Amherst Course Catalog
AboutBIOL-181L
Adaptation & Organism Lab
Prof. Kristensen | T 1:05 PM - 4:05 PM | W 2:35 PM - 5:35 PM | Th 8:00 AM - 11:00 AMExplore biological adaptations through data analysis, scientific literature, and collaborative problem-solving.
BIOL-181
Adaptation and the Organism
Prof. Wallace | Th 2:35 PM - 3:25 PM | MWF 9:00 AM - 9:50 AMExplore how evolution, ecology, and behavior shape organism adaptations and life's diversity.
GERM-210
Advanced Composition and Conversation
Prof. Gilpin | M 10:05 AM - 10:55 AM | WF 10:05 AM - 11:20 AMThis class centers on communicating in German: reading, listening, speaking, writing. Over the course of the semester, we will work towards Franz Kafka's classic, Die Verwandlung (The Metamorphosis). Our questions concern not only Kafka's characters and time, but are central in German culture today. Under the heading 'fremde Welten' (foreign/strange worlds), we will explore a variety of genres, images, and media from historical and contemporary sources. Class materials are chosen to solidify students' language competencies, strengthen analysis and discussion, build vocabulary in cultural and literary history, and develop reading and composition strategies at an advanced level. Practice in free composition and analytical writing in German. Exercises in pronunciation and idiomatic conversation. Supplementary work with audio and video materials. Oral reports on selected topics and reading of literary and topical texts. Conducted in German. Two 75-minute meetings per week, plus one 50-minute meeting per week for additional practice with German language assistants. Requisite: GERM 205 or equivalent, based on departmental placement decision. Fall semester: Professor Heidi Gilpin. Spring semester: Professor Heidi Gilpin. Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: An emphasis on written work, readings, oral presentations, group work, in-class quizzes or exams, and instruction in languages other than English. Students with documented disabilities who will require accommodations in this course should be in consultation with Accessibility Services and reach out to the professor as soon as possible to ensure that accommodations can be made in a timely manner. Attention to Issues of Class; Attention to Issues of Gender and Sexuality; Attention to Issues of Race; Attention to Issues of Social Justice; Attention to Speaking; Attention to Writing; Languages Other Than EnglishDivisions: Arts; Humanities; Language Other than English
STAT-495
Advanced Data Analysis
Prof. Wagaman | MWF 9:00 AM - 9:50 AMMaster advanced statistical methods to analyze complex data and communicate insights effectively.
ECON-361
Advanced Econometrics
Prof. Ishii | TTh 11:35 AM - 12:50 PMMaster advanced econometric modeling using maximum likelihood and moment methods with applications.
FREN-207
Advanced French I: Language, Literature, & Culture
Prof. Sweat, Dominick | TTh 10:05 AM - 11:20 AM | MWF 10:05 AM - 10:55 AMMaster advanced French language, literature, and culture through discussion, writing, and analysis.
FREN-208
Advanced French II: Telling Stories in French
Prof. Katsaros | MWF 9:00 AM - 9:50 AMExplore diverse French stories across media, enhancing speaking and narrative analysis.
ECON-331
Advanced Macroeconomics
Prof. Honig | TTh 10:05 AM - 11:20 AMAdvanced, rigorous macroeconomic analysis with quantitative reasoning and problem-solving.
CHEM-320
Advanced Physical and Mechanistic Organic Chemistry
Prof. Loya | MWF 10:05 AM - 10:55 AMUnderstand organic reaction mechanisms using physical principles, spectroscopy, theory, and catalysis.
LATI-441
Advanced Readings in Latin Literature I
Prof. Janssen | TTh 2:35 PM - 3:50 PMExplore seminal Greek texts, from philosophers to poets, in their original language.
SPAN-202
Advanced Spanish Language and Culture
Prof. Piazza | MW 10:05 AM - 11:20 AM | MW 1:05 PM - 2:20 PM | F 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM | F 10:05 AM - 10:55 AMMaster advanced Spanish language and culture through authentic media and global conversation partners.
RUSS-401
Advanced Studies in Russian Literature and Culture I
Prof. Babyonyshev | M 5:05 PM - 6:20 PM | Th 4:05 PM - 5:20 PMExplore evolving Russian literature and culture through advanced study and discussion entirely in Russian.
EDST-470
Advanced Writing and Research in Education Studies
Prof. McLeod | M 1:05 PM - 3:50 PMDevelop advanced research and writing skills for your Education Studies thesis or project.
EDST-286 BLST-286 HIST-286
AfAm Hist from Slave Trade to Recon
Prof. Moss | TTh 1:05 PM - 2:20 PMExplore the Black freedom struggle from the slave trade through Reconstruction in this intensive history seminar.
BLST-208 HIST-211
African Migrations and Globalization
Prof. Vaughan | TTh 1:05 PM - 2:20 PMExplore African migration's impact on politics, economics, and culture amid globalization.
COSC-311
Algorithms
Prof. Rager | MWF 1:30 PM - 2:20 PMLearn to design and analyze efficient algorithms for various problems, including sorting, graphs, and strings.
AMST-210
American Jewish Keywords
Prof. TBA | TBDExplore American Jewish identity through key terms, diverse texts, and community engagement.
ECON-111
An Introduction to Economics
Prof. Nguyen, Kingston, Guzman, Ishii | TTh 10:05 AM - 11:20 AM | MTWTh 1:05 PM - 2:20 PM | MTWTh 2:35 PM - 3:50 PM | MW 8:35 AM - 9:50 AMExplore how societies allocate scarce resources and make economic decisions, locally and globally.
LATI-111
An Introduction to Latin Language and Literature
Prof. Hansen | MWF 9:00 AM - 9:50 AMLearn ancient Greek to read classical and New Testament texts in their original language.
SOCI-269
An Introduction to Quantitative Sociology: Culture and Power
Prof. TBA | TBDLearn to analyze social data with R and Python while critically examining inequality and power structures.
PHIL-217
Ancient Greek Philosophy
Prof. Gentzler | MW 11:35 AM - 12:50 PMExplore foundational Greek philosophy, analyzing thinkers like Plato and Aristotle and their enduring impact.
ANTH-117
Anthropological Perspectives on Building a Better World
Prof. Fong | MWF 8:00 AM - 8:50 AMExplore how anthropology analyzes global betterment efforts, comparing China and the US.
ANTH-201
Anthropology and Science Fiction
Prof. Fong | MWF 9:00 AM - 9:50 AMExplore anthropology's insights into science fiction's worlds and human possibilities.
ANTH-378
Anthropology of Toxicity: Environment, Exposure and Inequality
Prof. Nguyen | Th 1:05 PM - 3:45 PMExplore how toxins shape our world, exposing inequality, politics, and memory.
NEUR-317 PSYC-317
Appetite
Prof. Baird | M 2:35 PM - 5:00 PM | F 1:05 PM - 3:25 PMExplore the complex neurobiology of eating, hunger, satiety, and weight regulation across diverse conditions.
ARCH-202 ARHA-202
Architectural Anthropology
Prof. Arboleda | MW 2:35 PM - 3:50 PMExplore how diverse cultures shape buildings and how buildings influence human life.
LJST-253
Arendt's Judgments
Prof. Sitze | TTh 8:35 AM - 9:50 AMFearlessly independent, tenaciously unclassifiable, frequently controversial, and always thought-provoking, Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) is without question one of the greatest thinkers of the twentieth century. Setting aside the conventional interpretation of Arendt as a political theorist, this course will focus on Arendt’s contributions to the study of law, with special attention to Arendt’s unusual inquiries into human rights, international criminal law, constitutional law, and civil disobedience. By carefully reading select writings by Arendt alongside key events in twentieth century history, we shall trace in Arendt’s texts a relation between thought, crisis, and judgment that is often occluded by the dominant reception of her thought. Along the way, we shall ask how Arendt arrived at her various judgments, what it means for thought to relate to law and to the world, and why judgment might offer a way to respond to, and live through, the crises of one’s present. Limited to 30 students. Fall semester. Professor Sitze. Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: (a) emphasis on written work, and (b) emphasis on heavy readings. Attention to Issues of Race; Attention to Issues of Social Justice; Attention to WritingDivisions: Humanities; Social Sciences
ARHA-289
Art and Technology since 1960
Prof. Vicario | TTh 1:05 PM - 2:20 PMExplore art's dynamic relationship with technology from 1960 to today, analyzing its integration and impact.
ARHA-432 CLAS-432
Art and/in the Literature of Greco-Roman Sicily
Prof. TBA | TBDExplore Greco-Roman Sicily's art and literature, developing research and writing skills.
ARHA-260 LLAS-260
Art in and out of Latin America
Prof. Vicario | MW 11:35 AM - 12:50 PMExplore 20th/21st-century Latin American art's local roots and global connections.
ENGL-117 EUST-117
Arthurian Literature
Prof. Nelson | TTh 10:05 AM - 11:20 AMExplore Arthurian legends from medieval tales to modern media, analyzing their cultural impact.
PSYC-368
Autobiographical Memory
Prof. Schulkind | MW 1:05 PM - 2:20 PMExplore personal past, self, and memory's science, including its impact and disorders.
MUSL-172H
Bassoon Performance Instruction
Prof. TBA | TBDMaster classical bassoon repertoire through weekly lessons and dedicated practice.
FREN-101
Beginning French I
Prof. Professor, Uhden | MTWThF 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM | MWF 11:35 AM - 12:25 PM | TTh 1:30 PM - 2:20 PM | TTh 10:05 AM - 10:55 AM | TTh 2:35 PM - 3:25 PM | TTh 4:05 PM - 4:55 PMLearn foundational French grammar, speaking, reading, writing, and vocabulary through authentic materials and practice.
FREN-103
Beginning French II
Prof. Professor, Uhden | MWThF 10:05 AM - 10:55 AM | Th 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM | Th 1:30 PM - 2:20 PMMaster basic French grammar and skills to speak, read, and write fluently.
RELI-166
Beginning the Bible
Prof. Niditch | MWF 10:05 AM - 10:55 AMExplore the Hebrew Bible's diverse literature and understand ancient Israelite identity.
RUSS-124
Beyond the "Golden Age": Russian Literature of the Nineteenth Century
Prof. Donohoe | TTh 2:35 PM - 3:50 PMExplore influential 19th-century Russian literature and its enduring relevance to modern issues.
BCBP-331 BIOL-331 CHEM-331
Biochemistry with Lab
Prof. Orr | MWF 11:35 AM - 12:25 PM | Th 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM | Th 10:05 AM - 10:55 AM | TWTh 1:05 PM - 5:05 PMExplore biological molecule structure, function, and vital life processes through lectures and hands-on lab work.
BCBP-333 PHYS-333
Biophysics with Lab
Prof. Carter | MW 10:05 AM - 11:20 AM | Th 1:05 PM - 4:05 PMUnderstand life's physical principles, from molecules to macroscopic processes, through hands-on lab experiments.
ENGL-420 THDA-420
BIPOC Shakespeares: Centering Black, Indigenous, and Latinx “Takeovers”
Prof. Bosman | MW 1:05 PM - 2:20 PMExplore how Black, Indigenous, and Latinx artists reimagine Shakespeare for decolonial futures.