creative writing portfolio columbia

Follow Admissions on Social Media

• Columbia on Instagram
• Columbia Admissions on Twitter
• Facebook Group
• Columbia on YouTube

Supplementary Materials

We encourage you to convey the breadth and depth of your extracurricular pursuits within the activities section of your admission application—including the full name of each organization in which you participate and a brief description of your involvement. While we request that the volume of supplementary credentials be kept to a minimum, there may be occasions where such credentials provide valuable information that the standard application does not. 

Please note that supplements are not a required part of our admissions process. If you plan to submit supplementary credentials, please follow the instructions below.

Dates & deadlines

Early Decision applicants must submit their supplements by November 1 and Regular Decision applicants must submit their supplements by January 1. Transfer Applicants must submit their supplements by March 1.

Types of submissions

Academic research.

If you have completed research with a faculty member or mentor in science, engineering or other academic disciplines (e.g., humanities, social sciences or languages), you are welcome to provide a one or two page abstract as a supplement to your application. You may upload your abstract in the Columbia-specific questions to the Common Application or in the Uploads page of the Coalition Application.

If you are submitting an abstract, you will also be asked to answer a few short questions on the duration of your research involvement, your specific role in and contributions to the research project, and contact information of your research mentor. This will help us better understand your specific research experience beyond what you may have already included in your other application materials.

We also welcome a letter of recommendation from your research mentor, who can send the letter via email to [email protected] , via fax to 212-854-3393, or via mail to Undergraduate Admissions .

Creative Portfolios

You may wish to submit supplementary portfolios if you intend to bring creative talents to Columbia’s campus either through a major and/or extracurricular opportunities.

Supplements are entirely optional and not required for the admissions process. Students will have access to the arts and maker communities and facilities, and are able to participate in the arts communities of Columbia regardless of supplement submissions or majors. Most students who choose to submit an Artistic Portfolio have achievements at the local, state, national or international level related to their craft, and have devoted a significant amount of time and energy to their art form(s). The Maker Portfolio may be an opportunity for students to highlight past creations or ongoing projects that demonstrate creativity and ingenuity, technical ability and hands-on problem solving. 

Architecture, Creative Writing, Dance, Drama and Theatre Arts, Film, Maker, Music and Visual Arts supplements can be submitted through Columbia's SlideRoom portal . Please select the program corresponding to the application type you are using for your application to Columbia.   

Please submit up to 10 digital images or models that highlight your best work. Images may be submitted only in jpg, png, or gif formats, up to 5 MB each. 3D models may be submitted via Sketchfab. Specify the title, year and medium for each submission.

Applicants are welcome to submit a résumé (in pdf format) listing their architecture experience and recognition.

A processing fee of $10 will be required at the time of submission.

Please submit a document (in pdf format) of your sample creative writing in any of the following areas: poetry, fiction, or creative non-fiction. Do not submit journalism samples or full books. Submissions should not exceed 5 pages.

Applicants are required to include a résumé (in pdf format) listing their creative writing experience and recognition.

A processing fee of $5 will be required at the time of submission.

Please submit a video sample of your dance performance between 4 to 6 minutes in length. List your name, title of the piece, choreographer, music composer/title, and the place and date of your performance. If not a solo recording, also indicate your performance in the description section of the media details. You may upload a video file no larger than 250 MB or provide a link to a video hosting site (e.g. YouTube or Vimeo). Videos should not include any biographical or introductory material. Submissions should reflect material filmed within the last two years.

Applicants are required to submit a résumé (in pdf format) listing their dance experience and recognition.

Please submit either a video sample of theatrical performance, directing, design and/or playwriting or a document (in pdf format) of either a script or a portfolio demonstrating contributions in directing or design. You may upload a video file no larger than 250 MB or provide a link to a video hosting site (e.g. YouTube or Vimeo). Videos should not include any biographical or introductory material.

Applicants are required to submit a résumé (in pdf format) listing their drama and theatre arts experience and recognition.

Please submit a video sample of your film work or a screenplay (in pdf format). Video submissions should be up to 10 minutes in length. You may upload a video file no larger than 250 MB or provide a link to a video hosting site (e.g. YouTube or Vimeo).  List your name and role in the production in the description section of the media details. Videos should not include any biographical or introductory material.

Applicants are required to submit a résumé (in pdf format) listing their film experience and recognition.

The Maker Portfolio is an opportunity for students to highlight completed or ongoing projects that they have built, fabricated, invented, produced, or otherwise created. These projects should demonstrate creativity and ingenuity, technical ability and hands-on problem solving. 

Students who would like their technically creative work to be reviewed alongside their application materials can submit up to 4 media items (images, video, 3D models, audio files, documents, or external links), documenting one or several projects. Submitted media can reflect any step in the design process, from blueprints and specifications, through demonstrations of completed work. Students will also be asked to answer a few short questions about the duration of their project, their specific role in and contributions to the project, and contact information of a mentor or advisor who can speak to this creative work. 

Please select two works contrasting in period and tempo, and choose from one of three possible types of submissions:

Live auditions are not part of Columbia’s admissions process, but auditions for private lessons, selective ensembles, troupes and various productions are held for enrolled students at the start of each academic year.

List the composer, name of the work, instrument performed and year recorded or composed. If not a solo recording, please indicate your performance in the description section of the media details. The combined length of recordings should not exceed 20 minutes. Recordings should not include any biographical or introductory material.

Video must be provided via a video hosting site link (e.g. YouTube or Vimeo) or uploaded as a video file no larger than 250 MB.

Applicants are required to submit a résumé (in pdf format) listing their music experience and recognition.

Applicants applying to the Columbia-Juilliard Program should submit material for Columbia faculty review.

Please submit up to 20 images that highlight the best work in your portfolio. Images may be submitted only in jpg, png, or gif formats, up to 5 MB each. Please specify the title, year and medium for each submission.

Applicants are welcome to submit a résumé (in pdf format) listing their visual arts experience and recognition.

In addition to creative materials, each portfolio requires you to list the name and contact information of a reference who may be contacted to corroborate your depth of talent in and/or dedication to your creative discipline. Examples of appropriate references may include, but are not limited to: club or activity supervisors, in-school teachers, private instructors, internship or job supervisors, and mentors.

Each submission incurs a fee, listed in each program above. If paying the submission fee is a financial burden for your family, we encourage you to request a fee waiver by emailing [email protected] prior to submitting your SlideRoom portfolio. Additional instructions for a SlideRoom fee waiver can be found on the Slide Room portal .

Schoolhouse.world Certifications

Applicants to Columbia are welcome to submit Schoolhouse.world certifications as an optional supplement to their application.

Certifications from Schoolhouse.world are just one way for you to demonstrate your academic achievement. While these certifications do not fulfill official requirements like transcripts and letters of recommendation, they can be a great opportunity for students who wish to learn or show competencies in subjects not offered as part of their school curriculum, particularly in math.

Other considerations

We specifically ask that you do not send collections of awards or certificates, and we explicitly direct that you refrain from submitting or mailing any type of supplementary materials in binders or folders. Do not send CDs, DVDs or hard copies of any materials, as they will not be reviewed.

Finally, please be advised that we can provide no guarantee that all materials will be reviewed or evaluated, as they are not required for the admission process.

The Columbia-Juilliard Program

Student Groups

Understanding the Process

Summer 2024 & Fall 2024 applications are now open.

Explore courses, art and architecture.

Summer: In Person

In this course, students learn the craft and theory behind 2D character design for animated shows, movies, video games, anime, graphic novels, and your own intellectual property.

The art of character design will be approached through a step-by-step process, where students serve as storytellers to their own characters, designing not only their visual design, but their personalities and emotions through the art of facial expression, clothing, and posture. Using shape driven design and construction, poses and character turnarounds, students will gain the technical skills required to build their own figures and work towards creating their own portfolio of work. 

Sharing their work with their peers and instructor, students will receive thoughtful, in-depth feedback, culminating in the creation of their own character model sheets. 

Towards the end of the course, students will gain insight into the animation industry, including portfolio creation, professional design roles, avenues of study for college, and insight on industry design tests for jobs in animation and gaming. 

Course Materials: Students can work traditionally, or if working digitally, students should bring their iPad or laptop. All other materials will be provided. 

Summer A: In Person

June 24 to July 12, 2024

Monday–Friday, 11:10 a.m.–1:00 p.m. and 3:10–5:00 p.m. ET

Instructor(s):

• Michael Allen

GAMP0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 11503 - CLASS IS FULL!

Designed for students with experience in drama who are interested in developing original theatrical productions, the course emphasizes the working relationship between actor, director, and playwright, and the unique dynamic that exists between them when working on untried material.

Workshops and lectures during the first week introduce students to the demands of play development. Students then elect to specialize in one of three areas: acting, directing, or playwriting. The remainder of the course is given over to the development of short plays to be written, directed, and acted by the students under the supervision of theatrical professionals. In small, autonomous groups of actors, each with its own director and playwright, students create a production to be mounted at the end of the program.

Workshops are interactive, with the evolving pieces of each play periodically shown to the entire group for feedback in a safe, supportive environment. The course affords students a unique opportunity to experience the nuances of professional theatrical collaboration.

In the last two days of each session, several of the completed plays are performed for an audience of peers, friends, and family members. Students present two evening performances and one matinee.

Summer B: In Person

July 16 to August 02, 2024

Monday–Friday, 10:10 a.m.–1:00 p.m. and 3:10–5:00 p.m. ET

• Dyana Kimball

TCOL0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 10366

Participants learn all the basics of making a strong, visually-driven short film with an emphasis on narrative storytelling. The course focuses on the fundamentals of video production: essential film grammar, story development, script, music, and sound.

Working in small groups, students shoot three shorter pieces before collaborating to make a final film. The exercises start off simply, adding a new element of filmmaking with each new assignment.

For the final film, students work sequentially through the stages of production: initial concept, synopsis, treatment, script, storyboards, and final shooting and editing. During pre-production participants learn how to work in a group to plan for and realize a short film from concept to shooting script. During production they work together to coordinate and shoot their script. And finally in post-production they edit and polish their projects. The instructor provides guidance throughout the process, emphasizing the students’ responsibility for carrying the project from inception to completion.

The emphasis throughout the three weeks is on collaborative teamwork. Over the course of the various exercises, each student takes on a number of different roles within the production teams (director, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, sound). For the final projects, only a handful of proposals are selected for production, so not every participant directs or writes his or her own film, though everyone plays a crucial role in the production.

On the last day of the program, students screen their completed films at a film festival attended by friends, family members, and other program participants. The completed films can potentially be used for submission to short film festivals and as portfolio pieces for film or art school applications.

Students should plan to be available to work on their final films on the weekend preceding the final week of the program. Laptops are recommended but not required for this class. Cameras and other film production equipment are provided.

Monday–Friday, 9:10–11:00 a.m. and 1:10–3:00 p.m. ET

• Mark Christopher

DIFI0207 | Section 001 | Call Number 11608

• Maria Maggenti

DIFI0207 | Section 002 | Call Number 12080

DIFI0207 | Section 003 | Call Number 11609 - CLASS IS FULL!

DIFI0207 | Section 004 | Call Number 12081 - CLASS IS FULL!

Summer: Online

Studio arts courses are offered in conjunction with Columbia University's School of the Arts.

This week-long class focuses on preparing the drawing portion of a fine art portfolio application for college submissions. As the week progresses, each student receives an in-depth critique from the instructor of their current work and of their plan for their portfolio. The course is focused on completing several large projects so as to showcase observational drawing skills, ranging from still life to architectural space to self-portraiture, as well as conceptual skills.

The course combines video demonstrations of drawing techniques, individual conferences with the instructor as well as online group critiques, and virtual studio visits with professional artists. Critical issues in art are addressed once a week through group writing prompts and online discussion, so as to generate meaningful debates as a context for studio work. An online demonstration of how to professionally document and edit work in Photoshop for a digital application concludes the week.

Participants are encouraged to contextualize their creative process through language and writing, with assigned creative writing prompts, short presentations, and an ongoing sketchbook practice. A final blog houses a virtual exhibit and work is shared regularly within the community on a social media platform.

Students will need to acquire their own materials, which will cost approximately $100. This course is intended for students ranging from beginners to advanced artists.

Summer C: Online

August 05 to August 09, 2024

Monday–Friday, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and 1:00–3:00 p.m. ET

• Ioana Manolache

DRAW0100 | Section D01 | Call Number 12155

This course is aimed at developing a series of foundational drawings for a fine arts college-application portfolio.

Students explore various approaches to drawing from both observation and imagination while focusing on conceptually creative assignments. Each session develops the students’ approach to various materials, composition, and personal narratives into completed works that can be used for a final portfolio. Students have prolonged time to study and sketch the human figure from live nude models in class. Ideas are explored through assigned writings and developed in a sketchbook throughout the course.

A visit to a museum or gallery is scheduled as part of the course so as to facilitate discussion of relevant art historical concepts as well as contemporary approaches to drawing.

Lastly, participants learn how to prepare and digitally document works into a final portfolio for college applications.

Some previous experience with drawing is recommended, and the course is designed for students interested in applying to a visual arts undergraduate program in the future. All materials are provided.

Summer C: In Person

Monday–Friday, 9:10–11:00 a.m. and 1:10–4:00 p.m. ET

• James Mercer

DRAW0100 | Section 001 | Call Number 11501

In this beginner-level class, students explore various modes of looking at and interpreting the world through drawing. The course emphasizes drawing from both observation and imagination as ways to learn traditional drawing techniques and foster creativity and personal interpretation. Course assignments stress observation while focusing on experiments with materials so as to find creative approaches to visual problem-solving. Assignments include exercises in composition, use of charcoal and pencil, graphic drawing techniques, wet media, color theory, and optical illusions.

The course combines studio work, including the study of the human figure using live nude models, with outdoor drawing, individual and group critiques, and visits to major museums and art galleries. Critical issues in art are addressed once a week in the form of a short seminar, so as to generate meaningful debates as a context for studio work.

Participants also learn how to prepare a final portfolio for college applications, and the session concludes with a group show to which parents, friends, and other program participants are invited.

• Olivia Drusin

DRAW0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 11681

• Katherine Blackburne

DRAW0101 | Section 002 | Call Number 11604

In this course, students explore fashion with a particular focus on style and culture in New York City and then develop their own designs.

Participants get a first-hand look at the field through discussions with active figures in the fashion industry such as designers, marketing directors, and stylists. They take field trips to locations such as the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and the costume collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Readings on the history, theory, and culture of fashion include works by icons, artists, writers, editors, philosopher, and activists such as Diana Vreeland, Susan Sontag, Oscar Wilde, Bernard Rudofsky, and Marilyn Bender. As a springboard for inspiration and discussion, students view the works of a variety of designers through film clips and videos. Through explorations into fashion as art, students will encounter individuals who live and enact fashion through performative dress, at times challenging social and gender expectations

Having gained a firm grounding in the field, participants research and formulate their own original fashion concepts. Based on these concepts, they design their own unique collections. Concepts may center on a particular motif (e.g., technology as an extension of the human body), period or style (e.g., British monarchy, Imperial China, Ancient Egypt, imagined future, underwater or deep space), or material inspiration (e.g., mylar, fiber optics, recyclables, etc.). While sharing sources of inspiration and research discoveries, with attention to both craft and theory, in addition to producing individual collections, students engage in a collaborative design project.

• Eva Goodman

FASH0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 11614

This intensive introduction to key concepts in architecture focuses on architectural history and theory combined with dedicated time for independent design. Participants are familiarized with the fundamental vocabulary employed to describe architectural ideas. The course covers how to analyze a building visually and formally, and introduces a spectrum of significant historical and recent designs while instilling an understanding of how the built environment is generated and transformed. Class discussions are supplemented with architectural tours of the Columbia University campus and visits to prominent works of modern architecture in New York City.

Hands-on application introduces participants to the conceptual skills employed by architectural designers. Instructors provide students with training in technical drawing and introduce them to the process of conceptualizing and developing architectural ideas.

Course participants will be required to purchase approximately $250 of basic studio supplies prior to the start of class.

• Thomas Wensing

ARCT0120 | Section 001 | Call Number 10386 - CLASS IS FULL!

• Thomas Negaard

ARCT0120 | Section 002 | Call Number 11512 - CLASS IS FULL!

• Diana Trushell

ARCT0120 | Section 003 | Call Number 12048 - CLASS IS FULL!

ARCT0120 | Section 004 | Call Number 10387 - CLASS IS FULL!

ARCT0120 | Section 005 | Call Number 12049 - CLASS IS FULL!

ARCT0120 | Section 006 | Call Number 12050 - CLASS IS FULL!

• Bernardo Zavattini

ARCT0120 | Section 007 | Call Number 12051

Art appreciation can take many forms. From visiting museums to reading literature to listening to oral histories, absorbing the stories behind pieces provides perspective and insight into creative expression from all over the world. Through this course, students will explore a variety of works and learn how to analyze and discuss their complexities and meanings. Further, students will become acquainted with period pieces in multiple modalities (sculptures, videos, etc.) and discuss thought-providing interpretations from academics, philosophers, and theorists. Additionally, the course will have an experiential component, providing students with the opportunity to physically and virtually view major collections at NYC landmarks like the Frick, MoMA, the Whitney, the Guggenheim, and the Metropolitan. At course completion, students will be able to intelligently converse about art, as well as acquire a sophisticated foundation for further study.

• Thomas Ian Campbell

ARAR0103 | Section 001 | Call Number 10367

NYC is one of the most exciting cities in the world. The city grid is filled with iconic architecture, from tenements to skyscrapers. This said, it is no secret that NYC has always symbolized extreme inequality and opportunity all at once. Where one lives in NYC determines access to jobs, schools, food, and even life expectancy. Additionally, with NYC being the most racially segregated metropolitan area in the US, poverty, racism, and unhealthy living conditions are both persistent and contested. Together, the real estate and social justice components yield community design opportunities that budding urban planners and architects need to explore.

Through this introductory course in NYC community design, students will learn how pressing social justice issues impacts planning, as well as activism. Additionally, through lecture and experiential study, students will learn how to pinpoint community needs, and plan neighborhood development around them. This course culminates in a small design exercise where students design a playground based on community needs.

This course is a good choice for students interested in community planning, social justice, environmental justice and in the social dimension of architecture.

ARCH0103 | Section 001 | Call Number 10388

This course introduces students to examine and understand the effects of the physical environment on human experience. The students will learn to see architecture not only as a material and formal practice but also as a social one. How does architecture contribute to community building, social (in)equality, and sustainable consumption of natural resources? The course will emphasize hands-on learning and contemporary architecture of New York City, engaging the city as a living laboratory for learning. In addition to learning through reading, direct observation, and analysis, students also learn to expand their imagination through model-making as a way of thinking with their hands, as well as sketching as a means to observe and analyze buildings.

The class will visit works of architecture in complex urban settings, which may include the Lincoln Center, the Highline, and the Grand Central Station, to look beyond appearance and to study social impacts of architecture. The course is suited for students who may be interested in studying architecture in college, as well as those who want to deepen their understanding of architecture through hands-on experiences.

***Please note this course runs an additional hour in the afternoon to accommodate field trips and model-making. The course will run 9:10am-11am in the morning and 1:10 pm-4pm in the afternoon.

ARCH0103 | Section 001 | Call Number 12046

ARCH0103 | Section 002 | Call Number 12047

Each moment of a film involves countless decisions: where to place the camera, where to position the actors, choosing how they will dress, should there be music in the background, the relation of a shot to those that precede it and those that follow it, among endless other decisions. Throughout the course, students will focus on these considerations, stepping into the mindset of a filmmaker to learn what techniques they use to convey meaning—and create the sense of a world through film. 

In the first three days of class, an introduction to the major avenues of expression in cinema—cinematography, editing, mise-en-scène, sound and narrative—will be explored. In the final two days of class, students will engage in close, detailed readings of two films that will elucidate not only the filmmakers’ technical choices, but the reasons behind those choices.

• Michael M. Reinhard

FILM0202 | Section 001 | Call Number 10365

This course introduces students to the major historical styles of architecture in the Western hemisphere, with a consideration of notable examples from the East. Stylistic models from both the recent and ancient past have influenced how buildings look today. Likewise, social changes have shaped the way we inhabit the built environment. Understanding architecture in a historic context can enrich our experience of traveling, or of merely walking down the street where we live. It helps us connect our personal spaces and neighborhoods to places from different times and geographies. 

Participants learn to recognize and describe the formal characteristics of architecture broadly defined as Classical, Medieval, Modern, and Postmodern while recognizing that few buildings are designed in a “pure” or exclusive idiom. We analyze historic and modern images of structures which exemplify the most recognizable styles of each era, region, or culture. We also look at current trends in global architecture. When possible, we visit New York City buildings that represent or evoke one or more styles under discussion.

• Nenette Arroyo

ARAR0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 10370

This course is aimed at introducing students to basic oil painting techniques. Participants explore various approaches to painting from observation. Each session focuses on assignments covering concepts such as composition, color theory, the use of materials, creativity, and visual communication in painting. Students work with live nude models and explore diverse approaches to the study of the human figure.

A visit to a museum or gallery is scheduled as part of the course so as to facilitate discussion of relevant art historical concepts as well as contemporary approaches to painting. Participants also learn how to prepare a final portfolio for college applications.

Some experience with drawing is recommended but not required. All materials are provided.

• Miguel Cardenas

PNTG0100 | Section 001 | Call Number 11502

In this course students explore various approaches to painting from observation. They learn oil painting techniques, the basic principles of color theory, and, by working with live nude models, diverse approaches to the study of the human figure. Assignments focus on composition, color theory, the use of materials, and creativity and visual communication in painting.

Studio work is complemented by individual and group critiques as well as lectures and field trips to major New York City museums and galleries. Critical issues in art are addressed once a week in the form of a short seminar, so as to generate meaningful debates as a context for studio work.

PNTN0210 | Section 001 | Call Number 11606

PNTN0210 | Section 002 | Call Number 11607

This course introduces students to the art and analysis of cinema through examination of works by filmmakers ranging from Orson Welles to Martin Scorsese. Readings, screenings, the analysis of clips and full-length movies, as well as hands-on exercises such as storyboarding, blocking, shooting, and editing a scene all combine to convey the excitement and artistry of film.  

Week One : 

Students learn how motion pictures developed their own language—their own, universally understood visual system of representation—by studying the masters of early and contemporary cinema: the edge-of-your-seat last minute rescue scenes of D.W. Griffith; the bravura long takes of Jean Renoir; the nail-biting tension created by Quentin Tarantino; and the nerve-tingling suspense that is the hallmark of Alfred Hitchcock. Using their smartphones, students try their own hand at conceptualizing, blocking, and editing scenes in the continuity style of classic Hollywood cinema.  

Week Two :  

Having learned Hollywood’s tricks of the trade, we branch out into international cinema, where other nations developed different systems of representation—their own languages—that challenged but also inspired the American film industry. Meet the Soviet style of filmmaking that revolutionized cinema in every sense of the word; the Gothic excess of German Expressionism, whose use of lighting, setting, and costume echoes in all contemporary horror flicks; and the samurai swordplay of Akira Kurosawa and its reincarnation in gun-slinging Hollywood Westerns. Each student writes a review of one contemporary American film that owes a debt to foreign cinema—or vice versa.  

Week Three : 

Putting it all together, Week Three culminates in group analyses of some of the masterworks of classical and contemporary cinema such as Citizen Kane, La La Land, and Run, Lola, Run. We examine and discuss the ways in which sound and image, editing, and the elements of mise-en-scène combine to create transporting cinematic experiences that have the ability to make audiences cry, experience fear, feel empathy and joy and, above all, marvel at the magic of movies.  

Assigned readings include film reviews and essays on film analysis, technique, and history. Students are also responsible for an oral presentation on a specific scene, film, or director of their choice. 

Please be aware that some of the films viewed contain violence and mature subject matter.

FILM0100 | Section 001 | Call Number 10364

Making urban areas livable, sustainable, and desirable is a top priority for governmental bodies, economists, business leaders, realtors, and many other key stakeholders. Shaping the way our society operates is a big job, and it’s why urban planning is such a sought-after career. Becoming an urban planner requires a combination of sophisticated skills that includes architecture, engineering, and design. Through this course, students will explore the fundamentals of urban planning, learn how to build effective communities, and discuss the best practices of working with land (including infrastructure, water, and air) to design healthy, happy, and in-demand habitats. Additionally, students will explore how transportation, business districts, and environmental concerns impact development. By the end of the course, students will have an acumen for discussing history, theory, and pressing social issues that impact both real estate and residents’ quality of life. Note: This class will focus on this topic from a United States perspective. 

SURB0105 | Section 001 | Call Number 12128 - CLASS IS FULL!

• Rachel Halfaker

SURB0105 | Section 002 | Call Number 12129

Business, Economics, and Entrepreneurship

This practical course equips students with the skills necessary to realize their entrepreneurial visions. Students will learn about the entrepreneurial process, from the preliminary stages of research, to the legalities of setting up, as well as financials and marketing. Students will be introduced to the different types of enterprises, for profit and nonprofit, as well as social entrepreneurship. Through real examples, the course takes a closer look at common pitfalls, and stories of successes within the business world. 

Class time is divided between interactive lecture and guided hands-on work. Students will be expected to develop a business idea over the duration of the course, culminating in a final presentation and the submission of a business plan proposal. 

Participants are required to bring laptops for this class and should have an entrepreneurial idea in mind that they would like to develop during the duration of the course.

• Ciara Ungar

ENIN0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 10414

• Daniel Ahmadizadeh

ENIN0101 | Section 002 | Call Number 10395

Summer: In Person | Online        Spring: Online

Can economic growth be reconciled with sustainability? Can social entrepreneurs find solutions to climate adaptation challenges? How do we incentivize fishermen to conserve the world’s fisheries? Can microfinance loans to the entrepreneurial poor reduce global poverty? What practices can businesses adopt to align their bottom lines with sustainability? How can we do well while doing good – and while embracing principles of equity, access, participation, and human rights?

In the context of policies, course participants are introduced to key concepts and skills associated with social entrepreneurship, finance, and economics and are consequently enabled to think proactively about solving some of the world’s biggest problems – while also probing how profitability and social justice might intersect and at times come into conflict.

Students are introduced to economic concepts such as supply and demand, utility, macro- and microeconomics, the time value of money, and the use of indicators. They also engage with key concepts relating to business formation and management, raising funds using debt or equity, and financial accounting.

Participants begin to see some of the largest social problems we face today as essentially economic challenges – and are then asked to come up with potential solutions. 

EESJ0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 12086 - CLASS IS FULL!

• Kim Gittleson

EESJ0101 | Section 003 | Call Number 12440

Summer A: Online

July 01 to July 12, 2024

Monday–Friday, 8:00–11:00 a.m. ET

EESJ0101 | Section D01 | Call Number 12156

• Isabelle Delalex

EESJ0101 | Section 002 | Call Number 12087 - CLASS IS FULL!

EESJ0101 | Section 004 | Call Number 12441

EESJ0101 | Section 005 | Call Number 12940

Summer B: Online

July 15 to July 26, 2024

Monday–Friday, 5:00–8:00 p.m. ET

EESJ0101 | Section D02 | Call Number 12157

EESJ0101 | Section D03 | Call Number 12158

January 20 to March 24, 2024

EESJ0104 | Section D01 | Call Number 11444 - CLASS IS FULL!

Fall: Online

This course provides students with strategies and tools to elevate the efficacy of social innovations by integrating insights from behavioral science research and practice. Through readings and hands-on innovation projects, participants will gain skills to deeply understand user psychology, frame opportunities focused on specific behavior changes, develop interventions using evidence-based techniques, rapidly prototype concepts, and rigorously evaluate impact on behaviors. 

The sessions cover opportunity framing, customer discovery, creative ideation, prototyping, and experimentation. Students will learn how applying behavioral economics, psychology, and cognitive science can enhance the innovation process and drive positive social change.

September 20 to December 01, 2024

Sunday, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. ET

• Jack McGourty

Summer: In Person | Online

Intended for students interested in creating new business or social enterprises, this hands-on course focuses on the creation, evaluation, development, and launch-readiness of new business or social ventures. Participants are guided through the new venture creation process as applied to student team-selected venture ideas. Through interactive lectures, short case studies, and structured peer activities, students explore the elements of the new venture planning process in an innovative modular format.

For each student venture, key issues are addressed in a fashion highly consistent with other formal venture-planning processes including: business model development, customer discovery, product-market validation, in-depth industry and market analysis, product or service innovation, brand development and go-to-market strategies, team selection and management, profit models, financing, and legal considerations.

Students work through a series of structured activities and assignments that correspond with each phase of new venture planning. Throughout the class they refine their venture’s hypothesized business model on the basis of instructor and peer feedback. At each stage of venture plan development, they learn critical terms, apply tools that support research and decision making, and develop a deep understanding of how each major planning activity fits into formal venture creation. Additionally, they hone critical professional skills including creative problem-solving, communication and negotiation, project management, financial analysis, and collaborative leadership. By the end of the class, participants have generated robust business models, with supportive venture plan documents, investor pitches, websites, and crowd-funding videos. 

ENIN0201 | Section 001 | Call Number 10358 - CLASS IS FULL!

• Stephane Goldsand

ENIN0201 | Section 002 | Call Number 10415

ENIN0201 | Section 003 | Call Number 10396

• Sarah Beston

ENIN0201 | Section D01 | Call Number 11783

ENIN0201 | Section 004 | Call Number 10359 - CLASS IS FULL!

ENIN0201 | Section 005 | Call Number 10416

ENIN0201 | Section 006 | Call Number 10397 - CLASS IS FULL!

Monday–Friday, 12:00–3:00 p.m. ET

ENIN0201 | Section D02 | Call Number 11784

This intensive course takes an applied, practical approach to the development, testing, and validation of customer or community-driven product solutions. By learning and applying contemporary design-thinking concepts and tools, students generate innovative solutions to important customer or community problems. During the program, students identify and define a major problem to be solved, work with real customers to better understand the problem from their perspective, generate multiple solutions, then choose a solution to test with real customers. Students acquire practical knowledge and tools focusing on the development, testing, and validation of new products that solve real customer problems and needs, from idea to early product development.

Students can expect to learn how to:

• identify and articulate customer problems in an accurate way, reflecting how individuals truly experience the problem and its challenges
• create effective customer surveys to help validate your assumptions on customer problems (pain points), solutions, and benefits (expected outcomes)
• assess current solutions provided in the marketplace in order to build on best practices as well as identify gap areas
• develop a minimal viable product in order to gain additional feedback on specific solution features
• measure and validate customer needs fulfillment or social impact assumptions
• develop a solution (business or social enterprise) model to test your assumptions about customer interests, acceptance, and use

In-Person participants are expected to bring laptops for this class.

ENID0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 10394

ENID0101 | Section 002 | Call Number 10417

ENID0101 | Section D01 | Call Number 11785

Summer: In Person        Fall: Online

Game theory is the science of strategy. Within this ever-evolving field, practitioners are responsible for working through economic concepts that depend on rationality, as well as choice and uncertainty. Specifically, those working in this field help with optimal decision making between an independent agent and competing actors. The result of this work can take many forms, including when (and if) to launch a product and how to price it, or when to be cooperative in a negotiation (or not), or even whether to confess to a crime (or not). Throughout the course, students will study the works of key pioneers in Game Theory, as well as synthesize and triangulate readings to topics in economics, business, political science, and project management. Students will be expected to apply learnings to solving work complex probability sets and analyze decision-maker payoffs. By the end of the course, students will have a new appreciation for how Game Theory directly impacts - and influences - major decisions. Additionally, they will be able to work through choices and outcomes better in their own lives. 

• Valerie De La Rosa

ECON0102 | Section 001 | Call Number 12085 - CLASS IS FULL!

• Alejandro Reuss

ECON0102 | Section 002 | Call Number 12915

Saturday, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. ET

What is the impact of the resurgence of populism, nativism, and geopolitical competition on foreign relations and economic growth? Is China’s push to turn the renminbi into a global currency a threat or an opportunity? What are the implications of an unsustainable levels of public debt (U.S., Europe, Latin America, and Asia) on the future of international monetary and financial architecture? Given questions such as these, this course examines the interplay between globalizing pressures and national interests.

Working from a multilateral perspective, students use case studies to examine the nature of relations between nation-states in a period of increased economic and political integration. Topics include theories of international political economy in relation to foreign aid and sovereign debt, international trade and capital flows, security and non-state actors, rights-based approaches to development and humanitarian emergencies, energy sustainability, and the role of international organizations and financial institutions.

For counterpoint, students also examine the political, ideological, and social determinants of domestic political economies, including that of the United States. The political mechanisms of economic policy-making and the relationship between domestic policy and foreign policy are explored using theoretical, historical, and topical cases; examples include the political economy of income distribution and social welfare, national defense and hegemony, the national debt, and globalization.

Students examine these and other topics through lecture, research, academic and policy dialogue, group projects and presentations, peer critiques, and guest speakers. For students enrolled in the in person program, the course typically includes a visit to the United Nations Headquarters.

EGLO0240 | Section 001 | Call Number 12088 - CLASS IS FULL!

• Alexander Gordon

EGLO0240 | Section D01 | Call Number 11797

EGLO0240 | Section 002 | Call Number 12089

EGLO0240 | Section D02 | Call Number 11798

This course focuses on the firm’s financial and economic behavior. The firm needs cash to undertake worthy investments, and the firm needs to identify investments worth undertaking. What models does the firm use to identify such investments? What sources of cash can the firm use? How do the financial markets in which this money is raised function? How does the market value the firm, its securities, and its investments? What financial instruments are available to the firm? What are the microeconomic models that best describe a firm’s behavior in such markets?

In answering these questions, the participants discuss stocks, bonds, stock markets, as well as valuation models of investments, firms, and securities. They also work with concepts like optimal investment strategies, what is revealed and what is hidden in published accounting statements, and what are some of the sources of risk. Students also acquire familiarity with the mechanics and history of the financial markets.

The course includes case studies and some sustained independent work by the participants.

Laptops, while not required, are highly recommended for In-Person participants. 

• Aaishatu Glover

BUFE0220 | Section 003 | Call Number 10362 - CLASS IS FULL!

BUFE0220 | Section 004 | Call Number 11619 - CLASS IS FULL!

BUFE0220 | Section 001 | Call Number 10360

• May Ling Lai

BUFE0220 | Section 002 | Call Number 12057 - CLASS IS FULL!

BUFE0220 | Section D01 | Call Number 12143 - CLASS IS FULL!

• Matt Mazewski

BUFE0220 | Section D02 | Call Number 11838 - CLASS IS FULL!

BUFE0220 | Section 007 | Call Number 10363

• Michael T. Bennett

BUFE0220 | Section 008 | Call Number 10433

BUFE0220 | Section 005 | Call Number 10361 - CLASS IS FULL!

• Mario A. Gonzalez Corzo

BUFE0220 | Section 006 | Call Number 10434 - CLASS IS FULL!

BUFE0220 | Section 009 | Call Number 12355 - CLASS IS FULL!

BUFE0220 | Section D04 | Call Number 12229

BUFE0220 | Section D03 | Call Number 12144

This introductory-level course is intended for students who have an interest in learning more about how corporations make business decisions and fund those decisions. The course provides a brief introduction to the fundamentals of finance, emphasizing their application to a wide variety of real-world situations in corporate decision-making and financial intermediation. Key concepts and applications include the time value of money, risk-return tradeoff, cost of capital, interest rates, discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis, net present value, internal rate of return, hurdle rate, and payback period. Students will leave with an understanding of both sound theoretical principles of finance and practical tools of financial decision-making.

FINC0100 | Section 001 | Call Number 11683 - CLASS IS FULL!

• Chris Droussiotis

FINC0100 | Section D01 | Call Number 12162

Summer: Online | In Person        Fall: Online        Spring: Online

Participants learn the principles of finance and investment management, to include interest rates and compound interest, the time value of money, risk and reward, how stocks and bonds are valued, how the stock market functions, how the international financial market functions, and how to approach stock selection and portfolio management.

We explore the structure of the financial system, to include the role of individual participants, investment banks, asset managers, the Central Bank, and other players in the global economy. The course connects foundations of economics to financial markets. What is the role of risk in investment? How does the environment of the market and the broader world drive return on investments? Why have some investments done well in memorable history? Why have others not done well? How are the winners and losers of past investments explained by financial theory? What is the role of traditional investments, such as mutual funds, and of alternative investments, such as venture capital, private equity and hedge funds?

Students generate their own investment strategies and portfolios. The course includes some asynchronous work, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

IFIN0101 | Section D01 | Call Number 12165

• Arch Hoffman

IFIN0101 | Section D02 | Call Number 12166

IFIN0101 | Section D03 | Call Number 12167

IFIN0101 | Section 002 | Call Number 10399

• Edgar Nunez

IFIN0101 | Section 004 | Call Number 12098

IFIN0101 | Section 005 | Call Number 12099

IFIN0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 10398

• Matthew Cantwell

IFIN0101 | Section 003 | Call Number 10400

• Nicholas Cavallaro

IFIN0101 | Section D04 | Call Number 11786

Friday, 8:00–10:00 p.m. ET

IFIN0104 | Section D01 | Call Number 11437

There is no denying the significant growth in the focus on Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) Investing that has taken place over the past few years, with trends around climate change leading the charge. What was once deemed a public value focal point has blossomed into a prudent investment strategy as research has indicated that companies demonstrating a commitment to sustainable business practices, in the long-run, outperform those that do not. The result has been a mass migration towards ESG and Impact investing.

This course is an introduction to socially responsible investing and an overview of the differences between ESG and Impact Investing. We investigate the relationships between ESG investing, outperforming market returns, and achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

The materials presented in class as well as class discussions empower students to answer questions such as:

• How can investing be reconciled with sustainability and achieving the sustainable development goals?
• Will ESG investing become the norm rather than the exception?
• What are the links between green finance and ESG investing?

Through a mix of introductory finance and asset management theories, class colloquia, and investment case studies, students gain an understanding of the challenges and opportunities embedded in sustainable investing.

FINC0202 | Section 001 | Call Number 10432

Looking at stocks, bonds, ETFs, cryptocurrency, real estate, futures, and options, this course introduces students to how professional investment managers construct investment portfolios. We look at these different investment opportunities as well as key valuation and risk management techniques. How might investors benefit from diversification? What are the metrics for measuring performance?  What are the common pitfalls made by investors? 

Class time is divided between interactive lecture and guided hands-on work. Participants assume the role of professional money managers as they operate their own diversified investment portfolios in a session-long simulation game. Common theories and practices presented in class, news of current and world events, and discussion around decisions made by the world’s foremost investors are incorporated as students develop a sense of how real-time managers make decisions.

Participants are required to bring laptops for this class and, as this is a quantitative course, should be comfortable with math and prepared for a challenging experience.

INVE0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 12101 - CLASS IS FULL!

INVE0101 | Section 002 | Call Number 12102 - CLASS IS FULL!

• Melissa Sexton

INVE0101 | Section 003 | Call Number 11622 - CLASS IS FULL!

• Ray Pullaro

INVE0101 | Section 004 | Call Number 12103

While membership in American labor unions has been on the decline for decades, recent years have seen a resurgence of workers organizing across the United States. Almost every week brings new headlines about strikes or campaigns to form new unions in a variety of different industries, from auto manufacturing to healthcare to TV and movie production. This course will examine the subject of labor relations through the lens of economics by introducing some of the key tools that economists use to study interactions between workers and firms in the labor market. A major focus will be the role that collective bargaining can play in shaping the terms and conditions of employment, such as wages, benefits, and workplace health and safety protections.   Students will learn to define fundamental concepts in labor economics and labor-management relations, interpret theoretical models, and identify patterns in real-world data on labor market institutions and outcomes with the help of empirical methods. Class activities and exercises will offer hands-on perspectives on the subject matter, and will include an opportunity for students to practice negotiating their own collective bargaining agreement. Those who complete the course will come away with a greater understanding of how economists use theory and data to gain insight into the workings of the labor market and how unions function in the modern economy.

BUFE0103 | Section D01 | Call Number 11837

Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and other leading investment firms have predicted that the space economy will be worth trillions of dollars within the next few decades. In this course we explore a number of key issues having to do with the space industry and the emerging space economy with the intention of preparing participants to be leaders in those fields.

Potential topics to be covered include:

• How private businesses are changing the new space race
• Why space commercialization will lead to a Fifth Industrial Revolution
• What old and new financial models are enabling the growth of space technology
• The role of NASA, the Space Force, NOAA, and other government agencies
• Should we be investing in space when there are so many challenges facing humanity on Earth?
• How do businesses profit from working within the space economy?
• What does the work of SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin tell us about opportunities in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), the moon, and Mars?
• What steps a business must go through to be part of the new space race
• How new private and national programs will add to the complexity and vibrancy of the economy
• What is the role of space in human rights?
• How does the improvement of communities in space lead to social and technology improvements?
• What environmental problems can be solved using space technology?
• What is the role of traditional financial institutions such as banks and mutual funds, and how does that compare to the role of family private offices, VCs, and hedge funds in disruptive industries like the space economy?

The course draws on fundamental concepts in business, economics, and finance and applies new concepts from ESG (environmental, social, and governance) investing, risk management, and social impact measurements. Participants gain a foundational understanding of business development, the importance of intellectual property, and the value of community building as part of any business strategy - how solving for space is really about solving for problems on Earth. Guest speakers represent the private sector as well as groups such as NASA, the Space Force, and international space organizations.

Students leave with the tools to place an economic lens on the business, technology, and financing of spaceports, the aerospace industry, space adjacent technology, and the space economy as a whole. From launch, to satellites, to private stations, to manufacturing in LEO, to the permanent human settlement of the moon, via the Artemis program, this course gives students insights into the future they will help build and lead.

As the final project for the course, participants generate their own investment strategies and portfolios.

• Samson Williams
• George Pullen

BUFE0303 | Section D01 | Call Number 12145

Core Skills

This course introduces students to standard practices in research methodologies in academia, geared towards the social sciences. Through a complementary, two-part approach, students will develop the skills and knowledge to execute robust academic research at the collegiate level. 

The course begins with an overview of research principles and fundamental research methods. Students will explore a broad range of research models, including the scientific method, research design, and data collection techniques. Students will learn to identify relevant benchmarks and measurements for conducting quantitative, qualitative, empirical, and hybrid analyses as well as explore their use across various disciplines. 

Utilizing the methodologies outlined in class, students will work in groups to conduct a research project based on their interests. Beginning with a research hypothesis, students will devise a framework of disciplined inquiry, defining its scale and scope. Students will be encouraged to form a supportive cohesive research team, open to peers’ diverse perspectives, building consensus to guide their collaborative research effort to mitigate “group think” dynamics and foster unbiased research.

After completing a preliminary research analysis, students will present a research PowerPoint presentation for peer review, outlining their hypothesis statement, methodology and preliminary findings. Upon reaching the end of the course, each research team will finalize their research report ready for publication, incorporating peer feedback, and substantiating it with accurate data, facts, empirical evidence and demonstrating that their research hypothesis is true, false, or nuanced. Ideally, the report will include actionable recommendations and suggest a way forward to further the research.

Throughout the course, a focus will be placed on mindful research approaches, including the ethical, moral, and philosophical considerations intertwined with academic research.

Saturday, 1:00–3:00 p.m. ET

Spring: Online

The Columbia Writing Academy is designed for high school students who know that writing is the key to college success and want to develop their own personal voice and expand their writing skills before starting college. Through a combination of workshops and tutorials, exercises and assignments, students will practice the fundamental skills for writing successful college essays—developing a position to argue, persuading readers, anticipating counterarguments, and crafting strong sentences. Students will explore each stage in the writing process—brainstorming, drafting, revising—and will receive in-depth feedback at each stage of the process.  By the end of the course, students will have practiced the major skills of successful college writing and have written a college-level essay. The Academy will be a lively two-week online course that requires six to eight hours of work each week, including reading, writing, and participating in three synchronous Zoom sessions each week. 

Course Dates : February 5 - February 15, 2024 Synchronous Sessions : Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, 7:00-8:15 pm ET.

• Sarah Garfinkel

WRIT0103 | Section D01 | Call Number 12010

The Columbia Writing Academy is designed for those who want to use the power of writing to develop their own personal voice and style. Through a combination of workshops and tutorials, students will learn new writing techniques and develop the skills and confidence to write a powerful college admissions essay. As many colleges place less emphasis on standardized test scores, the admissions essay has taken a larger role in the application process. In this course, students will explore each stage in the essay writing process—brainstorming, drafting, revising—and will receive in-depth feedback from the teaching team throughout the process.

The College Admissions Essay, often called a personal statement, is an opportunity for students to stand out and set themselves apart from other applicants by saying “here’s something about me that you might not know from my grades; here’s my story; here’s what matters to me.” By the end of the two-week course, students will have written an essay that personalizes their college application, captivates readers, and shows colleges why they should accept them. The Workshop will be a lively, stimulating two-week online course that requires six to eight hours of work each week, including reading, writing, participating in three weekly synchronous sessions via Zoom.

Please note that this course follows an atypical schedule: Monday, Tuesday & Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 8:15 p.m. ET .

Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, 7:00–8:15 p.m. ET

WRIT0101 | Section D01 | Call Number 12238

WRIT0101 | Section D02 | Call Number 12239

WRIT0101 | Section D03 | Call Number 12240

WRIT0101 | Section D04 | Call Number 12241

Throughout our lives, in every role we play, persuasion plays a critical part. In the fields of sales and marketing, the connection is obvious, but when we apply to schools and interview for jobs our ability to frame our capabilities comes into play. The work of trial lawyers may clearly require the ability to influence judges and juries, but teachers, engineers, managers – people in every line of work – at some point need to convince others of a different way of thinking. Even in our personal lives, there are times when we want to change others’ minds.

In this course, students will – through reading, lecture, discussion, exercises, and activities -- learn the art, science and practical techniques used by the most successful marketers and salespeople. Over the course of the term, we will cover broad themes that inform all communication (e.g., motivators, language, storytelling, etc.), as well as best practices specific to each approach (written communication, phone, meetings, speeches, et al).

• Court Stroud

COMM0103 | Section 001 | Call Number 12065

In this course, students learn how to write effectively about complex topics. They learn to use writing not only as a tool for expressing themselves clearly, but also as a way to refine and advance their thinking. They write and revise formal essays in which they analyze college-level texts, and, time permitting, compose personal essays about their own experiences.

Participants identify the strengths and weaknesses in their writing and improve their skills through individual and group work, class discussion, multiple revisions, in-class exercises, and homework. They learn how to formulate a clear and original thesis, identify and explain supporting evidence, organize an essay, and use language that is lucid and precise. We review essential points of grammar and style, paying special attention to common mistakes, and we read and analyze works that exemplify good writing.

By the end of the week, students will have become not only better writers but also more insightful and sophisticated readers and thinkers.

• Brie Bouslaugh

WRTE0101 | Section 003 | Call Number 11605

• Allen Mogol

WRTE0101 | Section 004 | Call Number 11617

• Jennifer Timilty

WRTE0101 | Section 005 | Call Number 11618

• Mark Blacher

WRTE0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 10428 - CLASS IS FULL!

• Claire Hodgdon

WRTE0101 | Section 002 | Call Number 11616

• Anne Summers

WRTE0101 | Section D01 | Call Number 11844

While some leaders are born, most are made. Becoming a great leader takes both training and practice, and today’s most effective leaders are forever honing their skills. The Pre-College Leadership Lab is a unique and meaningful experience for any future leader. Students will begin the highly experiential course by immersing themselves in leadership theory, and identifying their own leadership styles. Applied practice of new-found knowledge will include public speaking, role play activities, team building, and conflict resolution. Additionally, the lab will feature guest speakers from various leadership areas, who will discuss both their challenges and successes. By the end of the course, students will be prepared to articulate their leadership goals, and have an actionable plan to grow and develop into future leaders who will positively impact the world.

ORL 0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 12063

Why do dystopian stories keep getting told? Why do we love to read and write these stories? What techniques do writers use to create new worlds? How do these texts allow us to reconsider our own realities?

This course investigates how writers use dystopia and science fiction to not only explore possibilities for the future but to comment on our own present society. Assigned texts will include classic dystopian works like "1984" in addition to more recent contributions to the genre from around the globe. We’ll explore how novels, short stories, and even some films and podcasts comment on topics like the ethics of artificial intelligence, the threat of technological advancement, and the relationship between history and science fiction. We’ll consider where this genre will go in the future and investigate why it appeals to such a vast audience.

Participants will develop their writing skills through essay assignments and short responses. Students will analyze complex texts and practice rhetorical analysis through writing and group activities. Class meetings will focus on collaboration between peers through discussion of both our course texts and student writing. By the end of the course, students will have grown as writers, thinkers, and public speakers.

WRIT0105 | Section D01 | Call Number 11845

Creative Writing

What creative possibilities do true stories hold? How can truth-telling and storytelling work together? How can we turn ourselves—and other real people—into compelling characters? This class considers the possibilities of creative nonfiction. We will explore sub-genres ranging from magazine writing to memoir and personal essays; from science writing and profiles to humor, food writing, and lyric essays. 

In this rigorous one-week course, students will learn research and reporting skills essential to all forms of nonfiction writing, as well as how to incorporate techniques traditionally associated with fiction writing into nonfiction. We will engage with a range of nonfiction prose and use workshops to develop skills as editors and writers.

Students will share their writing in a workshop setting and receive thoughtful, in-depth feedback, culminating in a carefully revised portfolio of nonfiction works.

• India Gonzalez

CREA0119 | Section 001 | Call Number 12074

• Laura Palmer

CREA0119 | Section 002 | Call Number 12075

This workshop is geared toward students who have an interest in creative writing and would like to develop their skills and writing practice across genres. Students read and write free verse poetry, short prose, drama, fiction, and creative nonfiction with the goal of developing a final portfolio of revised work.

Students are introduced to a range of technical and imaginative concerns through creative exercises and discussions, and exposed to all aspects of the writing process, including generating ideas, writing and revising drafts, and editing. Participants practice their literary craft with an attentive group of peers, under the guidance of an experienced instructor. They write extensively, read and respond to excerpts from outstanding works of literature, and participate in candid, helpful critiques of their own work and that of peers. Students are expected to come to the class with an openness to various approaches toward literature and writing. Classes are supplemented by conferences with the instructor.

Courses in creative writing are offered in conjunction with the Writing Program at Columbia University’s School of the Arts. Overseen by Chair of Creative Writing Lis Harris, Professor Alan Ziegler, and Director of Creative Writing for Pre-College Programs Christina Rumpf, the creative writing courses are designed to challenge and engage students interested in literary creation, providing them with a substantial foundation for further exploration of their creative work.

Sunday, 1:00–3:00 p.m. ET

CREA0108 | Section D01 | Call Number 13122

This workshop is geared toward students who have experience in creative writing or who demonstrate unusual talent. Students read and write fiction in all its forms with the goal of developing a final portfolio of work.

Students are introduced to a range of technical and imaginative concerns through creative exercises and discussions, and exposed to all aspects of the writing process, including generating ideas, writing and revising drafts, and editing. Participants practice their literary craft with an attentive group of their peers, under the guidance of an experienced instructor. They write extensively, read and respond to excerpts from outstanding works of literature, and participate in candid, helpful critiques of their own work and that of peers. Students are expected to come to the class with an openness to various approaches toward literature and writing. Classes are supplemented by conferences with the instructor.

Parallel universes and the supernatural have the power to reveal truths often hidden behind the veil of modern life. Situating oneself in realities other than one’s own imparts lessons in empathy, possibility, and advancement in our real world. From  Dune  to  IT  to  The Hunger Games , both beloved and feared characters in such fiction have united legions of readers-turned-writers over many continents and generations through the art of world-building. 

The course’s aim is to explore and create immersive, exciting fiction that incorporates the unreal—from surreal, ghostly short stories to detailed epic fantasy novels. In this three-week dual seminar-workshop, students will think and write about the futuristic, uncanny, magical, and speculative, and how these elements mesh with our individual writing goals. 

Students will analyze published works of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror from a writer’s standpoint, considering: what effect did this have on the reader, and how did the writer create this effect? What draws us to these genres? How can we create work that is compelling, original, artful, and fun? Through discussion and writing exercises, we’ll focus on topics including world-building, hero/villain relationships, plot, magic, and suspense. 

In this course, students will uncover the power of imaginative fiction by reading selections of cornerstone texts in the genre, both past and present, and use the techniques discussed in the pieces to write their own original works.

• Ananda Gonzalez

CREA0112 | Section 001 | Call Number 12068

To study creative writing at Columbia University is to join a distinguished group of writers who arrived in the nation's literary capital to explore the deep artistic power of language. J.D. Salinger enrolled in a short story course here in 1939. Federico Garcia Lorca wrote  Poet in New York while he was a student at Columbia. Carson McCullers worked odd jobs in the city to pay for her Columbia writing courses. 

Eudora Welty, Jack Kerouac, Langston Hughes, Allen Ginsberg, Ursula K. Le Guin, Louise Glück, Tracy K. Smith: These renowned writers and many others have left a legacy of originality and brilliance that charges the atmosphere at Columbia and lends genuine excitement to the prospect of literary creation on campus.

In this dual seminar-workshop course, students will both study the prize-winning writing produced by authors who, much like themselves, once studied on campus  and write into a new legacy with us—spanning time, space, and genre.

Working with their peers, students will learn to contribute thoughtful, evidence-based feedback conducive to a supportive community of writers, culminating in a carefully revised portfolio of original writing.

What has made Columbia an artistic haven for countless generations? Here in Morningside Heights, we are thrilled at the opportunity to show you.   

• Elias Sorich

WRIT0102 | Section 001 | Call Number 12130

This course is designed for advanced students who seek an intensive experience with the writing of creative nonfiction. Students explore diverse styles of and approaches to nonfiction, and learn essential skills for writing their own short nonfiction, including personal essays, historical accounts, profiles, and pieces that may be developed, following the session, into longer works. The art of telling true stories requires the skills of fact-checking and research, which students can anticipate honing throughout the session. Students participate in rigorous daily discussions on craft and workshops, as well as one-on-one conferences with accomplished teachers.  

The course culminates in a final portfolio composed of carefully revised pieces that implement both instructor and peer feedback.

CREA0111 | Section 001 | Call Number 12067

This course is designed for advanced students who seek an intensive experience in the writing of fiction. Students explore diverse styles of and approaches to fiction, and learn essential skills for writing their own short prose works, including stories, flash fiction, novellas, and pieces that may be developed, following the session, into novels. Students participate in rigorous daily discussions on craft and workshops, as well as one-on-one conferences with their instructor. 

The course culminates in a final portfolio composed of carefully revised pieces that implement instructor and peer feedback.

• Sophie Lalani

CREA0115 | Section 001 | Call Number 12070

• Caroline Johnson

CREA0115 | Section 002 | Call Number 12071

• Ronald Robertson

CREA0115 | Section 003 | Call Number 12072

This course is designed for advanced students who seek an intensive experience in the writing of poetry. Students explore diverse poetic forms and approaches to poetry and learn essential skills for writing their own verses. Students participate in rigorous daily discussions on craft and workshops, as well as one-on-one conferences with their instructor.

The Master Class in Poetry culminates in a final portfolio composed of carefully revised pieces that implement instructor and peer feedback.

• Peter Patapis

POET0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 12123

This rigorous one-week course is designed to teach students the ins and outs of novel writing, from conception to outlining, to the writing itself. Whether interests lie in literary fiction, young adult, fantasy, or any other genre, students will learn we focus on how to structure and plot a successful novel. Areas of exploration include establishing conflict, world-building, character work, pacing, and how to create an effective scene.

Students will share their writing in a workshop setting and receive thoughtful, in-depth feedback from both their peers and their instructor, culminating in a carefully revised selection of their novel-in-progress. 

Not only does this course impart a greater understanding of what it means to craft a long-form work of fiction, but it will also help students become stronger and more confident in their overall writing skills.

• Melissa Larsen

NOVI0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 12117

• Vera Carothers

NOVI0101 | Section 002 | Call Number 12118

In this intensive course, students are introduced to the key tenets of writing and performing comedy. With the guidance of professional New York City performers and writers, they learn how to generate writing through improvisational comedy. Budding comedians and comedy writers learn how to make people laugh both on and off the page, a skill that can take practitioners down a variety of career paths on stage and in film and television. 

Participants hone their comedic sensibilities with a wide variety of exercises and readings and build confidence by learning the art of “Yes, and…” Areas of exploration include sketch comedy, improvisational comedy, and stand-up. 

Students will share their writing in a workshop setting and receive thoughtful, in-depth feedback, culminating in a carefully revised portfolio of comedic pieces, showcasing the variety of styles covered in the course. 

• Paulina Pinsky

CREA0114 | Section 001 | Call Number 12069

This class will introduce students to the basic principles of writing for film and television. Students will read screenplays and watch film excerpts to gain an understanding of the possibilities of on-screen storytelling, with the goal of developing a screenplay.

Students are introduced to a range of technical and imaginative concerns through creative exercises and discussions, and exposed to all aspects of the screenwriting process, including generating ideas, developing character arcs and plot structure, and writing and revising drafts. Participants practice their craft with an attentive group of peers, under the guidance of an experienced instructor. They write extensively and participate in candid, helpful critiques of their own work and that of their peers. Students are expected to come to the class with an openness to various approaches toward creative storytelling.

• Brysen Boyd

CREA0121 | Section 001 | Call Number 12076

This rigorous one-week course is designed to teach students the essential techniques of short story writing by contextualizing the form throughout history—from Edgar Allan Poe to James Baldwin, to contemporary practitioners, including Joy Williams and Jhumpa Lahiri. 

By encountering the work of renowned authors from a writer’s perspective, students will utilize the 5 key elements of the short story—plot, character, setting, conflict, and theme—to arrive at what is finally a common goal: to make readers feel through original, compelling, and climactic prose. 

Students will share their writing in a workshop setting and receive thoughtful, in-depth feedback from both their peers and the instructor. Not only does this course impart a greater understanding of what it means to write short stories, but it will also help students become stronger writers through the use of economized and well-crafted language. 

CREA0118 | Section 001 | Call Number 12073

This foundational course, adapted from Columbia's MFA in Writing program, serves as a generative exploration of the creative writing process. Students receive instruction in key genres, idea generation, creation and development of drafts, and basic revision and editing skills. 

Through frequent and diverse readings and writing exercises, students hone elements of craft through the development of voice, imagery, characterization, dialogue, rhythm, and narration. Students work in poetry, prose, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Works produced by acclaimed writers, as well as by students in the class, form the basis of discussion in the workshop process.

A range of technical and imaginative concerns will be introduced through exercises and discussions students will produce their own writing for the critical analysis of the class. Students will begin to develop the critical skills that will allow them to read like writers and understand, on a technical level, how accomplished creative writing is produced.

CREA0130 | Section 001 | Call Number 12077 - CLASS IS FULL!

• Varud Gupta

CREA0130 | Section 002 | Call Number 12078

• Kristina Darling

CREA0130 | Section 003 | Call Number 12079 - CLASS IS FULL!

What makes a personal essay feel so much bigger than the individual? What is the difference between writing that is merely confessional and writing that captivates, questions, and transforms? How do we tell compelling true stories about ourselves while probing the limits of our knowledge, the gaps in our memories, the stories that we don’t yet know how to tell? Writing a personal essay is not only a process of self-discovery—it is also the work of becoming the person capable of writing the essay.

In this course, we learn to write true stories about ourselves, the cultural artifacts and places we care about, the identities we hold in relation to power, and the ways our experiences change us forever. With the goal of producing up to three compelling personal essays, we explore the process of personal writing, from generating ideas to revising drafts. To become captivating narrators, we practice drafting skills essential to all nonfiction writing, drawing from reporting, research, and our personal archives—be it text messages, photos, or journals—to enhance the emotional specificity and intellectual rigor of our personal narratives.

Part seminar and part workshop, this course introduces students to the genre of personal nonfiction and the practice of critiquing writing as a group. Through close examination of their own experiences and engagement with model texts, students develop storytelling skills that will transfer to their future writing in any genre.

• Jasmine Vojdani

CREA0202 | Section D01 | Call Number 12152

Engineering

Summer: In Person | Online        Fall: Online        Spring: Online

In this Introduction to Engineering course, you will gain exposure to one of the fastest growing fields today. From areas ranging from Mechanical Engineering to Biomedical Engineering, students will be exposed to the growing number of disciplines within the field of engineering through guest lectures and group activities. The course will also examine the professional ethics of engineering and evaluate accountability that engineers have to society and the environment. At the conclusion of this course, students will have an overall understanding of the engineering field, the different career paths available, and the ethics involved in the profession.

• Andre Montes

ENGI0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 12090 - CLASS IS FULL!

ENGI0101 | Section 002 | Call Number 12091 - CLASS IS FULL!

• Daniel Kadyrov

ENGI0101 | Section D02 | Call Number 12161

• Zahraa Issa

ENGI0101 | Section D01 | Call Number 12159 - CLASS IS FULL!

ENGI0101 | Section 003 | Call Number 12092 - CLASS IS FULL!

ENGI0101 | Section 004 | Call Number 12093 - CLASS IS FULL!

ENGI0101 | Section 006 | Call Number 13734

• Leroy Sibanda

ENGI0101 | Section D03 | Call Number 12160

ENGI0104 | Section D01 | Call Number 11442

Humanities, Literature, and Philosophy

How do we read Emerson as a philosopher of human purpose and action? It all starts and ends with the individual. What ails society and what good we see in it, is a reflection of the ethics and values we live. Together, we will learn about America’s intellectual revolution; the spark that Emerson lit and gave rise to the movement the transcendentalists embodied and that Nietzsche adopted as the core of his existential philosophy.

The Transcendentalists were an intellectual and social movement that shaped American politics, literature, social philosophy and education from the 1800s to the present. Using The American Transcendentalists: Essential Writings, we read, study and critique essays and letters; the speeches and correspondence between influential thinkers and public intellectuals who wanted to practice and live what they believed. From the Concord movement to Walden Pond, abolition and early feminism; transcendentalists brought their philosophy of collective social action to reality in the communities they built and movements they joined. Students will have an opportunity to debate the ideas of thinkers from the early to mid 1800’s; Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, Louisa May Alcott et. al. Together, we will wonder if their intellectual revolutions are still relevant. Are there movements and traditions of collective social action that inspire us today?

• Alec Milton

PHIL0103 | Section 001 | Call Number 10407

This course introduces students to fundamental issues in philosophy of religion. We critically address questions such as the following: (a) Given the diverse range of religions in the world, what is it that makes them all religions? (b) Is it possible for miracles to occur? (c) What is the relationship between science and religion? (d) Is it reasonable to believe in an afterlife for beings like us?

We broach such challenging questions by critically reading and writing about them, and in doing so we fine-tune our own views. The broad objective of the course is to develop and refine students' critical reasoning and writing skills.

Other learning objectives include:

• To acquire a richer understanding of and facility with the methodology that philosophers use to answer fundamental questions.
• To develop an understanding of the different branches of philosophy, including metaphysics, epistemology, and moral philosophy.
• To accurately interpret a wide range of historically influential philosophers’ works on fundamental issues in philosophy of religion, and in doing so sharpen our exegetical skills.
• To critically assess, in a careful, charitable, and sophisticated manner, a number of challenging positions and arguments in philosophy of religion, and in doing so develop and refine our critical reasoning skills.
• Jared Peterson

PHIL0101 | Section D01 | Call Number 11841

In this course we explore modern literature from early pioneers such as Dostoyevsky, Dickinson, and Rimbaud through to the full-fledged modernism of Kafka, Woolf, and Hemingway, and beyond to the Harlem Renaissance, the Beats, and magical realism. We focus mainly on short fiction and poetry but may also look at excerpts from some longer works.

We consider not only the meanings of the works but also what it is about how they are written and constructed that gives them their power. While our approach is grounded in close reading and formal analysis, we also consider historical context and pay attention to how literature sounds and makes us feel.

Modern literature has had close ties to trends in visual art, music, theater, and film and so we may look at works from these other art forms and how they reflect back on written texts. The course also includes a field trip to the Museum of Modern Art.

Course participants are expected to contribute actively to class discussion, write a number of informal reaction pieces, engage in a few short creative projects, and deliver oral presentations on works of their own choosing.

Students learn how to read actively, think analytically, present their ideas effectively (both orally and in written form), and collaborate with their peers—all skills that will be invaluable to them in college and in their personal and professional lives. They also gain an understanding of and appreciation for modern literature.

No previous knowledge or course work is required.

LITR0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 10427

This course is designed for students who want to engage in lively debate on a philosopher's ideas, closely read primary texts, and investigate how philosophical concepts are present in our experiences today. In the process of delving into key philosophical texts about love, human excellence, and existential freedom, course participants are familiarized with the basic methodology of philosophical enquiry.

We begin by reading and discussing Plato's Symposium and Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics , their respective treatises on love and moral character (virtue ethics). Students debate questions related to the dialogue on love that Plato develops through the voice and character of Socrates. What is love and what does it mean to be a lover of wisdom—a philosopher? In the Ethics, students discuss the topic of human excellence and seek to answer how humans should best live their lives. In a practical sense, what is the purpose of human life and what is the ultimate goal of human endeavor? Why does Aristotle consider friendship a virtue, an excellence one must pursue if one wants a good life, Eudaemonia?  

Having established the classical foundations, we move into the 20th Century and begin a dialogue and exploration of ideas on existential freedom, choice, and responsibility. We begin with readings to explore the ideas of determinism and indeterminism associated with various philosophies of freedom. Specifically, we focus on the foundational works of Jean-Paul Sartre’s concept of existential freedom found in Being and Nothingness and Soren Kierkegaard’s religious freedom from Fear and Trembling , which Donald Palmer introduces in Does the Center Hold? An Introduction to Western Philosophy . This introduction serves as the foundation students need in order to grasp the idea of existential freedom articulated in the essays that make up Albert Camus' seminal work The Myth of Sisyphus . Through this lens students will debate whether it is practical to attempt to live an existential life and how philosophers as diverse as Nietzsche, Camus, and Sartre would define that life.

In addition to the readings, participants will have an opportunity to critique film and other art forms that present interpretations of existential themes. 

PENQ0201 | Section 001 | Call Number 10406

How is the mind related to the brain? Are sensations, beliefs, and desires immaterial or physical states? What are the different types of consciousness and how, if at all, are they related? How do we know that beings besides ourselves possess mentality? Can robots possess minds?

We explore these questions via a philosophical analysis of a number of attempts to explain the nature of the mind and mentality. The course begins with dualist attempts to characterize the mind as a non-physical soul that possesses immaterial mental states such as beliefs and hopes, and proceeds to an investigation of recent efforts to understand the mind and mentality as physical phenomena. Some historically influential answers to the question what is a mind and what is mentality? are critically assessed, including (i) substance dualism, (ii) mind-brain identity theory, and (iii) functionalism. In the latter part of the course, issues such as the nature of consciousness as well as how to make sense of the causal efficacy of mentality are discussed.

Course readings include such influential works as René Descartes’s Meditations on First Philosophy , J.J.C. Smart's "Sensations and Brain Processes,” Hilary Putnam’s “The Nature of Mental States,” and Thomas Nagel’s “What is it Like to be a Bat?” Course activities include class debates, group presentations, the designing of thought experiments, critical writing exercises, and close textual analysis.

The broad goal of the course is to sharpen students’ analytical reading and writing skills, while the more specific objectives are to give them a solid understanding of issues in the philosophy of mind as well as an understanding of the methods of philosophy.

PHMN0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 12212

This course introduces students to fundamental issues in the theory of knowledge. In this course we will critically address questions such as: (a) "What are the unique kinds of knowledge and what is the relationship between these kinds of knowledge?” (b)"Does knowledge require justification and if so, what does such justification consist in?” and (c) “What propositions can we know in light of powerful skeptical arguments?” We will investigate such questions by looking closely at how a number of epistemologists from a wide range of traditions have answered them. As we progress through issues directly related to epistemology, we will also see that these issues connect up with important issues in other areas of philosophy as well (e.g., metaphysics and moral philosophy).

We engage with such challenging questions by critically reading and writing about them, and in doing so we fine-tune our own positions concerning these issues. The broad objective of the course is to develop and refine students' critical reasoning and writing skills.

• To develop an understanding of how issues concerning epistemology are of relevance to not only other areas of philosophy, but disciplines besides philosophy as well.
• To accurately interpret a wide range of historically influential philosophers’ works on fundamental issues in epistemology, and in doing so sharpen our exegetical skills.

PHIL0101 | Section D01 | Call Number 11842

Why do we still read the Odyssey almost three thousand years after it was composed? Why is Shakespeare considered to be so important? What makes great literature great? Is it still being written today? Does literature still matter? Can it be important to our lives?

We explore these questions by looking closely at and thinking deeply about works from a variety of genres and a wide range of historical periods. Some of the authors we may cover include Homer, Sappho, Du Fu, Shakespeare, Kafka, Hemingway, Lorca, Elizabeth Bishop, Ralph Ellison, and Sheila Heti. While our approach is grounded in close reading and formal analysis, we also pay attention to how literature sounds, how it makes us feel, and whether it has personal relevance to us.

Course participants are expected to contribute actively to class discussion, write a number of informal reaction pieces, and deliver oral presentations on works of their own choosing.

Students learn how to read actively, think analytically, present their ideas effectively (both orally and in written form), and collaborate with their peers—all skills that will be invaluable to them in college and in their personal and professional lives.

LITR0104 | Section D01 | Call Number 10429

This course provides a foundational understanding of journalism, covering its history, contemporary practices, and essential skills. Students will learn journalistic writing, interviewing techniques, news gathering, and research. Emphasis is placed on media ethics, responsibility, and critical analysis of news. 

The course will also explore the principal ethics of journalism, using real world examples of sensationalism, diversity, bias, and current and historical events. Students will engage with practical exercises of how to write a feature story, highlighting their knowledge of form, style, and methods acquired over the course of three-weeks. By the end of the course, students will have the skills needed for effective storytelling in today's dynamic media landscape.

• Lisa Belkin

JOUR0106 | Section 001 | Call Number 12106

The exciting field of sports journalism blends a passion for sports with writing, reporting, and broadcasting. Through this survey-style course, students will be introduced to different areas of the profession, and practice the necessary skills to be successful in a sports journalism role. Beginning with the foundations of looking at sports as a business and relaying details of a game/players to different audiences, students will begin analyzing sports through a non-spectator lens. Students will work through different areas of sports journalism, including covering sports “beats”, how to intersect sports with society, broadcasting, and interviewing. Additionally, students will practice their new-found skills through real-world exercises and real-time games. By the end of the course, students will have a better understanding of what this profession entails, and an acumen for the tasks required for a successful career in sports.

• Brian Brown

JOUR0105 | Section 001 | Call Number 12105

Law and Conflict Resolution

Summer: Online | In Person

Conflict is a part of life. Most people do not like conflict because they usually do not resolve their conflicts well and so they develop a distaste for it. There are also ways to constructively engage in conflict that lead to better quality outcomes and relationships. In this course, students learn basic concepts about conflict resolution so that they can develop a deeper and broader understanding of conflict dynamics. There are many types of conflicts and in this course the students focus on learning more about their interpersonal conflicts with others. They learn skills so they will be able to more constructively resolve their interpersonal conflicts toward win-win outcomes.

These goals are achieved by students developing more self-awareness as to the types of conflict styles they tend to use as their “default” approach. They become more aware of their “hot buttons” and the types of behaviors and situations that cause them to become embroiled in a conflict situation. In addition to learning more about their own habits, they apply these concepts and skills to better understand others around them. By developing more empathy and understanding of others, students are able to reduce the number, types, and intensity of their interpersonal conflicts.

The course is primarily experiential and interactive so students learn by doing and reinforce their learning through immediate application. There are role-plays, simulations, discussions, presentations, film analyses, and other activities designed to enhance learning of the identified concepts and skills.

• Katherine Gentile

INCR0150 | Section D01 | Call Number 12168

INCR0150 | Section 001 | Call Number 12100

This is a course designed for students interested in law, government, and politics. It examines a wide range of contemporary issues subject to constitutional interpretation, introducing students to the constitution, the fundamental concepts of constitutional law, the role of the courts, and the legal limitations on governmental policy making.

Students discuss and analyze topics including separation of powers, federalism, freedom of speech, affirmative action, the death penalty, gun control, civil rights, and abortion. They are exposed to current constitutional challenges and are given the opportunity to explore the relationship between law and society.

Students develop skills that enable them to read and interpret Supreme Court decisions, which serve as the basis for class discussion. Debates and Moot Courts call on students to develop persuasive arguments in defense of their positions, thereby sharpening reasoning and analytical skills.

• Jennifer L. Lowry

COLA0204 | Section 001 | Call Number 12060

• Paula Russo

COLA0204 | Section 002 | Call Number 12062

The legal profession is remarkably vast and wide. Within it, prospective law students have a variety of exciting opportunities to explore. Through this course, students will acquire a realistic understanding of a career in law and become well-versed in the academic steps and important skills needed to be successful. This course will begin by examining what it’s like to be a lawyer, including the preparation involved (college pathways, the LSAT, and attorney licensing requirements). Then, students will practice key skills needed in the profession, including legal writing, secondary research, and public speaking through in-class activities and homework assignments. By the end of the course, students will have a better sense of if a career in law is the right fit for their career goals and have a new-found confidence in their ability to navigate this ever-growing field. 

This course is recommended for: Students interested in pursuing a legal studies major in college, attending law school and/or a future career in law. 

• James O'Brien

LELA0212 | Section 002 | Call Number 11631

• Tanya R. Kennedy

LELA0212 | Section 003 | Call Number 12110

LELA0212 | Section 001 | Call Number 12109

• Susan Alevas

LELA0212 | Section D01 | Call Number 11781

Are human rights still relevant in promoting social justice and freedom in the 21st Century? Human rights law and advocacy have been central to international politics since the end of World War II. However, recent rises in authoritarianism and anti-liberal regimes have raised new questions on whether the human rights framework is still capable of addressing injustices in the modern world. This course introduces students to the law and practice of human rights as well as the challenges of enforcing rights in an international environment that has grown increasingly hostile to principles of human dignity and personal freedom.

Students review the philosophical foundations of human rights and then examine human rights from two perspectives. First, the legal perspective introduces them to basic principles and rules of international law and the main international organizations and mechanisms designed for promoting and enforcing human rights. Second, they adopt the role of social scientist. We debate evidence on the effectiveness of human rights law and discuss challenges of enforcing rights in an international system in which states are not accountable to a higher authority.

Students apply their new knowledge to the problems facing human rights today. Topics may include cultural relativist critiques of human rights as a Western, neo-colonialist institution, challenges from new technologies in state surveillance and autonomous weapons, and existential threats to human populations through climate change and environmental damage. The course includes asynchronous work, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

• Lakshmi Gopal

HUMN0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 12096

• Stacy Veeder

HUMN0101 | Section D01 | Call Number 12163

• Stephanie Grepo

HUMN0101 | Section 002 | Call Number 12097

• Michelle Chun

HUMN0101 | Section D02 | Call Number 12164

Is international humanitarian law (IHL) still relevant in regulating warfare in the 21st Century? Trends such as the proliferation of armed conflict between states and transnational insurgent groups and the development of autonomous weapons systems and cyber-warfare capabilities have raised questions about the sufficiency of IHL to regulate warfare today. This course introduces students to the theory and practice of IHL, and central debates about its interpretation and implementation in 21st-Century armed conflict.

In the first part of the course, students are introduced to the moral principles underpinning IHL. They then turn to surveying the texts of the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the two Additional Protocols of 1977, and the role played by the International Committee of the Red Cross in developing and ensuring respect for IHL.

In the second part of the course, we examine major debates about IHL and its implementation today. Topics include the questions raised by the proliferation of transnational terrorism, multiparty civil wars, humanitarian intervention, drones, autonomous weapons systems, and cyber warfare.

Course materials draw widely from political science, international law, psychology, philosophy, literature, and film. Class time is divided between lecture and discussion of the reading assignments, and film screenings, debates, group projects, and student presentations.

• Salman Ravala

WARS0100 | Section 001 | Call Number 10413

This course is designed to give students an opportunity to explore substantive criminal law and its attendant legal issues. The course provides students with a foundation to examine the structure, policies, interpretation, and application of criminal law. Students evaluate the fairness and morality of punishments, analyze and apply legal defenses and contemplate basic elements of crimes such as homicide, robbery, and assault, to inchoate crimes like attempt and conspiracy, to crimes against property. Participants also learn to recognize the primary sources of criminal law in the US, and probe the boundaries of statutory law as imposed by state and federal constitutions.

• Cynthia Armijo

LAW 0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 11595

Knowledge of law and legal process can be used as a tool to address issues of social justice. Whether a lawyer or a layperson, there is opportunity for individuals to engage in advocacy, whether on behalf of a single battered woman or in support of displaced refugees. In this course, which focuses primarily on the legal system in the United States, we:

• Survey the fundamentals of substantive law, such as criminal law, constitutional law, property law, contract law, and torts.
• Explore legal procedure as a means to enhance – or frustrate – justice.
• Look closely at successful litigation and political movements as means of bringing about social change.
• Meet legal practitioners in a variety of advocacy areas who share how they use the law to achieve the ends of justice.
• Visit pertinent sites such as the New York County Criminal Court and District Attorney’s Office (inspiration for Law and Order ) and the United Nations Headquarters.

Case studies come from areas such as civil rights, environmental protection, criminal justice, immigration policy, international human rights, family law, and animal rights.

Participants should be willing to dedicate several hours per week on case law readings, drafting of briefs, and related mock trial/moot court preparation.

At the conclusion of the course, students, working in groups, produce a strategic advocacy project for addressing an issue of interest to them from among the subjects addressed in the course.

Familiarity with the fundamentals of American government is recommended. Students should have “business casual” outfits for field trips.

LASJ0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 11686

This class explores the application of legal principles to advancements in technology, including social media, drones, video games, cryptocurrency, and smartphone apps. In learning about these topics, students gain a more general understanding of some of the most important concepts underlying much of U.S. laws.

We analyze the law of nuisance and trespass through the lens of Pokémon Go, and we look at the legal concept of negligence by examining product liability issues arising from injuries related to autonomous vehicles and SnapChat filters. The class then explores how the right to privacy is impacted in the physical world by drone technology, and how privacy interests are impacted in the digital world by data gathering platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, SnapChat and the new kid on the block “ChatGPT”. We look at legal issues having to do with the future of money, gaining a basic understanding of blockchain and its role in cryptocurrency and fractional asset ownership through tokenization. Finally, through a study of “influencer” marketing, we explore advertising, marketing, and contract law through a case study of the infamous Fyre Festival.

Students learn through a combination of lecture, discussion, debate, and group work. Content and learning examples are presented in various forms, including PowerPoints, short videos, images, in-class demonstrations, mock trial, board-room presentations, and a guest speaker. Students complete a culminating project involving an oral small group presentation.

Through this immersive learning experience, participants gain a broad understanding of the law as well as enhanced analytical and problem-solving skills. They learn how to approach complex, dynamic legal problems and methodically analyze all relevant factors to arrive at logical, evidence-based results. Further, they practice collaborative co-creation and public speaking as they work in small groups on their culminating oral presentations in alignment with the course’s topics.

• Marie-Helen Maras

ENLW0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 12094

This course focuses on reading case law and interpreting the underlying laws, the research and reasoning that underlie solid legal arguments, and legal writing, while also giving students an inside look at the practice of law today. The course is structured like a traditional introductory first-year law school class.

Students learn first to use the methods and tools of legal reasoning and research, which they marshal to create effective, persuasive, and sophisticated written legal arguments. Once they have a foundation in legal research, reasoning, and writing, they are given an in-depth look at various types of law through interactive sessions with practicing lawyers, via guest speakers and field trips to law firms. They learn how to problem solve using the lawyer’s toolbox and how to analyze legal sources and develop legal arguments based on and supported by the law and cases we research.

In-class drafting and public speaking exercises strengthen participants’ reasoning, argumentation, and writing skills while introducing them to various types of legal work, including written memoranda and arguments for oral delivery.

LRRW0213 | Section 001 | Call Number 11603

• Jacques Erdos

LRRW0213 | Section D01 | Call Number 12172

LRRW0213 | Section 002 | Call Number 12112

LRRW0213 | Section D02 | Call Number 12173

LRRW0104 | Section D01 | Call Number 11794

Neuroscience and the law are inextricably linked. Every day, new learning behavior and decision-making discoveries are impacting how lawyers do their jobs. Through this highly discussion-based course, students will explore how understanding the science of human mental processing is imperative to being able to prosecute - or defend - a person’s actions. Specifically, students will work through challenging case studies, medical journals, and court decisions that illustrate the challenges and complexities in trying to assign culpability. Additionally, students will practice critical thinking and argumentation skills on a variety of relevant topics through in-class debates and activities. By the end of the course, students will acquire a comprehensive skill set for further inquiry, and a new-found appreciation for how assessing human behavior is imperative to a successful career in law. 

This course is recommended for: Students with a strong interest in the social sciences and/or law. No prior knowledge of psychology, neuroscience, or law is required. 

LAW 0102 | Section 001 | Call Number 12108

This course examines the United States Supreme Court and several of the major social and legal issues over which it has jurisdiction. Beginning with a brief introduction on how cases are heard by the Supreme Court, we proceed to a wide-ranging look inside America's most hotly debated cases and the issues that shape them. Covering both the substantive and the procedural law, students learn how to identify legitimate arguments for and against each topic and gain an understanding of constitutional challenges and limitations.

Topics under consideration may include privacy rights, freedom of speech, LGBTQ rights and the determination of sex and gender, the death penalty, legalization of marijuana, voting rights, gun control, and coronavirus-related issues. The course includes asynchronous work, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

SUPR0101 | Section D01 | Call Number 11780

• Adam Weisler

SUPR0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 10430

• Sharon Yamen

SUPR0101 | Section D02 | Call Number 11846

Preparing for trial is one of the most important jobs of a lawyer. And, it’s not easy: Success in the courtroom requires a deep understanding of the trial process, as well as sophisticated skills in evidence analysis, argumentation, and relationship management with all involved parties (law enforcement, witnesses, experts, the judge, their client, other attorneys, etc.). Performing well in the courtroom takes both study and practice and through this course, students will gain hands-on experience in both preparing for - and simulating - a trial. Students will begin by learning about the particulars of the United States Legal System and trial logistics, including how to navigate different parts of the proceedings. After learning the fundamentals, students will practice analyzing and validating evidence, developing strategy and arguments, and preparing clients and witnesses. The course will conclude with students practicing their new-found skills by preparing for a mock trial. 

This course is recommended for: Students with a high interest in pursuing a major in legal studies and/or going to law school. Please note that this course is highly participatory. By signing up, students should be prepared to engage in regular debates, presentations, and to be called on by the instructor to share thoughts and opinions regularly. Prior coursework in debate, argumentation, or intro to law is helpful, but not required. 

• Anthony Venditto

TRAD0218 | Section 001 | Call Number 11687

The fascinating field of forensic psychology is at the intersection between criminal justice and science. Working as a forensic psychologist takes advanced training in understanding the criminal mind and the motivations behind behavior. Through this introductory course, students will explore the psychological principles, research methods, legal decision making, and behaviorism behind criminal investigations. Throughout the session, students will work through case studies and news stories illuminating key concepts and will become well versed in key vocabulary, theories, and frameworks that practitioners use every day in their roles. With a focus on foundational concepts, this course will be a strong entry point into psychology, legal studies, social work, or criminal justice majors and professions.

• Amy Shlosberg

PSYC0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 12125 - CLASS IS FULL!

• Casey Jordan

PSYC0101 | Section D01 | Call Number 11801

Marketing and Communications

Summer: In Person | Online        Fall: Online

Have you ever wondered how companies make commercials, how many thousands of ads you see in a single day, why Procter & Gamble sells 12 brands of detergent, or why you buy what you buy?

This course answers these questions and many more as students explore the various strategies used by companies to communicate with the consumer. Through selected readings including marketing texts, case studies, and current news articles, students acquire a general background in marketing, advertising, and public relations. The course includes asynchronous work, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

• Juli Falkoff

COMN0240 | Section 001 | Call Number 10390

• Corey Liberman

COMN0240 | Section 002 | Call Number 10392

• Meghan Peters

COMN0240 | Section D01 | Call Number 12150

COMN0240 | Section 003 | Call Number 10391

COMN0240 | Section 004 | Call Number 10393

• Shaunice Hawkins

COMN0240 | Section D02 | Call Number 12151

Digital media has surpassed television to become the most important way for marketers to reach and influence consumers. While television advertising represents just one method of affecting consumer sentiment (video ads), digital is far more complex, offering video, search, social, email, and more.

In this introductory course, students will learn how marketers leverage digital media to promote and sell products. Students will come to understand the inner workings of multiple digital media platforms (e.g., search, video, display, gaming, et al.) and the strategies and tactics marketers employ to influence consumers. In addition, students will explore the ethics of big data and privacy, as well as develop an understanding of how marketers use digital media to influence consumers.

The course culminates with a final project presentation which allow students to put into practice topics and theories about digital media and advertising covered during the course.

This course has no prerequisites and is appropriate for anyone interested in the fields of marketing and media, as well as those interested in the topic of persuasion and how corporations influence consumer behavior.

ADVR0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 12043

Behind any successful marketing plan, stand the four pillars of the marketing mix: product, price, placement, and promotion. Looking closely at each element, students will engage in an introductory study of the four Ps, delving into the theory and practice behind its application. 

Through selected readings, including marketing texts, case studies, and current news articles, students will look closely at the marketing mix in action, examining what strategies lead to a lucrative and successful marketing plan. By the end of the course, students will be able to identify the key elements of the marketing mix structure, apply methods for market research, and craft their own introductory marketing plans, utilizing the basic principles of the four Ps.  

MRKT0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 12115

• Karishma Kheskwani

MRKT0101 | Section D01 | Call Number 11810

In an era where media plays an increasingly pivotal role in shaping public opinion, and as global issues demand more collective action, this course will examine the dynamic relationship between media, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and the cultivation of global citizenship. Through a multidisciplinary lens, we will explore how these forces intersect, influence, and contribute meaningfully to positive change on a global scale. Together, the course is designed to enhance student competency in three interrelated areas. First, students will learn how NGOs are increasingly indispensable in addressing complex and interconnected global challenges, with a focus on the roles, functions, and strategies NGOs employ as they work collaboratively with communities, governments, and other relevant organizations. Second, students will gain an understanding of how NGOs contribute to the development of global citizenship by promoting civic engagement and thinking beyond national borders. Third, since public support is critical for NGO funding and advocacy, the course will equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to implement an effective NGO media campaign, including how to develop a persuasive message, and how to utilize social media and other web-related tools to reach key constituencies and target audiences.  Over the course of the semester, students will apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios through class discussions, case studies, and hands-on teamwork in crafting effective Mission Statements for hypothetical NGOs. By the end, students will not only acquire a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of media, NGOs, and global citizenship, but also develop enhanced proficiency in navigating the intersection of communication, collaboration, and global awareness.

MECO0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 10436

You and other Gen Z “zoomers” stand out for your climate change activism. This course aims to help you take your ideas further, developing new ways of being a force for good in the world.

You’ll gain tools and strategies for making change, starting with an overview of communications campaign planning, from defining objectives and identifying audiences through crafting effective messages to measuring results. You’ll also deepen your knowledge of ideas in the climate-change conversation.

Each student will end the course with a creative brief and strategic outline for a communications initiative. It could be a plan to put to work immediately in your school or town—or featured in a college application portfolio. No special competencies or prerequisite knowledge are required.

Because climate change is vast and our time limited, we focus on one key component of sustainability: the circular economy. In this updated economic model, goods are made with greater attention to what happens when products no longer serve their initial purpose, manufacturers waste less and do more to salvage post-consumer material for re-use, while consumers buy (and throw away) with greater care.

How far can you shift long-held views about consumption? How can you inspire new more environmentally sound habits? This course will start to answer those questions. How far you take it is up to you.

• Edith Updike
• Diane Rubino

COMM0104 | Section D01 | Call Number 12149

The ability to skillfully influence and persuade others is the key to success in business, civic engagement, and politics. The primary goal of the course is to help prepare students to organize and present information in compelling and concise ways. While the art and science of persuasion has a long history, recent breakthroughs in the field of Generative A.I. are poised to completely upend traditional approaches to the creation and targeting of persuasive messages. The effective use of A.I. as a technology of influence, however, requires an understanding of both the social psychological foundations of persuasion, and a basic knowledge of how A.I. systems work. Toward that end, students who successfully complete this course will gain a solid grounding in how Generative A.I. can be deployed to effectively influence people’s attitudes, opinions, and behaviors in ways designed to optimize specified outcomes. Students will have the opportunity to apply this knowledge through “hands-on” participation in a Team Project, where working in small groups students will build their own persuasive messaging campaigns, utilizing “off the shelf” Generative A.I. tools—e.g., ChatGPT, Dall-E, Bard. Together, through the combination of readings, classroom instruction, group work, and in-class learning activities, the overall objective of the course is to improve student’s ability to apply the principles of A.I.-based persuasion to achieve desired business outcomes, galvanize change, and forge greater civic and political engagement.

COMM0102 | Section 001 | Call Number 10435

Mathematics

This course focuses on theoretical mathematics that is  not typically part of a traditional high school curriculum. The course covers a variety of topics including: logic, set theory, number theory and combinatorics. An emphasis is placed on proof throughout the course and different techniques of proof, including mathematical induction, direct proof and proof by contradiction will be discussed. While some applications will be considered, this course will primarily focus on theoretical concepts.

This course is titled  A Bridge to Higher Mathematics because it will help to teach you the reasoning and proof - writing skills that you will need for higher - level university mathematics, and more generally, STEM courses. It will give you a path for learning the skills that you need to succeed in higher - level mathematics.

• Sridhar Nagubandi

MATH0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 12113 - CLASS IS FULL!

MATH0101 | Section 002 | Call Number 12114 - CLASS IS FULL!

Is the universe infinite or finite? What is the curvature and overall shape of the space we live in, and how might we detect this? In this course, participants learn how models for topological spaces relate to theories on the shape of the physical universe. Philosophical discussions are informed by pencil and paper computations, experiments with common household materials, and interactive online games and modules.Participants gain, in addition to early exposure to modern content at the intersection of topology and physical cosmology, an appreciation for rigorous mathematical thinking that is motivated not so much by numbers and quantity as by profound questions about the nature of our world.

COMO0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 10438 - CLASS IS FULL!

In this course, students will explore the mysteries of a familiar concept: Infinity! Is Infinity even a number? Who thought of it first? What can we do with it, and why is it useful? We will look at Infinity from the perspective of Logic, Set Theory, Algebra, and Geometry, leading us into the study of Limits and basic Calculus. Plus, we answer a truly interesting question: are there different kinds of infinity? If you've ever wondered about the infinite, this is the course for you!

• Patrick Galarza

MATH0104 | Section D02 | Call Number 11791

Fall: Online        Spring: Online

Students learn a great deal of math in high school, but they often don’t learn how the math is used to make decisions in fields like business, social science, and public policy. This course is designed to teach students how professionals in business, government, and social science use math to make decisions. During the first part of this course, students are taught the basics of statistics. This includes mean, variance, standard deviation, Z-scores, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing and p-values. The students are asked to analyze data from different fields and draw a conclusion. Does a government program decrease the poverty rate? Did a business’s ad campaign increase sales? Did a medication work better than a placebo? The second part of this course is math modeling. Students will be able to find the best fit equations that relate two or more quantities to each other. What should the price be of a product based on a multiple set of factors? What is the effect of poverty, and unemployment on the crime rate? A course like this is often taught to people who are getting degrees in business, public policy, economics, and social science. Thanks to online software, students can now quickly do the calculations and spend more time analyzing data, drawing conclusions - and making decisions.

• Frank Ciulla

MATS0104 | Section D01 | Call Number 11446

In this course intended for students who enjoy mathematics and logical reasoning, participants explore innovative ways in which math is used in the real world, in fields such as economics, computer science, media, and the physical sciences. By engaging with challenging practical problems, students hone their independent thinking and problem-solving skills.

Areas covered include the following:

• Graph theory, a topic heavily developed by both mathematicians and computer scientists. We explore algorithmic ways to compute, for example, the optimal path between two points on a map (minimizing cost, time, or another parameter). Another application is minimizing the cost of an electrical network which has to provide power to all residents in a new neighborhood.
• Probability and its numerous applications. We look at how probabilities are applied in economics and in popular media, and examine how they can sometimes be counter-intuitive or even deceptive.
• Various counting methods, combinatorics, and examples of Nash equilibria. We study applications of these techniques in economics (the prisoner's dilemma), computer science (assessing the complexity of an algorithm), finance (loans and investments), and biology (population growth).

Students work individually and in groups to find creative solutions to given problems. Each student also works on a project of his or her own choosing, on a topic about which he or she is passionate.

• Elena Green

MARW0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 10403 - CLASS IS FULL!

MARW0101 | Section D01 | Call Number 12174 - CLASS IS FULL!

MARW0101 | Section 002 | Call Number 10404 - CLASS IS FULL!

MARW0101 | Section D02 | Call Number 11790 - CLASS IS FULL!

Neuroscience

Dive into the dynamic world of neuroscience with this course designed to bridge the gap between cutting-edge research methods and rewarding careers in the biomedical field. Students will explore the vast landscape of neuroscience, from the intricacies of neuroimaging and electrophysiological techniques to the frontiers of molecular neuroscience and computational modeling. Each week unveils a new dimension of neuroscience research, paired with experiments and interactive discussions that bring theoretical concepts to life.

Engage in practical activities like designing experiments, analyzing neuroimaging data, and exploring the ethical dimensions of animal models in research. The course incorporates real-time experiments, where you can observe the effects of neuropharmacological agents on neurons, record brain activity, and even delve into neuroprosthetics. This course not only demystifies complex neuroscience methods but also maps out the diverse career paths within the field, from clinical roles to research careers to cross-disciplinary opportunities.

• Timothy Myers

This course is designed for students interested in the science of the brain, including its evolutionary origins, early development, and role in generating behavior. We explore theories of the brain as the seat of the self from ancient Greece to modern times, and investigate systems that make up the brain from the individual neuron to the entire central nervous system. We also look into how sensation, perception, and decision making work at the physiological level. The course blends historical trends in neuroscience with modern experiments and findings, and touches on major areas of research including animal studies, recording and imaging techniques, computational neuroscience, and neuropharmacology.

In-class small-group exercises, in addition to lectures, allow students to tangibly explore the ideas presented in class. Participants construct various models of the brain, critique professional neuroscientific papers as “peer-reviewers,” and visualize actual neural data with instructor guidance. The course includes asynchronous work, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

• Cecilia Toro

NURO0101 | Section 003 | Call Number 11692 - CLASS IS FULL!

NURO0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 12119

NURO0101 | Section 002 | Call Number 11620 - CLASS IS FULL!

• Dena Goldblatt

NURO0101 | Section D02 | Call Number 12182

NURO0101 | Section 006 | Call Number 11691 - CLASS IS FULL!

NURO0101 | Section 004 | Call Number 12120 - CLASS IS FULL!

NURO0101 | Section 005 | Call Number 11621 - CLASS IS FULL!

NURO0101 | Section D03 | Call Number 11789

• Nicholas Santiago

NURO0104 | Section D01 | Call Number 11439

Saturday, 8:00–10:00 p.m. ET

NURO0104 | Section D02 | Call Number 11440

Learning and memory are the processes by which we store information about our experiences, which is crucial for our survival. Without learning and memory, we would be unable to acquire basic motor or communication skills, the ability to perform complex reasoning, or social dynamics. Modern neuroscience has made great strides toward understanding how our experiences shape our brains, and how changes in our brains impact behavior.

In this course we explore how our experiences shape who we are, what kinds of changes in the brain are thought to underlie learning and memory, and how learning and memory can contribute to the development of mental health problems such as addiction, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Topics to be covered include types of learning and memory, disorders such as amnesias and dementias, an introduction to the cellular and molecular basis of memory formation, and an in-depth examination about how these processes can contribute to mental health problems. We conclude the course with an overview of innovative treatments under development for various disorders, and how learning and memory might play a role in their therapeutic effects. Topics are approached through lecture, group discussion, short videos, interactive web-based activities, and readings.

Students exit the course with a basic understanding of how modern neuroscientists conceptualize and study the processes of learning and memory, and how this research impacts modern mental healthcare.

NBIO0101 | Section D01 | Call Number 12175

• Anamaria Alexandrescu

NBIO0101 | Section D02 | Call Number 12176

NBIO0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 11689

• Elisa Chinigo

NBIO0101 | Section 002 | Call Number 11611

Neuroscience is the study of the neural processes and mechanisms underlying human function and behavior. It is an interdisciplinary field that combines the ideas explored in the field of psychology with the science that governs the brain and body. In order to understand the etiology of disorders such as addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia, it is crucial to understand how molecular, cellular, and endocrine changes contribute to disease progression.

In this course, students learn about how the laws of neurons and neurotransmitters direct brain processes. Classes include interactive lectures, discussions, and assignments designed to help students understand the neuroscience of addiction, major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia. Outside of class, students explore case studies of neuropsychiatric disorders so as to fully understand the extent of debilitation and possibilities for recovery. 

NESC0100 | Section D01 | Call Number 12177

• Georgina Moreno

NESC0100 | Section D02 | Call Number 11840

• Rhonda Kolaric

NESC0100 | Section 001 | Call Number 12116

• Hameda Khandaker

NESC0100 | Section 002 | Call Number 11624 - CLASS IS FULL!

NESC0100 | Section D04 | Call Number 12179

NESC0104 | Section D01 | Call Number 11447

Physical Sciences

This course traces knowledge of the universe from astronomy’s ancient roots to the modern study of extrasolar planetary systems, cosmology, and black holes. Topics include Newton’s laws of motion and universal gravitation, Kepler’s laws, orbital dynamics, and space travel. Additionally, students will contemplate the nature of light, the nature of matter, and nuclear physics. This knowledge to will be used to explore the properties of our sun, solar system, further galaxies, the creation of chemical elements, and the expansion of the universe. By the end of the course, students will be prepared to explore dark energy and the fate of the universe as we know it.

• Jim Applegate

ASTO0102 | Section 001 | Call Number 10389 - CLASS IS FULL!

• Bruce Greenspan

ASTO0102 | Section 002 | Call Number 11615 - CLASS IS FULL!

This course offers an intensive exploration of one of the fundamental principle of physics –relativity. Both Galilean and special relativity will inform the class's practical application of algebra and space-time diagrams to work through examples, exercises, and problems. Participants will discover how special relativity changes our conceptions of time and length measurements. Students will examine general relativity as a lens to understand concepts such as black holes, gravitational waves, and the evolution of the universe. In the process of exploring these challenging topics, course participants expand their capacity for creative problem solving and their ability to think critically and independently.

• Aaron Goldin

SREL0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 12127 - CLASS IS FULL!

This course covers the fundamentals of Quantum Physics, from experimental basics to the introduction to the theoretical framework. The course focuses on developing students’ knowledge and skills in modern quantum science with its numerous applications. The course will include lectures with an emphasis on derivation and problem sets, essays, and group projects.

Topics include:

• Quantum mechanics (ideas of quantum state, its evolution, and application to simple quantum systems, such as atoms)
• Quantum optics (quantum theory of light and its interaction with other quantum systems, such as atoms)
• Quantum computing (qubits, and their state manipulation).

This course is designed for motivated high school students who want to expand their knowledge of modern physics. 

Prerequisites : Students are expected to have a strong background in algebra and classical mechanics. The knowledge of other physics fields (e.g., optics, electricity, and magnetism) is beneficial, but not essential.

• Yury Deshko

PHYS0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 12121 - CLASS IS FULL!

PHYS0101 | Section 002 | Call Number 13711 - CLASS IS FULL!

Chemistry, the central science, is the science of molecules and bonds. Its signature is change in all its manifestations, from events that happen on a geological time scale to those that happen instantaneously, from the cosmological to the subatomic scale. Chemistry provides powerful scientific tools that extend our ability to sense the magnitudes of change by stretching the limits of what we know of our universe.

Intensive Seminars in Modern Chemistry is designed for highly motivated students who want to strengthen their understanding of chemistry and current research methods. The daily program follows a seminar format, beginning with a presentation by senior faculty members and researchers that is expanded upon through small group discussions and laboratory experiences.

Topics have been selected because they stand out as essential themes of current research, illustrate the methods of science, lend themselves to historical development, and highlight the role of chemistry as the central science. Through integrative experiments and collaborative projects, students discover the synthetic and analytic dimensions of chemistry in forensic, environmental, and materials problems. Experiments emphasize the development of problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Formal training includes instrumental methods in spectroscopy, chromatography, magnetic resonance, and computer simulations with state-of-the-art equipment in the department’s modern laboratories. Guest lecturers and field trips to area research facilities round out the program. Students are expected to complete a small research project, prepare a scientific paper, and participate regularly in class discussions.

MOCH0208 | Section 001 | Call Number 10405

This curricular option familiarizes students with the foundations of physics and chemistry from a modern perspective.

Lectures, discussions, and simulations focus on topics such as electromagnetic radiation, spectroscopy, elementary particles, the quantum mechanics of atoms, special relativity, and gravitation.

Simulations and virtual experiments concentrate primarily on the interference of electromagnetic waves, the orbital motion of planets, and conservation laws.

• Bradford Melius

INPS0115 | Section D01 | Call Number 11839

Designed for aspiring physicists and mathematicians, students will delve into the powerful mathematical tools essential for understanding and solving complex physical problems.

Students will develop an understanding of these methods by learning to model, analyze, conduct theoretical investigations and interpret physical phenomena. Through engaging lectures, hands-on problem-solving, and interactive projects, participants will gain proficiency in applying concepts to real-world scenarios. Emphasis will be placed on developing critical thinking skills and intuition to tackle challenges encountered in theoretical and experimental physics.

This course provides a valuable head start for those planning to pursue studies in physics, engineering, mathematics, or related fields at the collegiate level. 

APAM0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 12045 - CLASS IS FULL!

Organic Chemistry is one of the foundational subjects for students who want to be biology, chemistry, or pre-medical majors in college. This course will introduce students to many of the very interesting and useful concepts found in a typical college organic chemistry curriculum but at a level that is accessible to most high school students. The course covers the properties, reactions, structural shape, and synthesis of various “classic” organic compounds like alcohols. The course also includes the basic organic reaction types and mechanisms like elimination, substitution, and addition. Students will learn how to use data to determine the reaction mechanism for a synthesis and the structural formula of an organic compound. There is an emphasis on three types of spectroscopies: infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectroscopy and on the three- dimensional aspect (isomers) of organic molecules. Biochemical pathways like the Kreb’s Cycle and the synthesis of a nucleotide are analyzed in detail to show students that all life - including their own - is a series of organic chemistry reactions.

ORGN0104 | Section D01 | Call Number 11445

The origin and evolution of the Universe is one of the greatest (and oldest) questions ever asked. In a little over a century, cosmology has matured as a discipline due to improvements in our understanding of fundamental physics and technological advances allowing us to map the Universe in unprecedented detail and perform complex calculations. This course is an introductory review of the field of cosmology for students with a background in physics and math, but not necessarily astronomy.  The course focuses on the field of cosmology, its early history, and its relationships to observational astronomy and particle physics.  We will discuss the observations that led scientists to believe that the Universe is expanding, explanations for the expansion, the origin of the Universe and the evolution of its constituent materials, including dark matter and dark energy.  We will also discuss general relativity and its implications for the structure of the Universe, its history, and predictions regarding astrophysical phenomena such as black holes.  In-class discussions and activities based on primary source research papers will complement in-class problem solving and supplemental readings.

• Paul Sutter

ASTO0101 | Section D01 | Call Number 12135

Quantum mechanics is the science of the “small”; understanding how matter and light behave. An exciting application of modern physics, the field focuses on computing objects such as expectation values, vector evolution, and decoherence times through linear algebraic frameworks. The result of this work includes advancements in cybersecurity, electronics, aviation, communications, and engineering (to name a few). Through this course, students will explore the basics of theoretical foundations, equations, computations, and principles that impact the way we live today, and our future. Beginning with an exploration of topical ideas from  popular physicists, students will work through probability theory that will lead to sophisticated explanations of the world, as well as computations that will provide an elevated level of awareness for how humans work and play. By the end of the course, students will look at the world differently, and be prepared for more sophisticated study in this area.

• Shalma Wegsman

PHYS0102 | Section 001 | Call Number 12122

Politics and International Affairs

Each year cybercriminals steal hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of information from major companies and vital national security secrets from governments, while terrorist organizations leverage cyber-networks for distributing their media and recruiting. It is imperative to nurture the next generation of intelligence professionals to understand the cyber-threat landscape given its ubiquitous impact on our daily lives.

In this course participants are exposed to cyber-threat intelligence as a discipline and its function in providing decision-makers with the support they need to stay abreast of evolving security challenges. Case studies on advanced persistent threat (APT) groups and large cybercrime networks are examined so as to better understand their tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs); their successes; and their shortcomings. Further, we look at technology’s evolution and how it is integrated into our lives along with the likely future threat landscape that accompanies these technologies.

Threat intelligence encompasses more than the government, considering all private companies are reliant on technology and have their own threat intelligence teams, so this course focuses on both the public and private sectors.

Course readings cover the topics of intelligence, analysis, advanced persistent threat groups, cybercriminals, terrorist organizations, and the different methods these actors use to conduct their attacks and operations. We discuss these topics in greater depth in class lectures and with guest speakers. Students produce short white papers and work on group presentations in which they represent threat intel teams focusing on particular entities.

Please note, this is not a computer science class and no technical expertise is required.

CINT0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 12059

The course begins by introducing international relations theory and practice, evolves into the evolution of the international order and concludes by discussing great power competition and economic statecraft.

The first half of the course presents theoretical and practical frameworks for understanding international politics and the policy decisions that shape global outcomes. It considers major international trends, such as the rise and fall of great powers, cooperation and conflict between states, and the influence of non-state actors on security, economics, and politics. With an emphasis on contemporary world affairs, it also explores the institutions, interests, ideas, and personalities behind international events. Foundational knowledge will be conveyed by looking at key historical events and the evolution of theoretical concepts that frame our understanding of international relations and informs policy. Each class meeting will use illustrative historical/contemporary cases to link theory to real world policy formation and execution.

The second half of the course, which builds on the material covered in part I, examines challenges to the current global order in a world of growing political, economic and military competition. We will examine the rise of great power competition among the United States, China and Russia and use of economic statecraft as a principle tool to advance each country’s interest. This part of the course examines each of these actors from an economic viewpoint, proceeding from the premise that a national economic base provides the resources from which these nations provide for domestic living standards while at the same time resourcing their national security objectives. The course provides an overview of each nation in context to its regional and the world economy. The course will examine contemporary and projected trends for each nation and relate these to security and strategy.

This is designed as an economics course for those who are interested in international relations but who do not have a deep knowledge of macro-economics. The instructor will familiarize students with basic macroeconomic concepts and provide a framework for inquiry which the course will apply to each of the actors. The course will then draw conclusions for strategy and decision makers.

GOPO0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 12095 - CLASS IS FULL!

This course explores the central political, economic, and social ideologies of the modern world, including capitalism, socialism, communism, liberalism, populism, and nationalism. We ask what principles define these ideologies, how these ideologies intersect with democracy, and how they produce and require different meanings and understandings of key concepts such as freedom, equality, justice, and citizenship.

Starting with an extended focus on capitalism and liberal democracy, students investigate the origins and key beliefs of each ideology and think about the pros and cons of various systems of governance and social control. Our goal is not to proclaim any one ideology as superior, but to more deeply understand different ways of thinking about politics and society that have shaped the past and present, and that offer us possibilities for the future. In the process, class participants become more reflective about and aware of their own convictions, and better able to articulate and defend such convictions in speech and writing with thoughtfulness, precision, insight, and persuasive force.

Course materials include excerpts from classic and contemporary political theory texts, as well as newspaper and magazine articles and film clips. Students draft and revise personal ideology statements and participate in debates in which they marshal ideas from the sources studied to justify and defend their positions.

The course also includes guest speakers representing various ideological positions. Students are encouraged to engage in serious dialogue with and pose difficult questions of these guests, probing what they believe and why.

The morning sessions are generally devoted to helping students achieve a firm grasp of the theoretical and factual arguments found in the readings, through a combination of presentations by the instructor and class discussion. The afternoon sessions allow students to put these theories and facts to work in written and oral form, working both individually and in small groups to develop arguments and debate controversial political questions.

By the end of the three weeks, students are equipped with not only a deeper understanding of the competing political and economic ideologies that shape the modern world, but also with the tools to make, understand, and critically evaluate claims of all kinds—tools which should serve them well both in their future studies and as future citizens and leaders.

• Andrew Ruoss

PPEC0100 | Section 001 | Call Number 12124

PPEC0100 | Section 002 | Call Number 11647

This course considers the relationship between wealth and democracy, in theory, in history, and in practice today. Topics investigated include the following: political and legal debates about campaign finance reform from the late 20th century to the present, including whether money is speech and whether campaigns should be publicly financed; the role of the wealthy in American politics as candidates and as donors/funders; and the nature and problem of political corruption.

Readings are drawn from philosophers and political theorists, contemporary studies of the impact of wealth on American democracy, and key Supreme Court decisions including Citizens United. Other sources include film excerpts and press accounts. Students also benefit from several guest speakers working on issues pertaining to campaign finance and related issues of money and politics on the local, state, and/or national level.

Morning sessions are generally devoted to helping students achieve a firm grasp of the theoretical and factual arguments found in the readings, through a combination of presentations by the instructor and class discussion. Afternoon sessions allow students to put these theories and facts to work in written and oral form, working both individually and in small groups.

In addition to completing and discussing reading assignments, students write position papers and participate in debates in which they marshal ideas from the sources studied to justify and defend their positions.

Our ultimate goal is not to establish the proper role of money in politics, but to more deeply understand different ways of thinking about wealth and democracy that have shaped the past and present, and that offer us possibilities for the future.

• Geoffrey Upton

AMPO0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 11693

Science and Medicine

At the core of most modern medical treatments is an understanding of how cells and biological molecules work. In this course we examine the functioning of medications such as antibiotics, antiviral drugs, chemotherapy, and psychiatric drugs. We also look at the molecular biology and treatment of conditions such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and auto-immune disorders such as lupus.

Classes include interactive lectures and in-class assignments designed to help students understand the connections between science and medical treatments. Outside of class, participants are expected to write a number of short essays exploring how various modern medical treatments work on a cellular and molecular level. The course includes asynchronous work, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

• Katherine Kartheiser

CELL0101 | Section D01 | Call Number 11802 - CLASS IS FULL!

• Ugoo Anieto

CELL0101 | Section D02 | Call Number 12146

CELL0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 11694 - CLASS IS FULL!

• Lashon Pringle

CELL0101 | Section 002 | Call Number 12058

CELL0101 | Section 003 | Call Number 11610

CELL0101 | Section D03 | Call Number 12147

CELL0101 | Section D04 | Call Number 12148

BIOS0301 | Section D01 | Call Number 11435

BIOS0301 | Section D02 | Call Number 11436

Becoming a physician—mastering the intricacies of the human body and working to heal when illness occurs—has long been considered a noble pursuit, but it’s not all guts and glory. It takes a particular kind of mind; one that can focus on the smallest details while keeping the big picture in sight. A doctor must see the forest and the trees.

This course is an investigation into how different types of physicians think within their discipline and what it means to be a doctor in today’s society. The course includes asynchronous work, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

Potential topics to be discussed include the following:

• Logic and reasoning
• Evidence-based medicine
• Human psychology and its influence
• The crossroads of media, myth, and medicine
• Malpractice
• Medicine's history and future
• Medical School and Residency

Participants gain a deeper knowledge of the medical world as well as what it takes to think like a doctor—and acquire mental tools that can be utilized in any aspect of life. Please note that the field of medicine is far reaching and each class will vary depending on the instructor and their scope of knowledge and work within this vast field.

• Marjorie Seidenfeld

DOCT0101 | Section D01 | Call Number 11843

DOCT0101 | Section D02 | Call Number 12153

• Pascale White

DOCT0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 12082

DOCT0101 | Section 002 | Call Number 12083

• Magy Dawoud

DOCT0101 | Section 003 | Call Number 12084

DOCT0101 | Section D03 | Call Number 12154

DOCT0104 | Section D01 | Call Number 11448

The field of biology has expanded rapidly over the past fifty years. New discoveries are happening almost every day. In this course we explore the basic elements of molecular biology, genetics, and evolution and how these sciences affect modern medicine, agriculture, and ecology.

The course begins with a full description of the structure, function, and synthesis of DNA, RNA, and proteins. Students then apply this information to a wide range of topics such as modern biological research techniques, data interpretation, genetic engineering, immunology, cancer, and virology. The course also includes mini-units on bioethics and the biology of global warming, and we connect modern biology to fields such as anthropology, history, and economics. A variety of group activities, online labs, and videos supplement the student experience.

Please note: Approximately a third of the material covered in this course will already be familiar to students who have taken AP Biology.

• Eman Riaz Ahmed

BIOL0102 | Section 001 | Call Number 12055 - CLASS IS FULL!

BIOL0102 | Section 002 | Call Number 11612 - CLASS IS FULL!

BIOL0102 | Section 003 | Call Number 12056 - CLASS IS FULL!

BIOL0102 | Section 004 | Call Number 11613 - CLASS IS FULL!

Social Impact and Sustainability

Designed for students with a background in biology, this program investigates some of the exciting recent developments in conservation biology. Topics include: what is biodiversity, why is it threatened, and why is it important?; habitat alteration and species loss; captive breeding as a conservation tool; conservation genetics; protected areas; the effects of exotic species in local ecosystems; conservation medicine; and the impact of global warming on ecosystems and wildlife. The course uses real case studies from conservation research to take an in-depth look at the challenges in conserving life on earth, and the unique ways scientists and ordinary citizens can make a difference.

Class lectures and activities are supplemented with several field trips to sites in the New York area. Students will visit area institutions that address conservation—the American Museum of Natural History, the Bronx Zoo, and the Hudson River Trust—to see behind-the-scenes research and talk with professionals in the field of conservation biology.

The course culminates with a 4-day (3-night) trip to Black Rock Forest, where students will participate in hands-on conservation and restoration projects in the reserve.

Please note: Though this course is intended primarily for older students, it is also open to highly qualified rising freshmen and sophomores.

• Lauren Esposito
• Eric Stiner

BICO0211 | Section 001 | Call Number 12052 - CLASS IS FULL!

Climate change is one of the world’s most critical challenges, and though quite prominent in today’s news it remains a complex and multifaceted issue. What is the current understanding of the anthropogenic impacts on global climate, ecosystems, and biodiversity? How are different economic sectors, geographic regions, and countries contributing to this? How are these impacts predicted to affect future global economic growth prospects, agricultural productivity, poverty, and society at large? Who bears the potential costs and benefits? What can be done?

Using climate change as a unifying focus, this course examines the role of public policy in managing human impacts on the environment. Students are introduced to the theories and concepts of environmental economics, and using these they explore, discuss, and analyze current national and global environmental challenges. They learn the public policy approaches being used to address these challenges, and how these policies influence and interact with the role of the private sector and international frameworks such as the Paris Agreement.

Through coursework and case studies from both the developing and developed world, students gain an understanding of the complex nature of global environmental change and the importance of human-based activities in driving it. Case studies lead to the introduction of sector-based issues (e.g. promoting renewable energy and organic agriculture), innovative policy approaches (e.g. environmental trading schemes, mitigation banking, carbon taxes), and key terms used by the global conservation community to frame and promote discussion of these issues (e.g. ecosystem services, natural capital, water-energy-food nexus).

Coursework includes lectures, required reading, multimedia presentations, online research, and guest speakers. Students are expected and encouraged to participate in class discussions, raise questions, and contribute to small group exercises and presentations.

CLMS0100 | Section 001 | Call Number 10431

How has the US–China trade war affected the growth of world economies? Why has Latin America, a region rich in natural resources, not been able to attain economic growth levels similar to those in Asia? What implications does a potential global water crisis pose to how nations interact with one another? How has the mix of traditional and renewable energy sources made an impact on the United States? Is it unethical to apply economic principles to natural resources?

This course examines these type of questions as it dives into the fundamentals of natural resources, their pivotal role in the development of OECD (Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development) and non-OECD economies, and the monetization impact from Wall Street to the end consumer on Main Street.

Through case study analyses of current events, students develop an understanding of global reserves and yields of natural resources, identify world consumers and producers – i.e. export (supply/origin) and import (demand/destination) hubs – along with transportation channels, and conduct deep dive analyses in group settings on the financial life of these resources and their contribution to the pace of global growth.

Complementary to these topics, participants debate the basis for responsible business procurement of natural resources – including those that are sustainable – and their effect in the global landscape.

Students gain an understanding of – and think critically about – various natural resources (agricultural, energy, mineral, and livestock) and the key challenges of international trade in an interconnected world. They also learn about the social impact of exploration and production of these raw materials. Topics explored include the relevance of geopolitical analysis, how shipping markets and freight rates/chartering are crucial to world trade, and the growing presence of private capital in shoring up global imbalances.

• Sue A. Aguilar

NATU0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 12041

Social Sciences and Psychology

Socializing is a key part of being human. And, while being social may sound simple, the complexities behind interaction directly impact the world in which we live. Sociology, by definition, is the study of social change, life, and causes of human behavior, and a career in this field can be both challenging and fulfilling. Through this introductory course, students explore foundational concepts in sociology, including literature on socialization, cultural phenomena, urbanization, and inequity. Specifically, students will explore sociological institutions (family, government, etc.), growing concerns of social inequality, and popular theories that impact the world in which we live. By the end of the course, students will be able to appreciate human interaction in a new way, and become empowered to be agents of change themselves. 

• Marilyn Preston

SOCI0102 | Section 001 | Call Number 11695

• Dr. Karie Peralta

SOCI0102 | Section D01 | Call Number 12185

SOCI0102 | Section 002 | Call Number 12126

This course offers an overview of the field of linguistics, the scientific study of human communication. It will cover the major components of language, including phonology (sound patterns), morphology (word formation), semantics (meaning), and syntax (sentence formation).

Students will examine the essential role communication plays in daily life, and the ways languages can vary by culture and evolve over time. They will explore topics such as dialects, slang, stereotypes associated with different accents, MRI research on language processing in the brain, differences between human and animal communication, taboo words, figurative statements, and the Internet’s impact on “proper” English. The course will also include talks by guest speakers, professionals in their fields who will share their valuable expertise.

Students will act as language scientists for the week, analyzing linguistic phenomena and working with texts, lectures, fieldwork, and videos that demonstrate how language permeates life. Participants in this course gain a deeper understanding of the relevance of linguistics to all career and academic paths, as well as the fascinating insights it can offer into the human experience.

• Jonathan Mangar

LING0100 | Section 001 | Call Number 12111

Do rats laugh? Do dogs pretend? Can birds use tools? While it has traditionally been assumed that animals are not capable of thoughts, emotions, or anything comparable to human intelligence, researchers working with animals from rats and bats to wolves and whales now have an impressive and growing body of evidence, both scientific and anecdotal, that strongly challenges those earlier suppositions.

This course surveys the fascinating field of cognitive ethology—the study of animal minds—and explores questions of what animals think and feel, the complexity of their thought, and the depth of their emotions. Students examine cutting-edge research from fields such as cognitive neuroscience, psychology, endocrinology, and ethology that support the theoretical ideas first proposed by Darwin, who is often credited as the first scientist to seriously study the emotional lives of animals. Darwin’s ideas were later advanced by Donald Griffen, the “father of cognitive ethology,” whose big questions about animal consciousness laid the groundwork for the explosion of research we see today. What we are learning about animal sentience is transforming our understanding of non-human animals, creating impetus for new research into how they experience the world, each other, and possibly themselves.

In this seminar-style class, students read and discuss the research of ethologists such as Marc Bekoff, Konrad Lorenz, James Gould, Jane Goodall, Franz De Waal, and E.O Wilson. These pioneering researchers fundamentally changed our understanding of the animal mind, shedding new light on the extraordinary and diverse abilities of our fellow species to learn, problem-solve, use tools, express emotions, and even mourn their dead. What’s more, we are learning that animals communicate complex information in ways we could never have imagined.

A field excursion to the Wolf Conservation Center offer participants an opportunity to observe animal behaviors up close, emulate observation techniques used by scientists in the field, and speak to experts about their research. This first-hand experience provides context for the material covered in class, and gives rise to important questions and rich, stimulating discussions. Students also have an opportunity to explore the broad array of academic and career paths that relate to cognitive ethology, including evolutionary biology, animal behavior, conservation biology, psychology, philosophy and ethics, cognitive neuroscience, science writing, and animal law.

Course requirement include assigned readings of scientific literature and excerpts from books on animal cognition, daily participation in class and small-group discussions, and a final project that demonstrates students’ understanding of the course concepts and content.

Laptops are required for this course.

• Michelle Ashkin

ZOO0100 | Section 001 | Call Number 10368

ZOO0100 | Section 002 | Call Number 10369

In this course students examine language as a vital part of culture and social structure while discovering how it reflects and shapes our lives. We first tackle assumptions and myths we hold about language. For example, can animals learn to use language? Do Eskimo languages really have 17 separate words for snow? Is English the hardest language to learn? Then we explore the components of language (phonemes, morphemes, words, and sentences) and how each plays a role in what we hear as an “accent” or dialect. Thus, students investigate both the structural and cultural functions of human language.

The course employs a multi-disciplinary approach to investigating language behavior and variation in different cultures. This occurs mainly through the term project, which provides each student with the opportunity to conduct fieldwork as a means to research a culture and its use of language. Participants come to better understand themselves as members of their own cultures and language as a shaper of our self-identities in human society.

In the morning sessions we examine material in a seminar format. Afternoons are devoted to research, analysis of case studies, and other hands-on applications including probing popular culture, literature, and film for evidence of language used as a way to define cultural and social identities.

Students develop the skills of data collection and cross-linguistic and cross-cultural analysis and come away with a perspective of multiple viewpoints related to language correctness and relativity.

Though this course is intended primarily for older students, it is open to highly qualified rising freshmen and sophomores.

LANI0213 | Section 001 | Call Number 12107

This course is an introduction to psycholinguistics -- the study of how humans learn, represent, comprehend, and produce language. The course aims to provide students with a solid understanding of both the research methodologies used in psycholinguistic research and many of the well-established findings in the field. Through weekly reading and discussion, students will also look at the flexibility of language and language use, the influence of psycholinguistic processes on reading and writing, and the social use of language. This course will be a strong entry point into psycholinguistics, speech-language therapy, and computer language learning majors.

• Hong B Nguyen

PSYC0102 | Section 001 | Call Number 10437

This course introduces students to major psychological theories and research on human social behavior. We look at why humans often help each other but also why they hurt each other. Topics covered include empathy, prejudice, helping, compliance, bullying, conformity, and the development of personality. A variety of psychological methods for predicting and preventing anti-social behavior are discussed.

The course establishes a strong grounding in scientific principles and methodology. Students are encouraged to think about how empirical methods can be used to measure complex social phenomena, to recognize and appreciate experimental rigor, and ultimately to question common assumptions about human behavior found in ordinary discourse and the popular press. The course includes asynchronous work, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

• Alison Jane Martingano

PSYC0100 | Section D01 | Call Number 11825

PSYC0100 | Section D02 | Call Number 11829

• Nadia Rahman

PSYC0100 | Section 004 | Call Number 10420

• Starlett Hartley

PSYC0100 | Section 001 | Call Number 10410

• Kate Jassin

PSYC0100 | Section 002 | Call Number 10418

PSYC0100 | Section 003 | Call Number 10419

• Kathryn Hauschild

PSYC0100 | Section D03 | Call Number 11800

PSYC0100 | Section D04 | Call Number 11833

PSYC0104 | Section D01 | Call Number 11441

This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts and theories of psychology, the science of the mind and behavior. The course provides an in-depth excursion into psychological research, including biological bases of behavior, learning and memory, sensation and perception, cognitive development, language acquisition, personality, and social influences on behavior.

PSYH0102 | Section 001 | Call Number 10411

PSYH0102 | Section 002 | Call Number 10422

• Katrina Monton

PSYH0102 | Section 003 | Call Number 10423

PSYH0102 | Section D01 | Call Number 12183

PSYH0102 | Section 004 | Call Number 10412 - CLASS IS FULL!

PSYH0102 | Section 005 | Call Number 10424

• Olivia G. Cadwell

PSYH0102 | Section 006 | Call Number 10425

PSYH0102 | Section D02 | Call Number 12184

The exponential advance of data, cloud computing, and machine learning have transformed every industry from retail and banking to healthcare and education. This introductory-level course enables participants to navigate the new reality of the “data economy,” in which data is the “the new oil”—a ubiquitous and invaluable asset. Students will focus on the strategic use of data and innovative technologies to derive actionable business insights. Participants develop a strong foundation in data-driven thinking for solving real-world problems. They are introduced to a variety of popular technologies for data analytics and gain a familiarity with programming technology. Students will learn how to import, export, manipulate, transform, and visualize data; use statistical summaries; and run and evaluate machine learning models. Participants will learn and implement common machine-learning techniques and develop and evaluate analytical solutions.

The course includes asynchronous work, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

• Liz McQuillan

BIGD0104 | Section D01 | Call Number 11450

This course is designed for students who have an interest in the future of finance, technology, blockchain, cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, and work. Beginning with an exploration of Fintech (financial technology), we explore technology’s impact on everything from banking to real estate to Wall Street. Additionally, we look at how artificial intelligence (AI) will automate and reduce the need for human workers, as AI, Fintech, and other technologies are combined to automate many tasks.

After gaining a solid understanding of the real-world use cases of Fintech and the everyday ways it impacts the economy, social justice, and our lives, students take a journey of discovery into the world of AI, the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, Bitcoin, and cryptocurrency. Since Bitcoin’s launch in 2009, cryptocurrency and decentralized ledger technology, aka blockchain, have emerged as an economic force majeure, disrupting the fundamentals of how people interact and how they perceive money. In addition to pushing the evolution of money, blockchain technology is now poised to disrupt how we organize businesses and the future of work. Course participants explore the organizational impacts and transformations caused by blockchain and cryptocurrencies and examine what this will mean to them as future CEOs and global business and thought leaders.

The course concludes by exploring the perspective of entrepreneurs and innovators, further examining how technologies come together to form the businesses, disruptions, and methodologies of the 21st Century. Participants walk away with a fundamental understanding of what tokens and cryptocurrencies are; how businesses leverage blockchain technology, AI, and other Fintech applications; and how digital transformation impacts social interactions and the future of work.

Please note: This course is not a computer programming course and requires no prior knowledge or experience, but rather looks at these emerging technologies more broadly from business, social, political, and cultural perspectives.

• Lindsley Medlin

BCAB0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 10371

BCAB0101 | Section 002 | Call Number 10372

Data science and machine learning are exciting and popular disciplines. While different fields, they work best in sync to help change the way humans think, behave, and interact. In fact, some of the most popular data science methods stem from machine learning. Through this course, students will be introduced to the foundations of both science areas and explore available career opportunities. Beginning with an overview of the landscape and real-world applications, students will learn how data science and machine learning impact the world in which we live, every day. Further, students will gain hands-on experience with introductory coding using Python and become versed in popular machine learning algorithms. By the end of the course, students will use their benchmark knowledge to analyze and present data ethically and effectively. Finally, students will leave the course prepared for more advanced practice in data science and machine learning. 

Note: This course is for students with little-to-no previous experience with coding/programming. Students with more advanced knowledge should consider Data Science and Machine Learning II. 

• Devon Peticolas

BIGD0103 | Section 001 | Call Number 12053 - CLASS IS FULL!

BIGD0103 | Section 004 | Call Number 12889

BIGD0103 | Section D02 | Call Number 11847

BIGD0103 | Section D01 | Call Number 12136

BIGD0103 | Section 002 | Call Number 12054 - CLASS IS FULL!

BIGD0103 | Section 003 | Call Number 12343

• Scott Bounds

BIGD0103 | Section D04 | Call Number 12138

BIGD0103 | Section D03 | Call Number 12137

The power of data science and machine learning can change the world. From voice activation to video game programming to advancements in medical science - the possibilities for activation are endless. Through this advanced course, students will leverage their foundational knowledge of Python to develop a more sophisticated programming skill set. Further, students will use a variety of mathematical techniques (statistics, linear algebra, and probability) to analyze data and create impactful visualizations. By course completion, students will become well-versed in a range of strategies and techniques in both data science and machine learning and become data-driven decision makers. Further, students will be able to apply communication skills and fairness frameworks to identified solutions, making them invaluable assets to any future data science/machine learning classroom, or future employer. 

Note: This course is for students with prior programming experience (in particular, Python) and/or previous coursework in Data Science and Machine Learning. Further, some background in statistics and linear algebra is helpful. Students with little-to-no prior experience in these areas should explore our Data Science and Machine Learning I course. 

• Marcela Mendoza

BIGD0105 | Section 001 | Call Number 11625

BIGD0105 | Section 002 | Call Number 10408

BIGD0105 | Section D01 | Call Number 12139 - CLASS IS FULL!

BIGD0105 | Section 003 | Call Number 11627

BIGD0105 | Section 004 | Call Number 10409 - CLASS IS FULL!

• Urvi Awasthi

BIGD0105 | Section D03 | Call Number 12141 - CLASS IS FULL!

This course is intended for students with a strong programming background, including comfort in applying object-oriented programming and recursion to solve problems. Students will start with the history of artificial intelligence and progress to focus on more powerful, classical techniques. Optimization and probabilistic strategies are explored so as to demonstrate tradeoffs between different types of search strategies. Several well-known problems—such as N-Queens, Knapsack, Post correspondence, and Chess—may be considered. Participants are expected to complete challenging and thought-provoking assignments using the techniques taught in class as well as their prerequisite knowledge. The end goal of the course is for each student to be able to build functioning programs in Python and Java.

Student computers can be either Mac or PC, but should have at least 10GB of free space.

COMS0202 | Section 001 | Call Number 12066

An introductory course designed to develop logical reasoning and computer programming skills through immersion in the fundamentals of Java. Programming projects will challenge students to develop their logical reasoning, systematic thinking, and problem-solving skills. Students become familiar with fundamental object-oriented programming concepts, algorithms, and techniques. This course covers an overview of introductory material through hands-on labs and individual and collaborative projects. Labs are carried out in the cross-platform Java environment, which will be set up on students' personal computers.

Student computers can either be a PC or a Mac, but should have 8GB – 10GB of free space. Students enrolled in the on-campus program should bring their laptop to class. 

• Matthew Cheng

COMS0101 | Section D01 | Call Number 11787

COMS0101 | Section 002 | Call Number 12193

COMS0101 | Section D02 | Call Number 11788

This course provides an intensive introduction to coding with the language of Python, one of the most widely used and intuitive programming languages. Python is an interpreted language that, while syntactically simple, is equipped with a powerful set of libraries. Data analysis, machine learning, AI, data visualization, and web development can all be done quickly and efficiently with Python, making it the ideal language for beginners. 

Participants learn the fundamentals of programming with Python; they are introduced to best programming practices, data representation and storage, data structures, functions and scripts, and more. By the end of the course, students will have an understanding of the programming fundamentals required to approach novel and interesting problems with Python.

The course alternates between classic instruction, group work, and individual programming challenges. While learning to code in Python, students also develop logical thinking and problem solving skills that will be helpful to them in learning other programming languages as well as in college and beyond.

• Vito Cangelosi

IPTH0101 | Section 003 | Call Number 12941

• Eiman Ahmed

IPTH0101 | Section 001 | Call Number 10401

• Jeremy Wang

IPTH0101 | Section D01 | Call Number 12169

IPTH0101 | Section 002 | Call Number 10402

IPTH0101 | Section D02 | Call Number 12170

This course, intended for students have completed the Introduction to Programming with Python course or have the prerequisite knowledge of the course topics discussed in that class. Entry level programming experience is required. The course provides a further look at the Python programming, Participants become familiar with intermediate and advanced programming concepts and are challenged through the use of logic games, programming problems, and hands-on assignments to develop logical reasoning and problem-solving skills. The course includes asynchronous work, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

By the end of this course, students should have a solid understanding of program classes, objects, iterators, inheritance, lambda functions, try/except, regex, file handling, database modules, graphical modules, numerical analysis modules. This knowledge will support them in future ventures in computer science programming.

• Ford McDonald

IPTH0114 | Section 001 | Call Number 12104

IPTH0114 | Section D01 | Call Number 12171

IPTH0114 | Section D01 | Call Number 11443

This course serves as an overview of the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency. Students take a deeper look into what blockchain is, how it has evolved, and where it is headed, including Bitcoin, cryptocurrency, NFTs, and Decentralized Finance (DeFi). We examine how these technologies will impact the future of work. Students are encouraged to think about the impact of these technologies on society and how they might become leaders and shapers in these fields.

Please note: This course is not a computer programming course and requires no prior knowledge or experience, but rather looks at these emerging technologies more broadly from business, social, political, and cultural perspectives. There is no coding in this class.

BCAB0103 | Section 001 | Call Number 10373

• Natasha Barrientos

BCAB0104 | Section D01 | Call Number 11782

Specific course details such as topics, activities, hours, and instructors are subject to change at the discretion of the University. 

Explore Our Pre-College Programs

The best way to prepare for college is the way that works best for you. That’s why we offer multiple programs: learn in person or online, during the school year or summertime.

The Creative Writing Bachelor of Arts degree encourages students to pursue both specialization and breadth. Students choose to specialize in one of three concentrations (Fiction, Nonfiction and Poetry) while also exploring broad, cross-genre writing opportunities in creative writing courses outside their chosen concentration. Creative Writing majors take 18 hours of Core workshop courses-at least 12 of which are in their chosen concentration. The Writer’s Portfolio, a required junior-year course, gives students the opportunity to reflect on the body of work they’ve produced at Columbia (in preparation for their Thesis Workshop), while also helping them explore options for applying their writing skills to the workplace after graduation.

Work in the major culminates in the capstone Thesis Workshop, in which students write, revise, and compile a portfolio that can serve as a potential publication, a demonstration of work for employers, or as a graduate school writing submission. Craft and Process Seminars, along with a series of Literature courses (designed for Creative Writers), allow students to explore the history of their chosen genre while creating original and innovative work of their own.

The wide range of course offerings in the Creative Writing Bachelor of Arts degree program helps prepare students to be competitive for an expansive range of careers, both in creative writing and in fields where effective communication, creative problem-solving, critical analysis, editing, and group relationship skills are crucial factors.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS - 42 credits required

Major core courses.

• CRWR 110 Foundations in Creative Writing
• CRWR 316 Writer’s Portfolio
• LITR 103 Introduction to Literary Interpretation
• LITR 386 Seminar in Literary Interpretation  - take twice for 6 credits

Elective Courses

Complete 6 credits from the following courses:

• COLL 210 Internship
• COLL 230 Internship
• CRWR 112 Tutoring Fiction Writing Skills
• CRWR 120 Craft and Process Seminar in Fiction: Topics
• CRWR 121 Craft and Process Seminar in Fiction: First Novels
• CRWR 122 Craft and Process Seminar in Fiction: Gender and Difference
• CRWR 123 Craft and Process Seminar in Fiction: The Novel in Stories
• CRWR 124 Craft and Process Seminar in Fiction: 19th Century Russian Authors
• CRWR 125 Craft and Process Seminar in Fiction: Contemporary European Masterpiece Authors
• CRWR 126 Craft and Process Seminar In Fiction: Contemporary Russian Authors
• CRWR 127 Craft and Process Seminar in Fiction: American Voices
• CRWR 129 Craft and Process Seminar in Fiction: Autobiographical Fiction
• CRWR 130 Craft and Process Seminar in Fiction: Crime & Story
• CRWR 132 Story in Fiction and Film: International
• CRWR 133 Story in Graphic Forms
• CRWR 134 Young Adult Fiction
• CRWR 135 Dreams and Fiction Writing
• CRWR 136 Suspense Thriller Fiction Writing
• CRWR 137 Writing Popular Fiction
• CRWR 138 Science Fiction Writing
• CRWR 139 Writing for Children
• CRWR 140 Story and Journal
• CRWR 141 Fantasy Writing Workshop
• CRWR 142 Interactive Storytelling
• CRWR 143 Journal and Sketchbook: Ways of Seeing
• CRWR 144 Topics in Fiction Writing
• CRWR 199 Topics in Creative Writing
• CRWR 215 Freelance Applications of Creative Writing Training
• CRWR 216 Small Press Publishing
• CRWR 217 Manuscript Preparation for Writers
• CRWR 220 Craft and Process Seminar in Fiction: Novelists
• CRWR 221 Craft and Process Seminar in Fiction: Short Story
• CRWR 222 Craft and Process Seminar in Fiction: Women Writer
• CRWR 223 Craft and Process Seminar in Fiction: Fiction Writers and Censorship
• CRWR 233 Researching and Writing Historical Fiction
• CRWR 234 Advanced Young Adult Fiction
• CRWR 238 Advanced Science Fiction Writing Workshop
• CRWR 239 Dialects and Fiction Writing
• CRWR 242 Topics in Nonfiction
• CRWR 249 Nonfiction Film As Literature
• CRWR 250 Fiction Workshop: Intermediate
• CRWR 255 Poetry Workshop: Intermediate
• CRWR 260 Creative Nonfiction Workshop: Intermediate
• CRWR 288 Practice Teaching: Tutor Training
• CRWR 289 Practice Teaching: Classroom
• CRWR 315 Creative Writers and Publishing
• CRWR 320 Craft and Process Seminar in Fiction: Kafka and European Masters
• CRWR 326 Craft and Process Seminar in Nonfiction
• CRWR 350 Fiction Workshop: Advanced
• CRWR 355 Poetry Workshop: Advanced
• CRWR 357 Craft and Process Seminar in Poetry
• CRWR 360 Creative Nonfiction Workshop: Advanced
• CRWR 370 Creative Writing: J-Term in Paris
• CRWR 371 Dreams and Creative Writing: Prague
• CRWR 372 Topics in Writing Abroad: Rome
• CRWR 415 Literary Magazine Editing
• CRWR 416 Literary Magazine Production
• CRWR 490 Internship: Creative Writing
• CRWR 496 Independent Project: Creative Writing
• CRWR 495 Directed Study: Creative Writing
• ENGL 246 Reviewing the Arts
• ENGL 246H Reviewing the Arts: Honors
• ENGL 341 Rhetoric of Digital Media

CONCENTRATIONS

Creative writing: fiction.

The Creative Writing Fiction concentration offers a variety of workshops, Craft and Process Seminars and specialized elective writing courses on a level and scope unequaled in undergraduate programs across the country. The Fiction concentration introduces students to a variety of forms in fiction and helps them explore the history of the genre and find ways of creating fiction that is individual and original. The gateway course in the concentration is Foundations in Creative Writing. From there, students are poised to begin a sequence of scaffolded workshops progressing from Fiction Workshop: Beginning through Fiction Workshop: Intermediate; Fiction Workshop: Advanced; and Fiction Workshop: Thesis. In these workshops, students should develop a writing process that includes methods for generating material as well as strategies for revising fiction of increasing quality.

In their sophomore or junior years, students take Writer’s Portfolio, a course which gives students the opportunity to strengthen their professional portfolios as they deepen their engagement with the profession of Creative Writing. The work done in this course is reinforced and extended in their capstone course, Fiction Workshop: Thesis. Students also take Craft and Process Seminars which combine the study of craft with readings in the theoretical underpinnings of fiction (sample Craft and Process Seminars in Fiction include courses in Short Story Writers, Novelists, Women Writers, Gender and Difference, Fiction Writers and Censorship, and The Novel in Stories, among others).

Specialized elective writing courses in Fiction include workshops in genres as diverse as Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Graphic Forms and others. Elective courses also include (but are not limited to): additional workshops in Fiction, workshops in Nonfiction and Poetry, Craft and Process Seminars (in any genre), Literary Magazine Editing, Literary Magazine Production, along with courses in Tutoring/Teaching, the visual and performing arts, English and in New Media.

As a result of successfully completing program requirements, students should be able to:

• demonstrate a familiarity with the common language of the discipline of fiction writing;
• use a variety of narrative techniques, written forms, and revision strategies to create effective fiction;
• demonstrate a familiarity with how open fiction is to new modes of expression;
• demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between effective reading and effective writing;
• perform reasonably close readings of works of fiction by 1)analyzing relevant literary elements in fiction (narrative techniques, themes, forms/sub-genres, stylistic choices, or other literary devices common to fiction); and 2)making appropriate reference to relevant texts and contexts;
• demonstrate a meaningful ability to participate in contemporary conversations on social and cultural change;
• demonstrate knowledge of the literary marketplace and processes crucial to publishing their writing; and
• apply creative problem-solving, effective written and oral communications, and critical thinking to their preparation for graduate studies, writing-related careers and other professions.

Required for the Concentration:

• CRWR 150 Fiction Workshop: Beginning
• CRWR 450 Fiction Workshop: Thesis

Choose one workshop from the following courses or take a second Fiction Workshop: Advanced:

• CRWR 155 Poetry Workshop: Beginning
• CRWR 160 Creative Nonfiction Workshop: Beginning

Choose two of the following courses:

Creative Writing: Nonfiction

The Creative Writing Nonfiction concentration introduces students to a variety of forms in nonfiction and helps them explore the history of the genre and find ways of creating nonfiction that is individual and original. The gateway course in the concentration is Foundations in Creative Writing. From there, students are poised to begin a sequence of scaffolded workshops progressing from Creative Nonfiction Workshop: Beginning through Creative Nonfiction Workshop: Intermediate; Creative Nonfiction Workshop: Advanced; and Creative Nonfiction Workshop: Thesis. In these workshops students focus on generating materials and writing and critiquing their essays. Students will also take courses focused on reading various genres of creative nonfiction and major nonfiction authors. Craft and Process Seminars will combine craft with readings in the theoretical underpinnings of nonfiction, and will introduce students to a wide variety of forms drawing from literary genres and subgenres such as autobiography, essay, the graphic novel, memoir, aphorism, and travel writing, among others.

In their sophomore or junior years, students take Writer’s Portfolio, a course which gives students the opportunity to strengthen their professional portfolios as they deepen their engagement with the profession of Creative Writing. The work done in this course is reinforced and extended in their capstone course, Creative Nonfiction Workshop: Thesis, where students will develop and revise a thesis of their best work. Students are required to take three literature classes (designed for Creative Writers) in the English Department to deepen their understanding of the history of nonfiction.

In accordance with the Department’s commitment to interdisciplinary, cross-genre contexts for writing, students also choose two writing electives from a broad a varying selection of courses. Such electives include, but are not limited to: additional workshops in Nonfiction, workshops in Fiction and Poetry, Craft and Process Seminars (in any genre), Literary Magazine Editing, Literary Magazine Production, along with courses in tutoring/Teaching, the visual and performing arts, English and in New Media.

• demonstrate a familiarity with the common language of the discipline of nonfiction writing;
• demonstrate a familiarity with how open nonfiction is to new modes of expression;
• demonstrate an understanding of the major aspects of the history of nonfiction and its sub-genres;
• use a variety of narrative techniques, written forms, and revision strategies to creative effective nonfiction;
• perform reasonably close readings of works of nonfiction by 1)analyzing relevant literary elements in nonfiction (narrative techniques, themes, forms/subgenres, stylistic choices, or other literary devices common to nonfiction); and 2)making appropriate reference to relevant texts and contexts;
• demonstrate knowledge of the literary  marketplace and processes crucial to publishing their writing; and
• CRWR 460 Creative Nonfiction Workshop: Thesis

Choose one workshop from the following courses or take a second Creative Nonfiction Workshop: Advanced:

Creative Writing: Poetry

The Creative Writing Poetry concentration helps students discover their own voices as poets and develop their craft. Students in the Poetry concentration are grounded in the history of poetry and poetics and are familiar with a wide range of approaches to writing. The gateway course in the concentration is Foundations in Creative Writing. From there, students are poised to begin a sequence of scaffolded workshops progressing from Poetry Workshop: Beginning through Poetry Workshop: Intermediate; Poetry Workshop: Advanced; and Poetry Workshop: Thesis. Students also take Craft and Process Seminars, which combine the study of craft with readings in the theoretical underpinnings of poetry. Examples of Craft and Process Seminars in Poetry include Forms of Poetry, Anatomies of Slam, Hybrid Poetics, Poetry Translation, Literary Collage and Collaboration, Poets’ Journals and Letters, Meditation and Poetics, and more.

In their sophomore or junior years, student take Writer’s Portfolio, a course which gives students the opportunity to strengthen their professional portfolios as they deepen their engagement with the profession of Creative Writing. The work done in this course is reinforced and extended in their capstone course, Poetry Workshop: Thesis.

The capstone experience in the Poetry concentration is Poetry Workshop: Thesis. In this small, seminar-style course, students write a chapbook-length thesis of poems. Students are required to take three literature classes (designed for Creative Writers) in the English Department to deepen their understanding of the history of poetry.

In accordance with the Department’s commitment to interdisciplinary, cross-genre contexts for writing, students choose two writing electives from a broad and varying selection of courses. Such electives include, but are not limited to: additional workshops in Poetry, workshops in Fiction and Nonfiction, Craft and Process Seminars (in any genre), Literary Magazine Editing, Literary Magazine Production, along with courses in Tutoring/Teaching, the visual and performing arts, English and in New Media.

• demonstrate a familiarity with the common language of the discipline of poetry writing;
• demonstrate a familiarity with how open the discipline of poetry is to new modes of expression;
• demonstrate an understanding of major movements of the history of poetry and its subgenres;
• use a variety of techniques, forms and revision strategies to create effective poetry;
• demonstrate an  understanding of the relationship between effective reading and effective writing;
• perform reasonably close readings of works of poetry by 1)analyzing relevant literary elements in poetry (discursive techniques, themes, forms/subgenres, stylistic choices, or other literary devices common to poetry); and 2)making appropriate reference to relevant texts and contexts;
• CRWR 455 Poetry Workshop: Thesis

Choose one workshop from the following courses or take a second Poetry Workshop: Advanced:

creative writing portfolio.

<p>I’m considering Columbia as one of my top choices but I’m curious if Columbia will consider my creative writing portfolio in its admissions process.</p>

<p>If they don’t, that’s pretty unfortunate for me.</p>

<p>If they do, I have several questions:</p>

<li>Who (at Columbia) will be evaluating my CW portfolio?</li> <li>How long/short should my CW portfolio ideally be?</li> <li>How much of a role do you suppose it would play in the admissions process?</li> </ol>

<p>cheers, and thanks in advance for your replies.</p>

<p>I’m pretty sure they <em>suggest</em> that you do not submit extra writing samples. Check the supplementary information section to make sure.</p>

<p>It’s an art supplement. Why would they discourage that?</p>

<p>Im not sure about this but I think that art supplements only refer to artistic and musical pieces. Paintings, photographs, recordings and all that jazz. </p>

<p>Creative Writing does not fall into that category and they strongly suggest against submitting such things.</p>

<p>It does at Princeton and Creative Writing is an Art.</p>

<p>A lot of top colleges only want to see a supplement if you’ve won an award in that category (i think Princeton, Stanford, etc). Columbia doesn’t say that, but even so it’s safe to use that rule as sort of a precedent. I emailed my admissions officer and told him about the blah blah blah state writing award I won and could I pretty please send a writing sample. He said sure. </p>

<p>As for how much of a role it might play in the process, I don’t know. Probably not that much; sometimes (esp if you submit a huge portfolio), they may not even get the chance to really go through them.</p>

<p>Yeah, it is an art. But between the Iliad and Oprah’s bookclub there’s a lotta Ugly Betty fanfiction out there.</p>

<p>It’s probably the ‘‘cheapest’’ art for a desperate a college applicant to immitate or attempt. Do you not think that the Admission Officers not get their share of Alma Mater poems as it stands?</p>

<p>It’s not to hurt your chances of getting in or fuel some sick joy; I know (oh how I know) the nerve-wracking college application process. It’s just that in all honesty…I think it would be a waste of paper, more likely to harm you than anything unless you have some credentials and awards to back it up.</p>

<p>well, i’ve won one or two awards (on the commendatory level for an international writing competition) and my supplement won’t be more the six to seven pages, just to answer some of your concerns. i think i’ll probably not submit a creative writting supplement if it has any chance at jeopardizing my application though. </p>

<p>i just don’t want to miss out if it’s the one thing that might be needed to push my app across the “threshold”.</p>

<p>If you’re confident that it’s good writing I don’t think it’ll harm you. At the same time, submitting six to seven pages (if I’m reading you correctly) is probably not a good way to make the admissions committee happy. The writing sample I provided with my app was 450 words - just basically a short essay.</p>

POPULAR STATES

Search sat scores, search act scores, search gpa’s, subscribe to our newsletter.

Stay informed with the latest from the CC community, delivered to you, for free.

CONNECT WITH US

© 2023 College Confidential, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

• Majors & Programs

Creative Writing

Request Info

• Learn more about English and Creative Writing
• View Courses & Requirements

Creative Writing (BA)

You’re a writer, and you want to write. In the Creative Writing bachelor’s degree program at Columbia College Chicago, you’ll write from day one, immediately discovering your creative process as you craft stories, poems, essays, and hybrid texts.

Diversity: it’s the name of the game in creative writing at Columbia, where we push boundaries and redefine borders. During your time here, you’ll study works by writers from many different cultures, and you’ll develop your own writing alongside a diverse group of students and faculty members. You’ll choose a concentration in fiction, nonfiction, or poetry to focus on your favorite literary form. But you’ll work within all genres, developing transferrable skills that will help you become a more effective writer. And through our Writer’s Portfolio class and a thesis project, you’ll begin to identify career opportunities as you create a substantial manuscript.

Concentrations

As a Creative Writing major at Columbia College Chicago, you’ll choose from one of three concentrations:

Flex your storytelling muscles as you build a wide-ranging creative practice in writing. You’ll study classic and contemporary novels and short stories as well as experimental texts. By studying a diverse range of authors, you’ll develop critical reading and writing skills.

Learn the history, forms, genres, and techniques of nonfiction writing. As you create your own body of work, you will study the evolving role of nonfiction writing in literature.

Discover your poetic voice and develop your craft as you write the poems that are meaningful to you. By the time you graduate, you’ll be grounded in the history of poetry and poetics and will have mastered a variety of writing techniques.

In the Classroom

Your First Year

Your introduction to the Creative Writing bachelor’s degree program at Columbia College Chicago starts with two courses: Foundations in Creative Writing and Beginning Workshop. Here, you’ll lay the groundwork for successful writing by experimenting with a number of different writing styles and forms. And it’s not just about writing. Critical reading in literature courses informs your creative work and helps you become a more effective writer. 

Other Courses You’ll Take

As a Creative Writing major, you’ll take 18 hours of core workshop courses and at least 12 of those will be in your chosen concentration. In the Writer’s Portfolio, a required junior-year course, you’ll reflect on the body of work you’ve created at Columbia. 

In your capstone courses, you’ll learn what to do with the body of work you’ve made so far. You’ll complete a substantial manuscript in your Thesis Workshop class and use what you have learned in professional development courses to prepare for careers that interest you.

Along the way, you’ll have opportunities to take elective classes in the visual and performing arts, in new media, and in other areas. Combined with your writing workshops, these electives will open your eyes to the many ways writing enables you to participate in contemporary conversations on social and cultural change. 

Program Snapshot

Creative Writing Program from Columbia College Chicago on Vimeo .

Like our students, our faculty members are diverse in every sense of the word. They are practicing, publishing writers; they are artists who teach.

Combining different literary backgrounds and experiences with a willingness to experiment, faculty members encourage you to produce your best work, no matter where you fit into the literary scene.

View Department Faculty

Publications

You can work on Columbia’s literary journal, Allium , A Journal of Poetry & Prose. Not only can you submit your own work, you can take classes that provide hands-on experience with editing and producing this nationally distributed professional publication.

You’ll also gain the skills needed to create reading series, journals, or presses of your own.

Outside the Classroom

As a student, you’ll have a front-row seat for the prestigious The Efroymson Creative Writing Reading Series , which gives students the chance to interact with award-winning writers of different genres.

You can also participate in the Writers at Lunch program, which strengthens Columbia’s writing community by bringing together undergraduate students from all disciplines for readings, panel discussions, and meetings with professionals in the field.

Internships

Employers in many fields look for strong communicators. The Creative Writing bachelor’s degree program at Columbia College Chicago can help you land internships at newspapers, marketing agencies, trade magazines, publishing houses, personnel firms, legal firms, education providers, television companies, advertising agencies, nonprofit organizations, and more. Companies and organizations get your strong writing skills, and you make professional contacts and create a portfolio of real-world work at places like The Daily Show, Disney, Pitchfork, and Time Out Chicago .

Learn more about how Columbia’s Career Center can help you find the right internship.

Our Creative Writing alumni know that they write the story of their own success, taking what they’ve learned and creating a place for themselves in the real writing world. Here are just a few of our successful alumni:

• Christine Mangan ’04 published a book, Tangerine , which, according to Entertainment Weekly , sold to HarperCollins for more than $1 million and was optioned for a film by George Clooney. 
• Jacob Saenz ’05 has been awarded the 2018 American Poetry Review/Honickman First Book Prize for his manuscript Throwing the Crown . This year’s guest judge, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gregory Pardlo, selected Saenz’s manuscript from more than 800 submissions.
• Bailey Heille ’17 was accepted to Columbia University’s prestigious MFA program.

Chicago: A Thriving Live Lit Scene

Living and studying in Chicago means you’ll have many opportunities to participate in the literary community here. The city has one of the country’s best live literary scenes, with a diverse range of styles and genres and a welcoming environment for new writers.

Related Programs

Creative writing minor.

With a Creative Writing minor , you can combine your major field of study with workshop classes and writing courses that will improve your reading, writing, listening, speaking, and problem-solving skills—a natural boost for any creative professional. You’ll enjoy all the benefits available to Creative Writing majors: experienced resident and visiting instructors, the ability to work on student-produced literary magazines, and other special programs. 

Professional Writing Minor

The Profesional Writing minor offers a wide range of literature courses. You will gain valuable career skills in research, critical thinking, idea development, and analytical writing. You will also study the relationships between literature and the diverse aesthetic, historical, and cultural contexts in which it is written and read. The flexible curriculum allows you to tailor the minor to your interests.

Complementary Minors for the Creative Writing, BA Program

• Creative Advertising
• Interactive Media Development and Entrepreneurship
• Live and Performing Arts Management
• Theatre Directing
• Writing for Performance

Optional portfolios?

Hi! Does anyone know whether it's a good idea or not to include optional creative portfolios with your application? I'm applying to writing/journalism programs at schools like NYU, BU and Columbia, which all allow me to add an optional portfolio. Is that generally recommended? Thanks!

Earn karma by helping others:

The previous response that encouraged you to submit such a thing to Columbia because their prestigious journalism school values such good writers. I disagree with this statement.

First of all Columbia's School of Journalism is a separate Graduate school within Columbia University. They do not offer undergraduate studies or degrees. You apply there to get an M.A., M.s. or Ph.D. Their professors and admin do not get involved with the Columbia College admissions process.

Second of all if you read the Creative Writing supplement direction, they explicitly state not to submit journalism samples.

Creative Writing

Please submit a document (in pdf format) of your sample creative writing in any of the following areas: poetry, fiction, or creative non-fiction. Do not submit journalism samples or full books. Submissions should not exceed 5 pages.

Applicants are required to include a résumé (in pdf format) listing their creative writing experience and recognition.

NYU and BU have undergraduate degrees in journalism and if they have optional portfolio submissions, then I would follow their directions carefully prior to submitting any kind of writing samples.

Hey, I would recommend submitting an optional portfolio only if you think it will help your application. If it is a strong portfolio that showcases your accomplishments, then go for it! The same thing applies with resumes...admissions officers only recommend submitting them if it adds value to your application. Hope this helped!

In this case, it kind of depends on what you might submit — since you're doing writing/journalism, in this case submitting a creative writing portfolio might make a bigger impact than, say, theatre or visual art. Additionally, when applying to schools like NYU and Columbia with really prestigious journalism programs, it generally helps to show that you can write well.

Overall, if you feel like your creative work is impressive from a professional viewpoint, submit it. If not, don't.

Calculate for all schools

Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, community guidelines.

To keep this community safe and supportive:

• Be kind and respectful!
• Keep posts relevant to college admissions and high school.
• Don’t ask “chance-me” questions. Use CollegeVine’s chancing instead!

How karma works