Course Description

Academics / Majors and Minors / Health Professions Program / Course Descriptions

Science/Quantitative Core

MATH 150: Intro Probability & Statistics

Designed for students in the social and life sciences. Discrete probability theory, distributions, sampling, correlation, and regression, Chi square and other tests of significance. Emphasis on the use of the computer as a tool and on applications to a variety of disciplines. Not open to students who have taken ECON/BUSN 180 or ECON/BUSN/FIN 130. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Quantitative Reasoning requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Natural Science & Mathematics requirement.)

BUSN 130 / ECON 130 / FIN 130: Applied Statistics

Distribution analysis, sampling theory, statistical inference, and regression analysis, with emphasis on the application of statistical techniques using spreadsheet software to analyze economic and business issues. Students who have taken this course will not receive credit for MATH 150. Prerequisite or corequisite: ECON 129. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Quantitative Reasoning requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Social Science requirement.)

BIOL 120: Organismal Biology + Lab

This course will address the organization and function of multicellular organisms. Although focused primarily on plants and animals, other kinds of organisms will be discussed. Regulation, homeostasis, and integration of function; nutrient acquisition, processing, and assimilation; photosynthesis; gas exchange; reproductive patterns; and development are all topics that are included in this course. Readings from an introductory text and the secondary and primary scientific literature will be required. Students must also register for a lab. Prerequisite: Science placement test required. Please see Requirements page on the Biology Department website for details. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Natural Sciences requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Natural Science & Mathematics requirement.)

CHEM 115: Chemistry I + Lab

An introduction to and study of the fundamental concepts and principles of chemistry. Atomic and molecular structure, periodic relationships, chemical bonding, stoichiometry. Properties and theories of gases, liquids, and solids. Laboratory introduces quantitative measurements and computer applications. This course will meet admissions requirements for medical, dental, or pharmacy school. Three class meetings, one laboratory per week. Students must register for a lab. Prerequisite: Satisfactory score on the departmental placement test to assess quantitative skills or a passing grade in Chemistry 114. Please see Chemistry Department requirements page for details. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Natural Sciences requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Natural Science & Mathematics requirement.)

BIOL 120: Organismal Biology + Lab

BIOL 208: Human Anatomy

This course introduces the structure of mammalian bodies, with particular emphasis on the human body. All of the major body systems (skeletal, muscular, nervous, endocrine, etc.) are covered. Lab includes dissection and study of representative mammalian specimens, as well as study of human skeletons and models. Class meets seven hours per week. Prerequisites: BIOL 120, CHEM 115. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Natural Sciences requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Natural Science & Mathematics requirement.)

BIOL 220: Evolution and Ecology

The roles of ecological and evolutionary processes in shaping life's diversity are examined. Specific topics may include adaptive evolution, origins of species, reconstruction of evolutionary history, population dynamics and extinction, species interactions, community processes, conservation, and the importance of these topics to humanity. Lab sessions combine group work in field research projects with quantitative analyses and synthesis of your findings in terms of published results from the primary literature. These projects result in a written and/or oral presentation of your findings. This is an intermediate-level biology course that assumes prior experience with the primary scientific literature, analysis of quantitative data and mathematical models, and rigorous laboratory work. Three lecture hours plus one four-hour laboratory per week. Prerequisite: BIOL 120. Corequisite: CHEM 115, and Biological Inquiry (13x-14x). (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Natural Sciences and Technology requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Natural Science & Mathematics requirement.)

BIOL 221: Molecules, Genes, and Cells

This course will examine cells as the fundamental units of life. Topics will include the structure and function of the cell and its molecular constituents; energy relationships at the cellular level; and an introduction to the nature and organization of the genetic material. Laboratory sessions will emphasize student-designed projects. Classroom sessions will involve group work, discussions, seminars, problem-solving sessions, and lectures. Three lecture and four laboratory hours per week. Prerequisite: BIOL 120. Corequisite: CHEM 116. (Under the old GEC, this course meets the Natural Science & Mathematics requirement.)

CHEM 115: Chemistry I

CHEM 116: Chemistry II

Thermodynamics and kinetics; chemical equilibria; acids, bases, and buffers; coordination compounds; descriptive chemistry of metals and nonmetals. Laboratory is both quantitative and descriptive and uses much instrumentation. Three class meetings, one laboratory per week. Prerequisite: CHEM 115. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Natural Sciences requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Natural Science & Mathematics requirement.)

CSCI 112: Computer Science I

Introduction to computer science. Topics include the basic building blocks of problem solving (sequence, selection, repetition), object-oriented programming, basic data structures and algorithms. A prior knowledge of computer science is not required, although a good background in high school Mathematics is recommended. Students may receive credit for this course based on the AP computer science exam. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Quantitative Reasoning and Technology requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Natural Science & Mathematics requirement.)

ECON 110: Principles of Economics

An introduction to both microeconomics, the theory of consumer and producer behavior, and macroeconomics, the determination of aggregate levels of production, employment, inflation, and growth. Application of economic principles to the analysis of current problems of the U.S. economy. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Social Sciences requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Social Science requirement.)
cross listed: IREL 110

ES 120: Intro to Environmental Sciences

(Introduction to the Environmental Sciences.) Using the disciplines of the physical, biological, and chemical sciences, this course studies the entities, patterns, and processes of the natural world and their modification by human activity. We examine scientific knowledge and principles and the application of that knowledge and those principles to natural systems, and survey selected environmental issues to ultimately consider the sustainability of human activities on the planet. Topics include population growth, biodiversity conservation, ecology, climate change, toxic pollution, and sustainable and unsustainable energy and agricultural systems. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Natural Sciences requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Natural Science & Mathematics requirement.)

MATH 110: Calculus I

The calculus of functions of one variable. Limits, continuity, differentiation, and applications; a brief introduction to integration. Prerequisite: 3.5 years of high school mathematics (to include trigonometry) or Mathematics 105. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Quantitative Reasoning requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Natural Science & Mathematics requirement.)

MATH 250: Intro to Statistical Programming

(Introduction to Statistical Programming.) Introduction to data analysis programming using R. Topics include: data cleaning, data visualization, hypothesis testing, simple and multiple regression, time series analysis, analysis of variance, nonparametrics, and categorical data analysis. No previous programming experience required. Prerequisite: Math 150: Introduction to Probability & Statistics, E/B/F 130: Applied Statistics, PSYC 222: Research Methods & Statistics II, or permission of the instructor.

NEUR / PSYC / BIOL 128: Medical Mysteries of the Mind

(Introduction to Neuroscience: Medical Mysteries of the Mind.) This course is for beginning students interested in the study of neuroscience and in exploring the human brain in a rigorous interdisciplinary way. If you are intensely interested in how your brain helps you think, feel, sense, read, write, eat, sleep, dream, learn and move, this course is for you. You learn how brain dysfunction causes complex medical illnesses, like Alzheimer's, Stroke, Depression, and Schizophrenia. You meet Chicago's world-class neuroscientists through guest seminars and class-trips to famous laboratories. You debate ethical dilemmas that face society and dissect human brains. Lastly, you present your research on a brain topic at an interdisciplinary symposium and teach elementary children about how the brain works. One year each of high school biology and chemistry is recommended. Students who have taken BIOL130 will not receive credit for this course. Two discussion/lecture and two laboratory hours per week. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Natural Sciences and Speaking requirements.)

NEUR / PSYC / BIOL 130: Bio Inq: Deadly Shape Hostage Brain

(Biological Inquiry Seminar: Deadly Shapes, Hostage Brains) Age-related neurological diseases that hold our brain hostage are major 21st-century global health burdens and are among the most actively funded areas of medical research. In this course, students will delve into primary literature through research projects that investigate how deadly protein shapes underlie complex neurodegenerative illnesses, like Alzheimer's, Huntington disease, and Parkinson disease and discover how little we still know, despite astonishing advances. Students will dissect human brains to understand the underlying brain pathology. Trips to Chicago to visit neurology laboratories, neuroscience research centers, and attend a major neuroscience conference will present the latest advances in neurological research. Additionally, students will debate ethical dilemmas that face society as neuroscientists race towards solving current medical mysteries and experiment with potential new treatments. Students who have taken FIYS106 will not receive credit for this course. Two discussion/lecture and two laboratory hours per week. Prerequisite: BIOL 120. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Natural Sciences and Speaking requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Natural Science & Mathematics requirement.)
cross listed: BIOL 130

PHIL 156: Logic and Styles of Arguments

Focus on the 'rhyme and reason' of language. Examination of the reasons arguments are constructed in the ways they are. Investigation of informal, Aristotelian, and propositional logics, with readings from magazine articles, advertisements, and classical philosophers. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Quantitative Reasoning requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

PHYS 110: Introductory Physics I

The first half of elementary physics without calculus. Kinematics and Newton's laws of motion for translations and rotations. Conservation principles of energy, momentum, and angular momentum. Oscillations and waves. Three hours of lecture and one laboratory per week. Uses algebra and trigonometry. (Credit may not be earned in both Physics 110 and 120.) (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Natural Sciences requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Natural Science & Mathematics requirement.)

PSYC 110: Intro to Psychological Science

(Introduction to Psychological Science.) This course provides a broad, general introduction to the field of psychology, the scientific study of behavior. Topics surveyed include scientific methodology, biological bases of behavior, sensation and perception, states of consciousness, learning, thinking, memory, motivation and emotion, development, personality, stress and health, psychological disorders and psychotherapy, social interaction, and diversity. Satisfactory completion of Psychology 110 is a prerequisite for most advanced courses in psychology, which generally cover in greater depth and breadth the topics you will encounter in this course. Three lectures and one laboratory per week. *In Fall 2020, both the lecture and laboratory sections of this course will be taught completely remotely. The lecture section will consist of three synchronous remote lectures per week (live during scheduled class time). The laboratory section will consist of asynchronous remote lab modules that are completed independently, on a schedule, under the guidance of the laboratory instructor. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Natural Sciences requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Social Science requirement.)

PSYC 221: Research Methods & Statistics I

An introduction to the basic research methods and statistical techniques used in psychology. In the first semester, the primary focus will be on descriptive and relational methods (e.g., naturalistic observation, surveys, correlational designs) and descriptive statistics. In the second semester the primary focus will be on controlled experiments and inferential statistics. The course sequence includes a required laboratory component in which students gain hands-on experience using statistical software to analyze psychological data. Prerequisite for 221: Psychology 110 with a grade of at least C-. Psychology 221 and 222 must be taken in sequence. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Natural Sciences and Technology requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Social Science requirement.)

SOAN 110: Intro to Sociology and Anthropology

Sociology and anthropology share a focus on exploring the social (group rather than individual) bases of human practices and behaviors. Both disciplines study social interaction and such social institutions as family and religion. This course introduces students to key concepts for viewing the world through sociological and anthropological lenses, including cultural relativism, material culture, and the social construction of human experience through categories like race, class, and gender. Limited to first- and second-year students. Not open to students who have taken SOAN 100. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Social Sciences requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Social Science requirement.)
cross listed: IREL 160

SHIP Core

CHIN 270: Chinese Values, Medicine and Health

(Traditional Chinese Values, Medicine and Health in English.) Taught in English. As the U.S. grows more diverse, issues of culture and cultural competence have become more important to health care students. Traditional Chinese philosophies and religions strongly influence the Chinese way of living and thinking about health and health care. This course is an introduction to the basic beliefs, values, philosophies, and religions of the Chinese people. It explores how Confucius, Daoism, and Buddhism influence Chinese people’s concept of health, especially mental health. This course also provides an overview of the basic traditional Chinese medicine theories, herbal treatments, and Chinese food therapy. It discusses how the Chinese medical tradition merged with the western medical tradition and the role and value of traditional Chinese medicine in the current Chinese health care system. This course is intended for students considering Pre-Health or the Health Professions Program (HPP), or for any students interested in learning about Chinese traditional values. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Global Perspectives requirements.)
cross listed: ASIA 270

COMM 378: Communicating Science and Medicine

In this course we will examine how communication norms and practices shape our understanding of science, health, and medicine. By delving into a variety of case studies such as the current Covid-19 pandemic, vaccination policy, pharmaceutical marketing, biotechnology, and mental health diagnosis and treatment, the course will emphasize how science and medicine are products of a culture and not just the work of individuals in a laboratory or a hospital. Through these engagements, students will develop the conceptual knowledge and rhetorical fluency necessary to evaluate a scientific controversy of their choice; generate socially relevant and research-driven arguments; and identify the ways in which we can help to influence policy and shape public understanding of issues related to science, medicine, and human values. No prerequisites

ENGL 209: Storytelling and STEM

(Storytelling and STEM: Writing About Science.) A writing-intensive course focused on using the tools of narrative nonfiction to communicate scientific discovery to the public. Students will read the work of scientists and scientific communicators such as Stephen Hawking, Rebecca Skloot, Neil Degrasse Tyson, Atul Gawande, and Steven Pinker to discover the storytelling principles they employ to inform and entertain their readers. We will explore the science of story, the cognitive and evolutionary source of its power, and the art of scientific journalism, and students will draft and workshop their own essays about "popular science." No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Writing requirements.)

ENGL 221: Literature and Medicine

Medical literature impacts everyone: we are all dual citizens of the kingdoms of health and sickness, of the everyday and the "night-side of life" as Susan Sontag puts it. Yet, throughout our varied stories about medicine, writers confront again and again the profound isolation and invisibility of the sick. What is it about physical pain that breaks down our language to describe it? How do medical narratives represent illness, giving structure and voice to this night-side of life? In this course, we explore medical texts by reading radically different writers across time, including Tolstoy, Shelley, and contemporary physicians. Throughout, we examine the myriad ways artists represent illness, through novels, poetry, short stories, autobiographies, films, guidebooks, and more. We work to unpack the binaries of sickness/health, normal/diseased, patient/doctor, and even life/death, in these stories about doctors, patients, epidemics, and mortality. After learning to "read" narratives of disease, students "write" disease, creating their own disease through an archive of texts. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 222: Plagues in Literature: Now and Then

Angelic hand prints splayed across plague bodies. Thrillers on futuristic, mutant viruses. Stories of plagues from past and present startle us with their imaginative variety. In fact, many readers have questioned why these narratives so often push the limits of the "real" in their representations. Why do writers represent plagues experimentally? Is contagion inherently dangerous to represent, even fictionally? We explore representations of epidemic diseases across a wide expanse of time, from antiquity to the 21st century, encountering along the way common tropes and stock figures of the genre: the plague-pits, enterprising tricksters, and well-poisoners, among others. Across varied stories, including Oedipus and Romeo and Juliet, we track how writers and film-makers use medical disasters to conjure the deepest spiritual crises of societies-gone-wrong, calling on the plague to search for divine meaning and patient zeroes. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Global Perspectives requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL/NEUR 232: Stories from the Spectrum: Neurodiversity, Health, and Medicine in Literature

A boy with a penchant for prime numbers investigates the death of a dog. A young girl is scolded for failing to look her teacher in the eye. A man in the throes of a midlife crisis returns to his nonverbal son as he spiritually finds himself. Hidden within these narratives of neurodiverse characters, one discovers a slew of cultural assumptions about cognitive and intellectual disabilities. Do neurotypical writers often turn to autism reductively, as a stand-in for a theme or metaphor? What might an authentic representation of Autism Spectrum look like? This course considers the value of neurodiversity in literature while exploring many of the troubling aspects of the representations of cognitive difference across time, from earlier accounts of un-speaking children to the “rain man’s” of contemporary film. This course ultimately takes seriously the bi-directional intersections between fiction and medicine, as real-life medical practices both shape and are shaped by these stories from the spectrum. No prerequisites. Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Writing requirements.

ENGL 249: Brains, Minds, and Madness in Lit

(Brains, Minds, and Madness in Literature.) Stories invite us into the minds of others. As readers, we step into another's consciousness: into fictional memories, sensations, and narratives that feel real, as the words of often-dead writers become part of our own brain-matter. Yet, how do our theories of the mind and its operations relate to literary representations of a character's interiority? And what can contemporary neuroscience teach us about literature, or about our own minds on literature? In this course, we examine stories and theories of the mind across time, exploring scientific writing about the brain alongside literary masterpieces from Virginia Woolf to Vladimir Nabokov. Moreover, we consider the close connection between sanity and insanity, examining the representations of madness and other neurological ailments in brains gone "wrong." After learning to "read" the mind in literature, students will create their own aesthetic of the brain gone "right" or "wrong", creating narratives versed in the newest neuroscientific research on the pleasures and dangers of reading the "minds" of another. No Prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)
cross listed: NEUR 249

ES 382: Politcal Ecology Infectious Disease

(The Political Ecology of Infectious Diseases.) An infectious disease, COVID19, is in the process of disrupting the social, political, economic, ecological, and medical systems that we have relied on, and in some ways taken for granted, up to now. Infectious diseases, like all things — animals, plants, genes, rivers, petroleum, planets, and molecules — have the ability to exert influence on their environments; that is, they have something like agency. In this course, we investigate what the nature of this quasi-agency is, and what the political, social, and economic consequences of accepting the agency of things might be. Our focus is on infectious diseases: where they come from, how humans discovered them and how we combat them, and how they have affected and are affected by international economic and political systems, environmental degradation, medical technology, ideas of sovereignty, and the prosecution of war and terrorism. Prerequisite: ES 110, ES 120, ES 220, BIOL 220, or any Politics or History course, or permission of the instructor. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Social Sciences requirement.)

HIST 282: The Pre-Modern Body

This course investigates the roots of contemporary European and American understandings of the human body in social, cultural, and religious traditions from the ancient and medieval Mediterranean world. Students explore texts that illuminate the importance of the body to individual and group identity and discuss how these texts’ definitions of “normal”, “beautiful”, and “healthy” bodies continue to wield influence. Among the course’s questions: how was the central role of the body in identity (before and after death) shaped by Christian theology of a God who was embodied, suffered, and died? What assumptions were made about how biological sex dictated identity—and how did pre-modern authors reckon with those who fell outside the sex or gender binary? How was spiritual morality understood to be inscribed on the physical body in complex ways (skin color, physical features, illness, pain, sexual activity)? How did racism and nascent colonialism shape ideals of body size and appearance? Students read primary sources ranging from patristic theology to werewolf stories, as well as important works of scholarship.

HIST 284: Epidemic Disease in European History

This course will focus on four epidemic diseases that caused widespread death and destruction in Europe and the Americas from the fourteenth to twentieth centuries: the Black Death, smallpox, cholera, and malaria. In each case, after learning about the symptoms of the disease, the progression of the epidemic(s), and the identity of the victims, we will explore multiple facets of the human response to these natural disasters, including: theories of disease; religious responses; medical measures; artistic representations; and the intersection of state power and public health efforts. We will also study key figures in the history of medicine. A significant portion of the course is devoted to the impact of disease in European imperial possessions (such as India and the Americas), violence against minority groups (notably Jews) in Europe in the wake of epidemics, and the ways in which theories of class and race influenced European thinking on disease. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Global Perspectives requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities and Cultural Diversity requirements.)

MUSC 268: Music and the Mind

In this course, we wrestle with fundamental questions regarding music and the human experience. Why does music exist? How did it evolve in the human species? What, exactly, does it do to us, as listeners and as practitioners? How does music change our brains? Is there really such a thing as a "Mozart Effect?" What new promises are there for therapeutic uses for music? Music's presence in the human species is clearly puzzling. While many scholars have speculated a reason for its existence, there is no definitive answer as to why we make music. Nevertheless, we do make music. There is not a single human culture on Earth that has no music. Some of the books we will be reading include Musicophilia, The Singing Neanderthals, and This is Your Brain on Music. Note that this is a course that requires students to give oral presentations. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)
cross listed: NEUR 268

PHIL 205: Medical Ethics

The course will investigate the three primary strands of medical ethics: (1) issues of professional responsibility, such as confidentiality and informed consent, (2) moral dilemmas that arise in the course of treatment, such as decisions about euthanasia, and (3) public policy matters, such as universal health care. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

PHIL 225: Philosophy of Science

Examination of issues such as the nature of scientific knowledge, what counts as a 'true' scientific theory, the basis of observation, and empirical knowledge. Consideration of ethical issues generated by scientific practice, the politics of technology, and current work on the sociology of scientific knowledge. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)
cross listed: ES 225

PHIL 291: Descartes to Kant

Seventeenth- and eighteenth-century European philosophers, with a primary focus on epistemology and metaphysics, including the essence of the mind and its relation to the body. Readings will include Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Writing requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)
cross listed: NEUR 291

PHIL 296: Philosophy of Mind

With the rise of Cognitive Science, Computer Science, and Neuroscience, questions about the nature of mind have become increasingly important, and in the last 40 years much work on philosophy of mind has been done in analytic philosophy. The class will begin with an examination of some of the most influential texts in philosophy of mind from the last 50 years, and then proceed to current topics. Central questions may include: What is the relationship between the mind and the brain? Is it possible to offer explanations of mental states by reducing them to biological, chemical, or physical states? Can human consciousness be best explained in terms of a computer model? Is it possible to describe the functioning of human thought in terms of a rule-based system of processing? No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)
cross listed: NEUR 296

PHIL 375: Neuroethics

Neuroethics is an emerging interdisciplinary field that incorporates the findings of neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and philosophy to tackle key ethical issues in science, philosophy, health, and medicine. In this discipline, we explore two primary areas of study. The first is the neuroscience of ethics, which asks what current research in neuroscience and related fields can tell us about ethics. The second is the ethics of neuroscience, which asks how the study of ethics can inform emerging technologies and findings from the rapidly developing field of neuroscience. This course introduces students to both areas of research. As such, the course investigates a variety of questions related to free will, moral reasoning, memory, neuroenhancement, neuromarketing, cognitive enhancement, and how the law deals with these issues. Prerequisite: at least one 100- level course in philosophy, neuroscience, or psychology, or permission from the instructor. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)
cross listed: NEUR 375

RELG 239: Religion, Biology, & Public Health

This course examines religion as a social determinant of public health and introduces students to meditation and other mind-body practices, which have been successfully applied in medical settings. Students analyze selected practices of ordinary people in Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, and Christianity that shape health behaviors; assess the role of religious organizations in ongoing epidemic threats (COVID-19, HIV/AIDS, and Alzheimer's); and study connections between religion and public health (e.g., legacy of the social gospel movement in US Public Health Reform, impact of religious views on reproductive health, and application of meditation techniques in health care). Using an innovative methodology called Reacting to the Past, students delve into key historical moments that shaped modern approaches to biology, public health, and epidemiology, participating in extended role-playing games informed by influential texts in the history of ideas. Assessments include a sequence of verbal and written assignments, culminating in a final oral presentation. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Global Perspectives and Speaking requirements.)

RELG 241: Religion & Science

Even a cursory look at today's news reveals that the relationship between religion and science is a hot topic. So it has been for many centuries. In this course, we consider historical and contemporary issues in the relationship between religion and science in the modern world. We make use of historical, philosophical, and literary approaches to study how individuals and groups have understood religion and science, and how they have sought to understand and relate to the natural world. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

RELG 224: Islam and Science

As an introduction to the relationship between Islam and science from both historical and contemporary perspectives, this course examines the major contributions of medieval Muslim scientists and their influence on modern science. Muslim medieval inventions and advances have shaped Western science for hundreds of years. Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Ibn Al-Haitham (Alhazen), al-Khawarizmi (Algorithmi), and Ibn Rushd (Averroes) were among the many Muslim scientists and philosophers who developed existing disciplines in astronomy, medicine, mathematics, physics, and chemistry, and transferred ancient knowledge from the Middle East, Greece, China, and India to European cultures. The course explores various scientific attempts at an interpretation of the Qur'an and how those attempts shaped the Muslim perception of science in general. The course also touches upon modern debates within Islamic and applied science, particularly in the field of bioethics. Focusing on contemporary controversies, the course examines, for example, attempts by contemporary Muslim scientists and religious scholars to reconcile or disprove the theory of evolution. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Global Perspectives requirements.)
cross listed: ISLM 224

SOAN 245: Medical Anthropology

This course approaches various aspects of medicine and disease from an anthropological perspective and from outside the framework of standard biomedical concepts. We will look at how experiences of illness and health are culturally, rather than biologically, constructed. A second objective is to compare the belief systems and medical practices of several specific Western and non-Western societies. In carrying out these cross-cultural comparisons, we will focus on qualitative research and read several ethnographic case studies. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Social Sciences and Global Perspectives requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Social Science and Cultural Diversity requirements.)

SPAN 322: Medical Spanish

This course prepares students to use Spanish in a variety of health care settings. Particular emphasis is given to the acquisition of essential medical vocabulary in Spanish, and to the speaking and comprehension proficiency needed to conduct interviews with Spanish-speaking patients. The course will focus on the successful and caring treatment of Latino/Hispanic patients with limited English (often recent immigrants), as well as on the cultural norms that exist around health and the body in Latin America, norms which medical professionals must understand in order to deal properly with Spanish-speaking patients. Particularly recommended for students who are thinking of careers in the area of health care, but appropriate for any student interested in expanding Spanish proficiency in this field. Prerequisite: SPAN 212 or higher 200-level course, or placement exam recommendation or permission of instructor. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Global Perspectives requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities and Cultural Diversity requirements.)

THTR 254: The Mind Onstage

(The Mind Onstage: Performance, Action, Emotion.) In the last decade, prominent theater scholars have integrated neuroscience research into their studies. Their excitement stems from the realization that current scientific research seems to speak directly to one of the major concerns of theatre scholars for decades: How does performing and/or watching a performance affect the brain? In this interdisciplinary class, students study plays that depict neuroscience and neurological conditions, learn about how theatre is used therapeutically, and read contemporary and classic theatrical theory, as we explore the ways science and the humanities can intersect. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Writing requirements.)
cross listed: NEUR 254

Experiential Core

HPPC 180: Intro to Healthcare Professions

(Introduction to Healthcare Professions Seminar Series.) This series of seminars gives undergraduate students who are interested in healthcare careers a chance to analyze their own individual skills, values and interests, and explore career options. The course provides a self-evaluation that will help point students towards careers that best fit their interests and abilities. It also introduces students to many different careers in healthcare and explains those roles within the healthcare team. Some of the careers that are examined include: physician, nurse, physician assistant, physical therapist, pharmacist, podiatrist, psychologist, nurse anesthetist, pathologist assistant, nutritionist, medical lab technician, and paramedic. Must be a participant in the Health Professions Program or permission of instructor.

HPPC 181: Community, Culture, and Health

Lifestyle Medicine: Community, Culture, and Health Outcomes Seminar Series. Sequenced within the Health Profession Program Seminar Series, this course explores how culture, community, and policy intersect and impact health outcomes. The course discusses the pillars of lifestyle medicine, the nature of chronic preventable diseases, and the effect of these diseases on community and health outcomes. It treats topics including social determinants of health; health disparities; healthcare policy; and health literacy. The course culminates by putting theory into practice through a group project to assist in improving the wellness of community members. Prerequisite: Must be a participant in the Health Professions program (HPP) and complete HPPC 180 Introduction to Healthcare Professions, or permission of instructor.

HPPC 208: Human Anatomy

HPPC 209: Human Physiology

This course begins with a review of the cellular processes that influence the survival of all physiological systems in the human body. Following that foundation, a deeper exploration into the function of each major system is emphasized. The lecture component includes the functional study of muscular, neurophysiological, special sensory, immune, endocrine, hematologic, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary and reproductive systems. Metabolomics, fluid-electrolyte and acid-base balance is incorporated into their respective physiological systems. Lab focuses on physiological experimentation and application. This course is intended primarily for students who aspire to enter into health fields. Prerequisites: BIOL120, CHEM115. BIOL 208 is recommended.
cross listed: BIOL 209

HPPC 490: Internship

Off-campus research experience supervised by a departmental faculty member. Consult the faculty member designated as the program's internship liason for application information. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Experiential Learning requirement.)rriculum, this course meets the Experiential Learning requirement.)