|
|
Academic Catalog 2022-2023 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Courses
|
|
|
|
| |
Liberal Arts: Literature, Writing, and Film |
| |
-
LALW215 Memoir & the Artist 3cr
Learn how to tell your story so the world listens. Study contemporary memoirists to understand principles of effective storytelling in this popular genre. Memoir writing is one part experience and one part reflection. How much of each varies from one artist to the next.
Using structured in-class writing exercises and critiques, you will have the opportunity to explore various ways to approach your experience and learn to build your skills for reflection. This course culminates in your memoir project that showcases your unique and original voice using word and image combined.
(Formerly titled: Memoir Writing)
Prerequisites: LALW100
Seminar
Spring
|
| |
-
LALW220 Why I Write, Why I Create 3cr
An introduction to Creative Nonfiction Writing for the Artist. Reading, discussions, and writing exercises will focus on best practices of this contemporary literary form including nature and environmental literature, travel, food, and adventure too. In-class writing exercises are designed to generate the first material for essays. Course includes weekly critiques and re-visioning essays. First essays will concentrate on experimental forms that encourage artist to work at the intersection of word and image or visual art. Final project will encourage the integration of work in art and design majors with one work in creative nonfiction writing.. [Formerly Titled: Creative Nonfiction]
Prerequisites: LALW100
Lecture
Undergraduate Elective
Fall
|
| |
-
LALW222 Fantasy Worlds 3cr
Modern fantasy literature consists of fantastic stories set in imagined worlds. It features characters created by the author rather than drawn directly from traditional myths and legends. The course examines the origins of the genre, which emerged during the nineteenth century, and which has taken both epic and satiric forms. Although some attention is given to the legends, folktales, and romances that provided models and inspiration to fantasy authors, the main focus is on the classic works of the genre. Students are assigned one critical paper, one final project (create and illustrate an imaginary world that would provide a framework for fantasy fiction), bi-weekly blogs, and oral presentations. Forty to sixty minutes of class time allotted to Student Workshop/Critiques, in which students develop work-in-progress to present to instructor and peers for discussion, assessment, and advice towards course goals.
Prerequisites: LALW100
Lecture
Spring
|
| |
-
LALW229 Social Justice Documentaries 3cr
This course will introduce social justice issues
as they are represented and explored through
documentary film and video. The course provides a
conceptual overview of the forms, strategies,
structures and conventions of documentary film
and video. The class will examine documentaries
that construct arguments about the power
relations in society, while attempting to raise
awareness and motivate action for social justice.
Students will consider dominant, experimental and
emergent modes of representation; including
important documentary texts, movements,
filmmakers and selected documentary genres.
Specific topics for the course include: Mental &
Physical Disabilities, Notions of “Race”, Crime &
Punishment, Immigration, War, Gender & Sexual
Identity, Environmental Concerns, Social Class &
Workers’ Rights, Personal Narratives, Politics,
Education, and Counter Cultures.
Through this course, students should gain
knowledge of the current theoretical dilemmas and
debates in documentary filmmaking, including
questions of how to define documentaries, what
constitutes the ethical treatment of subjects and
subject matter, documentary’s construction and
positioning of audiences, as well as political
and economic constraints on documentary
filmmaking. Ultimately, the course will emphasize
critical thinking and viewing skills related to
representations of the social world through
documentaries.
Prerequisites: LALW-200
Lecture
Spring
|
| |
-
LALW233 Creative Writing Workshop: A Multigenre Workshop 3cr
This course introduces students to creative
writing-through poetry and fiction-and explores
hybrid genres and connections between word and
image. Students learn the elements of craft that
are particular to each genre and universal for
both. They write their own pieces that are
critiqued by peers and instructor. Students also
read literature as models for their own writing
and become familiar with contemporary literary
journals.
Seminar
Spring
|
| |
-
LALW300 Playwriting 3 cr.
A course that teaches the fundamentals of writing drama for the stage. Students study the craft of successful plays by Edward Albee, August Wilson, Paula Vogel and others, applying what they learn to writing their own scenes and plays. The course culminates in a public developmental reading of some of the best one-act plays written by the students.
Prerequisites: LALW200
Lecture/Seminar
All College Elective
|
| |
-
LALW301 Monster Madness 3 cr.
We round up the usual suspects: the appalling and tragic monster and his equally tragic and appalling creator; the charismatic vampire and his bevy of vamps; the traveling salesman who finds himself transformed into a giant dung-beetle. More broadly, the course studies the idea of monstrosity and the ways in which monsters represent the shadowy side of human nature: what people fear and what they desire. The syllabus includes Frankenstein, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Kafka’s Metamorphosis, and Nabokov’s Lolita.
Prerequisites: LALW200
Lecture/Seminar
All College Elective
Summer (PCE)
|
| |
-
LALW306 Modernist Word and Image 3 cr.
Nearly 100 years on, the visual and verbal experiments of high Modernism still have the
power to arrest our gaze and our attention. In this course, we explore the unique conversation between word and image that occurred between approximately 1910 and 1945. How did visual artists respond to innovations in poetic form? What does literature look like when it aspires to be pictorial or visual? Do artists and writers actually practice the principles laid out in their manifestos? Questions like these-and many others- guide our investigation and analysis. Texts include seminal writings from Futurism, Dadaism, and Surrealism; avant-garde poetry by Apollinaire, Pound, Stein, Williams, and others; Wyndham Lewis’ periodical Blast; Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse and other readings that complicate the boundaries between mediums, genres, and forms of
expression.
Prerequisites: LALW200
Lecture/Seminar
All College Elective
Fall/Spring
|
| |
-
LALW309 Twentieth Century American Literature 3 cr.
A focus on major writers who emerged in the twentieth century. The course concentrates on late twentieth century figures and earlier modernist writers.
Prerequisites: LALW200
Lecture/Seminar
All College Elective
|
| |
-
LALW312 Creative Writing: The Essay 3 cr.
This course, conducted as a workshop with essays read aloud and critiqued in class, provides students with an opportunity to explore through their own writing the power and variety of the essay form. From memoir to observation, personal profile to political observation, this course encourages students to transmit interior reflection and external observation into essay form. Assigned reading of essays. Grade based on 25-page portfolio (usually five essays).
Prerequisites: LALW200
Lecture/Seminar
All College Elective
|
| |
-
LALW317 (Im)migrant Voices: the Future of the American Dream 3 cr.
This class focuses on a variety of literary texts
that examine the experience of immigrants in the
USA from the 1950s to the present. The primary
and secondary readings, supplemented by in class
viewing of films and documentaries, offer a range
of immigrants’ narratives both in their specific
socio-cultural contexts, and in relation to this
country.
The class will shed light on American culture and
society in its unifying values and
contradictions, through the angle of vision given
by outsiders looking in, and often challenging
ideas of race, gender, identity, ‘home’, and the
American Dream.[Formerly Immigrants
in America]
Due to the intensive nature of this class, Prof.
Preziuso does not accept any student who wishes
to enroll in her class after week 1 of the
semester, hence having missed the first week of
class.
Prerequisites: LALW200
Lecture/Seminar
All College Elective
Fall/Spring
|
| |
-
LALW320 Poetry Workshop 3 cr.
In this course, students write, revise, and share poems as a community, experimenting with new subjects and forms-and ways of responding attentively to classmate’s poems. Additionally, they consider published poetry to learn key elements of poetic craft. Students assemble their original poems into portfolios to demonstrate their command of imagery, diction, stanza, line, voice, form, prosody (sound and rhythm), and other aspects of richly dynamic poetry.
Prerequisites: LALW200
Lecture/Seminar
All College Elective
|
| |
-
LALW326 Asian Cinema: Postwar India, Japan & China 3cr
This course looks at the development of Asian cinema through the lens of three of the most important national film industries: India, Japan, and China. How do the films from these countries reflect diverse but interrelated cultural traditions? How is the cinematic representation of these traditions shaped by a dialogue with Hollywood and European film? How does the development of post-war Asian cinema reflect the shift from a national to a more global film market? This course explores these and other related questions though a combination of weekly film screenings, lecture, and class discussion. Directors include Satyajit Ray, Kenji Mizoguchi, Akira Kurosawa, John Woo, and Wong Kar-Wai.
Prerequisites: LALW200
Lecture
Undergraduate Elective
Fall & Spring
|
| |
-
LALW329 Literature & Culture of the Great War 3 cr
The Great War (1914-1918) altered global politics, national cultures, language, consciousness, and aesthetics in ways that the world is still processing. This course explores the culture into which the war exploded; the lived and written experience of soldiers and civilians alike; and hallmarks of the diverse body of literary and artistic output that responded to the horrors of mechanized trench warfare, shellshock, and massive loss. The reading list includes works by Robert Graves, David Jones, Guillaume Apollinaire, Virginia Woolf, Erich Maria Remarque, Wilfred Owen, and others.
Prerequisites: LALW200
Lecture
Elective
Fall/Spring
|
| |
-
LALW338 Film Script Writing; Adaptation 3cr.
Students learn film scriptwritng, film aesthetics, and fundamental features of literature and film viewing, discussing and evaluating films derived from selected fiction. Students compare remakes of fiction filmed multiple times. Students learn and employ industry-standard script writing software to create, discuss and evaluate original screenplays they themselves create from works of fiction. [Fromerly Film Script Writing]
Prerequisites: LALW-200
Fall and Spring
|
| |
-
LALW340 Black Cinema:American Myth, Racial Ideology and Hollywood 3cr.
“What is “”Black Cinema”“? How did “”Black Cinema”” originate? What gives “”Black Cinema”” a
distinct voice of its own? Must “”Black Cinema”” only be directed by African Americans, feature an
all Black cast, or only address a Black audience and “”Black issues”” in order to qualify as
“”Black Cinema”“? Should we differentiate between “”Black Cinema”” and “”Cinema”“? What are the
ethical, social and political implications central to making these distinctions? This course
examines those questions while chronicling the history and present state of “”Black
Cinema”“(from the early 20th century filmmaking of Oscar Micheaux; Blaxploitation films of Gordon
Parks and Melvin Van Peebles; fiction films by Charles Burnett, Spike Lee, Lee Daniels, Steve
McQueen and Dee Rees; documentaries by Marlon Riggs, Stanley Nelson and June Cross; as well as
animation films made for TV and media streamed online). Despite the contributions to cinema by
these distinguished people of African descent, there remains a significant need for Black cinema
studies within the broader areas of Africana Studies in the US and abroad. For these reasons,
this course explores how Black authorship, content and reception have been defined and
reconsidered in relation to dominant American myths, racial ideology and film industry
practices, that have long presented limited and distorted social and political constructs of
African Americans and the African Diaspora in cinema. This course challenges those portrayals
and assumptions through thoughtful inquiries into the intricate modes of racial coding of moving
images.
Prerequisites: LALW-100 & FRSM-100
Fall Only
|
| |
-
LALW341 Writers of the Black Atlantic 3cr
This class offers a cross-cultural survey of
black literature in the 20th-Century. It
explores the ways black writers from Africa,
Europe, and the Americas share a globalized
perspective that is not distinctly African,
European, or American but rather a multicultural
perspective that historian Paul Gilroy has called
the culture of the Black Atlantic. Based on the
history of transatlantic crossings of the slave
trade and its aftermath, this Black Atlantic is a
confluence of diverse cultural traditions.
Covering topics such as slavery, racism, and
colonialism, this class focuses on the ways
writers of the Black Atlantic have used this
multicultural perspective to establish a critical
voice for expressing the black experience in the
20th-Century.
Prerequisites: LALW-200
Lecture
Spring
|
| |
-
LALW342 Fiction Workshop 3cr
This course supports students to write original
fiction prompted by assignments on the
fundamental elements of the craft and the study
of published fiction. Students share and provide
feedback to other students in critique workshops.
Discussions focus on what comprises a good story,
with an emphasis on characterization, narration,
plot, scene, setting, dialogue, and style, and
ways of generating one’s own stories. Comparisons
between written and graphic narratives are also
explored.
Prerequisites: LALW-200
Seminar
Fall
|
| |
-
LALW346 Camelot: Tales of King Arthur 3 cr.
A study of the literary epics of the legends surrounding Camelot and King Arthur, their origins in the middle ages and subsequent variations.
Prerequisites: LALW200
Lecture/Seminar
All College Elective
|
| |
-
LALW400 Directed Study 3 cr.
A Liberal Arts directed study is a research project selected by a student in a Liberal Arts discipline. Typically, the study results in a research paper of thirty plus pages or the equivalent, as agreed upon by the faculty member supervising the project. Because of its advanced nature, a Liberal Arts LALW directed study is open only to seniors and is limited to one per semester. No more than two Liberal Arts directed studies may be counted toward Liberal Arts degree requirements. Students seeking to register for a LALW directed study must execute a directed study proposal form that describes the proposed project, includes a bibliography, and describes the final project. Liberal Arts directed studies proposals require the approval of the Liberal Arts Department chair.
Prerequisites: LALW200 enrollment senior elective, and consent of the instructor.
Lecture/Seminar
|
| |
-
LALW402 Advanced Poetry Workshop 3cr.
In this workshop, students write, revise, and discuss their own poetry in peer critique
workshops as they sharpen their poetry writing skills beyond an introductory level and examine
how their own poetry is situated in the context of contemporary poetry. Guided by peer critique
and the instructor’s feedback, they assemble a final collection of poetry, possibly
demonstrating how their poems intersect with their own major. Students also delve into a wide
array of published poetry to deepen their understanding of poetry, compose a statement of
their aesthetics, gain experience as editors, and write a critical study of some poets in relation
to their own aesthetics. Finally, as a collective, students read their poems in public
and/or publish a compilation of selected poems and artwork.
Prerequisites: LALW-320 or LALW-308 or LALW-233 or by permission of
instructor.
For permission, please email Cheryl Clark
(cclark@massart.edu) a sample of 5 poems in one document
with a brief explanation of why you would like to take this
workshop. Include a list of relevant courses you have
taken. If I find that this sample is not sufficiently
strong, indicating that your command of poetry writing is
insufficient for success in the class, I will let you know
by e-mail as soon as I can. Send the sample as soon as
possible.
Spring Only
|
| |
-
LALW403 Artist’s Writing 3 cr.
A workshop in which initial drafts and subsequent revisions of students’ writings are photocopied, distributed to all members of the class, and critiqued. The objective is to help students develop artist’s statements that: (a) are appropriate to the purposes for which they are written; (b) articulate what the student wants to say about their art; and (c) communicate clearly to the intended audiences. [Formerly titled Writing an Artist’s Statement]
Prerequisites: Seniors Only
Lecture/Seminar
Senior Elective
|
| |
-
LALW407 Literature & Culture of the Great War 3cr.
The Great War (1914-1918) altered global politics, national cultures, language,
consciousness, and aesthetics in ways that the world is still processing. Planned for the
centenary of the beginning of Great War hostilities, this course will explore the culture
into which the war exploded; the lived and written experience of soldiers and civilians
alike; and hallmarks of the diverse body of literary and artistic output that responded to
the horrors of mechanized trench warfare, shellshock, and massive loss. The reading list
includes works by Robert Graves, David Jones, Guillaume Apollinaire, Virginia Woolf, Erich
Maria Remarque, Wilfred Owen, and others.
Prerequisites: LALW-200
Spring Only
|
| |
-
LALW410 Opera and the fusion of the Arts 3 cr.
What is opera? German composer Richard Wagner described it as a “total art work,” combining music, drama, singing, and scenic design. This course encourages new ways of thinking about the relationships between different artistic disciplines and forms. Students view and discuss a selection of operas from the seventeenth through twentieth centuries. No classical music background is required, and no one is expected to sing. In a final project combining artwork and critical writing, students imagine and design a production for an opera of their choice.
Prerequisites: LALW200
Lecture/Seminar
All College Elective
|
| |
-
LALW411 Man Vs. Wild and Other Stories We Tell 3cr
Droughts scorch the Middle East and the American
southwest. Wildfires rip across Indonesia. Rising
sea levels are already beginning to swallow up
island nations, and warming waters are decimating
ocean life. As the effects of climate change
wreak havoc on human societies and ecosystems
across the globe, they also shine an increasingly
bright spotlight on how human beings think about
and interact with the natural world. This class
will explore changing attitudes toward nature
over several centuries, including, and
especially, the present day. We will discuss the
role that writing and art have played in shaping
our understanding of the natural world over time
(with possible selections from Genesis, Edmund
Burke, William Wordsworth, Charles Darwin, and
Henry David Thoreau). We will also explore how
writers, artists, and filmmakers are confronting
the representational challenges posed by climate
change today (possible readings include Margaret
Atwood, Oryx and Crake; Paolo Bacigalupi, The
Water Thief; Indra Sinha, Animal’s People; Kim
Stanley Robinson, Green Earth; selections from
Bill McKibben, Stacy Alaimo, William Cronon, bell
hooks, E.O. Wilson, and Eduardo Kohn; films such
as Racing Extinction, This Changes Everything).
Over the course of the semester, you will
undertake research on an interdisciplinary
project that investigates a site of human-nature
interaction of your choosing, traces its impact
on the world, and explores creative ways to
express this impact. You will receive feedback on
this project in beginning, intermediary, and
final stages, and it will include both written
and creative components. We will have several
exciting opportunities to broaden our
perspectives on this topic. First, this course
will be participating in the interdisciplinary
Sustainability Studio in the DMC, through which
we will be opening several of our classes to the
public. Second, we will meet multiple times over
the semester with Professor Nava’s summative
elective course, which approaches many of the
issues we will be addressing from a scientific
perspective that will deepen our humanistic one.
Prerequisites: LALW-200
Seminar
Spring
|
| |
-
LALW412 Your Ted Talk 3cr
Students conceive, propose, revise, and deliver an original ten-minute TED-style talk that presents a participant’s senior (studio-department) thesis, or a participant’s artist’s statement, or a participant’s statement of core beliefs. Participants review widely-shared TED Talks and the research, literature, and other sources informing them. Students critique each other’s TED Talks. Talks are digitally recorded and edited by Mass Art technicians. Talks may be internet-posted.
Prerequisites: LALW-200
Seminar
Fall and Spring
|
| |
-
LALW414 Why Novels Now? Create Your Own Long-Form Fiction 3cr
Why Novels Now? Create Your Own Long-Form Fiction, an LALW Summative Elective, is designed for upper-level students with an active interest in the longer forms of fiction, especially those who are completing the Creative Writing Minor. Why Novels Now? is a defense of the need for leisurely literature in our electronically-rushed world; it is both an inspection of the history and future of novels and a craft class in which each student plans and writes their own novel or graphic novel. To unlock valuable storytelling secrets, we’ll compare two well-made novels: E. M. Forster’s 1910 English classic Howards End and Zadie Smith’s On Beauty, her 2005 parallel to Forster’s book that’s set in the Boston area. Other course texts: Jane Smiley’s 13 Ways of Looking at the Novel and Scott McCloud’s Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga, and Graphic Novels. Each class session will include an in-class writing workshop aimed at practicing a different technique of the writing craft.
Prerequisites: Take 15 cr from Lib. Arts
Seminar
Spring
|
| |
-
LALW415 Creating a Comic Book 3cr
In this course, you will be both students and
creators of the graphic novel form. We will begin
by familiarizing ourselves with the history of
“sequential art,” from comic strips to superhero
comics, from comics to graphic novels. After
establishing this larger historical context,
though, most of our time will be spent on
exploring the possibilities of the form. To do
this, we will seek out and study cartoonists who
have experimented with comics and graphic novels.
Through a series of weekly in-class and
extracurricular sketching and writing
assignments, you will also experiment with the
form. Ultimately, you will draft, revise, and
complete a polished, substantial graphic
narrative that tells a story of your choosing;
and a preface that contextualizes your narrative
within the class’s readings and your personalized
research.
This is a Summative Elective Liberal Arts class,
meant to represent the culmination of three to
four years of integrating liberal arts and studio
classes at MassArt. The assignments in this class
embody this synthesis. As you write and re-write
your comic, you will draw on analyses of other
graphic novels, research tailored to your story,
and feedback from your peers and me. This course
is especially suitable for students who have
studied graphic novels in other settings but is
open to all who are intrigued by the endless ways
to tell stories through comics.
Prerequisites: Take 15 credits from Lib. Arts
Seminar
Spring
|
| |
-
LALW416 I Hear America Singing 3cr
Specifically engaging works about America by
Americans, this course emphasizes the
sociocultural work of the musical as conveyed
through its elements of music and dance. With
scripts and soundtracks as the primary texts,
students will experience and analyze a selection
of works, critically engaging issues such as
adaptation, musical genre, performance history,
and representations of gender and race.
Prerequisites: LALW-100, LALW-200 and 9 credits from Liberal Arts
Seminar
Fall
|
| |
-
LALW423 Shakespeare and Identity:Race, Religion, Gender, and Sexuality On the Elizabethan Stage 3cr
This course considers the topic of identity from the standpoint of the Age of Shakespeare late 1500s to early 1600s). The syllabus focuses on eight early modern English plays by William Shakespeare and his contemporary, Christopher Marlowe that explore issues related to different types of identity (race, religion, gender, and sexuality). Shorter supplementary readings include poems, essays, and treatises from Shakespeare’s time, as well as classical writings that Shakespeare and his contemporaries would have known. Students are assigned one critical paper, one final project (create a mise en scéne of one of the plays on the syllabus), bi-weekly blogs, and oral presentations. Forty to sixty minutes of class time are set aside for Student Workshop/Critiques, in which students bring work-in-progress to present to instructor and peers for discussion, assessment, and advice towards course goals.[Formerly titled Shakespeare and the
Other]
Prerequisites: LALW200
Seminar
Fall and Spring
|
Liberal Arts: Mathematics and Science |
| |
-
LAMS200 The Universe 3 cr.
This course is an introductory cosmology course that focuses on the large scale physical phenomena in the universe. Examples of covered topics are Big Bang, Black Holes, Neutron Stars, Dark Matter, Dark Energy, etc. Class meetings comprise instruction, class discussions, and problem solving. In addition, students use simulations in Astronomy and Cosmology to gain more extensive exposure to the covered topics, and explore them through lab-based activities.
Prerequisites: FRSM100
Lecture/Seminar
|
| |
-
LAMS206 Biomimicry 3cr
Biomimicry is the study of the structure and function of biological systems as models for the design and engineering of materials. In this course, students become acquainted with basic concepts in biology, physics and engineering. Building upon this foundation, the course treats how designers solve design problems by mimicking nature.
Prerequisites: FRSM100
Lecture
Undergraduate Elective
Fall & Spring
|
| |
-
LAMS208 Bacteria Assassins 3cr.
Almost everyone has taken antibiotics at some point during their lives and we read every day about deadly “superbugs” that are resistant to antibiotics. But what does this resistance mean and how did we get here? The course examines the antibiotic resistance problem and an often-touted possible alternative, bacteriophages. Bacteriophages are viruses of bacteria and were discovered exactly 100 years ago during the First World War. Students examine and synthesize the biology, history, ecology, and applications of these two types of bacteria killers to better understand the treatment of bacterial infections today and what may come in the future. This course helps students understand current events and science relevant to their lives - such as on antibiotics and antibiotic resistance, emerging diseases (such as Ebola), and the human microbiome. No laboratory experience is required.
Prerequisites: FRSM-100
Lecture
Undergraduate Elective
Fall & Spring
|
| |
-
LAMS209 Wetlands Science and Policy 3cr
This course is intended as a rational approach to
wetland conservation balanced with responsible
development. People need to live somewhere and to
draw water from somewhere. But wetlands serve
many vital functions and oftentimes are highly
valuable ecosystems that should be protected. In
the course, students gain an interdisciplinary
knowledge of wetland definitions, classification
systems, origins, and natural processes of
wetland environments. We discuss wetlands across
the globe, including boreal, temperate, and
tropical climates. We investigate hydrology,
soils, and vegetation and their relationship to
ecosystem processes, societal values, and
management. We examine human use, modification,
exploitation, jurisdictional delineation, and
management options, along with legal and
political aspects of wetlands. This is a broad
course, also encompassing forestry, coastal
management, energy, climate change, agriculture,
history, and ecosystem succession. We will
attempt four optional field trips, weather
permitting, in our field experience weekend.
Prerequisites: FRSM-100
Lecture
Spring
|
| |
-
LAMS267 Natural Disasters in a Global Environment 3cr
Natural Disasters is offered as a Laboratory- style 4 credit course. Students will acquire skills in the areas of mathematic, analytical, and quantitative skills through weekly laboratory exercises and field trips.
Prerequisites: FRSM-100
Lecture
Fall
|
| |
|
| |
-
LAMS301 Desert Ecology and Field Bioar 3cr
This research-based hybrid course will provide an
introduction to the biodiversity and ecology of
the deserts of the Southwest U.S. This course is
a hands-on, novel exploration of the integration
of science, technology, nature, and art. There is
an optional camping field trip to the deserts of
the Southwest in which we will utilize the
natural habitat as our studio+lab to develop and
explore creative methods of biological inquiry
and hybrid, experimental art. Through scientific
methodology, close observation, and art-making in
the field, we will conduct novel research on
ecological, behavioral, and morphological aspects
of desert flora and fauna in their natural
habitats. The unique wildlife and distinct
habitats of the Southwest deserts have long been
a source of wonder and inspiration for
naturalists, biologists and artists. The
Chihuahuan, Sonoran, and Mojave Desert regions
have the highest levels of species endemism in
North America. The starkly varied environments of
state and national parks in the Chihuahuan,
Mojave, and Sonoran Deserts offer a unique
opportunity for artists to get hands-on
biological research experience in some of the
world’s most unique ecosystems. Participation in
the camping field trip is strongly encouraged but
is not required. Please contact instructor for
more information.
Lecture
Fall
|
| |
-
LAMS320 Environmental Science 3 cr.
A study of the principles of ecology, a science intertwining many biological and physical science disciplines. The course distinguishes the scientific, technological, and social domains. It treats complex human impacts and environmental concerns (such as biodiversity, population size, food and energy resources, air and water pollution, waste management, recycling, and sustainability) and raises issues of environmental ethics, risk assessment, and policy planning.
Prerequisites: FRSM100
Lecture/Seminar
All College Elective
|
| |
-
LAMS324 Sustainabilty Science 3 cr
What is the nature of sustainability? How can we learn from and with nature, its biological
diversity and ecosystems, to become more resilient? Practical examples, field visits,
readings, and discussions will give students the opportunity to learn about emerging
interdisciplinary sciences and solution-driven technologies based on green chemistry and
biomimicry. Through explorations of the water-energy-food nexus, adaptations to climate
change, and sea level rise, students can explore how we can become self-sustainable in the era of
Anthropocene. The intention of the course is to give students a greater understanding of how
science can inform public policies. In addition, attention will be paid to how science relates to
art and design making, and vice versa.
Fall and Spring
|
| |
-
LAMS327 The Science of Climate Change 3cr
Climate change impacts us all. The media bombards
us daily with the effects, policy, and financial
aspects of this phenomenon. Few students and lay
persons however, understand completely the basic
science of climate change. In this course, you
will learn about the difference between climate
change, the greenhouse effect, and global warming;
the basic science of how our atmosphere formed,
how it has changed through time, and how humans
are impacting both weather and climate. Through a
reading and critical-though based class, we will
learn about and discuss (orally and in writing)
the impacts of climate change on agriculture,
weather, economics, and poorer nations. We will
discuss how science needs to more clearly inform
policy at national and global levels, grapple with
the social justice element of weather-related
phenomena in poorer nations, and will dispel
common myths surrounding global warming. We will
discuss techno-fixes designed to engineer the
atmosphere to be cooler. Students will complete a
research paper based on our readings and
discussions that shows clearly what we can and
should do about climate change. The class is
solution-oriented (no doomsday thinking allowed),
and we will conclude with discussing a mix of
returning to a more harmonious way of obtaining
our food and energy as well as the role technology
plays (ex: GMO foods, green building, and
renewable energy technologies) in our future. We
will go on two field trips during class time,
complete a series of laboratory/in-class exercises
as small groups, and will attend lectures off
campus.Climate change impacts us all. The media bombards
us daily with the effects, policy, and financial
aspects of this phenomenon. Few students and lay
persons however, understand completely the basic
science of climate change. In this course, you
will learn about the difference between climate
change, the greenhouse effect, and global warming;
the basic science of how our atmosphere formed,
how it has changed through time, and how humans
are impacting both weather and climate. Through a
reading and critical-though based class, we will
learn about and discuss (orally and in writing)
the impacts of climate change on agriculture,
weather, economics, and poorer nations. We will
discuss how science needs to more clearly inform
policy at national and global levels, grapple with
the social justice element of weather-related
phenomena in poorer nations, and will dispel
common myths surrounding global warming. We will
discuss techno-fixes designed to engineer the
atmosphere to be cooler. Students will complete a
research paper based on our readings and
discussions that shows clearly what we can and
should do about climate change. The class is
solution-oriented (no doomsday thinking allowed),
and we will conclude with discussing a mix of
returning to a more harmonious way of obtaining
our food and energy as well as the role technology
plays (ex: GMO foods, green building, and
renewable energy technologies) in our future. We
will go on two field trips during class time,
complete a series of laboratory/in-class exercises
as small groups, and will attend lectures off
campus.
Lecture
Fall and Spring
|
| |
-
LAMS352 Art & Mathematics 3cr
Through a survey of the central branches of
mathematics, art and mathematics are studied as
expressions of creativity, arising from a common
source.
Prerequisites: FRSM-100 and LALW-100
Lecture
Fall
|
| |
-
LAMS400 Directed Study Math/Science 3 cr.
A Liberal Arts directed study is a research project selected by a student in a Liberal Arts discipline. Typically, the study results in a research paper of thirty plus pages or the equivalent, as agreed upon by the faculty member supervising the project. Because of its advanced nature, a Liberal Arts LAMS directed study is open only to seniors and is limited to one per semester. No more than two Liberal Arts directed studies may be counted toward Liberal Arts degree requirements. Students seeking to register for a LAMS directed study must execute a directed study proposal form that describes the proposed project, includes a bibliography, and describes the final project. Liberal Arts directed studies proposals require the approval of the Liberal Arts Department chair.
Prerequisites: FRSM100
Lecture/Seminar
|
| |
-
LAMS401 BioAesthetics and the Human Animal 3cr
This course explores aesthetics in nature and the
evolutionary processes of sensory drive and
natural and sexual selection. The course will
critically examine both anthropocentric and
ecological schemes on the aesthetic diversity of
nature, focusing on the creative agency of
non-human organisms and objective and subjective
models of inquiry. The course evaluates and
challenges historical,contemporary and emerging
perspectives on what is art, who/what can create
it, and on interactions between the science and
art. Through a combination of discussion, guest
lectures and collaborative projects students will
explore various topics focused around the
biological and evolutionary bases of creativity,
art and design.
Prerequisites: FRSM-100
Seminar
Spring
|
| |
-
LAMS402 Eating and the Environment 3cr
Eating and the Environment is offered as a Laboratory- style 4 credit course. Students will acquire skills in the areas of mathematic, analytical, and quantitative skills through both laboratory exercises and a series of field trips.
Prerequisites: FRSM-100
Seminar
Spring
|
| |
-
LAMS403 Cinema Physics 3cr
This Summative Elective course seeks to build a bridge between the artistic aesthetics in Cinema and the scientific rigor of naturally plausible phenomena. In doing so, and through analyses of scientific foundations of scenarios portrayed in different genres of cinema, including but not limited to sci-fi and superhero, students will be exposed to a wide range of topics in classical and modern physics, in material science, and in 21st century technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Information. [Formerly Titled Physics of Superheroes]
Prerequisites: LALW-100, LALW-200 and 9 credits from Liberal Arts
Seminar
Fall and Spring
|
Liberal Arts: Social Sciences |
| |
-
LASS200 Conquest, Commerce, and Colonization 3 cr.
This course challenges the Eurocentric view that American history begins with the arrival of European colonists. Instead, we will consider the indigenous cultures and landscapes disrupted by colonization and conquest. We will also explore the centrality of human trafficking to the American story: how it was central to the transatlantic trade that made the American colonies wealthy and powerful enough to challenge a global empire; how it subsequently defined the system of government crafted to rule the new nation that emerged from the struggle for independence; and how it continued to fuel economic growth in an increasingly divided nation during the nineteenth century. Finally, we will seek to understand the American story not merely through political treatises, documents, and elections, but through material culture; through the cultural landscape; and through the voices of immigrants, women, laborers, and artists. [Formerly titled Pirates,Witches&Slaves]
Prerequisites: LALW100; FRSM100
Lecture/Seminar
All College Elective
|
| |
-
LASS208 Social Psychology 3 cr.
Social Psychology explores the behavior of individuals and groups in social contexts. In this course, emphasis is placed on how social aspects may be relevant to being an artistic individual in today’s society. Topics include: How are our thoughts, feelings, and behavior influenced by the presence of other human beings? Can we manipulate someone else’s opinion? Does self-fulfilling prophesy exist? What are social norms? Questions related to how a person’s self-image develops, how individuals think about and react to the world, and how they understand themselves and others are explored. In addition, students learn about concepts such as impression and attitude formation, persuasion, pro-social behavior, prejudice and discrimination, obedience and compliance, aggression, group psychology, and personality
Prerequisites: LALW100; FRSM100
Lecture/Seminar
All College Elective
|
| |
-
LASS211 The American Century 3 cr.
From the Spanish-Cuban-Filipino-American War to the present.
Prerequisites: LALW100; FRSM100
Lecture/Seminar
All College Elective
|
| |
-
LASS229 History of Jazz 3cr
The history of jazz music, people, and culture, from nineteenth century origins to today. A survey of major artists, groups, and periods, including New Orleans jazz, the Swing Era, Bebop, and other movements. Reading of historical sources and recent commentary inform the study of jazz in American society and global culture. Guided listening builds understanding of form and structure in this art form. No knowledge of music notation required.
Prerequisites: FRSM100
Lecture
Undergraduate Elective
Fall & Spring
|
| |
-
LASS230 Financial Literacy 3cr
Practical knowledge about personal finance (budgets and credit) and money management (banking and the ABCs of investing). Readings and discussion on current financial topics.
Prerequisites: LALW100 and FRSM100
Lecture
Undergraduate Elective
|
| |
-
LASS230 Financial Literacy & Careers 3cr.
Practical knowledge about personal finance including taxes, credit, how to budget, save, and
invest. Learn how to define your career goals to explore opportunities and successfully present
yourself to the working world. [Formerly titles Financial Literacy]
Prerequisites: FRSM-100 and LALW-100
Fall and Spring
|
| |
-
LASS232 Free Speech, Democracy and Artists 3cr
This course examines freedom of speech, a fundamental right indispensable to democracy and indispensable for artists. The tension between liberty and control of speech is central to many forms of media and artistic expression. The course examines speech broadly by examining topics such as: speech during wartime or in time of fear; hate speech; speech by students; and libel and slander. In addition, the course examines free speech controversies involving obscenity and pornography, or merely nudity, including controversies concerning artistic expression in film and literature. Students consider speech on television, the Internet, and social media. The course also treats symbolic expressions of speech, such as flag burning and painting; as well as campaign financing as speech. The course focuses primarily on U.S. law–most of the readings will be excerpts of U.S. Supreme Court cases–but the course includes a comparative component, incorporating laws regulating speech and expression in other nations.
Prerequisites: FRSM100, LALW100
Lecture
Undergraduate Elective
Fall & Spring
|
| |
-
LASS233 Music Cultures of the World 3cr
The course explores selected music and rhythms from throughout the world. Students explore various folk, popular, indigenous, and hybrid music from every continent and surveys the development of musical traditions through the development of contemporary world music. The course also treats several American musical traditions, including country, folk, and musical transmissions from Europe, expressive cultural traditions from indigenous peoples of America, and black musical traditions in the New World. This is a Liberal Arts course with required readings, written assignments, and listening work. Under a different course number and requiring different assignments, this course may also provide studio credit in selected studio departments. [Formerly titled: The World of Music]
Prerequisites: FRSM100. LALW100
Lecture
Undergraduate Elective
Fall & Spring
|
| |
-
LASS236 Music and Society 3cr
The course considers how music expresses and inspires social change. By examining the origin and inspiration of major works of classical music, such as Haydn’s Farewell Symphony, Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro, Mendelssohn’s Reformation Symphony, Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, and Shostakovich’s Babi Yar Symphony, the course considers what music reveals about history.
Prerequisites: FRSM100; LALW100
Lecture
Undergraduate Elective
Fall & Spring
|
| |
-
LASS241 Global History Since 1900 3cr.
This course is a survey of the twentieth century world history to understand the recent past world affairs. We will start with the legacies of industrialization and imperialism in the nineteenth century and the making of the new world, then discuss the two world wars in the first half of the century, along with increasing nationalist movements, revolutions, and important economic, social and cultural changes around the world in the rest of the twentieth century and the beginning of our current century. We will emphasize global and transnational linkages and comparisons while investigating local and national dynamics. Students from all fields are encouraged to participate in this class to learn critical analytical skills (through rigorous research and writing and peer evaluations), apply their skills and perspectives to examining important current issues, and develop a deep sense of global awareness and citizenship. [Formerly titled 20th Century World History]
Prerequisites: LALW-100 & FRSM-100
Lecture
Undergraduate Elective
Fall & Spring
|
| |
-
LASS242 Film Music 3cr.
This course treats the evolution of film music
from silent movies until the present. It
introduces students to musical syntax, the
aesthetics of film music, and the means by which
composers synchronize music and script to convey
mood and render action vivid. Working
chronologically, the course explores the
increasing importance of music in cinema and how
music functions as an expressive element in a
film. The course treats composers who wrote
almost exclusively for the cinema (i.e., Charlie
Chaplin and the contemporary John Williams),
treats classical central European composers who
migrated to the screen composition from wartime
Europe (i.e., Korngold, Waxman, Alexandre
Tansman, Bronislaw Kaper), and treats
composer-director/producer collaborations such as
Eisenstein-Prokofiev, Rota-Fellini/Visconti, and
others. The course additionally treats the role
of ethnic music (Morocco, India, China, Japan) in
world cinema. Two term papers are assigned, one
dealing with a composer-director partnership, the
second treating the function of score in a major,
iconic film such as Gone with the Wind. The
textbook is Mervyn Cooke’s A History of Film
Music.
Prerequisites: LALW-100 & FRSM-100
Lecture
Undergraduate Elective
Spring
|
| |
-
LASS245 Cities and Society 3cr.
Cities are fascinatingly complex places, and for millennia people have flocked to them for a host
of reasons. Some people have looked to cities as a way to escape the ennui of rural existence,
some have gathered in cities for economic opportunity, and many others have arrived simply
to be in close contact with different groups of people. Taking “the city” as our primary unit of
analysis in this course, we will attempt to explore some of the major themes and processes
that affect most urban areas, along with offering some historical perspective on the trends that
have created “the city” as we find it today.
Prerequisites: LALW-100 & LALW-200
Fall and Spring
|
| |
|
| |
-
LASS249 Queer Studies:Beyond Traditional Ideas of Gender and Sexuality 3cr
This class offers students a chance to ground
their own artistic and academic projects in a
working theoretical and practical knowledge of
the discipline of Queer Studies; both the
historiography and current work being done in the
field. Our goal is to establish a classroom
environment of mutual respect where queer ideas
about artistic challenges and choices can be
developed and shared in a supportive and safe
academic and working environment grounded in
solid social science methodology. We will examine
the development and current state of the academic
discipline of Queer Studies as it has emerged
from both Women’s Studies and Gender Studies. Our
method will be to research both archival and
current academic and multi-media sources to see
where the field stands as an academic discipline
but also as an applied paradigm for social
justice and artistic action. Special attention
will be paid to the development of connections
between applied Queer Theory and artistic and
life choices for today’s working artist. The list
of class materials will be fluid and
inter-disciplinary and rely on input and research
from all class members, reflecting the core
nature of the discipline itself.
Prerequisites: FRSM-100 and LALW-100
Lecture
Spring
|
| |
-
LASS250 Philosophy of Religion 3cr
The course explores the concept of God and the sacred, the grounds forand challenges to religious belief, the credentials of mystical experience, the implications of religious pluralism, and the idea of a religiously ambiguous world. Readings will be drawn from classical and contemporary thinkers.
Prerequisites: FRSM-100 and LALW-100
Seminar
Spring
|
| |
-
LASS280 Introduction to Psychology 3 cr.
An examination of the dynamics of the self from the interpretative, clinical perspective. The course discusses the growth and the making of the “solid self” and explores the influences that can further or hinder the constitution of a coherent, stable personality. Narcissistic disorders, the most common psychic disorders of our time, are also addressed.
Prerequisites: LALW100; FRSM100
Lecture/Seminar
All College Elective
Fall/Spring
|
| |
-
LASS281 Psychology of Flourishing 3 cr.
This course examines the human potential for growth and flourishing as well as for resiliency. Traditionally, psychologists have aimed at helping individuals notice and fix unwanted or dysfunctional habits, uncover and repair unfortunate or traumatic childhood experiences, or calibrate damaged brain chemistry. Rather than focusing on human weakness and dysfunction, this class explores the human condition from a positive psychology perspective. Students study concepts such as hope, happiness, optimism, and resiliency, and surveys human core character strengths and virtues.
Prerequisites: LALW100; FRSM100
Lecture/Seminar
All College Elective
|
| |
-
LASS300 Race in America 3 cr.
How did various peoples from America, Africa, and Europe, speaking different languages and possessing different cultures, come to be defined as “red”, “black”, and “white,” and how did later immigrants or conquered peoples from Asia and the western hemisphere get fitted into this scheme? This class examines how race categories were formed in the colonial period and have been repeatedly remade up to the present.
Prerequisites: LALW100; FRSM100
Lecture/Seminar
All College Elective
|
| |
-
LASS307 Medieval and Renaissance History 3cr
This course encompasses no less than twelve centuries of European history extending from the last decades of the Roman Empire in the West to what is often referred to as the Early Modern period (I.e., the 16th century), the era characterized by the rise of powerful centralized monarchical states and empires. Throughout, a determined effort is made to precisely define broad historical concepts such as “civilizations” and “intellectual revolutions.” For example, we will ask what particular historical and cultural elements made the Medieval West a distinct civilization? In the same manner, what presumably different and distinct elements formed and shaped the civilization of Byzantium? What was the Renaissance, both in Italy, and north and west of the Alps? Where and how does the Renaissance intersect with the Reformation and the Reconnaissance, enormously significant historical phenomena in themselves?
Prerequisites: LALW100, FRSM100
Lecture
Undergraduate Elective
Fall & Spring
|
| |
-
LASS308 Narcissism, Aggression and Creativity 3cr
Are we really capable of falling in love with an image of ourselves, as in the story of Echo and Narcissus? If so, what are the consequences? Do contemporary cultural themes cast a light on the story? What impulses motivate these thoughts and processes? This course utilizes a psychoanalytic approach to discover and analyze themes that emerge from an awareness of creative impulses. What blocks them? What role does aggression play in the responsiveness to the creative impulse? Psychoanalytic literature, in combination with contemporary themes, questions and illuminates the art making process.
Prerequisites: LALW100, FRSM100
Lecture
Undergraduate Elective
Fall
|
| |
-
LASS309 History of Modern Europe 3 cr.
A comprehensive overview of the last four centuries of European history. The course surveys political and international history, social history, and intellectual history. Students gain a deep appreciation for the rich complexity of European civilization and an understanding of the continuity of events from the seventeenth century onward.
Prerequisites: LALW100; FRSM100
Lecture/Seminar
All College Elective
|
| |
-
LASS312 Technology and Language 3cr
The course investigates the relationship of languages of expression to tools and communication technologies. Through interdisciplinary exploration of various modes and practices, from the language of typography, audio/visual expression, to dynamic languages of interaction, social media and crowd sourcing, students gain knowledge and understanding of current issues of social communication in the context of dynamic media technology. The course introduces students to recent developments, theory and criticism of communication design and technology through selected case studies involving the work of historical and contemporary inventors, designers, artists and new media innovators.
Prerequisites: LALW100,FRSM100
Lecture
Undergraduate Elective
Fall
|
| |
-
LASS314 Race Uncut:America in Black and White 3cr
How do race and class operate not just in categorizing people, but in maintaining and reproducing the socio- economic life and in
shaping common experience of history and present. We will focus on African Americans and white Americans and discuss what race means, and what class means – historically, culturally, and economically – in the context of the American dream. 6 cinematic representations will serve
us as prompts to examine in depth selected historical themes, from the Civil War to the
present. [Formerly Titled Race,Class and the American Dream]
Prerequisites: LALW-100 and FRSM-100
Lecture
Undergraduate Elective
Fall and Spring
|
| |
-
LASS318 Seminar: Reading Marx 3 cr.
A critical reading and discussion of some of Karl Marx’s writings on history, philosophy and society, plus commentary.
Prerequisites: LALW100; FRSM100; LALW200
Lecture/Seminar
All College Elective
|
| |
-
LASS325 Gender Identity and the F-Word(feminism) 3cr
What does it mean to call oneself (or someone
else) a ‘feminist’? How does gender intersect
with other social hierarchies to shape both how
we see, and how we are seen by, others? In this
advanced undergraduate elective, we will consider
efforts to reveal, unravel, and remedy the
conceptual, psychological, and economic
dimensions of gender oppression. We will examine
the intersection of sexism with racism,
heterosexism, and class exploitation, and
investigate the role of the concept of difference
in creating and maintaining structural
inequalities.
Prerequisites: FRSM-100 and LALW-100
Lecture
Spring
|
| |
-
LASS360 Memory and Dreams 3 cr.
This course explores the intersecting realms of memory and dream. Dreaming is an entirely subjective experience, but how objective is remembering? How do we understand phenomena like post-traumatic or implanted or false memories? How can culture construct our memories–and our forgettings–for us? How can we separate identity from memory and either from forms of fiction? The world of dream: is it meaningful, nonsense, prophetic, usable? This course treats current neuroscience and neuropsychology, film clips, case histories, fiction, and analytic theory. In preparation for the final project, students keep a nightly dream journal. The course treats the nature of consciousness and subjectivity, the existence of a coherent self over time, and the creative uses to which memory and dream may be put.
Prerequisites: LALW100, FRSM100
Lecture/Seminar
All College Elective
|
| |
-
LASS402 Minds,Brains&Consciousness 3 cr.
What is the mind? Some of history’s most
profound thinkers have attempted to answer this
question, yet the nature of the mind remains
elusive and hotly debated in contemporary
philosophy. Can the mysteries of conscious
experience be reconciled with a naturalistic,
scientific world view? Is the mind really just a
kind of computer, a machine made of meat? What
is thinking, and can computers do it? In this
course, we will investigate what Francis Crick
has called the Astonishing Hypothesis-“that
“You,” your joys and your sorrows, your memories
and your ambitions, your sense of personal
identity and free will, are in fact no more than
the behavior of a vast assembly of nerve cells
and their associated molecules.”
Prerequisites: LALW-100 and FRSM-100
Lecture
Fall
|
| |
-
LASS403 Us/China: Ties Or Clashes 3cr
This course explores the relationship between China and the United States from its beginning to the present. Unlike conventional narratives of Sino-U.S. relations focusing on politics and diplomatic relations, this course will cover more broadly social, cultural,and economic interactions, such as mutual perceptions and images,cultural/educational exchanges, migration and foreign policies, and international trade. Accordingly, we will look at a wide array of individuals and institutions such as missionaries, educators, merchants, migrants, non-government organizations, corporations and mass media rather than nation-states as the sole actors on the stage. We will place China and the United States in their regional and historical contexts while focusing on the interactive dynamic to show how their relations shaped their own histories as well as the global history. This course is to help students develop a solid understanding of the evolution of Sino-U.S. relations over time as well as a sharp and well informed perspective on current challenges and opportunities, especially the new face of
Sino-U.S.relations with China’s rise as a major economic powerhouse and the repositioning of the United States in the world. In addition to learning about the substance of these facets of Sino-U.S. relations, the course is designed to teach several important skills to students: informed reading of various types of sources, historical and critical thinking, policy analysis and debates,oral presentation and writing, and teamwork. Different assignments are designed to develop and advance these skills.[Formelry titled China-U.S. Relations]
Prerequisites: FRSM-100 and LALW-100
Seminar
Fall
|
| |
-
LASS406 Seminar on Romanticism 3cr
A seminar in the study of Romanticism in Europe
and America in the late 18th and early 19th
century.
Prerequisites: LALW-100, FRSM-100 and LALW-200
Seminar
Fall
|
Photography |
| |
-
MPPH100 Intro Photo for Non-Majors 3 cr.
A beginning course for students with an interest in creative work and study in black and white photography. Teaches exposure controls, camera operation and rudimentary film development and printing.
Hybrid Studio/Critique
All College Elective
|
| |
-
MPPH206 Photography in the Digital Age 3 cr.
An introduction to the digital darkroom that offers a solid foundation in digital imaging skills. Technical focus is on the current array of input, editing and output options. The content of student work is addressed in periodic critiques, and class discussions emphasize the role of the computer in contemporary photography.
Hybrid Studio/Critique
All College Elective
|
| |
-
MPPH214 Drawing With Light 3cr
Drawing with Light introduces students to making cameraless photographs in combination with
collage, assemblage, and hand-applied elements including drawing. Students use photographic
techniques such as photograms and the camera obscura as departure points for investigations of
the line, value, shape, texture and space.
Hybrid studio Critique
Fall and Spring
|
| |
-
MPPH240 Sophomore Studio I 6 cr
This required sophomore course is the first in the progression of major studio/hybrid seminars in photography. The course addresses the aesthetic and technical dimensions of contemporary practice in black and white analog photography. Proficiency in B&W darkroom techniques is emphasized. At the discretion of the instructor, the class will concentrate on the use of either 4X5 view cameras or small/medium format cameras for the semester. Weekly assignments and critiques familiarize students with the importance of this equipment in contemporary practice, as well as the history of the medium. Slide presentations and field trips are combined with the principles of optics, cameras, film, photographic chemistry and darkroom technique. [Previously titled Sophomore Major Studio I]
Prerequisites: Majors Only
Hybrid Studio/Critique
Departmental Requirement
Fall
|
| |
-
MPPH241 Sophomore Studio II 6 cr
This required sophomore course is the second in the progression of major studio/hybrid seminars in photography. The course builds upon the base of knowledge students gained about black and white analog photography in Sophomore Studio I. Advanced B&W darkroom techniques and fine silver gelatin printing are emphasized. The class concentrates on the use of diverse analog camera formats. Weekly assignments and critiques familiarize students with the importance of this equipment in contemporary practice as well as in the history of the medium. Slide presentations and field trips are combined with principles of optics, cameras, film, photographic chemistry and darkroom technique. Students are encouraged to experiment and take risks as they explore the expressive possibilities of the medium. [Formerly titled Sophomore Major Studio II]
Prerequisites: MPPH240
Hybrid Studio/Critique
Departmental Requirement
Spring
|
| |
-
MPPH281 Sophomore Studio/Large Format 6cr
This required sophomore course is the second in the progression of major studio/hybrid seminars
in photography. The course addresses the aesthetic and technical dimensions of
contemporary practice in black and white analog photography. Advanced black and white darkroom
techniques are emphasized. The class will concentrate on the use of the 4X5 view camera.
Weekly assignments and critiques familiarize students with the importance of this equipment in
contemporary practice as well as the history of he medium. Slide presentations and field trips
are combined with the principles of optics, cameras, film, photographic chemistry, and
darkroom techniques. [Formerly titled Soph. Major Studio II]
Seminar Hybrid
Dept Requirement
Fall and Spring
|
| |
-
MPPH303 Alternative Camera, Alternative Techniques 3 cr.
An introduction to alternative darkroom and camera processes including plastic and pinhole, cameraless photography, digital and hand-made internegatives and non-silver printing. This class will include regular demonstrations as well as critique and research techniques for seeking out unusual photographic materials.
Prerequisites: Open to Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors
Critique
Departmental Elective
|
| |
-
MPPH304 Lighting for Photography 3 cr.
This course is designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of photographic
lighting. Students will explore the uses of strobe, tungsten and ambient light in both studio and location settings. Classes will consist of lectures on a wide array of approaches to the use of lighting, in-class demonstrations, and critique of student work. Over the course of the semester we will endeavor to create a collaborative conversation regarding the use of lighting and its integral relationship to the photographic image.
Prerequisites: Open to Soph, Junior, and Senior Only
Critique
|
| |
-
MPPH323 Topics in Photography 3 cr.
Courses with this title offer in-depth studies of special topics in photography. Past seminars have included “Ways of Seeing”, “Photo Book Making”, “Portrait”, and “Afterlife: Professional Practices in Photography”.
Prerequisites: MPPH240 and MPPH-241 or permission of instructor
Critique
Departmental Elective
|
| |
-
MPPH340 Junior Techniques 6cr
This course is a rigorous introduction to the digital tools available to photographers. The course covers a wide array of topics, with emphasis placed on digital image capture and the use of the computer as a parallel tool to traditional photographic practices. Weekly critiques address students’ aesthetic and technical progress and are supplemented by readings, lectures, and discussions that evaluate the role of the computer in contemporary photography. Students are meant to develop a solid foundation in digital imaging practices as well as a familiarity with emerging technologies.
Prerequisites: MPPH-241
Hybrid Studio Critique
Dept Requirement
Fall
|
| |
-
MPPH341 Junior Projects 6cr
In this required course, students develop and refine a personal vision of their own through long-term photography based projects, more advanced technical knowledge, and a deeper familiarity with uses in the medium. Weekly critiques in combination with slide presentations will stimulate group discussions that consider diverse dimensions of the language of photography. Students will be introduced to leading practitioners in the field of contemporary photography through bi-weekly lectures, readings, and written analysis. The talks by visiting artists, historians and curators are organized by the department. Lab time, technical demonstrations, oral presentations, field work, and visits to area exhibitions and studios will occur on a regular basis.
Prerequisites: MPPH340
Dept Requirement
|
| |
-
MPPH374 Photo: Documentary 3 cr.
This course provides an overview of the history, theory, and politics implied in making documentary work. Assignments and weekly critiques of student projects will encourage our greater understanding of the world and of the photographic language of documentary. By the end of the semester, students will produce a coherent body of work following a specific subject chosen in consultation with the instructor. Related readings, discussions, and slide presentations will be introduced. Formely titled: Documentary Seminar
Prerequisites: MPPH240 or MPPH241
Critique
Departmental Elective
Fall & Spring
|
| |
-
MPPH377 Landscape Photo 3 cr.
A course designed to explore the contemporary landscape, both with the camera and through readings on the land and on environmental concerns. Emphasis is on student photographic work, discussion of imagery and literature, and developing a personal perspective on the human relationship to the land.
Prerequisites: MPPH240 and MPPH241 or permission of instructor.
Critique
Fall/Spring
|
| |
-
MPPH392 PH Course Assistantship
A course assistantship allows qualified
sophomores, juniors, and seniors to assist a
faculty member with whom they have studied
previously. Duties may include set up, assisting
with demonstrations and critiques during class
meetings. Course assistants may not grade
students. Students may register for only one
3-credit course assistantship each semester, and
no more than two such assistantships may count
toward degree requirements.
Students selected by faculty to be course
assistants submit a Course Assistantship form
with the faculty and chair’s signatures to the
Registrar during registration and no later than
the end of the Add/Drop period. Students who are
performing a Teaching Assistantship should follow
Independent Study procedures
Prerequisites: By Permission of the Instructor
Fall/Spring
|
| |
-
MPPH398 PH Internship 3 cr.
An internship is a supervised professional
experience that allows you to use classroom
training in a real work environment, develop your
skills, focus your career goals, and make
professional contacts.
MassArt offers students enrolled in a degree
program the opportunity to register an internship
for credit. An internship counts as 3 studio
elective credits. To receive credit, the
internship must meet our basic internship
requirements, be approved by a faculty advisor,
and registered before you start the internship.
Prerequisites: By Permission of Instructor
Fall/Spring
|
| |
-
MPPH399 PH Independent Study 3 cr.
Juniors and seniors who have a specific studio
project which cannot be accomplished within the
structure of a course may arrange to work with a
faculty member on an independent basis. The
Independent Study form (available in the
Registrar’s Office) includes a description of the
project. Students may take only one 3-credit
independent study each semester, and no more than
four independent studies will count toward the
degree.
Independent Study forms, with faculty and the
chair’s signatures, should be submitted to the
Registrar during registration and not later than
the Add/Drop deadline.
Prerequisites: By Permission of Instructor
Fall/Spring
|
| |
-
MPPH440 Senior Projects 6cr
Students will immerse themselves in a specific project to be worked on throughout the semester and formally presented at final review. Weekly critiques of student work will be one emphasis of the course with time dedicated to developing artist statements, a written thesis paper, and preparation for a career in photography. Students will learn to critically evaluate ideas. Students will be introduced to leading practitioners in the field of contemporary photography through bi-weekly lectures, readings, and written analysis. The talks by visiting artists, historians and curators are organized by the department. Lab time, technical demonstrations, oral presentations, field work, and visits to area exhibitions and studios will occur on a regular basis.
Prerequisites: MPPH-341
|
| |
-
MPPH441 Senior Thesis 6cr
In the final semester of the major, students are expected to complete a body of work, participate in a class exhibition, finalize a written statement and prepare for pursuing a career in photography. Critique, slide lectures, student presentations, and discussions of assigned readings will familiarize students with the many possible uses of photographic language. Students will be introduced to leading practitioners in the field of contemporary photography through bi-weekly lectures, readings, and written analysis. The talks by visiting artists, historians and curators are organized by the department. Lab time, technical demonstrations, oral presentations, field work, and visits to area exhibitions and studios will occur on a regular basis.
Prerequisites: MPPH440
Dept Requirement
|
Studio for Interrelated Media |
| |
-
MPSM204 Light Lab 3 cr.
This course will explore the use of theatrical and commercial lighting, dimming and control units. The class will visit professional installations to learn the hardware and safety practices from working technicians. Students will design and build their own class projects. [Formerly titled Lighting for Events and Installations]
Hybrid Studio/Critique
All College Elective
|
| |
-
MPSM205 Stagecraft & Technical Production 3 cr.
This course aims to demystify basic lighting, rigging, sound and staging practices. Technical workshops will be conducted during class time where students work in teams to complete assignments. Demonstrations and lectures also include site planning, power distribution, and safety in the workspace. Students will prepare and present their own personal projects using the class as crew and SIM’s technology.
Hybrid Studio/Critique
All College Elective
Fall
|
| |
-
MPSM207 Beat Research 3 cr.
This is a studio course about electronic music and culture. Students explore the techniques of sampling, sequencing and drum programming using current music making software including Reason and Ableton Live. Most assignments involve the creation of music/sound but we also address techniques of video production and performance.
Hybrid Studio/Critique
All College Elective
|
| |
-
MPSM209 Light as a Sculptural Element 3 cr.
To explore light as a sculptural element in art making, this class will focus primarily on the application of light as a transformative medium in all visual art practices. The class will examine the works of artists such as Thomas Wilfred, James Turrell, Ann Hamilton, Won Ju Lim, Diana Thater, Wolfgang Laib, Cai Guo-Qiang, Robert Irwin, Shirin Neshat, Bill Viola, Olafur Eliasson and many others. This course is designed to familiarize the student with a wide variation of art practices and to encourage a sense of discovery in relation to the medium of light and in everyday observations.
Hybrid Studio/Critique
All College Elective
|
| |
-
MPSM211 Interrelated Media Practice 3 cr.
This course is centered around explorations of you as an interrelated media artist with a special focus on space/place and creative interventionism. This course aims to deepen our intentionality in considering place and viewers when creating artwork. How can we - as artists - deeply observe the current conditions of a place and intervene in spaces to produce new, more desirable outcomes and futures? We will explore these themes through a series of group/individual projects, observations, artist talks, and site visits. This is an introductory critique studio course where students produce and present interrelated media artworks in progress and in final form in order to expand their artistic practice, interact with artists from other disciplines, and refine public speaking skills. Great option for non-SIM majors to explore interdisciplinary art practice.
Hybrid Studio/Critique
All College Elective
Fall/Spring
|
| |
-
MPSM221 Interdisciplinary Video 3cr
This is a studio course in which students learn
the basics of video production - from shooting to
editing to the use of effects and finally
publishing/screening final works. The class
explores the inclusion of video in installations,
live performance, and other experimental
applications. The contemporary practice of video
production is presented within the historical
context of the moving image from silent films up
to the modern Youtube era. Additionally,
introductory video mapping technologies and video
sound techniques are presented. The course
combines lectures, demonstrations, workshops,
visiting artists, and both collaborative and
individual assignments.
Hybrid Studio Critique
Undergraduate Elective
Every Other Fall
|
| |
-
MPSM223 Embodied Ensembles Lab 3cr
This course is an opportunity For students to explore collaborative art-making practice while working closely with an Artist-in-Residence whose practice exemplifies an interdisciplinary approach with a specific focus on body movement and choreography. The visiting artist will direct three distinct ensemble artworks that will be professionally presented and documented. Each ensemble section class meetings will be studio practice workshops that will directly result in final artworks. Ensemble 1 - Action Theater Improvisation and the Physical & Vocal Imagination in Ensemble: Physical and Vocal Warm-ups address somatic interdependence and the play of awareness. This module explores embodied practices that develop a greater capacity for connection and artistic expression, in both individual and communal experience. Focus is on specific skills related to timing, space, dynamics, feeling, and being fully present to the moment. Participants perform structured improvisations which culminate in a final presentation. Ensemble 2 - Speaker Cluster Traveling Ensemble: Development of a series of interactive movement and sound scores that interface with a chosen site. Issues of listening and the artistic process (how we listen and what we listen to, how we speak and what we speak to/for) are examined as components of expanding communication. Field trips to designated sites are included in order to perform these interactive sound experiments. Instruction includes physical and vocal warm-ups as well as breathing exercises. Ensemble 3 - Language and the Physical Imagination: Acts of storytelling and writing, and how they are conjured from embodied practice, and are then translated into physical expression. Work with staging pieces of original text, and developing theatrical images for ensembles of body and voice to experience and experiment with in a performative setting. Conversations with space/light/architecture/music. Instruction includes physical and vocal warm-ups as well as writing exercises. [Formerly titled Artist in Residence Ensembles]
|
| |
-
MPSM272 Sound Performance 3 cr.
Students will learn elements of sound performance, technical considerations including vocal techniques, content development and presentational context. Students present live sound pieces on a weekly basis.
Critique
All College Elective
|
| |
Page: 1
| 2
| 3
| 4
| 5
| 6
| 7
| 8
|
|
|
Print this Page