Students may take up to two semesters of ARH 291, “Topics in Art History,” as long as the topics are different.: This course focuses on the Smith College Museum of Art’s Spring 2017 exhibition: Leisure and Luxury in the Age of Nero: The Villas of Oplontis near Pompeii. Ours is the only East Coast venue for this blockbuster exhibition of the treasures from what may have been the villa of the ill-fated empress Poppaea: sculpture, frescoes, gold jewelry, and objects of everyday life preserved by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE.

This course explores how art and architecture have profoundly shaped visual experiences and shifting understandings of past and present. While featuring different case studies, each section includes work with original objects, site visits and writings about art.

By permission of the department, for junior and senior majors.

An interdisciplinary study of Afro-American history beginning with the Brown Decision in 1954. Particular attention is given to the factors which contributed to the formative years of civil rights movements, black films and music of the era, the rise of black nationalism, and the importance of Afro-Americans in the Vietnam War. Recommended background: survey course in Afro-American history, American history, or Afro-American literature. Enrollment limited to 40.

This course is designed to introduce students to the many methods of inquiry used for research in interdisciplinary fields such as Africana studies. Guided by a general research topic or theme, students are exposed to different methods for asking questions and gathering evidence.: Through intensive study of the racialized contexts of the 1970s, students are introduced to and practice using the tools of intellectual investigation particular to Africana Studies.

Admission by permission of the director of the Buddhist studies concentration. Normally, enrollment limited to Buddhist studies concentrators only. (E)

Introduction to a block-structured, object-oriented high-level programming language. Covering language syntax and use the language to teach program design, coding, debugging, testing and documentation. Procedural and data abstraction are introduced. Enrollment limited to 48; 24 per lab section.

The interaction of light with molecules is central to studies of molecular structure and reactivity. This course builds on students’ understanding of molecular structure from the core sequence (CHM 111–224) to show how many types of light can be used to interrogate molecules and to shed some light on their behavior. The combined classroom/laboratory format allows students to explore light-based instruments in short, in-class exercises as well as in longer, more traditional labs.

The interaction of light with molecules is central to studies of molecular structure and reactivity. This course builds on students’ understanding of molecular structure from the core sequence (CHM 111–224) to show how many types of light can be used to interrogate molecules and to shed some light on their behavior. The combined classroom/laboratory format allows students to explore light-based instruments in short, in-class exercises as well as in longer, more traditional labs.

The design and analysis of engineered or natural systems and processes relies on a command of fundamental scientific and engineering principles. This course provides an introduction to these fundamental underpinnings through a study of the conservation of mass, energy and charge in both steady and transient conditions with non-reactive systems. Specific topics covered include a review of process variables and their relationships, open and closed systems, differential and integral balances, and basic thermodynamics. Corequisite: MTH 112. Enrollment limit of 20.