Mar 28, 2024  
College Catalog 2021-2022 
    
College Catalog 2021-2022 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Courses


 

Geography

  
  • GEOG 363 - Geography of Development and Underdevelopment


    This course introduces students to the geographic study of development around the world, with a particular emphasis on the Global South. The geographic approach emphasizes: the highly uneven nature of development; processes that link and differentiate various areas of the world; connections between development and the natural resource base; and the power relations inherent in development discourse. The course has three main sections: an introduction to development theory; an investigation of various development themes; and an intense exploration of what works and what doesn’t in development practice. While much of the development literature has focused on failure, a specific aim of this course will be to uncover and interrogate success stories. Offered every year. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 364 - GIS and Community Partnerships


    In this course we collaborate with a local partner to collect, analyze and present geospatial information. Our primary tool is a Geographic Information System. Through meetings and discussions with our partner, we develop a plan for data collection and analysis and then work collaboratively to finish the project. This course may include field excursions to local sites as well as significant time devoted to working in groups and individually. We focus on the basics of project management as well as technical skills. In previous semesters we have collaborated with partners engaged in natural resource management, urban studies, and geographic education. Topics covered in the course include data collection, data quality and metadata, data structures, visualization, and spatial analysis and modeling. Laboratory work is required. Prerequisite(s): GEOG 225  and permission of instructor. Offered occasionally. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 365 - Urban GIS


    This course allows students to participate in a “real world” application of their GIS knowledge and skills in a collaborative research project setting. Project focus is on urban GIS and questions developed by and for neighborhoods and other community research organizations. Content of the course includes development of the research project, acquisition and utilization of data used in urban analysis, data manipulation and analytical techniques unique to urban GIS, and geographical data visualization. Laboratory work is required. Prerequisite(s): GEOG 225  and permission of instructor. Offered every year. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 366 - GIS for Global Urban Environments


    This course builds on skills learned in the Introductory Geographic Information Systems (GIS) course by focusing explicitly on geospatial techniques commonly used for analyzing global urban environments. We will investigate how planning organizations and non-profits use GIS to analyze and manage urban systems such as transportation, land use, and local community development initiatives. Examples of GIS applications will be drawn from cities from each of the major world regions with the goal of understanding how this technology facilitates the management of these complex environments. Labs and lectures will focus on the application of GIS tools to such areas as transportation planning, land use planning, location analysis, and community development utilizing both vector and raster environments. Students will be required to complete a final independent project. Laboratory work is required. Prerequisite(s):   and permission of instructor. Offered occasionally. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 367 - Environmental Geographic Information Systems (GIS)


    This course is designed for upper-division undergraduate students seeking greater understanding of GIS theory, technology, and application in environmental issues. It includes an expansion of GIS theory and its implementation through the applied techniques of GIS. The course first introduces resources to help students succeed in the class. It then covers how to obtain data, customize it for a particular study site, input it into a GIS analysis, and then interpret and present the results. The course also provides a series of environmental case studies demonstrating a variety of analysis tools and techniques. Lectures and labs cover all aspects of GIS analysis, in sequence from data acquisition, manipulation, creation, visualization, analysis and GIS application. Few of the environmental case studies covered in the class are wetland restoration and invasive species mapping, REDD analysis, tree height and forest density measurement using LiDAR data, land use and land cover change analysis, forest fragmentation analysis and hydrological modeling - DRASTIC model. Laboratory work is required. Prerequisite(s): GEOG 225  and permission of instructor. Offered occasionally. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 368 - Health GIS


    This course builds on skills learned in the introductory Geographic Information Systems (GIS) course, focusing explicitly on geospatial techniques used for analyzing problems in public health. Through lectures, discussions, hands-on labs, and collaborative group work, students will learn to use advanced GIS tools to visualize and analyze public health issues, including: health disparities; neighborhood effects on health; spatial clustering of disease events, such as cancers; environmental health and environmental justice; infectious and vector-borne disease; and accessibility of populations to health care services. The course builds skills in spatial thinking, statistical and epidemiological reasoning, logical inference, critical use of data, geovisualization, and research project design. Students will be required to complete a final independent project on a topic of their choice. Laboratory work is required. Prerequisite(s): GEOG 225  and permission of instructor; completion of GEOG 256  and/or STAT 125  is highly encouraged before taking this course. Offered every year. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 370 - Advanced Cartography and Geovisualization


    In our increasingly visual culture, displaying, analyzing and interpreting data visually is becoming more important than ever. Governments, non-profits, marketing agencies, corporations and activists are striving to communicate with the public using data visualization. Geovisualization adds a spatial component to data visualization, tying locations to stories. Geovisualization is both a process for displaying data and an interdisciplinary field of study that develops new methods and tools for data visualization. Cartography plays an important role in geovisualization, lending design principles and techniques to this new and emerging field of study. This course is a combination of discussions on current topics and hands-on lab exercises and projects based on geovisualization methods and advanced cartographic techniques. Discussion and lab topics may include cartography, typography, geovisualization, spatio-temporal mapping, interactive mapping, interface design and usability, web mapping, 3D and animated mapping, critical cartography and location-based services. Esri’s ArcGIS suite, Adobe Creative Cloud, and online open source software are used to complete lab assignments. Laboratory work is required. Prerequisite(s): GEOG 225  and permission of instructor. Offered occasionally. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 375 - Rural Landscapes and Livelihoods

    Cross-Listed as   
    This course introduces students to Rural Geography, a sub-discipline within Geography. Using a sustainable development framework this course emphasizes the linkages between human and physical landscapes through the evaluation of landuse and community change in rural areas throughout the US and other Global North countries. We will explore the implications of demographic (including migration and immigration), economic, cultural, and environmental changes for rural environs using several case studies from across the US and Western Europe, including an overnight field trip to northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. Rural community strategies for adapting to and accommodating competing demands for water and landuse will be considered, including pressure for new housing developments, recreation opportunities (boating, fishing, hiking, biking), and conservation needs. Students will be exposed to theoretical and empirical approaches to rural development in different regional contexts, as well as problems associated with these development paradigms. We will explore the rapidly changing rural environments in a Global North context in order to deepen our understanding of the interconnectedness of human and physical systems more broadly. Offered occasionally. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 377 - Qualitative Research Methods in Geography


    Social scientists use qualitative methods to understand the ways in which societal associations operate and how people experience, contribute to, or try to change these associations. Qualitative methods are thus concerned with analyzing processes and experiences. This course trains students to use qualitative research methods to collect data, analyze it, draw authoritative conclusions, and observe professional research ethics. The course emphasizes how qualitative methods contribute to scientific research and how ethical treatment of research participants affects the practice of qualitative research. Above all, the course focuses on training students to conduct qualitative research that contributes to our understanding of human geographies. Students will develop these skills by engaging in a semester-long research project. Prerequisite(s): GEOG 111  or GEOG 113  or permission of instructor. Offered every year. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 378 - Statistical Research Methods in Geography


    This course focuses on the statistical methods that geographers use to describe and analyze places and themes. Students will learn both descriptive and inferential statistical methods for use in geographical research, including exploratory data analysis techniques, spatial statistics, geographic sampling, hypothesis testing, and regression analysis. The course provides students with experience in the application of statistical methods to spatial problems through the use of statistical software. Students will also learn to evaluate and develop statistical research designs, including preparation and presentation of an original research project. Prerequisite(s): Geography major or permission of instructor. Offered every year. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 394 - Topics Course


    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 472 - Global Urbanism


    The 21st century is an urban century. Half of the world’s population now lives in cities, with the most rapid growth happening in the developing world. The globalized urban processes compel us to rethink existing urban theories as well as the very definition of cities. In this senior capstone seminar, we will explore three strands of scholarly works that expand our knowledge about contemporary global urbanism. The first focuses on the scholarship of neoliberal urbanism, which prioritizes North American and Western European urban experiences and shapes the mainstream thinking of cities. The second consists of on-the-ground variegated contestations, which reveal diverse urban living experiences and propose alternative approaches to the capitalist urbanization process. Finally, there is the scholarship challenging mainstream urban theories with a different epistemological stance. Among other things, it seeks to re-conceptualize urbanization from the global South. In addition to studying these important ways of thinking about global urbanism, students will conduct individual research projects to develop a deeper and more concrete understanding of the contemporary urbanization processes. Alternate years. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 473 - Historical Geography of Urbanization


    A research methods course in which students will conduct inquiries on the development of urban settlement forms throughout the world. The genesis of contemporary American landscapes with an emphasis on the Middle West. Field trips and individual projects. The seminar frequently produces studies of a neighborhood in cooperation with a local community. Prerequisite(s): GEOG 241  and permission of instructor. Not currently offered. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 474 - Urban Geography Field Seminar


    A research methods course in which students will conduct an individual inquiry in one of the following sub-fields of urban geography: spatial structure of urban areas; spatial interaction; problems of economic localization; and factors in intra-urban residential mobility. Students will be expected to participate in group projects which may produce either a written report or a map. The seminar focuses on topics of special interest to local communities and is part of Macalester’s Civic Engagement initiatives. Prerequisite(s): Completion of GEOG 241  prior to registering for this seminar is strongly encouraged and permission of instructor. Not currently offered. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 475 - Medical Geography Seminar


    A research seminar in which students conduct individual inquiry into problems in medical geography. Also known as health geography, this is a growing subdiscipline in geography that stands out for its theoretical debates, methodological diversity, and engagement with other disciplines from the natural and social sciences (e.g. biology, biomedicine, ecology, epidemiology, sociology, economics, anthropology, critical theory), while always grounded in the traditions of geographical inquiry. Topics and approaches to be covered include historical paradigms in medical geographic thought; international health and development; disease ecology; emerging infectious diseases; the social determinants of health; place or neighborhood effects; environmental justice; spatial epidemiology; and critical approaches to health, the body, and power. Since this is a seminar course we will also emphasize developing your skills in scholarly research and writing, as well as learning how to evaluate and integrate insights from different disciplines. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Completion of GEOG 256  prior is encouraged. Generally offered every other year. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 476 - Transportation Geography Seminar


    A research seminar in which students explore and discuss current transportation research and issues and conduct an individual inquiry into transportation geography, from the effects of transportation on urban form and land use to the environmental and human dimensions of transport. Through readings, discussions, guest speakers, and local field experiences, students are introduced to a variety of research areas and applications, data sources, and research methods. We will also take advantage of our location within the Twin Cities metropolitan area to host alumni who are currently working in transportation, in order to gain exposure to a professional view of the field. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Generally offered every other year. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 477 - Comparative Environment and Development

    Cross-Listed as ENVI 477  and INTL 477  
    A concern for the relationship between nature and society has been one of the pillars of geographic inquiry, and has also been an important bridge between other disciplines. By the 1960s, this area of inquiry was referred to variously as “human ecology” or “cultural ecology.” Since the 1990s certain forms of inquiry within this tradition have increasingly referred to themselves as “political ecology.” The purpose of this seminar is to review major works within the traditions of cultural and political ecology; examine several areas of interest within these fields (e.g., agricultural modernization, environmental narratives, conservation, ecotourism); and explore nature-society dynamics across a range of geographical contexts. Towards the end of the course students will explore how one might begin to think in practical terms about facilitating development in marginal environments. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Prior completion of a geography course(s) with an environmental or development focus is encouraged. Offered every other year. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 478 - Cities of the 21st Century: The Political Economy of Urban Sustainability

    Cross-Listed as ENVI 478  
    The purpose of this course is to understand the practices and concepts that constitute the movement for sustainable cities and investigate the ways in which urban sustainability initiatives are generated and how they vary geographically. The course adopts a political economy perspective to trace the complex interactions of institutions, politics, and economic systems that shape initiatives for more sustainable cities. Students will work in the first part of the course to enhance their understanding of core concepts and best practices that constitute the professional field of sustainable urban development and assemble a framework for analyzing the ways in which sustainability initiatives come to fruition and approach the idea of sustainability in a particular way. Equipped with these foundations, we then analyze case studies in the second part of course that focus on the meaning of sustainability, its practice internationally, and the ultimate impact of these practices on ecological balance, economic sustainability, and social equity in the urban environment. Toward these ends, students will conduct a semester-long capstone research project that investigates a particular urban sustainability initiative in the world by tracing the political economy of its creation and considering its impact on society, economy, and environment. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Generally offered every other year. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 479 - Migrants, Migration and the Global Landscape of Population Change


    Castles and Miller argue that we are living in the age of migration – a period in history when a greater proportion of the human population is on the move than ever before.  This course examines migration through a geographic lens seeking to elucidate the connections between theory and the changing and complex lived experiences of migrants.  We will consider different approaches to studying migration including primary migration theories, the analyses of major flows, and micro models of individual decision-making behavior, life course, and livelihood perspectives and the implications of these movements for both sending and receiving communities. This course is organized as a senior capstone seminar.  As such, we utilize readings, discussion, lectures, guest speakers and local events to enhance our understanding of the many dimensions and perspectives inherent in study of migratory movements, at scales ranging from global to local. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Generally offered every other year. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 494 - Topics Course


    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 611 - Independent Project


    A limit of eight credits for independent projects may be applied toward the major. An independent study that clearly focuses on GIS may be applied to the GIS minor in geography. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (1 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 612 - Independent Project


    A limit of eight credits for independent projects may be applied toward the major. An independent study that clearly focuses on GIS may be applied to the GIS minor in geography. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (2 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 613 - Independent Project


    A limit of eight credits for independent projects may be applied toward the major. An independent study that clearly focuses on GIS may be applied to the GIS minor in geography. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (3 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 614 - Independent Project


    A limit of eight credits for independent projects may be applied toward the major. An independent study that clearly focuses on GIS may be applied to the GIS minor in geography. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 621 - Internship


    Students work with a Twin Cities community organization, agency or business, learning particular skills, factual knowledge about “real world” operations and interpersonal communications. Internships are individually designed around students’ interests, college studies and career goals. Not more than eight credits for internships may be included toward the major. An internship that clearly focuses on GIS may be applied to the GIS minor in geography. Only offered as a pass/fail (S/N) option. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. Every semester. (1 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 622 - Internship


    Students work with a Twin Cities community organization, agency or business, learning particular skills, factual knowledge about “real world” operations and interpersonal communications. Internships are individually designed around students’ interests, college studies and career goals. Not more than eight credits for internships may be included toward the major. An internship that clearly focuses on GIS may be applied to the GIS minor in geography. Only offered as a pass/fail (S/N) option. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. Every semester. (2 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 623 - Internship


    Students work with a Twin Cities community organization, agency or business, learning particular skills, factual knowledge about “real world” operations and interpersonal communications. Internships are individually designed around students’ interests, college studies and career goals. Not more than eight credits for internships may be included toward the major. An internship that clearly focuses on GIS may be applied to the GIS minor in geography. Only offered as a pass/fail (S/N) option. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. Every semester. (3 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 624 - Internship


    Students work with a Twin Cities community organization, agency or business, learning particular skills, factual knowledge about “real world” operations and interpersonal communications. Internships are individually designed around students’ interests, college studies and career goals. Not more than eight credits for internships may be included toward the major. An internship that clearly focuses on GIS may be applied to the GIS minor in geography. Only offered as a pass/fail (S/N) option. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. Every semester. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 631 - Preceptorship


    A student works with a faculty member in the planning and teaching of a course. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs. Every semester. (1 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 632 - Preceptorship


    A student works with a faculty member in the planning and teaching of a course. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs. Every semester. (2 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 633 - Preceptorship


    A student works with a faculty member in the planning and teaching of a course. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs. Every semester. (3 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 634 - Preceptorship


    A student works with a faculty member in the planning and teaching of a course. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs. Every semester. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 641 - Honors Independent


    Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (1 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 642 - Honors Independent


    Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (2 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 643 - Honors Independent


    Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (3 Credits)

  
  • GEOG 644 - Honors Independent


    Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (4 Credits)


Geology

  
  • GEOL 101 - Dinosaurs


    Dinosaurs dominated Earth’s landscapes for nearly 200 million years, and then they vanished in one of the “big-five” mass extinctions in the history of life. This course explores the evolution of dinosaurs, and examines their biology and behavior. Students are introduced to the various groups of dinosaurs as they study the reasons behind their dramatic diversification and ecological success. Theories that pertain to their abrupt disappearance 65 million years ago are also explored. The class includes a field trip to the dinosaur hall at the Science Museum of Minnesota. Fall semester. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 102 - Exploring the Solar System


    Recent planetary missions have provided a wealth of new and exciting information about our solar system and beyond. This course examines the science behind these recent discoveries. Readings and discussions focus on a variety of topics, including: (1) processes of planetary formation, (2) the geology of the Earth, Moon, Sun, and other planets, (3) planetary interiors and atmospheres, (4) asteroids, meteorites, comets, and the newly appreciated role of impacts, (5) the seemingly unique status of the Earth as a habitable planet, and (6) the potential for extraterrestrial life. Course projects make extensive use of internet resources, computer software, satellite imagery, and solar system materials (rocks from the Moon, Mars, and asteroids). Spring semester. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 103 - Geocinema


    Lights, camera, ACTION! Geologists think planet Earth is incredibly exciting, but nowhere is the story of the behavior of our planet more dramatized and misrepresented than in movies! Whether they are big-budget thrillers like Jurassic Park, San Andreas, or The Day After Tomorrow, or low-brow science fiction like Boa, movies tend to stretch the reality of natural hazards and earth processes to great dramatic effect. In this course, we will have the opportunity to watch a variety of movie clips that focus on geologic hazards (such as volcanoes, earthquakes, avalanches, floods, and tsunamis) and other earth processes (origins of life, evolution, mass extinction, climate change, and glaciers). We will examine the scientific features and processes depicted in films, learn about their scientific basis, and critique the film’s portrayal of earth process. Students will work in groups to examine a film centered on a geological process, and critique the way science is depicted. The final project gives you the opportunity to develop your own script for a movie that does the geology correctly. This course will cover quantitative concepts relevant to earth processes, such as describing the world quantitatively, understanding uncertainty and risk, and evaluating quality and sources of data.  (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 104 - Soil: Science and Sustainability

    Cross-Listed as ENVI 104  
    From the food we eat, to the air we breathe, soil shapes our lives. Soil forms in response to local conditions, recording regional climate variability (if you know how to look). Soil is also one of the most important carbon sinks, so the way we interact with soil has the potential to seriously impact our changing climate. However, as an important agricultural resource, we must continue to utilize soil to feed Earth’s growing population. To better understand this under-appreciated layer of Earth, this class will investigate soil formation, soil properties and the variability between types of soil, and how we interact with soil in our world today. This course includes one field trip. Every semester. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 105 - Geohazards


    Geohazards is an introductory course for students of all backgrounds aimed at: 1) understanding the geology behind disasters, including earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, sinkholes, landslides, climate change, asteroid impacts, and changes in Earth’s magnetic field; 2) investigating the intersection of risk with society (e.g., how communities and governments evaluate risk and implement risk-appropriate mitigation strategies) and at a personal level (e.g., understanding hazards you may face as homeowners or renters and determining your level of risk aversion). Three meetings (lectures, movie clips, discussions, and activities) per week, one fieldtrip to view sinkholes, landslide debris, and spelunk in the Twin Cities, no lab. Alternate years. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 120 - Environmental Geology

    Cross-Listed as GEOG 120  and ENVI 120  
    The physical environment has begun to show signs of our earth’s expanding population and the increasing need for natural resources. Geologic materials such as soil, water, and bedrock, and geologic processes such as earthquakes, volcanic activity, and running water often pose constraints on land use. This course is designed to introduce students to the relationship between humans and their geologic environment: the earth. We will focus on the understanding the processes that shape the surface of the earth, and how these processes affect human activity. We will use current scientific methods to collect and analyze data. Topics include surface-water dynamics and flooding, groundwater and groundwater contamination, pollution and waste management, landslides, volcanic and earthquake hazards, and global climate change. Format: the course will include local field excursions, lectures, discussions and hands-on exercises; evaluation will be based on homework/classroom activities, short writing assignments, and exams. Offered occasionally. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 160 - Dynamic Earth and Global Change

    Cross-Listed as  
    This course provides an introduction to the materials and structure of the Earth and to the processes acting on and in the Earth to produce change. Emphasis is placed on the evolution of landforms and the formation of Earth resources. Discussions focus on the important role of geologic processes in the solution of environmental problems. Required for geology majors. Local field trips. Three hours lecture and two hours lab per week. Every fall. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 165 - History/Evolution of Earth


    This course provides an overview of the Earth for the past 4.6 billion years. Students explore the concept of geologic time as they delve into the vast past of our evolving planet. Major emphasis is placed on tracking the evolution of life, from the simplest single-celled organisms of the ancient Earth to today’s diverse floras and faunas. Another major focus is the linkage among abiotic and biotic systems, the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere did not and do not evolve independently. The laboratory component of this course is designed to familiarize students with the rocks and fossils that archive the history of Earth. The class includes a fossil-collecting field trip. Required for geology majors. Three hours lecture and two hours lab per week. Every spring. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 194 - Topics Course


    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 200 - Field Excursion Seminar


    The geology and geography of a region will be studied during a geologic field excursion to a selected destination. The excursion will be preceded by a seminar course that includes readings and oral presentations. A student may take the seminar more than once for credit. Prerequisite(s): GEOL 160  or GEOL 165  or permission of instructor. Alternate years. (2 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 201 - Geological Excursions


    This course focuses on the geology of a foreign country or a region of the U.S. It also includes a study of the geography and culture of the region. It is designed as a January course. Participants meet prior to departure in order to learn necessary background information. The field excursion generally spans two to three weeks. The region to be studied will be different each year and a student may take the course more than once for credit. This course is offered as S/N grading. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor(s). Offered occasionally. (2 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 240 - Field Methods


    This course is designed to train students in observation, spatial thinking, integrative problem-solving, and critical thinking in the field. Students will keep a detailed field notebook, complete three field projects, and use software to prepare professional quality maps and reports, all of which are important skills needed for careers in the biological, environmental, and geological sciences. Tools used include brunton compass, Jacob staff, GPS, aerial photographs, topographic maps, and computer software. Includes a weekend mapping project and weekly field trips during class. Occasional fourth hour meetings. Offered alternate fall semesters. Prerequisite(s): GEOL 160 , GEOL 165 , or permission of instructor. Alternate fall semesters. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 250 - Mineralogy


    This course examines the relationships between symmetry, chemistry, physical and optical properties, and occurrence of minerals. General cosmochemistry, geochemistry and crystal growth will also be discussed. Laboratory projects include crystal morphology and symmetry, optical mineralogy, x-ray diffraction, wet chemistry, and the identification of common rock-forming minerals. Three hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Field trips. Fall semester. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 255 - Structural Geology


    This course focuses on recognizing and interpreting the significance of geologic structures in the Earth’s outermost layers. Discussions focus on the formation of major rock fabrics (e.g., fractures, joints, faults, shear zones, folds, foliation/cleavage, and lineations) from microscopic (thin section) to regional (mountain belt) scales.  Problem sets use graphical techniques to solve structural problems. This course also provides an introduction to map interpretation and mapping techniques. Three hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Local and regional field trips. Prerequisite(s): GEOL 160  and GEOL 165 GEOL 250  recommended but not required. Spring semester. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 260 - Geomorphology


    Geomorphology is the study of physical, chemical, and biological processes that occur on the surface of a planetary body. We will be examining the processes that turn solid rock into transportable material, the transport mechanisms themselves (whether beneath glaciers, down hillslopes, or in rivers), and the patterns of deposition, many of which are unique to the processes that created them. These processes range from the very large (volcanism and mountain-building) to the microscopic (frost cracking of rock, soil creep, and chemical weathering along mineralogic grain boundaries). Some processes occur frequently across geographic boundaries and throughout geologic time (like rainsplash), while others are stochastic in nature and dramatic in their geomorphic signature (like glacial outburst floods). We will focus on the roles of rivers, glaciers, and mass movements in shaping landscapes, but will examine wide-ranging landscapes such as arid environments and coastal regions. The study of current surface processes on the Earth will be examined with an eye toward understanding the evolution of landscapes over geologic timescales. Prerequisite(s):   or   or permission of instructor. Fall semester. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 265 - Sedimentology/Stratigraphy


    This course focuses on sedimentary rocks and the stratigraphic record. Topics covered include the origin and classification of sediments and sedimentary rocks (siliciclatic and carbonate), sedimentary structures (physical and biogenic), diagenesis, facies models, and basin analysis. Students are introduced to the principles and practice of stratigraphy. Emphasis is placed on the interpretation of ancient sedimentary environments. Three hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Field trips. Prerequisite(s): GEOL 160 , GEOL 165 , and GEOL 250 ; or permission of the instructor. Spring semester. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 294 - Topics Course


    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 300 - Paleobiology


    This course surveys the long history of life, as recorded by the fossil record. Students are introduced to the morphology and paleoecology of the major fossil groups (invertebrates and vertebrates) through discussions, labs, and readings. Students also learn the methods used to study the paleobiology and evolution of extinct organisms. Three lectures and one three-hour lab per week. Local field trips. Prerequisite(s): GEOL 165  or permission of the instructor. Fall semester. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 302 - Petrology and Geochemistry


    This course focuses on the classification, occurrence, and origin of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. Emphasis will be placed on the relationships between lithology, geochemistry, and tectonic setting. Laboratory exercises include hand specimen identification, thin-section interpretation, textural analysis, major and trace element modeling, SEM/EDS and XRF analysis. Students participate in a semester-long research project on a local geological feature. Three hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Field trips. Prerequisite(s): GEOL 250 . Spring semester. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 303 - Surface/Groundwater Hydrology


    Hydrology is the study of physical, chemical, and biological processes that occur as water interacts with the earth. In this course we will focus on the near-surface cycling of water and the physical processes that drive this motion. We will discuss the dynamics of water as it flows across the surface of the landscape, moves through channels, and passes into the shallow subsurface. Open channel flow, hydrographs, floods, and arid region water scarcity will be the focus of the first portion of the course. The bulk of the course will look at the flow of water through permeable, saturated media, heterogeneity of flow, and several equations used to describe flow dynamics in aquifers. Flow through fractured and karst systems will be discussed. Importantly, we will spend time on the methods used by scientists and engineers (and consultants!) to understand the details and timescales of groundwater flow: wells, slug tests, pump tests, and geochemistry. Contaminant transport via groundwater flow will be examined in case studies. The use of quantitative tools such as calculations, numerical modeling, and estimation will be used to better understand the dynamics of water transport on our planet.  Prerequisite(s): Any 100-level geology lab course. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 304 - Tectonics


    This course will provide an overview of processes responsible for the formation, deformation, and destruction of Earth’s lithosphere. The class will combine perspectives from several geoscientific disciplines to address issues pertinent to plate tectonic processes. The laboratory component of the course will focus on developing good scientific writing and presentation habits. A 3-hour lab accompanies the course. Prerequisite(s): GEOL 160  . Fall semester. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 305 - Secrets in Soils: A Magnetic Approach


    A popular preconception is that magnetic methods are only used to study changes in Earth’s magnetic field. However, the magnetic signal in soils can be used to answer a variety of questions. Various approaches can be used to describe climate change, pollutants, and to help interpret archeological sites. This course will focus on the magnetic minerals found in soils, their origins, and how to use them to uncover the secrets in soils. Prerequisite(s): GEOL 250   Offered occasionally. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 360 - Paleoclimate

    Cross-Listed as ENVI 360  
    Earth’s climate has evolved with the planet itself as changing boundary conditions in the ocean, atmosphere, cryosphere and lithosphere have caused ice ages, periods of extreme warmth and mass extinctions. Information about these events is contained in the geologic record in the form of fossils and rock sequences, but also in lake and ocean sediments, ice sheets, cave deposits and tree rings. This course will provide an overview of variations in climate throughout Earth history while simultaneously examining the proxies and archives used to reconstruct those changes. We will also construct our own record of paleoclimate using cores from a local lake and a variety of laboratory techniques. Prerequisite(s): ENVI 240 , ENVI 150  or GEOL 160  . Every other spring. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 394 - Topics Course


    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 400 - Capstone Research Methods


    Geology majors and minors conducting research in the geosciences frequently utilize a variety of analytic and other laboratory equipment. This course provides students with guidance, mentorship and hands-on experience using the equipment and analytic tools they require to conduct their capstone and independent research projects. Students may take this course during any semester they are conducting research. S/N grading only. Offered occasionally. (1 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 416 - Seminar in Vertebrate Paleobiology and Evolution

    Cross-Listed as BIOL 416  
    This course delves into the evolutionary history and paleobiology of vertebrates. We’ll explore the 500-million year history of the group, and employ that framework to investigate originations and extinctions, innovative vertebrate body plans, and the functional changes associated with the invasion of new habitats. From mouths to jaws, jaws to ears, arms to wings, and fins to legs (and back again), we’ll investigate living vertebrates as analogues of fossil organisms and integrate discoveries in paleontology, geology, and molecular and developmental biology. The class will include periodic field trips to the Science Museum of Minnesota’s Paleontology Collections and hands-on paleobiological research. Prerequisite(s): BIOL 180 , GEOL 165 , or GEOL 300 ; junior senior standing; or permission of instructor. Offered occasionally. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 494 - Topics Course


    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 601 - Tutorial


    Closely supervised individual or small group study with a faculty member. A student may explore, by way of readings, short writings, etc., an area of study not available through the regular catalog offerings. The department chair will determine if this course may be applied toward the major. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (1 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 602 - Tutorial


    Closely supervised individual or small group study with a faculty member. A student may explore, by way of readings, short writings, etc., an area of study not available through the regular catalog offerings. The department chair will determine if this course may be applied toward the major. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (2 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 603 - Tutorial


    Closely supervised individual or small group study with a faculty member. A student may explore, by way of readings, short writings, etc., an area of study not available through the regular catalog offerings. The department chair will determine if this course may be applied toward the major. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (3 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 604 - Tutorial


    Closely supervised individual or small group study with a faculty member. A student may explore, by way of readings, short writings, etc., an area of study not available through the regular catalog offerings. The department chair will determine if this course may be applied toward the major. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 611 - Independent Project


    Independent study of geologic problems or preparation of senior research thesis. The department chair will determine if this course may be applied toward the major. Prerequisite(s): Junior or senior standing and permission of the instructor and department chair. Every semester. (1 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 612 - Independent Project


    Independent study of geologic problems or preparation of senior research thesis. The department chair will determine if this course may be applied toward the major. Prerequisite(s): Junior or senior standing and permission of the instructor and department chair. Every semester. (2 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 613 - Independent Project


    Independent study of geologic problems or preparation of senior research thesis. The department chair will determine if this course may be applied toward the major. Prerequisite(s): Junior or senior standing and permission of the instructor and department chair. Every semester. (3 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 614 - Independent Project


    Independent study of geologic problems or preparation of senior research thesis. The department chair will determine if this course may be applied toward the major. Prerequisite(s): Junior or senior standing and permission of the instructor and department chair. Every semester. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 621 - Internship


    Work that involves the student in practical off-campus experience. The department chair will determine if this course may be applied toward the major. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. Every semester. (1 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 622 - Internship


    Work that involves the student in practical off-campus experience. The department chair will determine if this course may be applied toward the major. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. Every semester. (2 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 623 - Internship


    Work that involves the student in practical off-campus experience. The department chair will determine if this course may be applied toward the major. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. Every semester. (3 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 624 - Internship


    Work that involves the student in practical off-campus experience. The department chair will determine if this course may be applied toward the major. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. Every semester. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 631 - Preceptorship


    A student works with a faculty member in the planning and teaching of a course. The department chair will determine if this course may be applied toward the major. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs. Every semester. (1 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 632 - Preceptorship


    A student works with a faculty member in the planning and teaching of a course. The department chair will determine if this course may be applied toward the major. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs. Every semester. (2 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 633 - Preceptorship


    A student works with a faculty member in the planning and teaching of a course. The department chair will determine if this course may be applied toward the major. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs. Every semester. (3 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 634 - Preceptorship


    A student works with a faculty member in the planning and teaching of a course. The department chair will determine if this course may be applied toward the major. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs. Every semester. (4 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 641 - Honors Independent


    Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (1 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 642 - Honors Independent


    Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (2 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 643 - Honors Independent


    Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (3 Credits)

  
  • GEOL 644 - Honors Independent


    Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (4 Credits)


German

  
  • GERM 101 - Elementary German I


    Emphasizing the active use of the language, this course focuses on vocabulary and structural acquisition as a way to develop elementary proficiency in speaking, reading, writing, and comprehension. Students both develop facility with German in highly structured contexts through work with authentic texts and become familiar with a variety of contemporary German-speaking cultures. Students will work with an open educational resource for this course: an interactive, online, and free textbook designed to meet the learning needs of Macalester students. For beginning students with no previous German language instruction. Three hours per week plus laboratory conversation hour. Every fall. (4 Credits)

  
  • GERM 102 - Elementary German II


    This course continues the development of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, with increasing emphasis on the practice of reading and writing. Students develop creativity and facility with the language using concrete vocabulary within meaningful contexts. Students also continue to explore contemporary German-speaking cultures. Students will work with an open educational resource for this course: an interactive, online, and free textbook designed to meet the learning needs of Macalester students. Three hours per week plus laboratory conversation hour. Prerequisite(s): GERM 101  with a grade of C- or better, or permission of instructor. Every spring. (4 Credits)

  
  • GERM 110 - Accelerated Elementary German


    A five-credit accelerated course which covers the content and proficiency development normally covered in GERM 101  and GERM 102 . The course, with a separate curriculum for easy independent work, is for students with prior experience with German who need a concentrated review or for students with previous other foreign language background who wish to work at an accelerated pace. Three hours per week plus two conversation laboratory hours. During Spring semester there will be an optional reading and translation lab. Every semester. (5 Credits)

  
  • GERM 174 - Vampires - from Monsters to Superheroes


    Vampires are cyclical. Just a few years ago you ran into them anytime you walked into a bookstore or turned on the TV-just like in Victorian times when Bram Stoker’s famous work emerged from a vampire craze. Vampires have always been popular fodder and will continue to be so, even if and as the image of the vampire shifts dramatically over time. The popularity of vampires has waxed and waned for over a hundred years, partially because vampirism can be used as a metaphor for almost anything-from the plague to sexuality to addiction. We will juxtapose classic tales of vampires as monsters with the more recent generation of vampires. What happened to change our imagination of vampires from monsters into hip, outsider superheroes? And what can the examination of vampires tell us about the context in which they were created? Occasionally offered. (4 Credits)

  
  • GERM 194 - Topics Course


    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (4 Credits)

  
  • GERM 203 - Intermediate German I


    This course is designed to help students increase their proficiency in the German language while emphasizing authentic cultural contexts. Through exposure to a variety of texts and text types, students develop oral and written proficiency in description and narration and develop tools and discourse strategies for culturally authentic interaction with native speakers. Cultural topics are expanded and deepened. Three hours per week plus conversation laboratory hour. Prerequisite(s): GERM 102  or GERM 110  with a grade of C- or better, or placement test, or consent of the instructor. Every semester. (4 Credits)

  
  • GERM 204 - Intermediate German II


    The course aims to help students attain a comfort level with extended discourse in German within culturally appropriate contexts. Students develop the ability to comprehend authentic spoken German on a variety of topics at length. They develop effective strategies for comprehending a variety of texts and text types. They gain increased facility with extended discourse, such as narrating and describing. Writing in German is also developed so that students can write extensively about familiar topics. Three hours per week plus laboratory conversation hour. Prerequisite(s): GERM 203  with a grade of C- or better, or placement test, or consent of the instructor. Every semester. (4 Credits)

  
  • GERM 277 - Metaphysics in Secular Thought

    Cross-Listed as POLI 277  and RELI 277  
    A widespread tendency in contemporary Western societies is to associate metaphysics with religion, if not with what is often dismissively called the “irrational.” This course will dismantle this myth by reading closely European philosophy and political theory, mostly since the seventeenth century, in their relation to theology and their reception by twentieth-century critical theory. This will allow us to examine the ways in which secular thought emerges not as an alternative to metaphysics-something which thought cannot supersede anyway-but rather as a different way of dealing with the very same metaphysical questions and issues that concern religion, from the meaning of life to the imminence of death, and from (actual or imagined) guilt to the hope for redemption. We shall endeavor to identify the similarities and differences between the ‘secular’ and the ‘religious’ ways, including their respective relations to rationality. Readings may include: Aristotle, Talal Asad, George Bataille, Walter Benjamin, Kenneth Burke, Richard Dienst, Emile Durkheim, Michel Foucault, Sigmund Freud, Peter Harrison, Jacques Lacan, Karl Marx, Marcel Mauss, Carl Schmitt, Baruch Spinoza, Alberto Toscano, Max Weber, Slavoj Zizek. Prerequisite(s): All readings in English. No pre-knowledge required. Occasionally. (4 Credits)

  
  • GERM 279 - Value: The Bad, the Ugly, and the Cheap

    Cross-Listed as MCST 279  
    For thousands of years value has been scrutinized in philosophy, art history, and economic analysis, as it cuts across three constitutive aspects of social, cultural, and political life: economy, aesthetics, and ethics. Not only do we have and impose on the world our moral, aesthetic, and exchange values, but these three fields often become difficult to distinguish, as is evident in the slippery flexibility of words that allow us to say as much “this painting is bad or worthless” as “I think this person is bad or worthless,” or “this is a bad, or worthless, remark” and “this is a bad or worthless check.” This course will focus primarily on influential accounts of value in aesthetic theory, while also examining the ways in which aesthetic value demarcates itself from or implicates its moral and economic counterparts, and what the interplays among the three fields entail for aesthetic value. Our readings will focus on the impact of primarily German thought on the formation of modern aesthetic theory-from the early eighteenth century through the Enlightenment and Romanticism to high modernism and the Frankfurt School. Class and readings in English. Prerequisite(s): No pre-knowledge required. This course is appropriate for all level students. Occasionally. (4 Credits)

  
  • GERM 294 - Topics Course


    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (4 Credits)

  
  • GERM 308 - German Cultural History I: Making Modern Germany


    This course prepares students with advanced intermediate German language skills for upper-level courses in German Studies through advanced language instruction combined with a critical investigation of important political, social and aesthetic topics in German cultural history from 1815-1933. Such topics include the tension between the German Kulturnation and the political nation, the revolutionary impact of industrialization, the economics and philosophical critique offered by socialism, imperialism as discourse and political tool, and the aesthetic revolution of modernism in the arts. In addition to historical sources, students read literary and autobiographical texts, view films, and investigate examples of material culture from a variety of periods. Conducted in German. Three hours per week plus one hour of intensive language practice. Prerequisite(s): GERM 204  or permission of instructor. Fall semester. (4 Credits)

  
  • GERM 309 - German Cultural History II: Ruptures and Remakings of Modern Germany


    This course prepares students with advanced intermediate German language skills for upper-level courses in German Studies through advanced language instruction combined with a critical investigation of important political, social and aesthetic topics in German cultural history from 1933 to the present. Such topics include the debacle of fascism, WWII and the Holocaust, the tension between consumer culture and Vergangenheitsbewältigung in the West Germany of the 1950s, the theory and practice of collectivism in East Germany, the significance of the Wall, political upheaval and terrorism in West Germany, German unification, multiculturalism, environmentalism, and sustainability. In addition to historical sources, students read literary and autobiographical texts, view films, and investigate examples of material culture from a variety of periods. Conducted in German. Three hours per week plus one hour of intensive language practice. Prerequisite(s): GERM 204  or permission of instructor. Every spring. (4 Credits)

  
  • GERM 316 - Reading Marx

    Cross-Listed as PHIL 216  
    For Marx, “private capital” is an oxymoron - a contradiction in terms, since by its very nature capital is social. And “philosophy” is really not a thing, at least not the way it’s always been defined, since the world of ideas has no existence independent of the material conditions of human existence. In this course, we will try to recover the revolutionary force of these arguments with a focus on what they show us about the illusory or fantastic character of modern life. From the early critique of alienation to the late analysis of surplus value, Marx showed over and again how the so-called rational world is not as rational as it seems: specters, fetishes, deceptive appearances, “false consciousness” are just some of the features of life under capital that Marx exposes and that continue to haunt our world (just think of how we appeal to the “magic of the market,” its “invisible hand” or to “creative destruction”). We will read selections from Marx’s early writings on religion and alienation through the theory of ideology, of commodity fetishism, and of primitive accumulation to his late programmatic texts in tandem with texts by 20th-century thinkers who critiqued and further developed Marx’s thought (Lukacs, Gramsci, Lefort, Derrida). Alternate years. (4 Credits)

  
  • GERM 337 - Dead White Men

    Cross-Listed as MCST 337 
    Today we often hear people dismiss the Western (mostly European) philosophical tradition as a bunch of “dead white men.” In other words, the argument goes, these thinkers harbored such passe notions as universal truths, a universal subject, and an individual in total control of itself and endowed with a pure reason unadulterated by rhetoric, imagination, fiction, and politics. Why should we bother with “dead white men” now that we understand that truth depends on historical context, that the self is decentered by the unconscious, that identity is constituted by gender, race, class, and other cultural factors, that truth is linked to power, and that ideology is omnipresent? Unfortunately, this all-too-familiar attitude overlooks its own faulty presupposition: it presumes a clear-cut break between philosophical tradition and contemporary thought, as if contemporary thought had no tradition out of which it emerged and could, therefore, merely discard what preceded it. Hence the popularity of phrases like “philosophy is dead.” It is all the more ironic to see this attitude prevail in the West at the very moment that multiculturalism has become our cause celebre : all cultural traditions are supposed to be “respected,” except the West’s own tradition. (Perhaps as a new way for the West to reinstate surreptitiously its superiority as the sole culture with no tradition?) This course pursues a close reading of texts by various “dead white men” as the unconscious (i.e., repressed and, for that matter, all the more powerful) undercurrent of contemporary thought. Assigned texts will include: Parmenides, Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Pascal, Spinoza, Kant, Hegel, Marx, as well as texts by twentieth-century thinkers that stress the dependence of contemporary thought on philosophy. No pre-knowledge required; all readings in English. With different reading lists this course may be taken more than once for credit . Alternate years. (4 Credits)

  
  • GERM 363 - Cyborgs, Puppets and Borderline Humans


    “We are all cyborgs,” Donna Haraway tells us: fabricated hybrids of machine and organism, and increasingly so in the digital age. In this course, we will explore the porous boundary between the human and the parahuman in literature, film, and popular culture. Robots and androids, puppets and marionettes, living statues and Doppelgänger, prosthetic devices from artificial limbs to canes and eyeglasses are just some of the phenomena that inhabit and traverse the border between wo/man and machine, the natural and the artificial. How does culture figure the border between the human and its others? How does this border shift through history? How are parahumans gendered? How natural and how artificial is gender? Texts by Goethe, E.T.A. Hoffmann, Tieck, and Heine; films and television series by Fritz Lang, Rainer Maria Fassbinder, and others. Taught in German Prerequisite(s): GERM 308  GERM 309 , or study abroad, or permission of the instructor. Offered fall term of even-numbered years. (4 Credits)

  
  • GERM 364 - Migration, Then and Now


    Like few other countries, Germany exemplifies how the migrant is the political figure of our time (Thomas Nail), exploding our image of “national” culture and putting flight and movement, rather than citizens and the state, in the focus of cultural scholarship. In this course, we will explore the political reality and the cultural imaginary of migration both to and from Germany and Austria in the 20th- and 21st centuries. Topics may include: refugees from National Socialism; Hannah Arendt and the figure of the exile; flight from the GDR; guest workers during the post-war economic boom; “second generation” immigrants in contemporary society, culture, and politics; reactions to and depictions of the refugee crisis in 2015 and its aftermath. Taught in German. Prerequisite(s):   or GERM 309 , or study abroad, or permission of instructor. Alternate fall semesters. (4 Credits)

  
  • GERM 365 - A Kafkaesque Century

    Cross-Listed as ENGL 235  
    What does the internationally (mis)used word “kafkaesque” actually mean? This course approaches Kafka’s work both as a case for literary analysis and as one that offers insights into modernism. In one way or another, Kafka sheds light on massive industrialization, bureaucratization, the commodification of art, the destabilization of patriarchy, and the development of technology and media, as well as on the question: what is literature itself. In addition to a selection of Kafka’s fiction, we shall read Crumb and Mairowitz’s graphic version of Kafka’s life and work, allowing students to produce their own graphic group project. Taught in English, with an optional German component for those who want to have the course count toward their German-taught courses. In this case, students must do the reading and writing assignments and oral presentations in German.  Prerequisite(s): For the optional German component: GERM 308  or GERM 309 , or study abroad, or permission of instructor. Alternate spring semesters. (4 Credits)

 

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