Undergraduate Courses for Next-Gen Scholars

Is the mind identical to the brain? Is the mind (or brain) a computer? Could a computer reason, have emotions, or be morally responsible? This course examines such questions philosophically and historically. Topics include the history of AI research from 1940s to present; debates in cognitive science related to AI (computationalism, connectionism, and 4E cognition); and AI ethics.

Is the mind identical to the brain? Is the mind (or brain) a computer? Could a computer reason, have emotions, or be morally responsible? This course examines such questions philosophically and historically. Topics include the history of AI research from 1940s to present; debates in cognitive science related to AI (computationalism, connectionism, and 4E cognition); and AI ethics.

This online course is primarily delivered asynchronously; however, students must attend a 90-minue online discussion session each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM . Your instructor may schedule additional live interactions as well. Please refer to your syllabus for these opportunities and for important course deadlines.

This course is designed to help students push through any anxieties about public speaking by immersing them in a practice-intensive environment. They learn how to speak with confidence in a variety of formats and venues - including extemporaneous speaking, job interviewing, leading a discussion, presenting a technical speech, and other relevant scenarios. Students learn how to develop effective and visually compelling slides; hone their main message; improve their delivery skills; and write thought-provoking, well-organized speeches that hold an audience's attention. Students will also learn about the civic responsibilities of engineers in the democratic process.

A writing-intensive course (W) engages students in multiple writing projects, ranging from traditional papers to a wide variety of other forms, distributed throughout the term. Assignments include a mix of high and low stakes writing, meaning that students have the chance to write in informal, low-pressure--even ungraded--contexts, as well as producing larger, more formal writing assignments. Students engage in writing in the classroom through variety of means, including class discussions, workshop, faculty/TA lectures, and class materials (for instance, strong and weak examples of the assigned genre). Expectations are clearly conveyed through assignment descriptions, including the genre and audience of the assigned writing, and evaluative criteria. Students receive feedback on their writing, in written and/or verbal form, from faculty, TAs, and/or peers. Students have at least one opportunity to revise.

This course is designed to help students push through any anxieties about public speaking by immersing them in a practice-intensive environment. They learn how to speak with confidence in a variety of formats and venues - including extemporaneous speaking, job interviewing, leading a discussion, presenting a technical speech, and other relevant scenarios. Students learn how to develop effective and visually compelling slides; hone their main message; improve their delivery skills; and write thought-provoking, well-organized speeches that hold an audience's attention. Students will also learn about the civic responsibilities of engineers in the democratic process.

A writing-intensive course (W) engages students in multiple writing projects, ranging from traditional papers to a wide variety of other forms, distributed throughout the term. Assignments include a mix of high and low stakes writing, meaning that students have the chance to write in informal, low-pressure--even ungraded--contexts, as well as producing larger, more formal writing assignments. Students engage in writing in the classroom through variety of means, including class discussions, workshop, faculty/TA lectures, and class materials (for instance, strong and weak examples of the assigned genre). Expectations are clearly conveyed through assignment descriptions, including the genre and audience of the assigned writing, and evaluative criteria. Students receive feedback on their writing, in written and/or verbal form, from faculty, TAs, and/or peers. Students have at least one opportunity to revise.

No previous knowledge of Portuguese is required. This is a Portuguese introductory course for non-romance language speakers. The course introduces students to the basic skills in reading, writing, and speaking the language. Emphasis is placed on oral communication with extensive training in written and listening skills. Class participation is encouraged from the very beginning. Upon the successful completion of this course with a grade of C or higher, students may enroll in 210.172 Portuguese Elements II. May not be taken on a Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory basis. No Prereq. There is no final exam.

This course expands students’ knowledge of the basic language skills: reading, writing, listening, speaking. It uses a multifaceted approach to immerse students in the cultures of Brazil, Portugal, and Portuguese-speaking Africa. The focus of the course is on oral communication with extensive training in grammar. The course is conducted entirely in Portuguese. Upon the successful completion of this course with a grade of C or higher, students may enroll in 210.271 Portuguese Intermediate I. May not be taken on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis.

Prerequisite: AS.210.171 (Portuguese Elements I) or placement exam.

The course will review the growing field of positive psychology and will review the research on positive human attributes such as optimism, happiness, hope, resiliency, self-esteem, altruism, empathy, and forgiveness. This course will explore the research on how such positive attributes are developed and how they relate to psychological and physical well-being.

This course is a precalculus course and provides students with the background necessary for a study of calculus. The course Includes a review of algebra, trigonometry, exponential and logarithmic functions, coordinates and graphs. Each of these tools is introduced in its cultural and historical context. The concept of the rate of change of a function will be introduced. Not open to students who have studied Calculus in high school.

This course is a precalculus course and provides students with the background necessary for a study of calculus. The course Includes a review of algebra, trigonometry, exponential and logarithmic functions, coordinates and graphs. Each of these tools is introduced in its cultural and historical context. The concept of the rate of change of a function will be introduced. Not open to students who have studied Calculus in high school.

A flexible weekly schedule accommodates all student schedules and time zones, and courses include pre-recorded lectures, notes, and interactives to help students learn the material. Assessments include computer-scored items for immediate feedback as well as instructor-graded assignments for personalized learning. Students have access to instructors through email or individual reviews, and weekly instructor-led synchronous problem-solving sessions are recorded for viewing at any time. Students should expect to work a minimum of 5-10 hours per week.

This course teaches students to write skillfully, think ethically, and reason persuasively by responding to ethical challenges that arise between technology and society in the twenty-first century. Topics for these activities are drawn from the WSE’s Grand Challenges and other ethical contexts relevant to engineering, including contemporary debates about the social, economic, and environmental responsibilities of professional engineers. Course activities give students techniques to write effectively as individuals and collaboratively in teams, hone their ability to think critically, evaluate and use evidence to support their ideas, communicate effectively with professional and public stakeholders, iterate and refine their ideas, create appropriate visuals and infographics, and other relevant areas. Course-specific topics may include: equitable health systems, trusted artificial intelligence, resilient cities, robot ethics, privacy and fair computing; accessible and inclusive design, sustainable energy, and the social responsibility of science.

A writing-intensive course (W) engages students in multiple writing projects, ranging from traditional papers to a wide variety of other forms, distributed throughout the term. Assignments include a mix of high and low stakes writing, meaning that students have the chance to write in informal, low-pressure--even ungraded--contexts, as well as producing larger, more formal writing assignments. Students engage in writing in the classroom through variety of means, including class discussions, workshop, faculty/TA lectures, and class materials (for instance, strong and weak examples of the assigned genre). Expectations are clearly conveyed through assignment descriptions, including the genre and audience of the assigned writing, and evaluative criteria. Students receive feedback on their writing, in written and/or verbal form, from faculty, TAs, and/or peers. Students have at least one opportunity to revise.

This course is designed to give a firm grounding in the basic tools of analysis. It is recommended as preparation (but may not be a prerequisite) for other advanced analysis courses and may be taken as an Introduction to Proofs (IP) course. Topics include the formal properties of real and complex number systems, topology of metric spaces, limits, continuity, infinite sequences and series, differentiation, Riemann-Stieltjes integration. 

Prerequisite: Prerequisite: AS.110.201 (Linear Algebra) or AS.110.212 (Honors Linear Algebra) AND AS.110.202 (Calculus III: Calculus of Several Variables) or AS.110.211 (Honors Multivariable Calculus).

A flexible weekly schedule accommodates all student schedules and time zones, and courses include pre-recorded lectures, notes, and interactives to help students learn the material. Assessments include computer-scored items for immediate feedback as well as instructor-graded assignments for personalized learning. Students have access to instructors through email or individual reviews, and weekly instructor-led synchronous problem-solving sessions are recorded for viewing at any time. Students should expect to work a minimum of 5-10 hours per week.

This course continues AS.110.405 (Real Analysis I) with an emphasis on the fundamental notions of modern analysis. Sequences and series of functions, Fourier series, equicontinuity and the Arzela-Ascoli theorem, the Stone-Weierstrass theorem, functions of several variables, the inverse and implicit function theorems, introduction to the Lebesgue integral.

Prerequisite: AS.110.405 (Real Anaylsis I) or AS.110.415 (Honors Analysis I).

A flexible weekly schedule accommodates all student schedules and time zones, and courses include pre-recorded lectures, notes, and interactives to help students learn the material. Assessments include computer-scored items for immediate feedback as well as instructor-graded assignments for personalized learning. Students have access to instructors through email or individual reviews, and weekly instructor-led synchronous problem-solving sessions are recorded for viewing at any time. Students should expect to work a minimum of 5-10 hours per week.

This is an introductory Spanish language course. On completion of this course, the students will have acquired the basic communication and grammatical skills necessary for speaking, writing, listening, and reading in Spanish. Students will demonstrate these skills through their performance in class by completing several online assignments and by taking part in three group presentations in addition to two comprehensive exams which focus on the following thematic topics: Greetings, University Life, Family, and Leisure. Students will also be introduced to the culture, history and geography of various Spanish and Latin American countries. The content covered in Spanish Elements 1 is the foundation for all consecutive Spanish courses. A placement exam is required to ensure the appropriate level. Students wishing to retain credits for Spanish Elements I must complete Spanish Elements II with a passing grade. Your enrollment in Spanish Elements I will not be considered for approval until you have emailed the Spanish Language Director.

This online course is primarily delivered asynchronously; however, your instructor may schedule live interactions as well. Please refer to your syllabus for these opportunities and for important course deadlines.

This introductory Spanish language course is a continuation of the content covered in Spanish Elements I. On completion of this course, the students will have further developed the communication and grammatical skills necessary for speaking, writing, listening, and reading in Spanish. Students will demonstrate these skills through their performance in class by completing several online assignments and by taking part in three group presentations in addition to two comprehensive exams which focus on the following thematic topics: Food, Sports, Shopping, Travel, and Health. Students will also be introduced to the culture, history, and geography of various Spanish and Latin American countries. The content covered in Spanish Elements II prepares the students for Intermediate Spanish. May not be taken Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. No new enrollments permitted after the fourth class session.

Prerequisite: AS.210.111 (Spanish Elements I) or appropriate Spanish placement exam score.

This online course is primarily delivered asynchronously; however, your instructor may schedule live interactions as well. Please refer to your syllabus for these opportunities and for important course deadlines.

This introductory Spanish language course is a continuation of the content covered in Spanish Elements I. On completion of this course, the students will have further developed the communication and grammatical skills necessary for speaking, writing, listening, and reading in Spanish. Students will demonstrate these skills through their performance in class by completing several online assignments and by taking part in three group presentations in addition to two comprehensive exams which focus on the following thematic topics: Food, Sports, Shopping, Travel, and Health. Students will also be introduced to the culture, history, and geography of various Spanish and Latin American countries. The content covered in Spanish Elements II prepares the students for Intermediate Spanish. May not be taken Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. No new enrollments permitted after the fourth class session.

Prerequisite: AS.210.111 (Spanish Elements I) or appropriate Spanish placement exam score.

This online course is primarily delivered asynchronously; however, your instructor may schedule live interactions as well. Please refer to your syllabus for these opportunities and for important course deadlines.

This course is designed for students of all backgrounds to provide a mathematical introduction to social choice theory, weighted voting systems, apportionment methods, and gerrymandering. In the search for ideal ways to make certain kinds of political decisions, a lot of wasted effort could be averted if mathematics could determine that finding such an ideal were actually possible in the first place. The course will analyze data from recent US elections as well as provide historical context to modern discussions in politics, culminating in a mathematical analysis of the US Electoral College. Case studies, future implications, and comparisons to other governing bodies outside the US are used to apply the theory of the course. Students will use Microsoft Excel to analyze data sets. There are no mathematical prerequisites for this course.

A flexible weekly schedule accommodates all student schedules and time zones, and courses include pre-recorded lectures, notes, and interactives to help students learn the material. Assessments include computer-scored items for immediate feedback as well as instructor-graded assignments for personalized learning. Students have access to instructors through email or individual reviews, and weekly instructor-led synchronous problem-solving sessions are recorded for viewing at any time. Students should expect to work a minimum of 5-10 hours per week.

A writing-intensive course (W) engages students in multiple writing projects, ranging from traditional papers to a wide variety of other forms, distributed throughout the term. Assignments include a mix of high and low stakes writing, meaning that students have the chance to write in informal, low-pressure--even ungraded--contexts, as well as producing larger, more formal writing assignments. Students engage in writing in the classroom through variety of means, including class discussions, workshop, faculty/TA lectures, and class materials (for instance, strong and weak examples of the assigned genre). Expectations are clearly conveyed through assignment descriptions, including the genre and audience of the assigned writing, and evaluative criteria. Students receive feedback on their writing, in written and/or verbal form, from faculty, TAs, and/or peers. Students have at least one opportunity to revise.

Why do we "not see" things right in front of us? What makes some memories crystal clear and others "hazy"? Why does hurting a fake hand cause you physical pain? How can we recognize thousands of human faces? In this course we will learn about the cognitive processes—such as attention, memory and perception—that help us answer these kinds of questions. Through a combination of psychology and biology research, students will explore how the mind and brain give rise to how we interact with and experience the world. This course is designed for students who are interested in an introduction to psychology, biology, and neuroscience.

Students will develop a working knowledge of the characteristics that have been identified through research as being important in effective college transitions. Using practical and theoretical objectives, the course will explore the relevance of developmental and positive psychological processes as they apply in academic and social settings and provide theory-based research approaches for thriving in college and beyond. The developmental period of emerging adulthood (ages 18-25) will be discussed with a primary focus on cognitive, moral, and identity development theories. Students also will gain an understanding of what contributes to thriving and how to build the enabling conditions of a life worth living. The developmental theories and central concepts in positive psychology will provide students with a foundation to navigate college academic expectations and equip them with the attitudes, skills, and resources needed to function optimally and excel in college.