(Offered as POSC 363 and HIST 363 [US/TE]) This course uses both international relations theory and historical analysis to understand how and why America moved from the periphery of world politics at the beginning of the twentieth century to the center of world politics during World War Two and the Cold War. Finally, we will conclude by paying special attention to how and why America gained and then lost its' unipolar position in the decades after 1989 and to Donald Trump's crucial role in transforming America's liberal internationalist orientation to the world. 

(Offered as POSC 232 and EDST 232) This course surveys some of the principal themes in the political economy of lower-income countries. Questions will cover a broad terrain. What are the key characteristics of poor economies? Why did these countries fail to catch up economically with the West in the 20th century? Who are the key political actors? What are their beliefs, ideologies and motivations? What are their political constraints, locally, nationally and globally?

(Offered as POSC 208, ASLC 208, and EDST 208) This course provides an introduction to the major institutions, actors, and ideas that shape contemporary Chinese politics. Through an examination of texts from the social sciences as well as historical narratives and film, we will analyze the development of the current party-state, the relationship between the state and society, policy challenges, and prospects for further reform. First, we examine the political history of the People’s Republic, including the Maoist period and the transition to market reforms.

(Offered as POSC 208, ASLC 208, and EDST 208) This course provides an introduction to the major institutions, actors, and ideas that shape contemporary Chinese politics. Through an examination of texts from the social sciences as well as historical narratives and film, we will analyze the development of the current party-state, the relationship between the state and society, policy challenges, and prospects for further reform. First, we examine the political history of the People’s Republic, including the Maoist period and the transition to market reforms.

(Offered as POSC 160 and SWAG 160) From abortion to gay rights, sexuality is deeply entangled in world politics. As LGBT rights become human rights principles, they not only enter the rights structure of the European Union and the United Nations but are also considered a barometer of political modernity. If some Latin American nations have depicted their recognition of gay rights as symbolic of their progressive character, certain North African nations have depicted their repression of homosexuality symbolic of their opposition to western imperialism.

(Offered as POSC 145 and EDST 145) This course will explore the role of work in the context of American politics and society. We will study how work has been understood in political and social theory. We will also consider ethnographic studies that explore how workers experience their lives inside organizations and how workplaces transform in response to changing legal regulations. These theoretical and empirical explorations will provide a foundation for reflections about how work structures opportunities in democratic societies and how re-imagining work might unleash human potential.

This is a course on epistemology, the branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge. We humans are in the business of believing, knowing, justifying, and rationalizing. Our capacities for acquiring, sharing, and participating in the production of knowledge bear significantly on our flourishing. In this course we will investigate the relationship between core epistemic concepts, including knowledge, belief, justification, and truth. Is knowledge more valuable than mere true belief? Why? What is the nature of epistemic justification? How are evidence, belief, and rationality related?

(Offered as PHIL 225 and ENST 228) Our impact on the environment has been significant, and in recent decades, the pace of change has clearly accelerated. Many species face extinction, forests are disappearing, and toxic wastes and emissions continue to accumulate. People are being displaced, and even our climate is changing. These are all well-established scientific facts and the prospect of a general environmental calamity seems all too real.

(Offered as NEUR 317 and PSYC 317) Although the ingestive act per se is clear and simple, understanding the multifarious influences that are distilled into the decision at any given moment to eat, or not to eat, remains a ponderous challenge for scientists. The obesity epidemic of the last several decades continues to spread across the globe, leading to a rise in metabolic diseases and more pressing need than ever to understand the neurobiological controls of eating and body weight.

​This course will explore the brain mechanisms underlying motivated behaviors and the dysfunctions that can lead to addictive and compulsive behaviors. Why can some people be casual gamblers while others are hooked into a spiral of addiction after just one betting experience? Are these the same brain circuits as those affected by drugs, and can we look to them to also understand eating disorders, pathological social media use, etc.? The course will use a neurobiological orientation to study the neurocircuitry and neurochemistry underlying addiction in its many forms.