Courses

• CGS HU 101: Traditions in the Humanities (The Ancient World through the Renaissance)
  Organized historically and devoted to the study of fiction, drama, poetry, art, and film. The semester begins with a unit on ways of interpreting the humanities, proceeds with the study of literature and art from Ancient Greece through the seventeenth century, and includes a film studies component. One lecture, two discussions and additional film hours as assigned [4 cr.]
• CGS HU 102: Breaks with Tradition (The Enlightenment to the Present)
  Examines the departure from tradition characteristic of the modern in all the arts. Units of study include poetry, modern art, modern drama, and the novel. Particular themes may be stressed, such as, for example, the recurrence in modern culture of the antihero, formal experiment in the arts, or literature as the embodiment of values. Students also analyze five films by distinguished contemporary directors. One lecture, two discussions and additional film hours as assigned [4 cr.]
• CGS HU 103: Literature and Art from the Ancient World to the Enlightenment
  The course examines key figures and works in literary and artistic traditions from the ancient and classical periods through the Renaissance, concluding with a focus on the Enlightenment and Romanticism. The semester's units concentrate on how the works reflect cultural ideals and developments and on how they represent evolving aesthetic standards that have shaped conventions in literature and the arts. Coursework and assignments include learning trips to various sites of historical and cultural significance in and around the Boston area to emphasize the Humanities' relevance beyond the classroom's boundaries and to cultivate the richness in experiential learning. [Open only to students admitted to the CGS January Program.] One lecture, two discussions and additional film and experiential learning hours as assigned [5 cr.]
• CGS HU 104: Literature and Art from the Industrial Revolution to the Digital Revolution
  This course is an interdisciplinary approach to literature and art history, and moves classroom, students, and the faculty overseas to London for the term. The course focuses on the 19th and 20th centuries and concludes with the technologically complex 21st century. Assignments encourage research skills, critical thinking, and contextual awareness. Learning trips to historically and culturally important sites enhance the course's experiential component and augment the humanities' interdisciplinary significance. [Open only to students admitted to the CGS January Program] One lecture, two discussions and additional film and experiential learning hours as assigned [5 cr.]
• CGS HU 201: History of Ethical Philosophy I
  A rigorous course in the history of ethical thought from the ancient world through the 19th century. The course also includes selected films and literary works that embody philosophical ideas or dramatize ethical dilemmas. Primary texts are used throughout. One lecture, two discussions and additional film hours as assigned [4 cr.]
• CGS HU 202: History of 20th-Century Ethical Philosophy and Applied Ethics
  This course focuses on the application of philosophical ideas to various areas of modern life, such as politics, science, business, personal development, education, and religious faith. One lecture, two discussions and additional film hours as assigned [4 cr.]
• CGS HU 250: Supernatural Horror in American Literature and Film
  Supernatural Horror in American Literature and Film will explore the impact of horror on American culture from the genre's roots in early American history and the Gothic through the works of its most important practitioners in American literature and film. Works covered will include those of Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Shirley Jackson, and Stephen King; films such as The Exorcist and The Blair Witch Project; episodes of the The X Files; and critical writings on horror, film and popular culture.
• CGS HU 251: The Irish Outlaw: The Makings of a Nationalist Icon
  This course will examine the outlaw as he appears in the literature, culture and history of Ireland. As a symbolic figure in Irish folklore and literature, the outlaw is seen as a hero through whom the Irish people have historically imagined their dignity in the midst of perceived political subjugation and social injustice. Students will be exposed to a variety of texts and genres and will be expected to ask rigorous questions about the style and categorization of these texts, the different portrayals of "the outlaw" that appear, and the importance of such texts in literary and cultural history.
• CGS HU 300: Irish in Boston
  Focuses on the literature, politics, and culture of Irish Bostonians in the 19th and 20th century. Through the study of poetry, drama, fiction, politics, and music, the course explores the varieties of "Irishness" in Boston. Students will hone their literary and analytical skills through a close reading and interpretation of texts and will ask rigorous questions about the style and categorization of these texts, the different portrayals of "Irishness" that appear, and the importance of such texts in literary and cultural history. An interdisciplinary, team taught course.
• CGS HU 425: Trauma in History, Art & Religion
  Today, it seems that trauma is everywhere. It haunts soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. It afflicts the survivors of 9/11 and witnesses to the Boston Marathon bombings. It colors the lives of victims in the rape epidemic still unfolding on college campuses. It shapes the way we talk about race after the deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Tamir Rice. It is a lens through which we look at genocides past and present. And it provides new ways to read literature, view art, and watch television and film. This course is a co-taught, interdisciplinary seminar that explores the many ways that psychological trauma manifests itself in the contemporary world. Students will use tools and techniques borrowed from a variety of fields, among them psychology, social work, literary criticism, theology, history, sociology, and gender studies. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS.
• CGS HU 500: The History, Literature, Film, and Science of Baseball: An Interdisciplinary Course
  Topic for Spring 2015: American Baseball. This interdisciplinary research seminar examines the history, culture, and science of the game from its shadowy origins in the early days of the nineteenth century, explosive growth in popularity during the Jazz Age, to the controversy-ridden Steroid Era.
• CGS IN 300: Cultural Constructions of Motherhood
  This course examines the ways that motherhood--the roles, expectations, and assumptions that shape what counts as both "good" and "bad" mothering--is currently understood. Three key questions will drive our exploration: How does culture shape mothering practices? How do mothering practices shape culture? How do race, economic class, educational attainment, and sexual orientation impact how motherhood is constructed? Discussions of related topics such as fathering, maternal body image, celebrity profiles, mother blame, parenting roles, and the economic costs of motherhood will be supplemented by readings from feminist interdisciplinary academic writing in motherhood studies along with popular culture and media texts.
• CGS MA 113: Elementary Statistics
  MA 113 may not be taken for credit by any student who has completed any MA course numbered 300 or higher. Students may receive credit for not more than one of the following courses: CAS MA 113, MA 115, or MA 213. Basic concepts of estimation and tests of hypotheses, ideas from probability; one-, two-, and multiple-sample problems. Applications in social sciences. Primarily for students in the social sciences who require a one-semester introduction to statistics; others should consider CAS MA 115 or MA 213. Carries MCS divisional credit in CAS.
• CGS MA 121: Calculus
  For students continuing to management or needing an introductory calculus course for their major. Fulfills the CAS and SMG mathematics requirement. This course covers differentiation and integration of functions of one variable and emphasizes application over mathematical generality. Applications in the natural sciences, social sciences, and management.
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• CGS NS 203: Astronomy
  The planets and their motions are presented from an historical perspective. The birth, life, and death of stars, the Milky Way and other galaxies are discussed. Big Bang cosmology is introduced.
• CGS NS 250: The Set Table: Exploring The World of Food
  This course will explore the world of food in an interdisciplinary approach with a global perspective. Discussion will include the biology, culture, history, philosophy, and evolution of food, connecting the everyday world of food with its intellectual foundations.
• CGS RH 101: English Composition: Argument and Critical Thinking
  Begins with critical reading, writing, and thinking strategies. Students learn the conventions of the expository essay and how to meet its demands by developing a thesis, organizing an argument, and supporting claims with reasoning and evidence. Students also receive instruction in grammar, style, and document design. Through class discussion and by working on assignments, students explore connections between readings assigned in Rhetoric and their readings in other courses. One lecture, two discussions, additional hours with the professor focused on individual writing instruction.[4 cr.]
• CGS RH 102: English Composition and Research
  Focuses on research while further developing students' expository writing skills. Students learn how to use electronic and traditional research tools, how to select and weigh evidence and integrate sources into an argument, and how to use standard scholarly conventions to document their research. One lecture, two discussions, additional hours with the professor focused on individual writing instruction.[4 cr.]

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