyond, and may be repeated for credit if topic changes. This course involves close reading of a single literary work of an extensive length, shorter texts of a single author, or texts which have a common thematic interest. Through close reading and classroom discussion of the material, students are trained to approach authentic texts with linguistic confidence and useful methods. Discussions and lectures are conducted entirely in Japanese.  Joshua Rogers.

    Prerequisite(s): JAPA 306  or permission of the instructor.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • JAPA 361 - Youth in Japanese Literature


    1 unit(s)
    (Same as ASIA 361 ) This course explores the topic of youth and adolescence in Japan.  It examines how Japanese modern history, society and culture are presented differently in literary works when the perspective of youth is employed. Key topics of family, sexuality, modernization and civilization emerge to the surface. Issues that young people face are different in each period of time. However, the young commonly try to deal with the idea of “development” into mature adulthood or socially expected manhood and womanhood. Young people’s ideals, disillusionment, frustrations, and struggles are examined through selected literary and cinematic works. Readings include works by Natsume Soseki, Higuchi Ichiyo, Kawabata Yasunari, Mishima Yukio, Yasuoka Shotaro, and Murakami Haruki. We also expand our horizon to film, music and anime, as well. Hiromi Dollase.

    Prerequisite(s): One 200-level course in language, literature, culture or Asian Studies, or permission of the instructor.

    One 2-hour period.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

  
  • JAPA 370 - International Student Forum at Ochanomizu University

    Semester Offered: Spring
    0.5 unit(s)


    The International Student Forum annually takes place at Ochaonomizu University for two weeks in mid-February. Two students from each of Ochanomizu’s exchange schools in Poland, France, Germany, South Korea, China, and the U.S. meet in Tokyo and discuss various global issues in Japanese. The themes of the past forum include “Construction of Global Network,” “Disaster and the Movement of Population,” and “Discussing Environment and Natural Disaster.” Two students are required to prepare a 10-minute PPT presentation together under the close mentoring of a Japanese faculty member.

    Students research the topic given for the forum during winter break communicating with the instructor via email or Skype. After the break, students are intensively supervised – getting advice on their PPT and
    correcting their presentation manuscript. Hiromi Dollase.

    Prerequisite(s): Advanced level of Japanese.

  
  • JAPA 383 - Race in Japanese Literature and Media

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as ASIA 383  and MEDS 383 ) What does it mean to be “Japanese”? This course examines texts and visual media that have posed this question over the last three centuries, ranging from early attempts to distinguish Japanese culture from Chinese influences in the 18th century, through modernization and global war, and ending in the modern day. Students ask: how did Western race theory and its idea racial hierarchy influence the construction of national and racial identity in Japan? How was race leveraged during Japan’s imperial expansion into Asia and during WWII? How does “whiteness” and “blackness” function in modern Japan in comparison with the United States? How have minority groups living in Japan (the burakumin community, Ainu native peoples, Zainichi Koreans, immigrant workers, etc.) been marginalized and excluded from “Japaneseness”? Materials include both critical readings on the theory and history of race and ethnicity, as well as primary sources in English translation including essays, fiction, film, and animation.  Joshua Rogers.

    Prerequisite(s): One 200-level course in language, literature, culture or Asian Studies, or permission of the instructor.

    One 2-hour period.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • JAPA 399 - Senior Independent Work

    Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
    0.5 to 1 unit(s)
    One-half or one- unit of credit given only in exceptional cases and by permission of the chair. Offered only pass/fail. The department.

    Prerequisite(s): Four units of Japanese.

    Course Format: OTH

Earth Science: I. Introductory

  
  • ESCI 101 - Geohazards


    0.5 unit(s)
    Geohazards explores the geological and societal causes of death and destruction by earthquakes, landslides, floods, volcanoes, storms, and avalanches around the world. Students explore basic earth processes and learn how the Earth and its inhabitants interact in dangerous ways because people repeatedly fail to appreciate Earth’s power. 

    Two 75-minute periods during the first six weeks of the semester.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • ESCI 105 - Field Geology of the Hudson Valley


    0.5 unit(s)
    Experience 1.5 billion years of Hudson Valley geologic history from some of the classic vantage points in the region. Field trips to high points such as Breakneck Ridge, Brace Mountain, Bonticou Crag, and Overlook Mountain are supplemented by lectures and readings on the geologic history and the history of geologic studies in the valley. 

    Both first and second six-week course.

    Two 75-minute periods; one 4-hour laboratory.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • ESCI 109 - Hot Topics in Earth Science and the Media


    1 unit(s)
    From fracking to mountaintop removal, BP’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill, invasive species and their impacts on native ecology, and global warming, geology and related ecologic processes have been major topics in the news lately. This course examines the science behind different natural processes and phenomena (e.g. How do coal beds form? What makes a particular stratigraphic level potentially valuable for hydraulic fracturing? What do we know about responding to oil spills? What does the paleontological record tell us about species invasions?) and also examines media portrayals of these hot-topic issues. Students gain a deeper understanding of the scientific community’s knowledge on these issues and develop the ability to assess whether or not media coverage is fair and accurate. We also discuss how science itself is portrayed in the media and the importance of accurate and accessible scientific communication. 

    Open only to first-year students; satisfies the college requirement for a First-Year Writing Seminar.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • ESCI 111 - Science and Justice in the Anthropocene


    1 unit(s)
    (Same as GEOG 111  and STS 111 ) Geoscientists have proposed a new designation in the geologic time scale for our current time period, “the Anthropocene.” The designation reflects the fact that human beings are acting as geological agents, transforming the Earth on a global scale. In this first-year seminar course we explore the possibilities of reconfiguring the actions of humans in the Anthropocene so as to lead to a flowering of a new Era once called ‘the Ecozoic’ by cultural historian Thomas Berry. 

    Open only to first-year students; satisfies college requirement for a First-Year Writing Seminar.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • ESCI 135 - Volcanoes and Civilization

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    Few natural phenomena are more spectacular than a volcanic eruption. Volcanoes have been an important part of human culture throughout history whether in legends or in actual events. Through accounts of volcanic events, such as Plato’s account of the legend of Atlantis, recent scientific analysis of the eruption of Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompeii, or news media coverage of current eruptions, this course studies the role volcanoes have played in society as it traces the historical development of volcanological study using sources such as classical literature, nineteenth century treatises in natural science, modern scientific journals, and the popular media. Jeff Walker.

    An optional field trip to an active volcano is possible.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • ESCI 151 - The Solid Earth:  Physical Geology

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)


    (Same as GEOG 151 )  Earth’s geologic processes give rise to phenomena that affect all living beings as well as to resources upon which human societies depend. In this course, we examine the materials composing Earth’s physical environment and the processes that continually remake our planet’s surface. For example, we explore topics such as minerals and rocks, energy resources, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanos, and other geologic hazards, stream erosion, geologic time, and topographic maps. Together we consider underlying principles of the natural world, from the small scale, such as the building blocks of matter, to the large scale, like the cause and effect of regional forces that build mountains and create new ocean basins. This course is a complement to ESCI 153 - The Fluid Earth: Oceans, Atmosphere, and the Climate System . Jill Schneiderman.

    Several lab exercises take place in the field.

    Satisfies the college requirement for quantitative reasoning.

    Two 75-minute periods; one 4-hour laboratory.

    Course Format: CLS

  
  • ESCI 153 - The Fluid Earth: Oceans, Atmosphere, and the Climate System

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as GEOG 153 )  Earth’s oceans are critical for human societies: They absorb carbon dioxide emissions, provide food and natural resources, and their life generates half of the oxygen we breathe. The oceans’ counterpart, the atmosphere, is where weather systems develop and our planet’s temperature is determined. In this course, we examine the physical, chemical, and biological building blocks of the oceans and atmosphere and how they are changing as a result of human activities. We use observational data as our window into processes such as circulation, sea-level change, and ocean acidification. We also explore case studies of ocean management to determine what can be done to create just and equitable solutions for environmental change in the 21st century. This course is a complement to ESCI 151 - The Solid Earth:  Physical Geology . Laura Haynes.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • ESCI 198 - Special Projects in Earth Science

    Semester Offered: Fall or Spring
    0.5 or 1 unit(s)
    Execution and analysis of field, laboratory, or library study. Project to be arranged with individual instructor. The department.

    Open to first-year students and sophomores only.

    Course Format: CLS

Earth Science: II. Intermediate

  
  • ESCI 201 - Earth Materials: Minerals and Rocks

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    The earth is made up of many different materials, including minerals, rocks, and ions in solution, representing the same atoms recycled continually by geological and biogeochemical processes. This course covers the earth materials in their plate tectonic context.  We approach this study through field techniques (outcrop description and hand specimen identification), and laboratory work (optical microscope and X-ray analysis). Jeffrey Walker.

    Prerequisite(s): ESCI 151  or permission of the instructor.

    Two 75-minute periods; one 4-hour laboratory.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • ESCI 202 - Public Policy and Human Environments


    1 unit(s)
    (Same as ENST 202 , ESSC 202 GEOG 202  and URBS 202 ) This course combines the insights of the natural and social sciences to address a selected topic of global concern. Geographers bring spatial analysis of societal and political-ecological changes, while Earth Scientists contribute their knowledge of the diverse natural processes shaping the earth’s surface. Together, these distinctive but complementary fields contribute to comprehensive understandings of the physical limitations and potential, uses and misuses of the Earth’s natural resources.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • ESCI 203 - Earth History

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1 unit(s)
    In this course we study the methods and principles employed in deciphering the geologic history of Earth and the development of life on the planet. We emphasize the geologic evolution of the North American continent and the main features of the fossil record. Students learn to recognize the patterns of both biologic and tectonic evolution of Earth through time, from the Archean to the present. Woven throughout the course is consideration of the history of geologic thought through examination of the ideas of James Hutton, Charles Lyell, Charles Darwin, and Alfred Wegener.  Jeff Walker.

    Prerequisite(s): ESCI 151 .

    Two 75-minute periods; one 4-hour laboratory.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • ESCI 211 - Sedimentology

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1 unit(s)
    Sediments and sedimentary rocks preserve information about the rocks that were eroded to form them, the fluids and forces that transported them, the mechanisms by which they were deposited, and the processes by which they were lithified. This course introduces the principles of sedimentology, including sediment composition, fluid mechanics, bedform analysis, and depositional environments. The Department.

    Weekend field trips may be required.

    Two 75-minute periods; one 4-hour laboratory.

  
  • ESCI 220 - Cartography: Spatial Data Visualization with GIS

    Semester Offered: Fall
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as GEOG 220 ) Geographic information systems (GIS) give us the ability to display and analyze data, and thus give us broader perspectives on social and environmental processes and patterns. Map-making and communication with spatial data are therefore fundamental aspects of Geography. This course uses GIS to make thematic maps and to acquire and present spatial data in diverse ways. In addition, we explore the culture, politics, and technology of historical cartography, and we examine how maps have been used as rhetorical and political texts. Throughout the course, we focus on strategies for clear, efficient, and intentional communication through graphic presentation of data. Thus, the course integrates problems of design, esthetics, and communication with techniques for manipulating quantitative data. In the final project, students apply ideas to a topic of their individual interest. ArcGIS is used in labs for map production and data analysis. Mary Cunningham.

    Prerequisite(s): One 100-level Geography or Earth Science course, or permission of the instructor.

    Satisfies the college requirement for quantitative reasoning.

    Two 75-minute periods and one 2-hour lab.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • ESCI 221 - Soils


    1 unit(s)
    (Same as GEOG 221 ) Soils form an important interface between the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. As such, they are critical to understanding the functioning of ecosystems. This course studies soil formation, and the physical and chemical properties of soils critical to the understanding of natural and constructed ecosystems. Field trips and laboratory work focus on the description and interpretation of local soils. 

    Prerequisite(s): One introductory course in Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science; or ENST 124 .

    Two 75-minute periods; one 4-hour laboratory/field period.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • ESCI 224 - GIS: Spatial Analysis

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as GEOG 224 ) Geographic information systems (GIS) are increasingly important and widespread packages for manipulating and presenting spatial data. While this course uses ArcGIS, the same software as Cartography, the primary focus here is spatial analysis (calculating patterns and relationships), rather than map design for data visualization. We explore a variety of techniques for answering questions with spatial data, including overlay, map algebra (math using multiple input layers), hydrologic modeling, surface interpolation, and site selection. Issues of data collection through remote sensing and sampling are addressed. GIS involves a more rapid introduction to the software than Cartography does; it is useful to take both Cartography and GIS (preferably in that order) to gain a more complete understanding of spatial data analysis and manipulation.  Neil Curri.

    Satisfies the college requirement for quantitative reasoning.

    Two 75-minute periods; one 2-hour laboratory.

  
  • ESCI 226 - Remote Sensing


    0.5 unit(s)
    (Same as GEOG 226 ) Many key environmental questions today are studied at least in part with remotely sensed data. Imagery from satellite sensors, such as LandSat, or airborne sensors, provide insights into questions regarding oil spills, sea ice extent, agricultural land uses, urban expansion, deforestation, forest health, weather, and many other phenomena. This 6-week course provides a short introduction to remotely sensed data, including principles of image capture, e.g., radiative energy, electromagnetic spectra, and spectral signatures, and basic approaches to image classification and interpretation. Using accessible image interpretation software, we practice different approaches for using imagery to address environmental questions. This course complements GIS, Cartography, and other courses concerned with mapping and land change analysis. It has no prerequisites, but willingness to explore new software and data is important.

    Two 75-minute periods.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • ESCI 231 - Geomorphology: Surface Processes and Evolution of Landforms

    Semester Offered: Spring
    1 unit(s)
    (Same as GEOG 231 ) Quantitative study of the physical, chemical, and biological processes that create Earth’s many landforms. Topics include weathering and erosion, landsliding and debris flows, sediment transport by rivers and glaciers, the role of climate in landscape modification, and the use of landforms to document earthquake hazards. Lab exercises emphasize fundamental skills in geomorphologic analysis such as mapping, surveying, interpretation of aerial photography, and use of Geographic Information Systems software.  Kirsten Menking.

    Prerequisite(s): ESCI 151  or permission of the instructor.

    Satisfies college requirement for quantitative reasoning.

    Two 75-minute periods; one 4-hour laboratory/field period. An overnight weekend field trip may be required.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • ESCI 235 - Water


    1 unit(s)
    (Same as GEOG 235 ) Sixty to seventy percent of Dutchess County residents depend on groundwater supplies to meet their daily needs. Industrial pollution and road salt have contaminated many of these supplies, spawning legal actions and requiring costly remediation. Ensuring adequate and safe groundwater supplies for humans and ecosystems requires extensive knowledge of the hydrologic cycle and of how contaminants may be introduced into water resources. We explore how rainfall and snowmelt infiltrate into soils and bedrock to become part of the groundwater system, learn what factors govern subsurface flow, and discuss the concept of well-head protection, which seeks to protect groundwater recharge areas from contamination. Using Vassar’s teaching well at the field station we perform a number of experiments to assess aquifer properties, water chemistry, and presence of microbial contaminants. Comfort with basic algebra and trigonometry is expected. 

    Prerequisite(s): ESCI 151 , ENST 124 , or permission of the instructor.

    Satisfies the college requirement for quantitative reasoning.

    Two 75-minute periods; one 4-hour laboratory/field period.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: CLS
  
  • ESCI 251 - Global Geophysics and Tectonics


    1 unit(s)
    What can physics and simple math tell us about the earth? By utilizing an array of techniques, geophysicists gain an understanding of the processes that shape our planet. Reflection and earthquake seismology give us insight into deep earth structure, plate tectonic mechanisms, mountain building, basin formation, and hazard mitigation. Variations in the earth’s gravitational field yield information on density contrasts beneath the surface, from the scale of mountain ranges to buried artifacts. Heat flow variations are useful in determining regional subsurface thermal structure, fluid advection, and climate variation. Laboratories are designed to use the skills required in most geology related fields. They involve the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) software, and construction of simple computer models. 

    Prerequisite(s): ESCI 151  or ESCI 121 .

    Two 75-minute periods; one 4-hour laboratory.

    Not offered in 2021/22.

    Course Format: CLS
 

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