Courses

Students can satisfy their advanced writing skills requirement in two ways. After successfully completing Writing 101, they can either take any WRIT 300-level course from the Writing Program or any W-coded advanced writing skills course offered by one of the five concentrations. These courses are indicated by the letter "W" after the course number, for example, "INTS 348W." Advanced writing skills courses in the concentrations may satisfy other degree requirements (e.g., one of the five courses taken in the upper division in their home concentration). Dual concentrators are only required to complete one advanced writing skills course. 

What do you want to be? How can you find a life of value? This one-unit course helps students explore career choices and expand understanding of the relationship between education and the world of work. Career choices include non- or for-profit companies, large and small; non-governmental and intra-governmental organizations; and academia. Students will place emphasis on self-assessment, path making, professional discernment, tackling the job search, issues related to hiring and the workplace, and the graduate school admissions process, depending on interests. Instruction is personalized and dynamic: small group and individual work with instructors are emphasized.

The ability to think creatively is vital to creating value and living contributive lives, and is one of the significant learning outcomes at SUA. The fundamental assumptions underlying this course are 1) that creativity is not limited to any one discipline or subject and 2) that the capacity to think creatively is inherent in everyone, and can be fostered and brought out. This course will examine both the theory and practice of creativity, at both the individual and team or group level, looking at application of creative thinking processes in a range of fields of endeavor.

This course is an introduction to the sub-discipline of sociocultural anthropology, which is the study of contemporary human cultures and societies. The course introduces the basic terminology and theoretical perspectives anthropologists use to understand the ways that humans organize themselves and the cultural logic through which they think about the world and their social relations. Course material covers a wide variety of cultural contexts, both familiar and unfamiliar, to help students understand the cultural logic of the beliefs and social practices of others and critically examine the cultural logics and assumptions of their own culture.

This course, open to students regardless of prior musical experience, focuses on developing musical imagination and the ability to realize and communicate the fruits of that imagination. The course emphasizes fundamental music skills (aural skills, basic performing skills, and music literacy) to support students’ future and ongoing musical endeavors.

This course will introduce students to the study of songs and songwriting, with special attention paid to the art of lyrics, melody, harmony, and structure to create songs. We will analyze and compose songs, and listen to popular American songwriting throughout modern history. There are no prerequisites, and no previous knowledge of music reading and notation is required, though students are expected to listen critically and create and collaborate on original song lyrics and music.

Continuing development of the fundamental aspects of the modern Chinese language as in CHI 101, with additional vocabulary/expressions and analysis of grammatical constructions.

This course explores the fundamentals of acoustics and digital sound and gives students opportunities to use techniques such as software synthesis, sound sampling and editing, and MIDI sequencing in creating their own works. The focus is on the creative process, foundational principles, and familiarizing students with technology to support future endeavors in multimedia production.

This course is an introduction to environmental issues – the interactions of humanity and industrial civilization with the natural environment of Earth. The course draws on scientific, technological, and social perspectives to examine current and future environmental challenges, including the impacts of human actions on natural ecosystems, natural resources, pollution, and climate change.

Chemistry asks what is matter made of and how does it interact? A basic understanding of chemistry is a prerequisite for good citizenship in our changing and technological society. This course introduces modern chemical concepts and processes in the context of their impact on health, the environment, and technology. Through inquiry-based learning, you will develop critical thinking skills and data-driven decision making toward the understanding of matter. This course has a moderate laboratory component and is appropriate for students not intending to continue in fields requiring foundational chemistry knowledge. Not open to students who are enrolled in or who have taken and passed CHEM 150 with at least a grade of C- or P.

Everyone knows someone who has been impacted by cancer. By merely surviving, our bodies are primed with the capacity to develop this disease. This course will explore the ‘war on cancer’ in the context of human history, cell biology, and dramatic storytelling. Laboratory exercises will explore the biological basis of this disease. Not open to students who are enrolled in or who have taken and passed IBC 200 with at least a grade of C- or P.

Just twenty chemical elements are essential for human nutrition. We will focus on the atomic composition and structure of these elements; consider how some of these elements combine to make larger compounds and macronutrients (molecular structure and bonding); explore how their structures affect their solubility and acidity/basicity and examine the reactions (oxidation and hydrolysis) that micro- and macro-nutrients undergo to producing energy for the human body. Team-based learning and laboratory exercises will emphasize critical thinking and real-world applications of chemistry to nutrition. This course is appropriate for students not intending to continue in fields requiring foundational chemistry. Not open to students who are enrolled in or who have taken and passed CHEM 150 with at least a grade of C- or P.

This course will explore how astronomers have been able to discover Earth’s place in the universe, and the structure of the local galaxy and universe. Within this exploration, astronomers have also discovered thousands of other planets, and have begun to map the deepest extents of time and space. From the discovery of distant galaxies and signatures of the origins of the universe, we also have begun to unravel the mysteries of the Big Bang, the formation of the first stars and galaxies, and how the earth arose from billions of years of cosmic evolution. The course will explore the search for exoplanets and the early universe with a mix of in-class exercises, analysis of space-based datasets and observations with telescopes and instruments. The class will also explore how we have mapped the universe over the centuries - with a multicultural approach - and will examine the limits of our knowledge of the universe on the very largest and smallest scales. 

The human body is an amazing product of 3.5 billion years of evolution. From our cells to our organ systems, our bodies are beautifully designed to thrive on planet Earth. In this course, we will explore the structure and function of various human organ systems including the circulatory system, respiratory system, digestive system, reproductive system, and portions of the endocrine system (kidneys and adrenal glands). Along the way, we will discuss challenges faced by each of these organ systems in this modern age that can result in disease such as air pollution, endocrine disrupting chemicals, overuse of antibiotics, chronic stress, and a highly-processed industrial diet. Students will perform various hands-on laboratory activities that will reinforce how their bodies function and how they can live a healthy life. Not open to students who are enrolled in or who have taken and passed BIO 303 with at least a grade of C- or P.

This course explores drawing as a process for seeing, generating ideas, and personal expression. It includes drawing the human figure, still life, nature, and the imagination and uses a variety of media and techniques. This course is open to all students, regardless of previous experience in this medium.

What is color? Is color an intrinsic property of an object? Why is that your black screen turns colorful when it is on? In this course, we will investigate intriguing questions about colors through the lens of chemistry and physics. Using project-based and inquiry-based approaches, different mechanisms of having a color will be introduced, discussed, and analyzed, such as absorption, reflection, and emission. The mechanisms can then be used to explain and predict a wide range of color phenomena, such as green leaves, blue skies, red paints, orange carrots, and all the colors of the screen you are looking at. At the end of the semester, students will participate in collaborative projects to learn the science of color by doing it.

This course focuses on the following marine habitats: fouling communities, rocky intertidal, deep sea, coral reefs, and open oceans.  You will learn the abiotic factors that define each habitat (e.g. light, temperature, nutrients), which species live in each habitat, and how these species interact with each other and with humans.  The coral reef and open ocean habitats in particular are under threat from global warming, overfishing, and pollution.  We will learn about these challenges, as well as solutions.  

This course explores the creative process in the art of ceramics. Students learn techniques of working in clay, building, glazing and finishing works, and traditional and contemporary approaches to ceramic art. This course is open to all students, regardless of previous experience in this medium.

Have you ever wondered about DNA and how slight alterations to the genetic code have produced the amazing variety of life forms that inhabit our planet? This class will explore exciting topics in both genetics and evolutionary biology, some of which include: the genetics of cancer, reproduction and inheritance, epigenetics, GMOs, DNA forensics, antibiotic resistance, evolution of the “fat gene,” and how to build evolutionary trees. Students will explore these topics through lectures, case study work, and hands-on laboratory exercises. Not open to students who are enrolled in or who have taken and passed IBC 200 with at least a grade of C- or P.

This course gives students opportunities to create images in three-dimensional form using a variety of media and processes, including modeling, carving, and casting. The course focuses on human, animal, and non-representational forms from various cultures. Experiences with sculpting lay the foundation for discussions of the creative process. This course is open to all students, regardless of previous experience in this medium.

This course explores the anatomical form and function of representatives from major animal phyla. Students will first learn about evolutionary processes that have generated the tremendous variety of form and function present in the animal kingdom. They will then learn about different lines of evidence that support the theory of common descent and examine how major lineages within the animal kingdom were created from key morphological innovations. Students will then take a tour of the major animal phyla. Students will explore these topics through lectures and hands-on laboratory activities that include live animal observations, dissections, field trips, and case studies. Not open to students who are enrolled in or who have taken and passed BIO 306 with at least a grade of C- or P.

Students explore technique and creativity through descriptive and expressive approaches to painting. Projects emphasize the application of personal experience and vision to aesthetic problem-solving while helping students to develop painting technique, including mixing and blending colors and different methods of application. This course is open to all students, regardless of previous experience in this medium.

This course offers a fundamental introduction to evolutionary biology, patterns of diversity, and ecology. We will discuss evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift and explore how those processes can lead to genetic diversity within species as well as the creation of new species. We will also explore the form and function of various phyla from the tree of life and discuss how they interact within communities and ecosystems.  

This course is an introduction to general chemistry with an emphasis on developing problem- solving skills for students planning a professional career in science, engineering, and medical fields. We will explore basic concepts of chemistry along with the mathematics required for quantitative problem solving. The topics include elements and compounds, chemical calculations, atomic structure, bonding, stoichiometry, chemical equations, reactions in aqueous solutions, oxidation-reduction, energy and chemical changes, quantum mechanical atom, chemical equilibrium, and acids & bases & buffers. This course can be taken at the same time or before CHEM 150L. Prevents co- or later enrollment in CHEM 112 and CHEM 115.

This laboratory is a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) to complement Foundation of Chemistry (CHEM 150) course and will build upon the basic general chemistry knowledge. The CURE project is designed to challenge students to frame real-life practical research questions and design viable approaches to acquire meaningful data. This is a student-centered, guided, and inquiry-based research project that will allow students to engage in activities with greater decision-making and collaborative work.

The objective of this course is to introduce students to the fundamental skills necessary to visually communicate ideas using photographic processes. These skills include technical proficiency, knowledge of the characteristics of photography which distinguish it from other media, and a cognizance of the role of the diverse uses of photography and their implications in society. Students are given the opportunity to explore their personal creativity by developing a final project of their own choosing within the larger context of the photographer as a responsible global citizen. This course is open to all students, regardless of previous experience in this medium.

This course explores the creative process in dance, with an emphasis on expression and improvisation. Students are exposed to different styles of dance and study elements of choreography such as form, composition, and the relation of body movements to music, through developing and performing their own works. This course is open to all students, regardless of level of previous training in dance.

This multidisciplinary course explores the American experience in its social, political, cultural, and historical dimensions. The course examines major American institutions, including the philosophy and history of the United States Constitution from its founding to present day interpretations; the struggle over individual and group rights; and America’s presence in the world, taking an approach to the American experience that exposes it to many and varied interpretations. The course includes such topics as American musical, film, and literary traditions, contemporary social and economic issues, politics and political history, the immigrant experience, slavery and its aftermath, American isolationism/expansionism, and the question of what is “mainstream” and what is “marginal” to American life. As a result of taking this course, students will develop a critical understanding of the social, political, cultural, and historical dimensions of the diversity of US experiences; perspectives on US institutions and their role in local and global power relations; interpretive skills through close readings of texts across a variety of genres and media; written and oral communication skills.

Aims at further developing students’ Chinese language proficiency in the six aspects of listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar, and cultural understanding.

This course, which requires basic music literacy skills, focuses on composing music based on the “common-practice tonal” tradition of Western art music and the contemporary traditions that have evolved from it. Students will learn the key elements of tonal theory and practice, develop aural, keyboard, and notation skills, and create a series of compositions aimed at imaginative expression in the tonal idiom.

Continuation of CHI 201 while further enhancing students’ proficiency level in listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar, and cultural understanding. Necessary linguistic, cultural, and sociolinguistic orientation for Study Abroad studies is included.

This course is an introduction to statistics, a field which involves the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of continuous or categorical data. This course will focus specifically on biological and chemical examples and datasets.

This course is an introduction to improvising music, and is open to interested students with all levels of prior improvising experience, including none. Students will explore approaches to improvisation found in diverse cultural traditions, learn both theoretical and practical tools and approaches, and engage in both individual and group improvisation exercises, all aimed at developing skill, creativity, and confidence as musicians.

This course is designed to serve students with some experience composing music, who want to further develop their abilities and explore new approaches to creating new music. Class meetings will consist of weekly seminars, in which various contemporary approaches to composition will be explored, followed by individual lessons, to support each student’s pursuit her/his own interests.

Developing an awareness of the relationship between dance, music, drama, and the visual arts, analytical and conceptual skills will be applied to the creative and collaborative process of art making. Working together through dance improvisation and arts experimentation, interactive collaborations will culminate in an original art event. When the arts intersect each other, their visual and aural potencies are enriched. Learning how to develop and control these images will be explored. The great collaborations of the 20th Century will be studied through readings, lectures, discussions and viewing videos.

This course provides a fundamental overview of organic chemistry to students interested in pursuing careers in the sciences, engineering, or medical fields. We will explore the relationship between the structure and function of molecules, the major classes of organic compounds, and their reactions and reaction mechanisms. Students will learn how to determine molecular structure via spectroscopic techniques. In the laboratory, students will be introduced to some techniques and procedures for the isolation, purification, and characterization of organic compounds and to some of the reactions used in the organic chemistry laboratory such as the Grignard, elimination, and substitution reactions.

This course will take an in-depth analysis of prokaryotic and eukaryotic genetics at the level of molecular, cellular, organismal, and population genetics. Data analysis will rely on a quantitative approach. An integrated laboratory project will utilize basic genetic techniques.

This course is continuation of CHEM 301 that provides a deeper overview of organic chemistry to students interested in pursuing careers in the sciences, engineering, or medical fields. We will specifically explore the synthesis and reaction mechanisms of aromatic compounds and organic molecules with carbonyl and carboxylic acid functional groups. Students will learn how to plan for multi-step synthetic pathways to form a given organic molecule and the reaction mechanisms involved. A complementary laboratory will reinforce content.

Bioinformatics is the use of computer databases and algorithms to analyze biological data. This course will apply bioinformatics to the field of genomics: the study of the protein, mRNA, and DNA sequences that comprise an organism’s genome. Topics will include sequence databases, pairwise and multiple sequence alignments, genome browsers, genome assembly and annotation, molecular evolution, phylogenetic analysis, and population genetics. The computer-based laboratory component will provide students with training in several command-line and web-based bioinformatics tools.

This course will explore the fascinating workings of the human body in both form and function. We will take a tour of the major organ systems and learn about how they work together to maintain homeostasis. This tour will include the respiratory system, circulatory system, digestive system, including energy and metabolism, introduction to the immune system, renal (urinary) system, reproductive system, and finally, how these systems communicate with one another via the endocrine system and nervous system. This course will use a combination of lectures, class discussions, interactive polling, and lab activities that involve both case studies and measuring/analyzing biological signals using physiological equipment. This course will be useful for those who are planning on pursuing a career in the health sciences.

Prevents co- or later enrollment in BIO 120.

Theodosius Dobzhansky famously said, “Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.”  Evolution is genetic change over time, and as genes change, so does the organism.  This course will explore microevolution, which is evolution at the population level, and macroevolution, which is evolution at the species level and higher.  An example microevolutionary question is: Why does a male peacock have such a large tail when it makes him more vulnerable to predation?  An example macroevolutionary question is: Why do some modern humans have gene variants that originated in Neanderthals?

This course will enable students to describe cellular contents in terms of membranes, organelles, and intracellular trafficking; recognize amino acids, their modifications, and the implications on protein structure and function; describe cellular biochemistry including basic enzyme kinetics, glycolysis, TCA cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, photosynthesis, fermentation, and alternative pathways; manipulate signaling pathways from extracellular or intracellular stimuli to generate a cellular response; describe how cells divide and die, specifically in terms of protein regulation of these pathways; and apply all these normal cellular processes to neurobiology and its pathology. A laboratory component will practice basic tissue culture techniques by imaging cellular proteins under different signaling conditions.

This course will explore the evolution, physiology, behavior, and ecology of major phyla within Kingdom Animalia as well as the phylogenetic relationships between animal taxa. We will learn how natural selection and genetic drift have made modest changes to the “operating instructions” of the animal genetic toolbox that have resulted in major variations to body form. We will examine how key morphological innovations define major branches on the animal tree of life and we will determine how representatives from each branch sense their environment, exchange gases, acquire nutrition, excrete wastes, reproduce, and move about. Students will explore these topics through lectures and group activities that include dissections, live animal observations, field trips, and group projects.

This course is primarily geared for students who have completed CHI 202 and are preparing to study abroad in the following semester. Emphasis is on strengthening speaking skills, while promoting integration of those skills with listening, reading, and writing for a more effective study abroad outcome.

Are you fascinated by the incredible way the tiniest organisms (microorganisms) can impact our lives? They are small but mighty impacting health (human and animals), environment, food, energy, water, and industries. This course begins with an overview of microbial groups, their physiology, growth, metabolism, and genetics. We will learn how these concepts enable microbes to cause disease and how they can be controlled. The understanding of how microbes feed, grow, utilize nutrients, acquire and alter their genes, and the ability to function effectively as pathogens will provide the foundation in microbiology for the subsequent study of infectious diseases, their use in sustaining the environment, food production, and safety and the synthesis of various useful products. The laboratory sessions will equip students with basic technical skills required for growing, identifying, and studying antibiotic sensitivity of microorganisms using cultural, microscopic, biochemical, and molecular methods.

This course is an introduction to anatomy from a clinical perspective. Students will learn anatomical structures and functions from drawings, images, virtual learning tools, 3D models, physical exam techniques, medical imaging (e.g., radiographs, ultrasound, CT, MRI, and PET), and footage of clinical interventions (e.g., open surgeries, laparoscopy, bronchoscopy, endoscopy, cystoscopy, hysteroscopy, and colonoscopy). We will cover the major structures of the musculoskeletal system, thorax, abdomen, pelvis, head, neck, brain, and spinal cord. We will cover select topics related to pathophysiology to help facilitate understanding of anatomical relationships and functions and their relevance to disease processes and treatment. Throughout the course, students will also engage in discussions on what makes someone human beyond the structures and functions of their human body.

Have you ever wondered how scientists determine the three-dimensional structure of nucleic acids and proteins? Or what can be gleaned about the function of a macromolecule from its structure? Focusing on nucleic acids and proteins, this course includes an introduction to structural bioinformatics, methods of macromolecular structure determination by diffraction and spectroscopic techniques, and the visualization and representation of biomolecules. Representative biomolecules provide the framework for the discussion of such concepts as motifs, domains, folds, conformation, molecular assembly, dynamics and recognition, as well as for addressing how specific biological questions are answered at the atomic level.

Every second of the day, the human body encounters a myriad of non-self agents that could hamper human health, however, the body is able to fight and maintain its integrity through a collection of cells, tissues and organs called the immune system.  The course will explore the immunologic sites on the human body and elucidate the mechanisms underlying the immune system’s recognition and eradication of invading pathogens. It will also shed light on the ways in which pathogens have evolved strategies to evade destruction, which has sometimes resulted in misperceptions that the immune system is not functioning effectively. The course will provide insight into how allergies and autoimmune disorders can arise from the immune system as a result of mistakenly attacking self-cells. Furthermore, students will gain an understanding of the critical role of vaccines in boosting the immune system’s ability to combat invading pathogens.

The objectives of this course are to introduce students to the theories and empirical research currently addressing the neuronal basis of human behavior. This combination lecture/seminar-based course, including bioinformatics research projects, will provide introductions to the basic concepts of brain neuroanatomy and biochemistry, molecular neurogenetics, evolutionary psychology, and human genomics, with readings and discussions from selected books, reviews and research articles. Emphasis will be placed on how disruptions of typical brain function, resulting in disorders such as autism, Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, and depression, can reveal how the brain mediates our most fundamental experiences.

This course satisfies the advanced writing skills course requirement.

Drug design and development is a complex interdisciplinary enterprise that draws upon many disciplines in science, engineering, and business. The cost to develop the average FDA-approved drug is estimated to be as much as $1.5 billion. This course will explore core medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and molecular biology topics related to drug design and development. Using a case study-focused approach, students will study and present on traditional small molecules, biologically derived larger drugs, and next-generation gene therapies. Topics for discussion include receptor theory, common drug targets, lead molecule discovery and development, pharmacokinetics, ADMET, monoclonal antibody therapies, vaccines, nucleic acid-based drugs, CRISPR, and more.

This course allows advanced students to pursue their creative endeavors in Drawing. Students learn to investigate advanced drawing materials and techniques while completing substantial projects.

This course introduces students to advanced techniques in ceramics, including use of the potter’s wheel and advanced hand-building techniques, glazing, decorating and treating surfaces of their ceramic work. The course will also present both historical and contemporary examples of ceramic work that illustrate ideas of design, functionality, and ceremony, so that students can gain deeper understanding and appreciation of the medium.

This course, intended for students with some background in painting, aims at further development of painting skills, observation techniques, creativity, conceptual thinking and a theoretical appreciation for painting. Students will examine historical and contemporary conceptual and theoretical issues linked to the art of painting, explore both representational and non-representational contemporary practices, and work with both traditional and non-traditional materials. The course will be structured to include a significant level of independent work, under the guidance of the instructor.

We will learn, in detail, how the cell uses just a few types of raw materials to construct complex structures. Some have evolved to catalyze chemical reactions with a high degree of selectivity and specificity; we will uncover their enzymatic strategies. Living things harvest energy from their environment to fuel metabolic processes, reproduce, and grow; we will keep account of these transactions and consider the exquisite control that permits a cell to be responsive and adapt its responses to inputs from the environment. Key topics: protein structure and function, thermodynamics, enzyme mechanisms, transport, signaling, intermediary metabolism, and regulation. (Recommended prerequisite for medical school admissions.)

The objective of this course is to enable students to advance and develop their own creative voice in photography beyond the introductory level through exploring both a wide range of processes and media and the study of history and theory of contemporary art. The course includes exposure to various equipment types and advance printing techniques, and is intended for those with prior experience.

Students will be studying the symbiotic relationship between the Aggregating Anemone, A. elegantissima, and its zooxanthellae symbionts in the genus Breviolum. More specifically, students will design experiments to elucidate how a given environmental variable (ex. light, temperature, pH, host feeding frequency) can affect this delicate symbiosis. Students will learn how to care for marine animals in saltwater aquaria, the intricacies of experimental design, lab techniques associated with measuring dependent variables of the symbiont (ex. cell density, cell size, mitotic index, chlorophyll content, and photosynthetic efficiency), statistical data analysis, and how to communicate science through a research paper.

Using techniques relevant to biochemistry, this wet laboratory-intensive course will focus on primary literature, experimental design, data collection and analysis, and science communication. We will start by learning about a biologically important cascade (eg. blood-clotting). Next, we will develop protocols for isolating proteins from tissue and purifying them using column chromatography. Then, we will assess the purified products using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Homology modeling and docking software will help us to visualize how individual components of these pathways interact at the molecular level.  Finally, with homogenous proteins in hand, we will reassemble the cascade to recapitulate and probe the cascade in vitro.

This is a project-based laboratory course focusing on the fundamental and practical aspect of analytical instrumentation typically employed in chemical and biochemical research laboratories. Through assigned projects, students will make new organic and inorganic compounds and apply various instrumental methods for separation, purification, and identification. 

This project-based, laboratory-intensive course will focus on primary literature, experimental design and techniques, data collection and analysis, and science communication in the context of cell biology. Students will do a structured, skills-building experiment to examine cell signaling using tissue culture techniques and then design their own novel experiment to understand subcellular localization or protein-protein interactions inside a cell.

This course satisfies the advanced writing skills course requirement.

Using techniques relevant to evolutionary genetics, this laboratory-intensive course will focus on primary literature, experimental design, data collection and analysis, and science communication.  In this course you will gain research experience in the field, in the laboratory, and in silico.  We will start by collecting marine invertebrates at local marinas, then extract DNA from tissue, amplify genes using PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), visualize the PCR products using agarose gel electrophoresis, sequence the genes, edit and align the sequences, and finally analyze the sequences.  First, we will determine the population structure of the species using population genetics software.  Population structure is driven by the combined effects of the processes that disrupt Hardy Weinberg equilibrium: genetic drift, gene flow, non-random mating, mutation, and natural selection.  Next, we will build phylogenetic trees and haplotype networks to visualize the relationships between the individuals of these species.

This course satisfies the advanced writing skills course requirement.

This course is an introduction to how the field of Medical Anthropology uses theoretical models, ethnographic research techniques, and writing from Cultural Anthropology to investigate the way that ideas about illness and things related to "medicine," "medical" procedures, and medical practitioners vary cross-culturally and intersect with relations of power both within societies and in cross-cultural encounters. Medical Anthropology is a relatively new field within Anthropology that can draw on Cultural, Biological, or Applied Anthropology. The basic premise of Medical Anthropology is that illness and suffering take place within complex social, cultural, and environmental systems that must be understood holistically, taking into consideration peoples' ideas about the body, mental states, economic relations, kinship, gender, sexuality, the supernatural, and other aspects of culture. This course will focus on the areas of Medical Anthropology that mainly consider how cultural ideas shape the way that people experience illness and "medicine" differently, their relations to different types of practitioners (doctors, shamans, others), ways that illnesses are categorized according to "folk" understandings, how illness can emanate from and express other social problems, and how even "biomedicine" contains within it certain cultural assumptions and ritual practices that stem from "western" culture and are therefore not culturally-neutral. It also explores other "niedical" processes that are not necessarily about illness such as reproductive technology, but that do involve ideas about the body, marriage, kinship, personhood, and so forth.

This project-based, laboratory-intensive course will focus on primary literature, experimental design and techniques, data collection and analysis, and science communication in the context of biochemistry. Students will express, purify, detect, quantify, and perform biochemical assays of recombinant enzymes to gain new insights into their mechanism of action and how they may be inhibited. Students will gain experience with lab techniques such as sonication/homogenization, column chromatography, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, UV-Vis spectrophotometry, immunoblotting, etc. Students will communicate their results and ideas through oral presentations, research proposals, and research articles.

This course satisfies the advanced writing skills course requirement.

In this course we examine “education” by looking beyond the typical setting of the school. Instead, we will consider education in the context of learning and culture. As scholars in history and anthropology have shown during recent decades, learning can be found in classrooms, families, churches, and public places. Learning can be thought of broadly as the process by which people acquire knowledge, attitudes, values, and skills. We will study the past as a deeply constitutive force in the present. Historians call this approach cultural history, anthropologists call it historical ethnography. Specific topics will include prominent and influential theories of pedagogy and learning, as well as the historical and cultural dynamics of race and ethnicity in learning. Throughout the course, we will keep the long history of education reform in mind – including contemporary initiatives. The course is modeled as an intensive reading and writing seminar in which students will be expected to complete an original research paper testing or applying principles discussed in class.

The Americas were populated for millennia before European colonization transformed the hemisphere and the lives of its first inhabitants. Descendants of these first inhabitants live in many parts of North America – including Orange County, California. This seminar explores the histories and cultures of select Native American peoples from Canada, Mexico, and the United States during selected eras, from before colonization and into the contemporary period. Through reading current and classic scholarship on Native Americans, along with writing a research essay on a topic of the students’ choosing, students will acquire an understanding of the historical and cultural processes that have defined Native American lives. 

This course engages students in a critical examination of contemporary urban experiences with a focus on peoples living in the margins of large, dense urban communities, both inside and outside of North America. The course will address questions surrounding how the articulation of global and local markets affects the expression of traditional and modern identities, how underground or informal economies shape the creation of urban street life, and how children and adults actively pursue meaningful family life in contexts of extreme poverty. Readings will focus on cities in the Pacific basin.

All SUA students participate in a Capstone research project during their senior (fourth) year, consisting of three courses. Capstone 390 is usually taken in the fall semester, Capstone 400 during the winter block, and Capstone 450 during the spring semester. This research project is intended to be a culminating experience, drawing upon the skills and expertise that they have developed during their career at SUA. Each student works with a faculty mentor to develop and carry out a research project related to their chosen Concentration. Students meet regularly with their Capstone mentor for support and feedback. All Capstone work must meet the criteria set in the Undergraduate Capstone Policy as well as standards set by the individual Concentration.

Beginning in academic year 2026/2027, the credit value and grading basis for Capstone courses will change. Until and including academic year 2025/2026, Capstone 390 will remain a 1-unit course graded on a P/NP basis.

All SUA students participate in a Capstone research project during their senior (fourth) year, consisting of three courses. Capstone 390 is usually taken in the fall semester, Capstone 400 during the winter block, and Capstone 450 during the spring semester. This research project is intended to be a culminating experience, drawing upon the skills and expertise that they have developed during their career at SUA. Each student works with a faculty mentor to develop and carry out a research project related to their chosen Concentration. Students meet regularly with their Capstone mentor for support and feedback. All Capstone work must meet the criteria set in the Undergraduate Capstone Policy as well as standards set by the individual Concentration.

Beginning in academic year 2026/2027, the credit value and grading basis for Capstone courses will change. Until and including academic year 2025/2026, Capstone 400 will remain a 4-unit course. Capstone 400 may not be taken on a P/NP basis.

All SUA students participate in a Capstone research project during their senior (fourth) year, consisting of three courses. Capstone 390 is usually taken in the fall semester, Capstone 400 during the winter block, and Capstone 450 during the spring semester. This research project is intended to be a culminating experience, drawing upon the skills and expertise that they have developed during their career at SUA. Each student works with a faculty mentor to develop and carry out a research project related to their chosen Concentration. Students meet regularly with their Capstone mentor for support and feedback. All Capstone work must meet the criteria set in the Undergraduate Capstone Policy as well as standards set by the individual Concentration.

Beginning in academic year 2026/2027, the credit value and grading basis for Capstone courses will change. Until and including academic year 2025/2026, Capstone 450 will remain a 4-unit course. Capstone 400 may not be taken on a P/NP basis.