Research training course. Recommended in preparation for laboratory related research.
“Learned we may be with another man's learning: we can only be wise with wisdom of our own.”― Michel de Montaigne “There is something you find interesting, for a reason hard to explain. It is hard to explain because you have never read it on any page; there you begin. You were made and set here to give voice to this, your own astonishment.” Annie Dillard, The Writing Life “Find a subject you care about and which in your heart you feel others should care about. It is this genuine caring, not your games with language, which will be the most compelling and seductive element in your style.” Kurt Vonnegut What makes the essay of personal experience an essay rather than a journal entry? How can one's specific experience transcend the limits of narrative and transmit a deeper meaning to any reader? How can a writer transmit the wisdom gained from personal experience without lecturing her reader? In The Art of the Essay, we explore the answers to these questions by reading personal essays in a variety of different forms. We begin with Michel de Montaigne, the 16th-century philosopher who popularized the personal essay as we know it and famously asked, “What do I know?,” and follow the development of the form as a locus of rigorous self-examination, doubt, persuasion, and provocation. Through close reading of a range of essays from writers including Annie Dillard, Salman Rushdie, Jamaica Kincaid, and June Jordan, we analyze how voice, form, and evidence work together to create a world of meaning around an author's experience, one that invites readers into conversations that are at once deeply personal and universal in their consequences and implications.
GRKM3936OC Hellenism and the Topographical Imagination
, 3 points.
Instructor: Dimitris Antoniou, Associate Research Scholar and Lecturer in Hellenic Studies,
Department of Classics and Associate Director, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Public Humanities
Initiative.
Columbia Summer Global Core: The Athens
Experience
examines the way particular spaces—cultural, urban, literary—serve as sites for the production and reproduction of cultural and political imaginaries. It places particular emphasis on nationalism and the theme of the
polis
(the city) as well as on spatial representations of and responses to notions of the Hellenic across time. What understandings of Greek culture, society, and environment emerge from cartography, scientific expeditions, archaeological excavations, and, more recently, economic and artistic commissions? In what ways does the idea of crisis (economic, environmental, public health) shape understandings of Greek everyday life and cultural production today? We will engage in a historically informed study of the “right now” and learn through collaborative work, cross-media exploration, and a project-based approach. The program will be structured around the Global Core course
Hellenism and the Topographical Imagination
and will consist of classroom seminars centered on the study and discussion of texts, films, and cultural artifacts; site visits, fieldtrips, and walking tours; and workshop sessions, all of which will prepare students for this year’s final project—curating a permanent exhibition in the new Athens Global Center examining the neoclassical building’s important place in the capital’s cultural and political life.
To enroll in this course, you must apply to the
Columbia Summer Global Core: The Curatorial Project Program
through the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement (UGE).
Global Learning Scholarships
available.
Tuition
charges apply.
Please note the program dates are different from the Summer Sessions Terms. Visit the
This seminar explores the intertwined histories of the Ottoman Empire and the United States during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries through migration, mobility, and cultural exchange. It examines why diverse Ottoman subjects (Armenian, Greek, Turkish, Arab, Jewish, etc.) migrated to the United States and how they navigated life and contributed to the country’s evolving social and cultural fabric. Students will analyze migration experiences, community formations, and identity negotiations while considering how race, religion, class, and gender shaped the lives of transnational Ottoman communities in America. The course also investigates how Americans imagined the Ottoman world through missionary writings and journalism, and how Ottoman migrants themselves influenced these representations. Combining global and local perspectives, the seminar draws on historical, cultural, and sociological methods. Field-based learning, including visits to historic sites in New York City once home to Ottoman immigrant communities, complements classroom discussions.
1-4 points. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: the instructors permission. Except by special permission of the director of undergraduate studies, no more than 4 points of individual research may be taken in any one term. This includes both PSYC UN3950 and PSYC UN3920. No more than 8 points ofPSYC UN3950 may be applied toward the psychology major, and no more than 4 points toward the concentration. Readings, special laboratory projects, reports, and special seminars on contemporary issues in psychological research and theory.
1-4 points. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: the instructors permission. Except by special permission of the director of undergraduate studies, no more than 4 points of individual research may be taken in any one term. This includes both PSYC UN3950 and PSYC UN3920. No more than 8 points ofPSYC UN3950 may be applied toward the psychology major, and no more than 4 points toward the concentration. Readings, special laboratory projects, reports, and special seminars on contemporary issues in psychological research and theory.
What can we know? What is knowledge? How is it different from belief? Are there irrational beliefs? Are false beliefs a mark of irrationality? These are just some of the topics that we will explore as we read various classical works in epistemology.
May be repeated for credit, but no more than 3 total points may be used for degree credit. Only for Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering undergraduate students who include relevant off-campus work experience as part of their approved program of study. Final report and letter of evaluation required. May not be used as technical or nontechnical electives or to satisfy any other Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering major requirements. May not be taken for pass/fail credit or audited.
Independent projects involving experimental, theoretical, computational, or engineering design work. May be repeated, but no more than 3 points of this or any other projects or research course may be counted toward the technical elective degree requirements as engineering technical electives.
May be repeated for credit, but no more than 3 total points may be used toward the 128-credit degree requirement. Only for BMEN undergraduate students who include relevant off-campus work experience as part of their approved program of study. Final report and letter of evaluation required. Fieldwork credits may not count toward any major core, technical, elective, and non-technical requirements. May not be taken for pass/fail credit or audited.
CEEM undergraduate students only. Written application must be made prior to registration outlining proposed internship/study program. Final reports required. May not be taken for pass/fail credit or audited. International students must also consult with the International Students and Scholars Office.
Prerequisites: A good working knowledge of calculus, including derivatives, single and double, limits, sums and series. Life is a gamble and with some knowledge of probability / statistics is easier evaluate the risks and rewards involved. Probability theory allows us take a known underlying model and estimate how likely will we be able to see future events. Statistical Inference allows us to take data we have seen and estimate the missing parts of an unknown model. The first part of the course focus on the former and the second part the latter.
Introduction to
Classical Japanese I JPNS4007OC, 4 points
.
You are required to take Introduction to
Classical Japanese II, JPNS4008OC, 4 points with this course.
Instructor:
Matthew Fraleigh
This course is intended primarily for beginning students who have no prior knowledge of Classical Japanese (bungo 文語 / kobun 古文 / kogo 古語, etc.). It is designed to give students a systematic and intensive introduction to the grammar of classical Japanese. Texts are taken mainly from the Heian and medieval periods, though texts from later periods will also be introduced. It is expected that by the end of the course students will have acquired a firm foundation in classical Japanese grammar and will be able to read classical Japanese texts with the aid of a dictionary. Students will generally find that they also have an improved grasp of modern Japanese grammar and will also gain experience in using Japanese-Japanese dictionaries. The course will also include some instruction in reading cursive Japanese, primarily variant kana (hentaigana).
To enroll in this course, you must apply to the
Kyoto Consortium (KCJS) Summer: Classical Japanese Program
th
rough the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement (UGE).
Global Learning Scholarships
available.
Tuition
charges apply.
Please note the program dates are different from the Summer Sessions Terms. Visit the
UGE
website for the start and end dates for the Columbia Summer in Paris program. Email
uge@columbia.edu
with any questions you may have.
Introduction to
Classical Japanese II JPNS4008OC, 4 points
.
You are required to take Introduction to
Classical Japanese 1I, JPNS4007OC, 4 points with this course
Instructor: Matthew Fraleigh
This course is intended primarily for beginning students who have no prior knowledge of Classical Japanese (bungo 文語 / kobun 古文 / kogo 古語, etc.). It is designed to give students a systematic and intensive introduction to the grammar of classical Japanese. Texts are taken mainly from the Heian and medieval periods, though texts from later periods will also be introduced. It is expected that by the end of the course students will have acquired a firm foundation in classical Japanese grammar and will be able to read classical Japanese texts with the aid of a dictionary. Students will generally find that they also have an improved grasp of modern Japanese grammar and will also gain experience in using Japanese-Japanese dictionaries. The course will also include some instruction in reading cursive Japanese, primarily variant kana (hentaigana).
Course Schedule:
The course will be taught Monday-Friday in a four hour block (with two short breaks), and the current plan is to hold class from 8 am to 12 noon EST. As part of the application process, applicants will be surveyed about their schedules and it is possible that some adjustments will be made to the class meeting time to accommodate participants in different time zones. The final course schedule will be determined and shared with potential students prior to when students need to confirm participation in the course.
To enroll in this course, you must apply to the
Kyoto Consortium (KCJS) Summer: Classical Japanese Program
through the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement (UGE).
Global Learning Scholarships
available.
Tuition
charge
Pushing back against this trope of homelessness, this course illuminates the robust, vibrant, and multifacetted
qualities of a home in the Diaspora, lasting for over a millennium, that both Ashkenazi and Sephardi
Jews managed to create for themselves in lands, predominantly populated by Slavs. They did so despite the
many constraints of legal and religious discrimination, threats of physical violence, displacement, and countless
forms of exclusion from dominant society. Moving across centuries, countries, and languages, we will revisit the
contributions of the Jews to their so called “host cultures” by way of diverse media—literary and non-fictional
works, memoirs, artistic works, songs, feature and documentary films, journalistic pieces, and more. By the end
of this journey, we will have gained a deeper understanding of the ways in which the Jews and Slavs have been
intimately imbricated and intertwined since times immemorial.
All course materials are available in English. No reading knowledge of Russian or other Slavic languages
is required. Course participants with the reading knowledge of any region-specific language are encouraged to
consult the respective originals, provided by the instructor upon request. This course will be of interest to those
majoring in Slavic and/or Jewish Studies, as well as anyone interested in Comparative Literature, History, Art
History, and Film and Visual Studies.
Uncertainty is ubiquitous and information about that uncertainty plays a key role in economic
decision-making and exchange. In this course, we will first consider how individuals and society
can manage uncertainty. We will then focus on how economic relationships may suffer from
some parties not having all the information that is relevant to their decision-making. We will see
how these kinds of information asymmetries invite lying and cheating. We will also study how
parties can structure their agreements to address the problems that such information asymmetries
create.
This course will provide a wide-ranging survey of conceptual foundations and issues in contemporary human rights. The class will examine the philosophical origins of human rights, contemporary debates, the evolution of human rights, key human rights documents, and the questions of human rights enforcement. This course will examine specific civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights and various thematic topics in human rights.
Is the Qur’an translatable? Was the Qur’an translated? Are non Arabic-speaking Muslims allowed to translate the Qur’an? And what about non-Muslims? Did Muslims and non-Muslims collaborate in translating the text of the Qur’an into Latin and European vernaculars? This course focuses on the long history of the diffusion of the Qur’an, the Scripture of the Muslims, and one of the most important texts in the history of humanity. We will focus on reading and translation practices of the Qur’an in Europe and the Mediterranean, from the Middle Ages to the contemporary world. We will explore how European Muslims, such as Iberian
moriscos
, European Jews, as well as Orthodox, Protestants and Catholics read, copied, collected, translated and printed the Qur’an. We will also explore why the Qur’an was confuted, forbidden, burned and even eaten, drunk and worn along eight centuries of the history of Europe. This long excursus, based on a close reading of the Qur’an and on the discussion of the major themes this close reading proposes, will help us to understand the role of Islam and its revelation in the formation of European societies and cultures.
Each student develops an original series concept and an accompanying pilot script. The class includes the basics of how to build a series for network, cable and streaming. There is a focus on the pilot as both a successful episode and a blueprint for an ongoing series that has a strong enough premise to sustain dynamic stories for multiple seasons.
In a step-by-step process, students move from series concept to pilot stories, to outline and lastly to script. Both half-hour and one-hour series are covered.
Modern feature-length screenplays demand a specific architecture. In this class students will enter with an idea for a film, and during the first eight sessions build a coherent treatment; that is, a summary of the events and major emotional arcs of the film's three acts. In the final four sessions students will begin and complete the first act of their feature-length screenplay.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This class will teach revising an original pilot script. We will review the basics of writing scripts for TV with an emphasis on character, structure, and an eye towards the current marketplace. We will also prepare for a professional career in the writers room, pitching original pilots, and work towards revising this sample for staffing as well as selling.
REQUIREMENTS:
Students will revise one original pilot script during the class, with at least 3 full revisions of script and completion of a 6 page pitch document totaling no more than 10-12 minutes of pitch time.
NOTE:
Students who did not enroll in S4030 TV Writing in Summer Session A may enroll in TV Writing: Revision if they have a completed pilot. Applications will be reviewed and students will be notified of their acceptance.
CLASS DESIGN:
This class will parallel the professional TV development and revision process as closely as possible, as well as mimic the atmosphere of a writers room revising an episode’s script after first draft to give students the feeling of both these situations.
Students will receive detailed notes and pitches from the room to revise their sample. They will also write up their series as a pitch document and pitch the show to the class. The goal is for each student to finish
at least
a third draft of the pilot by the end of the semester.
THE RULES:
Everyone participates. This is a workshop class so both your work and your feedback are vital to your classmates. You will not pass this class without being an ACTIVE participant.
WORK
is due 48 hours prior to class, As this is a revision class, the reading load will vary week to week, but it could require reading full revisions each week. Your fellow students will need time to give thorough notes and feedback.
FEEDBACK NOTES
are
given orally in class
and
due in written form
by MIDNIGHT
after
class
. 1/2 page of notes, per script, double spaced, 12 point font. These may be bullet points, paragraph, or specific page notes. But you must deliver at least a 1/2 page of feedback.
I do not want you sending your written notes to classmates before we discuss the scripts as it stifles discussion in the room, and calcifies notes in the writers mind. You will need to deliver your written notes into the c
Prerequisites: MATH UN1102 and MATH UN1202 and MATH UN2010 or the equivalent. The second term of this course may not be taken without the first. Groups, homomorphisms, normal subgroups, the isomorphism theorems, symmetric groups, group actions, the Sylow theorems, finitely generated abelian groups.
The course adopts the perspective of gun violence as a pressing human rights concern, emphasizing the state's responsibility to maximize the protection of human rights and establish the safest possible environment, particularly for young people who are most vulnerable to such violence. Students will gain an understanding of the international and national human rights laws that protect the rights to life, development, survival, and protection, with a specific focus on young individuals. The course will delve into the root causes, prevalence, and potential remedies for gun violence in all communities but we recognize that the risk of firearm violence and racial disparities persist across all age groups. Lastly, the course will examine the crucial role of young people in developing solutions, including their activism and advocacy work.
Prerequisites: MATH S1202, MATH S2010, or the equivalent. Students must have a current and solid background in the prerequisites for the course: multivariable calculus and linear algebra. Elements of set theory and general topology. Metric spaces. Euclidian space. Continuous and differentiable functions. Riemann integral. Uniform convergence.
MENA4100OC: Migration, Displacement and Diaspora in the Contemporary Mediterranean. 3 points.
This course counts as a
Global Core Requirement
at Columbia University.
This course examines the social, political and cultural history of migration in the Mediterranean, with a particular focus on France and Africa. We examine the forces that have underpinned migration in the nations of the Mediterranean rim since the 1950s and observe major transitions in policy and legal frameworks. Though migration is often treated in mainstream media as an object of policy and legislation, it is better approached as a ‘total social fact’ involving political, social, economic and cultural dimensions. With this in mind, we look at different media, genres and narrative forms in which migration has been represented and debated and grapple with questions about the relationship between lived experience and representation and between
politics and the arts.
To enroll in this course, you must apply to the
Columbia Summer in Paris
: English Track
program through the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement (UGE).
Global Learning Scholarships available.
Tuition charges apply.
Please note the program dates are different from the Summer Session Terms. Visit the
UGE
website for the start and end dates for the Columbia in Summer in Paris program.
Please email uge@columbia.edu with any questions you may have.
Prerequisites: Must have a BA, BFA or equivalent. Apply directly to the School of the Arts. Access the application here:
https://arts.columbia.edu/summer/advanced-painting-intensive
.
The Advanced Painting Intensive offers personalized mentorship to up to twelve students through individual and group critique, technical tutorials, workshops, and insights into the New York gallery and museum scenes. Participants will also benefit from lectures and critiques by nationally recognized visiting artists.
The six-week, six-credit workshop is structured similarly to Columbia’s MFA degree program and is designed for individuals seeking to challenge and advance their artistic skills in an immersive and supportive environment. The workshop aims to help participants develop a strong visual portfolio and a comprehensive written package suitable for MFA programs applications.
This course aims to introduce students to classic and more recent literature on the intellectual and cultural history of the Enlightenment. The field has expanded far beyond the cohort of free-thinking
philosophes
around which it was initially conceived to encompass broader cultural, economic, and religious preoccupations. Given these tendencies, how has the significance of the Enlightenment shifted as a historical period and interpretive framework? In what ways do scholars explicate its origins, outcomes, and legacies? The readings trace the development of Enlightenment thought and practices from their early manifestations in Britain and the United Provinces before shifting attention to France, the geographical focal point of the movement by mid-century. Topics to be addressed include the relationship of traditional political authorities to an emerging public sphere, the invention of society as a means of mediating human relationships, the entrepreneurial and epistemological innovations made possible by new media, the struggles of the
philosophe
movement for legitimacy, debates surrounding luxury consumption and commercial society, the rise of political economy as field of knowledge and practical platform, and arguments between Christian apologists and radical atheists over the status of religious truth.
Moment Work explores the theatrical potential of all the elements of the stage (props, sound, architecture, lights, costume, etc.) in order to create strong theatrical and dramatic narratives. In this class, students will foster an appreciation for the reexamination and exploration of theatrical form and theatrical and dramatic narratives. The semester will culminate with an in-class showcase of short, devised pieces created by the students.
Students will be empowered to tell stories from history through engaging with special collections and primary historical sources. We will spark students' curiosity as we explore one specific historical event and work together over the course of six weeks to devise moments of theater. By the end of the course, we will create a short presentation of “Moments” by investigating the themes and dramatic throughlines that the material offers. This is much like what a first presentation might look like at Tectonic Theater Project, a proof of dramatic and theatrical concept.
Each session will begin with a quiet and reflective writing prompt, associated with the historical event that we are researching. Responses will be used over the course of the class to spark devised moments.
Interpretations of civil society and the foundations of political order according to the two main traditions of political thought--contraction and Aristotelian. Readings include works by Hobbes, Spinoza, Locke, Montesquieu, Hume, Rousseau, Kant, Hegel, Saint-Simon, Tocqueville, Marx, and Mill.
Discussion section for POLS GU4134
Algorithmic problem-solving and coding skills needed to devise solutions to interview questions for software engineering positions. Solutions are implemented in Python, Java, C, and C++. Approaches include brute-force, hashing, sorting, transform-and-conquer, greedy, and dynamic programming. Focus on experimentation and team work.
This course will cover the science needed to understand hydrology, the link between hydrology and climate, and why climate change will affect the hydrologic cycle. It will then look at what changes have occurred in the past, and what changes are projected for the future and how these changes may affect other sectors, such as agriculture. The final module of the course will look at adaptation measures to adapt to climate change. The course will be formatted to be a mixture of lectures and seminars, with the lecture portion used to introduce scientific concepts and the seminar portion to discuss and evaluate the readings assigned. At the end of this course, students will the hydrologic cycle and its connection to climate, how changes in climate have affected/will affect how much water is available on land, how water impacts ecosystem services, and how to diagnose the cause of a climate-related water problem and develop solutions to address it.
The world economy is a patchwork of competing and complementary interests among and between governments, corporations, and civil society. These stakeholders at times cooperate and also conflict over issues of global poverty, inequality, and sustainability. What role do human rights play in coordinating the different interests that drive global economic governance? This seminar will introduce students to different structures of global governance for development, trade, labor, finance, the environment, migration, and intellectual property and investigate their relationship with human rights. Students will learn about public, private, and mixed forms of governance, analyze the ethical and strategic perspectives of the various stakeholders and relate them to existing human rights norms. The course will examine the work of multilateral organizations such as the United Nations and the International Financial Institutions, as well as international corporate and non-governmental initiatives.
The history of conflicts within and over slavery during the American Revolution, the Haitian Revolution, the Wars for Latin American Independence, and the campaigns to abolish slavery in the British Empire. The seminar gives special emphasis to the evolution of antislavery and proslavery arguments, the role of war in destabilizing practices of human bondage, and choices made by enslaved men and women in moments of rapid political change.
JPNS4201OC: Second Year Japanese I, 4 points. Required to take Second Year Japanese II, JPNS4202OC for 4 points.
The 2nd year Japanese program (JPNS4201OC & JPNS4202OC; 8 points or 2 semesters) is designed for those who have completed at least one year of college-level Japanese or the equivalent (around 150 hours of Japanese study).
Students who want to take this course are expected to be at least at the
Novice-High level
of
the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines
at the beginning of the course.
This class will cover Chapters 17-23 of
Genki II
(The Japan Times) and intermediate materials such as
Hiyaku
(Routledge). The coverage and materials will be contingent on the levels of students and finalized by the instructors. Depending on their previous coursework, some students may be asked to study independently in preparation.
The goal of this course is to achieve Intermediate-Mid level or higher proficiency according to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.
To enroll in this course, you must apply to the
Kyoto Consortium Summer: Modern Japanese
program through the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement (UGE).
Global Learning Scholarships
available.
Tuition
charges apply.
Please note the program dates are different from the Summer Sessions Terms. Visit the
UGE
website for the start and end dates for the Kyoto Consortium Summer: Modern Japanese KCJS.
Please email
uge@columbia.edu
with any questions you may h
JPNS4202OC: Second Year Japanese II, 4 points. Required to take Second Year Japanese I, JPNS4201OC for 4 points.
The 2nd year Japanese program (JPNS4201OC & JPNS4202OC; 8 points or 2 semesters) is designed for those who have completed at least one year of college-level Japanese or the equivalent (around 150 hours of Japanese study).
Students who want to take this course are expected to be at least at the
Novice-High level
of
the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines
at the beginning of the course.
This class will cover Chapters 17-23 of
Genki II
(The Japan Times) and intermediate materials such as
Hiyaku
(Routledge). The coverage and materials will be contingent on the levels of students and finalized by the instructors. Depending on their previous coursework, some students may be asked to study independently in preparation.
The goal of this course is to achieve Intermediate-Mid level or higher proficiency according to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.
To enroll in this course, you must apply to the
Kyoto Consortium Summer: Modern Japanese
program through the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement (UGE).
Global Learning Scholarships
available.
Tuition
charges apply.
Please note the program dates are different from the Summer Sessions Terms. Visit the
UGE
website for the start and end dates for the Kyoto Consortium Summer: Modern Japanese KCJS.
Please email
uge@colu
Prerequisites: MATH V1101 Calculus I and MATH V1102 Calculus II, or the equivalent, and STAT W1111 or STAT W1211 (Introduction to Statistics). Corequisites: MATH V1201 Calculus III, or the equivalent, or the instructor's permission. This course can be taken as a single course for students requiring knowledge of probability or as a foundation for more advanced courses. It is open to both undergraduate and master students. This course satisfies the prerequisite for STAT W3107 and W4107. Topics covered include combinatorics, conditional probability, random variables and common distributions, expectation, independence, Bayes' rule, joint distributions, conditional expectations, moment generating functions, central limit theorem, laws of large numbers, characteristic functions.
Prerequisites: STAT W3105 Intro. to Probability or STAT W4105 Probability, or the equivalent. Calculus-based introduction to the theory of statistics. Useful distributions, law of large numbers and central limit theorem, point estimation, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, maximum likelihood, likelihood ratio tests, nonparametric procedures, theory of least squares and analysis of variance.
JPNS4205OC: Third Year Japanese I, 4 points. Required to take Third Year Japanese II, JPNS4206OC for 4 points.
The 3rd Year Japanese program (JPNS4205OC & JPNS4206OC; 8 points/2 semesters) is designed for those who have completed at least two years of college-level Jap4nese or the equivalent (around 300 hours of Japanese study).
Students who want to take this course are expected to be at least at the
Intermediate-Mid level
of
the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines
N1
at the beginning of the course. Please note that depending on the results of the placement test, the students may be placed in a different level than they apply for.
This class will use intermediate-level materials equivalent to
Tobira
and
Quartet I & II
or JLPT N3-N2. The coverage and materials will be contingent on the levels of students.
The goal of this course is to achieve Intermediate-High or above of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.
To enroll in this course, you must apply to the
Kyoto Consortium Summer: Modern Japanese
program through the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement (UGE).
Global Learning Scholarships
available.
Tuition
charges apply.
Please note the program dates are different from the Summer Sessions Terms. Visit the
UGE
website for the start and end dates for the Kyoto Consortium Summer: Modern Japanese KCJS.
Please email
uge@columbia.edu
with any questions you may have.
Prerequisites: STAT GU4204 or the equivalent, and a course in linear algebra. Theory and practice of regression analysis. Simple and multiple regression, testing, estimation, prediction, and confidence procedures, modeling, regression diagnostics and plots, polynomial regression, colinearity and confounding, model selection, geometry of least squares. Extensive use of the computer to analyse data.
JPNS4206OC: Third Year Japanese II, 4 points. Required to take Third Year Japanese I, JPNS4205OC for 4 points.
The 3rd Year Japanese program (JPNS4205OC & JPNS4206OC; 8 points/2 semesters) is designed for those who have completed at least two years of college-level Jap4nese or the equivalent (around 300 hours of Japanese study).
Students who want to take this course are expected to be at least at the
Intermediate-Mid level
of
the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines
N1
at the beginning of the course. Please note that depending on the results of the placement test, the students may be placed in a different level than they apply for.
This class will use intermediate-level materials equivalent to
Tobira
and
Quartet I & II
or JLPT N3-N2. The coverage and materials will be contingent on the levels of students.
The goal of this course is to achieve Intermediate-High or above of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.
To enroll in this course, you must apply to the
Kyoto Consortium Summer: Modern Japanese
program through the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement (UGE).
Global Learning Scholarships
available.
Tuition
charges apply.
Please note the program dates are different from the Summer Sessions Terms. Visit the
UGE
website for the start and end dates for the Kyoto Consortium Summer: Modern Japanese KCJS.
Please email
uge@columbia.edu
with any questions you may have.
Prerequisites: STAT GU4204 and GU4205 or the equivalent. Introduction to programming in the R statistical package: functions, objects, data structures, flow control, input and output, debugging, logical design, and abstraction. Writing code for numerical and graphical statistical analyses. Writing maintainable code and testing, stochastic simulations, paralleizing data analyses, and working with large data sets. Examples from data science will be used for demonstration.
Prerequisites: MDES UN1214-UN1215, or the equivalent $15.00= Language Resource Fee, $10.00 = Materials Fee Improvement of writing and speaking skills through compositions, class discussions, and presentations in Arabic on topics such as areas and cultures of the Middle East; classical and modern Arabic literature; and current, authentic materials available from Middle Eastern sources. Review of grammatical and syntactic rules as needed.
Prerequisites: MDES UN1214-UN1215, or the equivalent. $15.00= Language Resource Fee, $10.00 = Materials Fee The continuation of S4210, above.
The seminar zero in on the relationship between Hollywood and the Chinese film industry as a case study to tease out a cluster of issues concerning the politics, economy, and culture of transnational entertainment and media practices. The course aims to introduce students to foundational texts as well as the most updated research topics and approaches concerning Chinese cinema and media. Seminar participants are encouraged to utilize the research tools learned in the class to explore their own research topics and facilitate their own research projects.
Documentaries are proliferating with increasing intensity around the world. They circulate as market commodities, forms of entertainment, and vehicles for social change. In this class we will compare different national and regional contexts of contemporary documentary, including projects created within the media industries of China, Cambodia, Chechnya, Ukraine, Nigeria, and India. We will also examine the presence of “the global” within the United States, which involves exploring questions of immigration, border-crossing, and transnational co-production. Crucial to our course will be the close analysis of how documentaries actively address civil rights struggles, oppressive government regimes, cultural trends, environmental crises, and progressive social movements to create more inclusive, equitable communities. So, too, will we examine emerging technologies (AI, virtual and augmented reality), star-studded film festivals, and the reach and impact of mega studios such as Netflix and Wanda. Guest speakers (scholars, filmmakers, programmers) working in the field will enrich our class discussions. Site visits will offer the opportunity to engage with documentary through the cultural offerings of the city. This course fulfills the Global Core requirement.
The human rights movement is one of the most successful social justice movements of our time, establishing universal principles that govern how states should treat citizens and non-citizens. The movement strengthens, and is strengthened by, a complex web of institutions, laws, and norms that constitute a functioning global system that builds on itself progressively, animated by strong NGOs. The course will address the evolution of the international human rights movement and on the NGOs that drive the movement on the international, regional and domestic levels. Sessions will highlight the experiences of major human rights NGOs and will address topics including strategy development, institutional representation, research methodologies, partnerships, networks, venues of engagement, campaigning, fundraising and, perhaps most importantly, the fraught and complex debates about adaptation to changing global circumstances.
This course examines the rich legacy of theater in New York, from Broadway to Off- Broadway, encompassing the writers, directors, actors, institutions, and artists who laid the foundations of American theater and continue to shape the contemporary theatrical landscape. We will commence with an exploration of the roots of theater in NYC and how the city's growth is mirrored in the historic innovations of the art form. Each week will delve into theatrical forms and disciplines, examples of seminal texts, and current productions throughout the city. These investigations offer insights into the ways theater evolves into a quintessential New York event, guided by a producer who has shepherded award-winning shows from initial idea to Broadway for over three decades. Performances will include productions both on and off Broadway. Course fee covers tickets for up to 6 performances during the session. Shows for summer 2025 will be selected at the beginning of the course based on enrollment (shows currently under consideration include:
Pirates: The Penzance Musical, John Proctor is the Villain, The Jonathan Larson Project, Trophy Boys
, among others pending both availability and final course registration).
Please note: more Summer Theatre courses will be posted by the end of March
JPNS4217OC: Fourth Year Japanese I, 4 points. Required to take Fourth Year Japanese II, JPNS4218OC for 4 points.
The 4th Year Japanese program (JPNS4217OC & JPNS4218OC; 8 points/ 2 semesters) is designed for those who have completed at least three years of college-level Japanese or the equivalent (around 450 hours of Japanese study).
Students who want to take this course are expected to be at the
Intermediate-High level
or above of
the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines
N1
at the beginning of the course. Please note that depending on the results of the placement test, the students may be placed in a different level than they apply for.
Authentic materials such as newspaper, novels, and TV news will be used alongside with instructor-created materials to study grammatical patterns equivalent to JLPT N1 and N2. In addition, the students will have the opportunity to pursue an individualized project based on their own interests and give a presentation about their project at the end of the program.
The goal of this course is to achieve Advanced-Low or above of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.
To enroll in this course, you must apply to the
Kyoto Consortium Summer: Modern Japanese
program through the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement (UGE).
Global Learning Scholarships
available.
Tuition
charges apply.
Please note the program dates are different from the Summer Sessions Terms. Visit the
UGE
website for the start and end dates for the Kyoto Consortium Summer: Modern Japanese KCJS.
Please email
uge@columbia.edu
with any questions you may have.
JPNS4218OC: Fourth Year Japanese II, 4 points. Required to take Fourth Year Japanese I, JPNS4217OC for 4 points.
The 4th Year Japanese program (JPNS4217OC & JPNS4218OC; 8 points/ 2 semesters) is designed for those who have completed at least three years of college-level Japanese or the equivalent (around 450 hours of Japanese study).
Students who want to take this course are expected to be at the
Intermediate-High level
or above of
the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines
N1
at the beginning of the course. Please note that depending on the results of the placement test, the students may be placed in a different level than they apply for.
Authentic materials such as newspaper, novels, and TV news will be used alongside with instructor-created materials to study grammatical patterns equivalent to JLPT N1 and N2. In addition, the students will have the opportunity to pursue an individualized project based on their own interests and give a presentation about their project at the end of the program.
The goal of this course is to achieve Advanced-Low or above of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.
To enroll in this course, you must apply to the
Kyoto Consortium Summer: Modern Japanese
program through the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement (UGE).
Global Learning Scholarships
available.
Tuition
charges apply.
Please note the program dates are different from the Summer Sessions Terms. Visit the
UGE
website for the start and end dates for the Kyoto Consortium Summer: Modern Japanese KCJS.
Please email
uge@columbia.edu
with any questions you may have.
This course introduces the fundamental concepts and problems of international human rights law. What are the origins of modern human rights law? What is the substance of this law, who is obligated by it, and how is it enforced? The course will cover the major international human rights treaties and mechanisms and consider some of today's most significant human rights issues and controversies. While the topics are necessarily law-related, the course will assume no prior exposure to legal studies.
Prerequisites: STAT GU4205 or the equivalent. Prerequisites: STAT GU4205 or the equivalent. Least squares smoothing and prediction, linear systems, Fourier analysis, and spectral estimation. Impulse response and transfer function. Fourier series, the fast Fourier transform, autocorrelation function, and spectral density. Univariate Box-Jenkins modeling and forecasting. Emphasis on applications. Examples from the physical sciences, social sciences, and business. Computing is an integral part of the course.
This course introduces the Bayesian paradigm for statistical inference. Topics covered include prior and posterior distributions: conjugate priors, informative and non-informative priors; one- and two-sample problems; models for normal data, models for binary data, Bayesian linear models; Bayesian computation: MCMC algorithms, the Gibbs sampler; hierarchical models; hypothesis testing, Bayes factors, model selection; use of statistical software.
Prerequisites: A course in the theory of statistical inference, such as STAT GU4204 a course in statistical modeling and data analysis, such as STAT GU4205.
Prerequisites: (COMS W3134 or COMS W3136COMS W3137) and (COMS W3203) Introduction to the design and analysis of efficient algorithms. Topics include models of computation, efficient sorting and searching, algorithms for algebraic problems, graph algorithms, dynamic programming, probabilistic methods, approximation algorithms, and NP-completeness.
This seminar will survey historical and modern developments in machine intelligence from fields
such as psychology, neuroscience, and computer science, and from approaches such as
cybernetics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, connectionism, neural networks,
and deep learning. The emphasis is on the conceptual understanding of topics. The course does
not include, nor require a background in, computer programming and statistics. The overall goal
is for students to become informed consumers of applications of artificial intelligence.
Prerequisites: STAT GU4206 The course will provide an introduction to Machine Learning and its core models and algorithms. The aim of the course is to provide students of statistics with detailed knowledge of how Machine Learning methods work and how statistical models can be brought to bear in computer systems - not only to analyze large data sets, but to let computers perform tasks that traditional methods of computer science are unable to address. Examples range from speech recognition and text analysis through bioinformatics and medical diagnosis. This course provides a first introduction to the statistical methods and mathematical concepts which make such technologies possible.
Prerequisites: STAT GU4204 and STAT GU4205 A fast-paced introduction to statistical methods used in quantitative finance. Financial applications and statistical methodologies are intertwined in all lectures. Topics include regression analysis and applications to the Capital Asset Pricing Model and multifactor pricing models, principal components and multivariate analysis, smoothing techniques and estimation of yield curves statistical methods for financial time series, value at risk, term structure models and fixed income research, and estimation and modeling of volatilities. Hands-on experience with financial data.
Course enrollment for MBAxMS students during SEAS residence.
There are many misconceptions as to what makes an appealing story for children and how to get a story published. Many novice writers are simply relating an incident as opposed to creating a story. This course will show beginner and experienced writers how to mine their lives and imaginations for ideas and how to develop those ideas into children's stories-a step by step process from inspiration to finished manuscript for picture books, early readers, emerging readers and chapter books. Students will also learn the importance of reading their writing out loud-a process that helps both reader and listener develop a better ear for the story's pace, cadence and structure. Writing for children has become incredibly popular in the past fifteen years and publishing houses have been inundated with manuscripts. Many houses have ceased accepting unsolicited manuscripts all together. This course will disclose other avenues to getting your manuscript into the hands of agents and editors.
How does the traveler become the travel writer? What makes good travel writing? Why does it matter today? This course examines and breaks down the very specific craft of travel writing. Simply because we like to travel, does it qualify us to write about it? Everywhere has been written about, so how do we find something fresh to say about… Paris, or even Patagonia? In this course, we both dispel, and prove, some of the myths of travel writing. Students learn to find an angle in order to uncover destinations anew and make them personal— it’s in the personal that the universal is revealed. From crafting a compelling lede and understanding the need for a strong “nut graph,” to knowing the value of dialogue in propelling the story forward, and then finding the ideal kicker to send the reader away satisfied, students dissect published stories and are sent out into “the field” (of New York City) to craft their own. Travel writing is more than, “I went here, I did this, I ate that.” From front-of-book and service pieces, to destination features, we discuss magazine and newspaper travel writing in depth, as well as touch on longer form travel writing. Finally, through exercises and assignments, students learn to craft a compelling pitch in order to approach editors.
The Young Adult (YA) publishing boom has changed the way we read—and write—coming-of-age stories. This course will introduce students to the elements that shape YA novels, and explore the fiction writing techniques needed for long projects, including narrative arcs, character construction, worldbuilding, and scene work. We’ll study work from a wide range of YA genres and authors, including Angie Thomas, Elana K. Arnold, Leigh Bardugo, Jason Reynolds, A.S. King, Elizabeth Acevedo, and more.
Students will begin to write and outline their own YA novel, and a variety of in-class writing exercises will support the development of each project. All students will workshop their own writing and respond to the work of others. By the end of class, students will have a portfolio of materials to draw from, and a richer understanding of the YA landscape and its possibilities.
People like to be liked. And writers obsess about likability in fiction. But is it that important? What about visionaries, iconoclasts, stragglers, strangers, weirdos, and cringe-inducers? What happens when there is friction between a person and their surroundings? Between people? What if a character throws aside motivations to be liked and impulses to comply?
At its heart, this is a class focused on analyzing and crafting characters. We’ll look at loners and lonely hearts, articulate big mouths, and introverted self-imploders. We’ll observe their circumstances and question how their desires encourage them to think and act. Students will regularly respond to prompts and workshop their own writing.
Our discussions will consider what choices writers make to render, shape, define, and refine characters. We’ll take on craft-oriented concerns such as: How is dialogue used to differentiate characters? How does a writer demonstrate a character’s compassion, even if their attitude stinks? How do the story's events affect the reader’s understanding of character? What elements in the narrative change—or don’t—over time to signal to the reader that a character is developing?
Throughout, students will investigate how emerging writers move from maintaining characters’ status quo and progress to allowing characters to do the unexpected. With every question, we will advance our comprehension of building dynamic representations of people in the world, how they act out, and what it takes to fit in.
Readings may include:
Nights at the Circus
by Angela Carter,
Geek Love
by Katherine Dunn, “Speech Sounds” by Octavia Butler,
McGlue
by Ottessa Moshfegh,
True Grit
by Charles Portis,
Distant Star
by Roberto Bolaño,
Home Land
by Sam Lipsyte,
CivilWarLand in Bad Decline
by George Saunders, “Friday Black” by Nana Kwame Adje Brenya, “Emergency” by Denis Johnson, “Tall Tales from the Mekong Delta” by Kate Braverman, “Me and Miss Mandible” by Donald Barthelme,
The Book of Goose
by Yiyun Li,
Mezzanine
by Nicholson Baker,
Wittgenstein's Mistress
by David Markson,
No Longer Human
by Osamu Dazai
In this course, we’ll take literary and literal tours of New York City as readers and writers. We will consider New York City as both the
subject
of a variety of literatures and as a
style
of writing. How have poets, fiction writers, essayists, playwrights, and journalists documented and imagined the city in the 20th and 21st centuries? What literary movements and communities were born or reimagined here? What larger ideas about urban life or American culture have been established or challenged by New York City literature? We will read and write works across genres and across the city in an effort to engage deeply and creatively with some of the varied histories and practices of writing (in and about) New York City.
The development of the modern culture of consumption, with particular attention to the formation of the woman consumer. Topics include commerce and the urban landscape, changing attitudes toward shopping and spending, feminine fashion and conspicuous consumption, and the birth of advertising. Examination of novels, fashion magazines, and advertising images.
Prerequisites: RUSS UN2101 and RUSS UN2102 or placement test $15.00= Language Resource Fee, $15.00 = Materials Fee , Curriculum evolves according to needs and interests of the students. Emphasis on conversation and composition, reading and discussion of selected texts and videotapes; oral reports required. Conducted entirely in Russian.
Prerequisites: RUSS GU4333 or placement test $15.00= Language Resource Fee, $15.00 = Materials Fee , Continuation of RUSS S4333H.
Prerequisites: ECON UN3211 and ECON UN3213. This course examines labor markets through the lens of economics. In broad terms, labor economics is the study of the exchange of labor services for wages—a category that takes in a wide range of topics. Our objective in this course is to lay the foundations for explaining labor market phenomena within an economic framework and subsequently apply this knowledge-structure to a select set of questions. Throughout this process we will discuss empirical research, which will highlight the power (as well as the limitations) of employing economic models to real-world problems. By the end of this course we will have the tools/intuition to adequately formulate and critically contest arguments concerning labor markets.
Prerequisites: ECON UN3211 and ECON UN3213. Equivalent to ECON UN4415. Introduction to the systematic treatment of game theory and its applications in economic analysis.
As a foundational complement to the Master of Science Program in Nonprofit Management, this course provides a comprehensive overview of elements to explore, analyze and understand for fundraising in the international context. It introduces the history of philanthropy and its role around the world, and the unique cultural, political, economic, legal and ethical considerations critical to fundraising development, effectiveness and impact. Emphasis is placed on the characteristics of donor groups including corporate, foundation, major, individual, institutional and multilateral donors. Students will also consider the fundraising tools and fundamental and strategic practices utilized by the fundraising professional such as digital, online, offline, events, personal and campaign measures.
Students will refine, enhance and improve their skills through analysis of case studies and small group and class exercises and participation. Students will also learn practical application from weekly reflections and donor profiles, global regional philanthropy group presentations, and a final project involving an international fundraising plan. The course also considers current and emerging trends, as well as the larger issues and challenges – such as political and economic impact and greater demands for accountability and return on investment – confronting today’s fundraising professionals.
The course is designed for students new to the civil society sector as well as those with more experience who are seeking to expand their knowledge and skills for application globally. By the conclusion of the course, both categories of students will share a common lexicon of the topic and be prepared to effectively engage and explore fundraising practices in the international environment such as being able to produce and defend a regionally appropriate international fundraising strategy that addresses legal, cultural, and ethical constraints. Students will be able to:
Demonstrate a shared vocabulary and conceptual grounding in international philanthropy
Analyze global fundraising issues using sector data, regional context, and donor intelligence
Strategically design and defend an international fundraising model responsive to legal, cultural, and ethical frameworks
Show practical readiness to contribute to fund development initiatives within diverse international organizations
Through this d
Prerequisites: None
Instructor: Johanna M.H. Fassl
Syllabus, Art in Venice
This course examines the art, architecture, and culture of Venice from the 14th to the 18th century. The goal of the curriculum is for students to acquire a firm visual literacy in order to read works of Venetian art and to familiarize themselves with the methods of art history. The course is set up as a field study, using the city as classroom and supporting site visits in and outside of Venice. The goal is to provide students with a solid visual knowledge and historical understanding of a set of key monuments, and to encourage them to think through the social, political, cultural, and intellectual forces at play in the creation of these works. Each day's choice of monuments is based on a walkable itinerary, visiting churches, confraternities, cloisters, palaces, and museums. Day trips include excursions to Padua and the Palladian villas in Vicenza and the Veneto.
Counts toward the Art History Major/Concentration at Columbia.
To enroll in this course, you must apply to the
Columbia in Venice
program through the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement (UGE).
Global Learning Scholarships
available.
Tuition
charges apply.
Please note the program dates are different from the Summer Sessions Terms. Visit the
UGE
website for the start and end dates for the Columbia in Venice program.
Please email
uge@columbia.edu
with any questions you may have.
Art History AHIS4432OC. Introduction to the Conservation of Venice's Built Heritage. 3 points.
Prerequisites: None
Instructor: Mieke Van Molle
Conservation in Venice Syllabus
This course offers the unique opportunity to study the buildings, statues, and the built environment of Venice, and the challenges of conservation these structures face. Professor van Molle - a specialist in the field who has offered this much celebrated course in past years - will introduce students to historical construction techniques and building materials through case studies of specific buildings and sculptures, and will then focus on the conservation of these structures. Questions of sustainability, historic preservation, and conservation at the intersection of art and science lie at the center of this course which will take you to historic buildings and active conservation sites.
Counts as a seminar for the Art History Major/Concentration at Columbia.
To enroll in this course, you must apply to the
Columbia in Venice
program through the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement (UGE).
Global Learning Scholarships
available.
Tuition
charges apply.
Please note the program dates are different from the Summer Term A & B dates.
Prerequisites: ECON UN3211 and ECON UN3213. Equivalent to ECON UN4500. The theory of international trade, comparative advantage and the factor endowments explanation of trade, analysis of the theory and practice of commercial policy, economic integration. International mobility of capital and labor, the North-South debate.
CLIA4600OC: Mediterranean Humanities II in Venice. 3 points.
Prerequisite: None. Mediterranean Humanities I is not a requirement to enroll in this course. Instructor: Konstantina Zanou
What is the Mediterranean and how was it constructed and canonized as a space of civilization? A highly multicultural, multilingual area whose people represent a broad array of religious, ethnic, social and political difference, the Mediterranean has been seen as the cradle of western civilization, but also as a dividing border and a unifying confluence zone, as a sea of pleasure and a sea of death. The course aims to enhance students’ understanding of the multiple ways this body of water has been imagined by the people who lived or traveled across its shores. By exploring major works of theory, literature and cinema since 1800, it encourages students to engage critically with a number of questions (nationalism vs cosmopolitanism, South/North and East/West divides, tourism, exile and migration, colonialism and orientalism, borders and divided societies) and to ‘read’ the sea through different viewpoints. In the final analysis, Med Hum II is meant to arouse the question of what it means to stand on watery grounds and to view the world through a constantly shifting lens. The Summer version of the course is adapted to contain more material on Venice and its Mediterranean surroundings.
This course fulfills the Global Core requirement and the requirements of Columbia's Italian major and Mediterranean Studies minor. For Global Core, please note students may only receive Global Core credit for either
CLIA4500GU
or CLIA4600OC; not both.
To enroll in this course, you must apply to the
Columbia in Venice
program through the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement (UGE).
Global Learning Scholarships
available.
Tuition
charges apply.
Please note the program dates are different from the Summer Sessions Terms. Visit the
UGE
As music moves into the 21st century, we find ourselves surrounded by an ever-evolving landscape of technological capability. The world of music, and the music industry itself, is changing rapidly, and with that change comes the opening – and closing – of doorways of possibility. What does this shift mean for today’s practicing artist or composer? With big label recording studios signing and nurturing fewer and fewer artists, it seems certain that, today, musicians who want to record and distribute their music need to be able to do much of the recording and production work on their own. But where does one go to learn how to do this – to learn not only the “how to” part of music production, but the historical underpinnings and the development of the music production industry as well? How does one develop a comprehensive framework within which they can place their own artistic efforts? How does one learn to understand what they hear, re-create what they like and develop their own style? This class, “Recorded Sound,” aims to be the answer. It’s goal is to teach artists how to listen critically to music from across history and genres in order to identify the production techniques that they hear, and reproduce those elements using modern technology so they can be incorporated into the artist’s own musical works.
Why do we feel the way we do, how do we understand ourselves and others, and how does this relate to our social relationships? Why does all of this sometimes leave us feeling anxious, depressed, lonely and isolated? And when that happens, what we can do about it? In this seminar, we will tackle these questions using an integrative approach that blends social psychology, clinical psychology and neuroscience to uncover how our emotions and social interactions sometimes work well and sometimes falter. To do this, we will examine human behavior at multiple levels, connecting our social and emotional lives (what we experience and how we act) to cognitive processes (how our minds process information) and underlying neural mechanisms (what's happening in the brain). As the semester unfolds, we start by building an understanding of where our emotions come from, how we can manage them, how we make sense of other people and how we can form positive connections with them. This knowledge provides a foundation for taking the next step - understanding what happens when things go awry and we end up with momentary - or long-lasting - bouts of anxiety, depression, loneliness and other clinical conditions. We end by considering what may be everyone’s life goal - the pursuit of happiness - and how everything we have learned can foster that pursuit through personal actions, social connections and psychotherapeutic support. The overarching goal is to build a nuanced understanding of how and why we think and feel the way we do – about ourselves and others – that can inform both scientific and personal explorations of what “wellbeing” and “mental health” means.
Prerequisites
Equivalents of an introductory Psychology course and one more advanced lecture, lab or seminar course in Psychology or a related discipline (and/or the instructor's permission).
Mediterranean Humanities I (Med Hum) explores the literatures of the Mediterranean from the late Middle Ages until the early Eighteenth Century. We will read Boccaccio, Bandello, and Cervantes, Ottoman and Arabic travel literature, as well as the Eurasian versions of the
One Thousand and One Nights
. We will dive into the travel of texts and people, stories and storytellers across the shores of the Middle Sea, as well as into the relationship between literary texts and historiographical theories of the Mediterranean. Based on the reading of literary texts (short stories, theater), as well as letters, biographies, memoirs, and other ego-documents produced and consumed in the Early Modern Mediterranean, we will discuss big themes as Orientalism, estrangement, forced mobility, connectivity, multiculturalism and the clash of civilizations. Also, we will visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Rare Books Room of Butler Library, and we will discuss movies in class.
Following in the footsteps of Fernand Braudel, we will reflect on the Mediterranean in the age of the first globalization as a laboratory of the modern global world and world literature.
Prior knowledge of Python is recommended. Provides a broad understanding of the basic techniques for building intelligent computer systems. Topics include state-space problem representations, problem reduction and and-or graphs, game playing and heuristic search, predicate calculus, and resolution theorem proving, AI systems and languages for knowledge representation, machine learning and concept formation and other topics such as natural language processing may be included as time permits.
Computational approaches to the analysis, understanding, and generation of natural language text at scale. Emphasis on machine learning techniques for NLP, including deep learning and large language models. Applications may include information extraction, sentiment analysis, question answering, summarization, machine translation, and conversational AI. Discussion of datasets, benchmarking and evaluation, interpretability, and ethical considerations.
Due to significant overlap in content, only one of COMS 4705 or Barnard COMS 3705BC may be taken for credit.
Principles of Ethical Artificial Intelligence across technical and societal dimensions. Combines technical AI and machine learning implementations and ethical analysis. Students will learn to build, audit, and mitigate ethical risks in AI systems using tools like fairness libraries, explainability frameworks, and privacy-preserving techniques. Emphasizes coding, algorithmic critique, and real-world cases.
Topics include: foundations of AI ethics, fairness, interpretability, explainability, accountability, privacy, robustness, alignment, safety, and societal benefit.
Assessments include coding projects, bias auditing assignments, and ethical analysis papers.
Prerequisites: POLS W4710 or the equivalent.
This course will
intensively
examine some of the data analysis methods which deal with problems occurring in the use of multiple regression analysis. It will stress computer applications and cover, as needed, data coding and data processing. Emphasis will also be placed on research design and
writing research reports
.
The course assumes that students are familiar with basic statistics, inference, and multiple regression analysis and have analyzed data using computer software (e.g., any standard statistical programs on micro-computers or larger machines -- Stata, “R”, SPSS, SAS, etc.). Students will be instructed on the use of the microcomputers and the R and Stata statistical software program(s) available as freeware (R) or in the CUIT computer labs (Stata; several campus locations) or through SIPA. The lectures and required discussion section will emphasize the use of “R.” Students may use whatever computer programs they prefer for all data analysis for the course. There may be an
additional fee
for classroom instructional materials.
This is the required discussion section for
POLS GU4712.
Data, models, visuals; various facets of AI, applications in finance; areas: fund, manager, security selection, asset allocation, risk management within asset management; fraud detection and prevention; climate finance and risk; data-driven real estate finance; cutting-edge techniques: machine learning, deep learning in computational, quantitative finance; concepts: explainability, interpretability, adversarial machine learning, resilience of AI systems; industry utilization
Basic statistical principles and algorithmic paradigms of supervised machine learning.
Prerequisites:
Multivariable calculus (e.g. MATH1201 or MATH1205 or APMA2000), linear algebra (e.g. COMS3251 or MATH2010 or MATH2015), probability (e.g. STAT1201 or STAT4001 or IEOR3658 or MATH2015), discrete math (COMS3203), and general mathematical maturity. Programming and algorithm analysis (e.g. COMS 3134). COMS 3770 is recommended for students who wish to refresh their math background.
In this class we will consider the various forms and functions of humor in written prose, discussing techniques and approaches to humor writing. Students will write their own humorous stories and essays which we will read and discuss in class, focusing not only on what is or isn't funny, but on how humor can be advantageously used to increase the power of an overall piece. The class will also break down stories, novels, and essays from a variety of authors-Bill Hicks' political satire; the darkly comedic fiction of Barry Hannah and Paul Beatty; the absurd humor of Tina Fey and Baratunde Thurston; Anthony Lane's charming British snarkiness; Spy Magazine's sharply parodic voice; Woody Allen's one-liners; Lena Dunham's zeitgeist comedy-in an effort to better understand what makes their humor work. Students will be asked to write stories inspired and influenced by these authors. As we critique each other's work, we will investigate strategies related to the craft of humor writing, including self-deprecation, political satire, humor and the other, going blue, dark comedy, schtick, humor as a means vs. humor as an end, crossing the line, and how to write funny without sacrificing substance.
The course focuses on the nexus between energy and security as it reveals in the policies and interaction of leading energy producers and consumers. Topics include: Hydrocarbons and search for stability and security in the Persian Gulf, Caspian basin, Eurasia, Africa and Latin America; Russia as a global energy player; Analysis of the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on energy markets, global security, and the future of the energy transition; Role of natural gas in the world energy balance and European energy security; Transformation of the global energy governance structure; Role and evolution of the OPEC; Introduction into energy economics; Dynamics and fundamentals of the global energy markets; IOCs vs NOCs; Resource nationalism, cartels, sanctions and embargoes; Asia's growing energy needs and its geo-economic and strategic implications; Nuclear energy and challenges to non-proliferation regime; Alternative and renewable sources of energy; Climate change as one of the central challenges of the 21st century; Analysis of the policies, technologies, financial systems and markets needed to achieve climate goals. Climate change and attempts of environmental regulation; Decarbonization trends, international carbon regimes and search for optimal models of sustainable development. Special focus on implications of the shale revolution and technological innovations on U.S. energy security.