This course engages the centuries-old debate about music?s ability to communicate, and investigates the types of evidence available to this discourse. We will look into the various ways scholars have argued for and against music?s connection to language, ranging from the philosophical to the neurological. We begin with a historical review of the topic, considering the viewpoints of philosophers such as Rousseau, Nietzsche, and Hegel as well as composers such as Wagner and Bernstein, focusing on the sorts of evidence they use to make their arguments.

This course will review major developments in feminist and sexuality-based social movements in South Asia since the turn of the twentieth century. We will also explore the intersections of the politics of gender and sexuality in South Asia within the context of economic globalization policies that have been undertaken in the region since the early 1990s.

Could extraterrestrial life exist in the cosmos? Scientists say yes, possibly on billions of planets in our galaxy alone. In this class, we will examine the international cinema of alien encounters and explore how these films envision the alien other. How do these films both reflect and shape our own experience of "the alien" or the unknown "other"? Since the beginning of cinema, the figure of the alien has visited the big screen with its promise of otherworldly wonders and its threat of unthinkable perils.

In this graduate seminar students will examine the relationship between the United States and their Asian Pacific neighbors since 1800. The course will introduce students to key themes, theoretical frameworks, and chronologies relevant to the United States' diplomatic relations with Japan, China, Korea, Hawaii, the Philippines, and Vietnam. We will then explore the transnational cultural histories of the US with each of these countries. Through the lenses of gender, race, religion, and education students will explore the important role that

Paying due attention to their affiliations with Francophone and French Creole cultures and mythologies of the Caribbean and the American South, this course will explore representations of the undead, such as zombies, vampires, and related paranormal creatures of the Southern Gothic tradition on film and television.

The course is designed to introduce students to the cinematic work of some of the most important Latin American directors. The course will center on a variety of topics that are vital to the understanding of the most significant political, historical, social and cultural events that have shaped Latin America. UMass Amherst Undergraduate Certificate Categories: III, V

Could extraterrestrial life exist in the cosmos? Scientists say yes, possibly on billions of planets in our galaxy alone. In this class, we will examine the international cinema of alien encounters and explore how these films envision the alien other. How do these films both reflect and shape our own experience of "the alien" or the unknown "other"? Since the beginning of cinema, the figure of the alien has visited the big screen with its promise of otherworldly wonders and its threat of unthinkable perils.

Microbiological and biochemical properties of microorganisms important in environmental engineering practice. General fundamentals of microbiology and application to drinking water treatment and distribution, water pollution control, and natural systems.