Summer Term Undergraduate Courses

This course will provide a fundamental understanding of the mammalian nervous system, with an emphasis on how molecules, cells, circuits, and systems in the brain work to promote behavior and cognition. Topics covered in this course include the function of nerve cells, signaling between brain networks, basic neuroanatomy, and the neural bases of movement, sensation, and memory. This course is designed for any student who has an interest in the range of disciplines we call neuroscience.

This course will provide a fundamental understanding of the mammalian nervous system, with an emphasis on how molecules, cells, circuits, and systems in the brain work to promote behavior and cognition. Topics covered in this course include the function of nerve cells, signaling between brain networks, basic neuroanatomy, and the neural bases of movement, sensation, and memory. This course is designed for any student who has an interest in the range of disciplines we call neuroscience.

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 follows the actuarial Exam P syllabus and learning objectives to prepare students to pass the SOA/CAS Probability Exam. Topics include axioms of probability, discrete and continuous random variables, conditional probability, Bayes’ theorem, Chebyshev's Theorem, Central Limit Theorem, univariate and joint distributions and expectations, loss frequency, loss severity and other risk management concepts. Exam P learning objectives and learning outcomes are emphasized.

Prerequisite: Calculus II.

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.

Mathematicians’ understanding of truth is based logical derivation. A mathematical proposition, i.e., a mathematical sentence whose meaning is unambiguous, is proven to be either true or false via a sequence of logical deductions starting from commonly accepted axioms. This course introduces students to methods of writing proofs which are rigorous, readable, and elegant. Students will practice using cases, contradiction, and induction. Proofs are performed on abstract structures such as finite and infinite sets, functions, and metric spaces. Mathematical communication, both written and spoken, is emphasized throughout the 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.

Do we all see colors the same way? How did so many "good" people support the Nazi party? Do crossword puzzles really stave off Alzheimer's Disease? This course tries to answer these questions and many others, providing a comprehensive overview of the scientific study of the mind. We'll explore topics such as perception, language, memory, decision-making, creativity, love, sex, art, politics, religion, dreams, drugs, brain damage and mental illness, grappling with deep and long-standing controversies along the way: differences between the sexes, the relationship between mind and brain, causes and consequences of racism, human uniqueness (or not) within the animal kingdom, nature vs. nurture, good and evil, consciousness. Appropriate for anyone wanting to know who and what we are as human beings (or who noticed that psychology is now on the MCAT).

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.

The course introduces students to the discipline of sociology. You will learn about (a) theoretical approaches in sociology; (b) some of the subject matters that sociologists study, including inequality, capitalism, labor, the state, social control, race, gender, sexuality, culture, religion, population dynamics, and health; and (c) sociological methods. Most importantly, you will learn (d) how to see the world as a sociologist. That is, you will become a sociologist.

The basic concepts of point-set topology: topological spaces, connectedness, compactness, quotient spaces, metric spaces, function spaces. An introduction to algebraic topology: covering spaces, the fundamental group, and other topics as time permits.

Prerequisite: 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.

The fundamental principles of chemistry, including atomic and molecular structure, bonding, elementary thermodynamics, equilibrium and acids and bases, are introduced in this course. Can be taken with Introductory Chemistry Laboratory – I unless lab has been previously completed. Note: Students taking this course and Laboratory 030.105 may not take any other courses in the summer sessions at the same time and should devote their full time to these subjects. High school physics and calculus are strongly recommended as prerequisites. First and second terms must be taken in sequence. Students not enrolled in college (unless they are rising freshmen) may not take this course.

Continuation of AS.030.101 emphasizing chemical kinetics, chemical bonding. Topics: energy levels and wave functions for particle-in-a-box and hydrogen atom and approximate wave functions for molecules including introduction to hybrid orbitals. Note: Students taking this course and Laboratory 030.105-106 may not take any other course in the summer sessions at the same time and should devote their full time to these subjects. High school physics and calculus are strongly recommended as prerequisites. First and second terms must be taken in sequence.

Prerequisite: C- or better in AS.030.101 (Introductory Chemistry I). Students enrolled in AS.030.103 (Applied Chemical Equilibrium and Reactivity with Lab) may not enroll in or receive credit for AS.030.102.

The experiments in this course are designed to support the learning of topics taught in AS.030.101 alongside developing your basic laboratory skills. They will provide students with a visual understanding of some of the key concepts of general chemistry and practice applying concepts to experimental procedures, observations, and results. Open only to those who are registered for or have successfully completed Introductory Chemistry 030.101. 

Prerequisites: Students must have completed or be enrolled in AS.030.101 (Introductory Chemistry I) in order to register for AS.030.105. Students enrolled in AS.030.103 (Applied Chemical Equilibrium and Reactivity w/Lab) may not enroll in or receive credit for AS.030.105. Students must have completed Lab Safety training prior to registering for this class. To access the tutorial, login to myLearning and enter 458083 in the Search box to locate the appropriate module.

Laboratory work includes some quantitative analysis and the measurement of physical properties. Open only to those who are registered for or have completed Introductory Chemistry II (AS.030.102).

Prerequisites: AS.030.105 (Introductory Chemistry Laboratory I) and AS.030.101 (Introductory Chemistry I). Students enrolled in AS.030.103 (Applied Chemical Equilibrium and Reactivity w/Lab) may not enroll in or receive credit for AS.030.106. Students must have completed Lab Safety training prior to registering for this class. To access the tutorial, login to myLearning and enter 458083 in the Search box to locate the appropriate module.

This course provides an introduction to the fundamental chemistry of the compounds of carbon. Topics include methods of structure determination and synthesis; the mechanisms of typical organic reactions; and the relations between physical and chemical properties and structures. Note: Students taking this course and the laboratory 030.105-106 may not take any other course in the summer sessions and should devote full time to these subjects. First and second terms must be taken in sequence.

Prerequisite: AS.030.102 (Introductory Chemistry II) or AS.030.103 (Applied Equilibrium and Reactivity w/Lab).

Laboratory work includes fundamental laboratory techniques and preparation of representative organic compounds. Open only to those who are registered for or have completed Introductory Organic Chemistry. Introductory Organic Chemistry I/II requires one semester of the laboratory.

Prerequisites: AS.030.205 (Introductory Organic Chemistry I), which can be taken concurrently with AS.305.225 (Introductory Organic Chemistry Laboratory); AND AS.030.102 (Introductory Chemistry II) AND AS.030.106 (Introductory Chemistry Laboratory II) OR AS.030.103 (Applied Equilibrium and Relativity w/Lab). Students must have completed Lab Safety training prior to registering for this class. To access the tutorial, login to myLearning and enter 458083 in the Search box to locate the appropriate module.

Laboratory work includes fundamental laboratory techniques and preparation of representative organic compounds. Open only to those who are registered for or have completed Introductory Organic Chemistry. Introductory Organic Chemistry I/II requires one semester of the laboratory.

Prerequisites: AS.030.205 (Introductory Organic Chemistry I), which can be taken concurrently with AS.305.225 (Introductory Organic Chemistry Laboratory); AND AS.030.102 (Introductory Chemistry II) AND AS.030.106 (Introductory Chemistry Laboratory II) OR AS.030.103 (Applied Equilibrium and Relativity w/Lab). Students must have completed Lab Safety training prior to registering for this class. To access the tutorial, login to myLearning and enter 458083 in the Search box to locate the appropriate module.

Students will be introduced to the history of Leadership Theory from the "Great Man" theory of born leaders to Transformational Leadership theory of non-positional learned leadership. Transformational Leadership theory postulates that leadership can be learned and enhanced. The course will explore the knowledge base and skills necessary to be an effective leader in a variety of settings. Students will assess their personal leadership qualities and develop a plan to enhance their leadership potential.

A meeting with the instructor and your teammates for projects will be required weekly. These will be established the first week of class to cater to internships, time zones, etc.

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 is a course in the study of linear, or vector, spaces and the structure of linear mappings between such spaces. Topics in this course include vector spaces, matrices, and linear transformations, solutions of systems of linear equations, eigenvalues, eigenvectors, and the diagonalization of matrices, along with applications to differential equations.

Prerequisite: AS.110.107 (Calculus II for Biological and Social Science) or AS.110.109 (Calculus II for Physical Sciences and Engineering) or AS.110.113 (Honors Single Variable Calculus) or an Advanced Placement BC score of 5.

This is a course in the study of linear, or vector, spaces and the structure of linear mappings between such spaces. Topics in this course include vector spaces, matrices, and linear transformations, solutions of systems of linear equations, eigenvalues, eigenvectors, and the diagonalization of matrices, along with applications to differential equations.

Prerequisite: AS.110.107 (Calculus II for Biological and Social Science) or AS.110.109 (Calculus II for Physical Sciences and Engineering) or AS.110.113 (Honors Single Variable Calculus) or an Advanced Placement BC score of 5.

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 provides an introduction to mathematical reasoning and discrete structures relevant to computer science. Topics include propositional and predicate logic, proof techniques including mathematical induction, sets, relations, functions, recurrences, counting techniques, simple computational models, asymptotic analysis, discrete probability, graphs, trees, and number theory.

Students may not enroll if they have taken EN.601.231 (Automata and Computation Theory) or EN.601.431 (Theory of Computation).

Prerequisite: EN.500.112 (Gateway Computing: Java) OR EN.500.113 (Gateway Computing: Python) OR EN.500.114 (Gateway Computing: Matlab) OR EN.500.132 (Bootcamp: Java) OR EN.500.133 (Bootcamp: Python) OR EN.500.134 (Bootcamp: Matlab) OR EN.601.220 (Intermediate Programming).

Mathematics for Sustainability covers topics in measurement, probability, statistics, dynamics, and data analysis. In this course, students will analyze, visually represent, and interpret large, real data sets from a variety of government, corporate, and non-profit sources. Through local and global case studies, students will engage in the mathematics behind environmental sustainability issues and the debates centered on them. Topics include climate change, natural resource use, waste production, air and water pollution, water scarcity, and decreasing biodiversity. The software package R is used throughout the course.

Prerequisites: Comfort with algebraic expressions and functions. No prior experience in coding is required.

This course is designed for students of all backgrounds to provide a solid foundation in the underlying mathematical, programming, and statistical theory of data analysis. In today's data driven world, data literacy is an increasingly important skill to master. To this end, the course will motivate the fundamental concepts used in this growing field. While discussing the general theory behind common methods of data science there will be numerous applications to real world data sets. In particular, the course will use Python libraries to create, import, and analyze data sets. 

Prerequisites: There are no mathematical prerequisites for this course although prior knowledge of calculus, statistics and/or programming can be helpful.

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 is an introduction to the theory of functions of one complex variable. Its emphasis is on techniques and applications, and it serves as a basis for more advanced courses. Topics include functions of a complex variable and their derivatives; power series and Laurent expansions; the Cauchy integral theorem and formula; calculus of residues and contour integrals; harmonic functions.

Prerequisite: AS.110.201 (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.

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.