Course Listings
Complete and up-to-date course information is available on Hampshire's online catalog.
Spring 2025 Course Listings
The majority of adults are able to read fluently, however, learning to read can be challenging. As children learn to read, the process is dependent on a number of skills and requires a great deal of adult guidance. We will focus on the development of the complex skill of reading, including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and higher-order processes that contribute to decoding and text comprehension. Because instruction can play a determining factor in children's acquisition of literacy skills, we will study early reading materials and examine strategies that are employed in the classroom to facilitate the acquisition of these skills. In addition, we will discuss the cultural importance of literacy. We will also consider the importance of multicultural children's literature and explore aspects of critical literacy in the classroom. Evaluation will be based on class participation, a series of short papers, and a longer final project Keywords:Literacy, education, childhood studies, child development
The content of this course deals with issues of race and power, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time.
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 09:00AM-10:20AM
Location: / 222
Autobiographical memories for personal past experiences create our life stories. Our memories range from the mundane to the momentous. In this course we will explore psychological research to understand the functions and development of autobiographical memory. What are the basic cognitive processes that contribute to our ability to remember and report the past? How do we interpret past events to inform the development of our self-identity? How do social experiences contribute to the development of memory? We will also discuss how emotions at encoding and retrieval influence our recall of past experience as we make meaning of personal past experiences. Keywords:Psychology, memory, narrative
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC4
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 09:00AM-10:20AM
Location: / 112
This course introduces the role of political and sociocultural factors in appropriate, effective and ethical counseling, and in mental health more broadly. This is a theoretical, practical and experiential course that will focus on expanding awareness of your own values and biases; developing critical thinking and awareness of differing experiences and worldviews; and increasing your sensitivity to how sociocultural identities influence prospective clients and others. The focus of the course is on people as social beings with a range of intersecting identities that can deeply shape their mental health and prospective therapeutic relationships. The course concentrates on factors such as race, gender, class, sexual identity, religion, and (dis)ability, and engages with topics like institutional violence, discrimination, power, oppression, and socialization. Students will produce an autobiographical term-paper scaffolded throughout the semester, as well as a final project and smaller weekly assignments. Keywords:Race, gender, power, psychology, mental health
The content of this course deals with issues of race and power, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC2
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / 104
The Virgin Mary is not Catholic. When, in 431, the Council of Ephesus declared the Virgin Mary to be Theotokos or God-Bearer, she had already been venerated in Egypt since the third century as a re-instantiation of Isis. The syncretism of her cult explains her ubiquitous popularity in medieval Byzantium and the Latin West, but also early Islamic Syria, Ethiopia, and colonial Latin America. Her frequent depiction on moveable wooden panels (icons) and mosaics accompanied her early rise to liturgical prominence. By 1200, she rivaled Jesus Christ in religious importance, not only through her role as intercessor, but also as dispenser of divine grace in the form of breastmilk. She was the most active miracle-working saint in all of Christianity; Muslims worshiped her on occasion, as well. Her frequent depiction on icons, altarpieces and devotional panels accompanies - and, in part, explains - the development of figurative art in the West. In colonial America, she became known as the Conquistadora; the introduction of her cult ended prior religious forms of expression, but also helped them to partially survive in a new context. Keywords:History, Global, Religion, Decolonial, Gender
The content of this course deals with issues of race and power, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC2
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 07:40PM-09:00PM
Location: / 202
This course offers a theoretical overview and practical application of decolonizing pedagogy-an approach to teaching and learning that promotes reciprocity, balance, healing, sustainability, and the inherent sovereignty of Indigenous and dispossessed peoples. Founded on pedagogical work from Indigenous, Black, queer, feminist, and person-of-color scholars and practitioners, this course aims to support all students interested in curriculum and instruction in developing a strong practical and theoretical foundation from which to actualize reparative educational processes. Students will explore how community-sustaining, decolonial, and relational teaching practices can enhance student learning while working to redress historical traumas and build solidarities between schools, families, and communities. Keywords:Native American and Indigenous Studies, education, teaching
The content of this course deals with issues of race and power, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC2
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 09:00AM-10:20AM
Location: / 101
Many people think of history as an authoritative account of the past, based on indisputable facts. Historians, however, understand it as an evolving interpretation: debate. They argue not just over the interpretation of facts, but even over what constitutes a fact. What happens in the age of "fake news" and "alternative facts"? What is the difference between debating why the Holocaust happened vs. claiming it never happened? Whether Vikings came to America vs. extraterrestrials built the pyramids? Did women have a Renaissance? How did French peasants understand identity? Were Nazi mass murderers motivated by hatred or peer pressure? Nazism discredited the idea of race, but genetics can help Blacks and Jews recover their lost histories. Are European Jews descended from medieval Turks or biblical Hebrews? Did Thomas Jefferson father a child with the enslaved Sally Hemings? Students will come to understand how historians work and thereby learn to think historically. Keywords: history
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time, , Books:, , Title:Giovanni and Lusanna: Love and Marriage in Renaissance, Florence (2004 edition)., Author:Gene Brucker, ISBN:9780520244955 , Cost:$29.95, , Title:Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final, Solution in Poland (2017 edition), Author:Christopher Browning, ISBN:9780062303028, Cost:$19.99
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 02:30PM-03:50PM
Location: / 101
The meaning of race has been scrutinized across philosophical traditions and subdisciplines. Philosophers have asked questions such as the following: What is race/what does it mean in contemporary societies? What roles does race play not only in social and political domains, but also in individual modes of embodiment, identity, and self-consciousness? How does whiteness exist as an unacknowledged norm in philosophical thinking and society, and how can this norm be critically reassessed and overcome? How are race, racialization, and racism phenomenologically experienced? In what ways is racism coded into cultural and political forms of power in contemporary societies? In law? In the valuing of citizenry and life? How do conceptions and experiences of race differ across cultures? This survey course will examine the metaphysical, ontological, and epistemological issues that are generated by our concepts of race and racism. Keywords:Philosophy, Critical Theory, Racism, Anti-Racism, Black feminist Theory
The content of this course deals with issues of race and power, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time, , Books:, , Title:Woman, Race, & Class, Author:Angela Davis, ISBN:9780394713519, Cost:$3-12, , , Title:Fear of Black Consciousness, Author:Lewis Gordon, ISBN:978-0374159023, Cost:$3-15
Distribution: LC2
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / 102
Although early internet theorists imagined the World Wide Web as a wild frontier where only minds mattered, social media testifies to the lasting force of bodily inscriptions like race, gender, sexuality, dis/ability, and class. In this course, we will consider how identity shapes how we communicate, debate, collaborate, and mobilize online. We will investigate how different populations engage with digital technologies and social media in particular; how such environments expedite stereotypes and construct difference; and how online platforms like YouTube, Twitter/X, Instagram, and Facebook are tools of social justice as well as replicators of reactionary ideologies. Our critical arsenal will draw upon Media Studies, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Cultural Studies, and Ethnic Studies. We will apply these theories to current events online. Throughout our examination of the politics of hashtags, memes, and trolls, we will foreground the ways that power relations continue to inform how bodies travel through the digital realm Keywords:Digital media, social media, social justice, Internet studies, sociology
The content of this course deals with issues of race and power, , Students should expect to spend 10 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC2
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / 2
This course will survey trans film across genres-documentary, sleaze, horror, comedy, romcom-to consider the various ways that trans has been represented in moving image from the mid-century to today. Special emphasis in this course will be placed on observation, description, and appreciation as our primary methodologies. Keywords:trans, film, moving image, documentary, horror
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC3
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 01:00PM-02:20PM
Location: / 102
Women's movements have long engaged politically with economic issues, pointing out how these affect them in different ways. Whether they are farmers, factory workers, domestic workers, or unpaid care workers, global women's movements confront systemic issues at the global level as well. As they expose and oppose violations to their human rights, women are also searching for alternatives and proposing sustainable, gender-just economies. In this course, we focus on contemporary dimensions of the political movements pushing for alternative economics as well as ongoing policy debates. Indeed, the question is what is a gender-just economy?
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC2
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 09:00AM-10:20AM
Location: / 106
What is trans film? This course will survey trans film across genres-documentary, sleaze, horror, comedy, romcom-to consider the various ways that trans has been represented in moving image from the mid-century to today. This version of the course, running contiguously with another section of Trans Film, will focus on theory, from trans and queer studies, to film theory. Keywords:trans, film, moving image, documentary, theory
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC3
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 02:30PM-03:50PM
Location: / 102
This course explores the interrelations between critical Indigenous studies and anarchism, examining how Indigenous communities resist colonialism and assert autonomy through decentralized, egalitarian practices. Students will investigate historical and contemporary examples of Indigenous resistance, focusing on how these movements challenge oppressive structures and promote self-determination. Keywords:Native American and Indigenous Studies, Anarchism
The content of this course deals with issues of race and power, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC2
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / 108
This seminar in social and literary studies of childhood centers and explores poetry written by young people, primarily from the late twentieth-century United States. We will consider young people as cultural producers, as poets in the present, and as writers crafting their own ideas and artistry. Readings in childhood studies, literary studies, and critical literacy studies will help frame these ideas in contrast to cultural conceptions of children as cultural consumers, as potential poets in the future, and as objects of adults' pedagogical ideas. We will also explore the work of important advocates for young poets including Gwendolyn Brooks and June Jordan Keywords:Poetry, Childhood Studies, Literature, African American Literature
Students should expect to spend 8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC2
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / 101
Are you critical of the limits of white feminism? Eager to analyze the imperial feminism of a novel, film, or game? Perhaps, produce a script for a podcast series or a YouTube video essay from a postcolonial feminist perspective? This course provides a supportive, structured, and collaborative environment for students to pursue their own intersectional feminist research project. We will read scholarly works that offer historical and contemporary perspectives on feminism. Students will learn the research skills needed to design, refine, and complete a substantial non-fiction writing project. The seminar will provide intellectual community and productive feedback at all research stages. Final projects will consist of a research abstract, an annotated bibliography, a detailed outline, a rough draft, and a completed script or paper. Students will give a short presentation on their research at the end of the semester. Completion of this course fulfills the Div II Supported Project Requirement Keywords:Feminism, Critical Race Theory, Media Studies, Research, Non-Fiction Writing
This course can be used to fulfill the Division II Project, requirement., , , Students should expect to spend 10 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: W 01:00PM-03:50PM
Location: / 104
The "Shoah" (Hebrew: catastrophe, devastation) or "Holocaust"--the Nazi attempt to exterminate the Jews of Europe--has entered popular consciousness and the curriculum. Museums and monuments are commonplace. And yet, knowledge is neither widespread nor deep. In 2020, a majority of Americans aged 18-39 did not know how many Jews were killed; nearly half could not name a concentration camp. Although many people find religious, philosophical, or political meaning in the genocide, it in fact contains no intrinsic, much less, consoling message. Because this course is anchored in the discipline of history, it proceeds from the belief that the losses cannot be understood unless we examine the world that was lost. It addresses the roles of victims, perpetrators, and bystanders. It locates the Shoah in the spectrum of interethnic relations without portraying it as inevitable. It explains the uniqueness of the Jewish tragedy, while examining similar cases and universal implications. Keywords:history, European studies, German studies, Jewish studies
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time, , Books:, , Title:, War and Genocide: A Concise History of the Holocaust, Fourth, Edition, Author:Doris L. Bergen , ISBN:978-1-5381-7806-5, Cost:$42.00
Distribution: LC2
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / 107
In light of current political developments and the demand for decolonial approaches to European histories, this course asks: What is the relevance of the Italian Renaissance today? We will discuss the extent to which the Florentine Republic's struggle for survival in the midst of wars and despotic/oligarchic/authoritarian usurpations might, again, be of interest to us, and analyze the persecution of gay men and queer sexualities, the control of women's reproduction, and the emergence of racism - topics, which, likewise, remind eerily of today's political agendas. We will critically examine Renaissance cultural productions (humanist history writing, portraiture, perspective, mapping, erotic art) while also appreciating the politics of beauty in architecture, urban planning, and figurative art. Other topics include: the African presence; the gendered politics of charity; patriarchal families; domestic slavery; the conquest of America in the Renaissance imagination. Keywords:European History, Art, Politics, Italian Renaissance, Decolonial
The content of this course deals with issues of race and power, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC2
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 01:00PM-02:20PM
Location: / 202
Students will examine contemporary moral issues and the methods of philosophic thought and will discover the place and influence of philosophy in life today as they increase their ethical awareness and identify their own beliefs and values as well as understand the foundation(s) for those values. This course will provide an overview of the history of philosophical analysis of moral dilemmas arising in professional and public settings and enable students to develop independent project based study of an ethical issue and/or issue related to the common good. This course fulfills the project requirement for Division II. Keywords:Philosophy, Applied Ethics, Research Methods, Social and Political Thought
This course can be used to fulfill the Division II Project, requirement, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC2
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 01:00PM-02:20PM
Location: / 102
Officially, autism is a psychological and neurodevelopmental diagnosis as well as a disability. It is also a life experience, identity, and-for some-a source of power and point of pride, as part of a broader neurodivergence movement. In this discussion-centered course, we will read work about autism primarily by autistic writers (and illustrators) and will spend much of the course planning and carrying out scholarly and creative projects related to autism and/or other aspects of neurodiversity. Students are expected to enter the course with concrete ideas for their desired project, as well as familiarity and experience with autism and/or other aspects of neurodiversity. Personal, lived experience of neurodiversity is very much welcome and encouraged. Students across a range of disciplinary interests, including the arts (e.g., film, animation, graphic novels, music), are welcome. Please fill out the instructor permission form if interested: https://forms.gle/SQSZoAYKXV1dTAYU7 Keywords:Autism, autistic, neurodiversity, neurodivergence, disability
This course can be used to fulfill the Division II Project, requirement, , Students should expect to spend 8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time, , Library Materials:, , Welcome to the Autistic Community, ASAN; Existing Autistic, Megan, Rhiannon; Neuroqueer Heresies, Nick Walker; Unmasking Autism,, Devon Price; May Tomorrow Be Awake, Chris Martin; How Can I Talk, If My Lips Don't Move, Tito Mukhopadhyay
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / 103
Officially, autism is a psychological and neurodevelopmental diagnosis as well as a disability. It is also a life experience, identity, and-for some-a source of power and point of pride, as part of a broader neurodivergence movement. In this discussion-centered course, we will read work about autism primarily by autistic writers (and illustrators) and will spend much of the course planning and carrying out scholarly and creative projects related to autism and/or other aspects of neurodiversity. Students are expected to enter the course with concrete ideas for their desired project, as well as familiarity and experience with autism and/or other aspects of neurodiversity. Personal, lived experience of neurodiversity is very much welcome and encouraged. Students across a range of disciplinary interests, including the arts (e.g., film, animation, graphic novels, music), are welcome. Please fill out the instructor permission form if interested: https://forms.gle/SQSZoAYKXV1dTAYU7 Keywords:Autism, autistic, neurodiversity, neurodivergence, disability
This course can be used to fulfill the Division II Project, requirement, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 01:00PM-02:20PM
Location: / 104
This course attends to English-language queer poetry from the 20th and 21st centuries. What is a poem? What makes a poem queer? With special attention to both form and style, this class will consider various examples of queer poetry and will engage with questions of history, social organization, intertextuality, and queer theory to understand some of the meanings of queer poetics. Keywords:poetry; queerness; enjambment; poetics
The content of this course deals with issues of race and power, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC4
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 01:00PM-02:20PM
Location: / 106
Daily Life in the Levant: oral history, ethnography, literature: This course asks what "daily life" has meant and means across the Levant today. Centering work by diverse Middle Eastern scholars, we will engage: accounts of village and urban life at key moments in the 19th and 20th centuries; oral histories of struggles for independence and nation-building; and ethnographic studies of traditional crafts, ecology, cuisine, and identity in the past and today, as well as contemporary literature. Members will collaborate on an ongoing 'glossary' project and will also propose and carry out independent studies of their own, which they will then present to the class. Keywords: Levant, Middle East, anthropology, ethnography, film. This course addresses issues of race and power. Keywords: Middle East, Southwest Asia, Levant, colonialism, anthropology, literature.
The content of this course deals with issues of race and power, , CONTACT THE PROFESSOR HERE: https://forms.gle/SVFfecGQz9AT7NAz8, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC2
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TH 06:30PM-09:20PM
Location: / 102
What do punk rock, heavy metal, skateboarding, hip-hop, and comedy have to teach us about Indigenous liberation? This course frames subcultural communities led by historically colonized but inherently sovereign people as vital movements that teach us about justice, equity, and anti-racism. Bringing Native American and Indigenous Studies in conversation with theories of subcultural sociality, this course aims to foster a deep understanding of how Indigenous and minoritized people agitate for autonomy while dynamically preserving ancestral knowledge
The content of this course deals with issues of race and power, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC2
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / 107
What would it mean for age to be understood as an axis of power and a category of sociopolitical dynamics such as gender, race, or class? How does ageism or age-related injustice intersect with other forms of injustice? How does the idea of generations inform studies of sociology, history, literature, or youth-produced culture? What do critical studies of youth and age add to our understanding of education, antiracism studies, literature, ethnic studies, history, psychology, and the arts? This course is open to students working at any stage of their Division II concentration on topics intersecting with critical approaches to youth, age, and/or generation across a broad spectrum of curricular areas including (but not limited to) the arts, education, creative writing, childhood studies, literary studies, sociology, and critical psychology. Students will formulate and pursue their own questions and projects relevant to youth, age and/or generation Keywords:Youth, Childhood, Age
This course can be used to fulfill the Division II Project, requirement, , Students should expect to spend 8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 01:00PM-02:20PM
Location: / 101
Across the inherited colonial disciplines, scholars increasingly propose that human beings can no longer be studied in isolation from the myriad nonhuman others who share the planet with us. Drawing at once on deeply located indigenous knowledges and changes in global scientific thought, contemporary posthuman and/or multispecies scholarship demonstrates that 'human' beings come into existence, develop, and live and die in intimate relation to other forms of life, now understood as social, philosophical, and historical actors themselves. In the first six weeks, we will encounter core texts together (Kavesh, Haraway, Tsing, Parrenas, Rose, Braverman). In the second half, students will work on an independent multispecies/posthuman project of their own. The work will include written reflections and presentations on our shared readings, and an individualized annotated bibliography and presentation of independent work. Prerequisite: a previous 100- or 200-level course featuring a basic introduction to sociocultural multispecies/posthuman thought Keywords: posthuman, multispecies, critical animal studies, ethnography, anthropology
This course can be used to fulfill the Division II Project, requirement, , CONTACT THE PROFESSOR HERE: https://forms.gle/FPA2HtU3LMsYLsan9, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC1
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: M 06:30PM-09:20PM
Location: / 105
"Certain people start with a documentary and arrive at fiction...others start with fiction and arrive at the documentary."-Jean Luc Godard This is an introductory course for students who would like to explore their interest in documentary practice. Through a combination of screenings, lectures, readings and technical workshops, we will explore a critical/historical overview of this genre and incorporate our knowledge and experience to produce individual or collaborative projects in a variety of "modes of representation." Projects need not be restricted to a particular medium; in fact, students will be encouraged to explore the ways in which film, video, photography and/or animation can be utilized together. Keywords:no- fiction, documentary
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC4
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: M 01:00PM-03:50PM T 07:00PM-09:00PM
Location: / 120
This course invites dancers and movers of all experience levels to dive into the bold work of moving together. Over the semester, students will learn techniques from contact improvisation, contemporary partnering, and ensemble improvisation. We will engage with dance artists who utilize these practices and view choreographic works generated through related inquiries. In dialogue with readings and audio materials (podcasts), we will ask how dancing together relates to community organizing, collective work, and building coalitions. While harmony and shared affinity may arise in our dancing, this course acknowledges that dancing together requires active-and sometimes difficult-negotiations between one's own aims and those of one's collaborators. Drawing on Bernice Johnson Reagon's theorization of coalition, we will cultivate spaces for discomfort, difference, and conflicting needs within our group practices. Personal practices for grounding in one's own body and environment will also be an essential component. keywords:dance, care, coalition, organizing, improvisation
Field Trip fee: (mileage, admission fees, etc.):$35, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC4
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 01:00PM-02:20PM MW 01:00PM-02:20PM
Location: / MAIN
This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of painting, such as composition, value, and color. Students will learn about material and the technical issues of painting. Drawings will often be produced in tandem with paintings in order to illuminate visual ideas. We will work with water based and oil based paint on various surfaces. Besides creating individual paintings, students will collectively prepare and work on large-scale canvases. This course will develop from individual representational set-ups towards collective, abstract work. Regular class critiques will assist in examining formal composition principles. While we will discuss historic work examples from a post-colonial perspective, the course will focus on the work of non-western contemporary artists. Readings and artist presentations will be assigned. Assignments require students to work independently outside of class. Keywords:Painting, Studio Art, Drawing, Contemporary Art, Color
Lab/Material Fees:$80, , The content of this course deals with issues of race and power, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 01:00PM-02:20PM MW 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / STUDIO 1
Get ready to embark on an exhilarating journey through contemporary world cinemas from 2000 to the present! In this course, we'll delve into the narrative tradition of feature filmmaking, exploring a diverse range of cinematic styles, story traditions, authorship, genre conventions, and politics of representation from around the globe. You'll become immersed in the world of film as we closely analyze camera work, editing, art direction, narrative, and style, gaining a deep understanding of the power of visual storytelling. From the surreal cityscapes of France to the stark landscapes of Australia, from the contemporary social tensions in Iran to the dual influences of tradition and modernity in African film, we'll uncover the rich tapestry of world cinema, delving into the historical, political, and cultural contexts that have shaped these significant films. We will watch and analyze works from France, Spain, Mexico, Mali, Kenya, Iran, Norway, China, South Korea, India, Brazil, Great Britain, and others and read scholarly essays and reviews that explore film history and criticism. Keywords:world cinema, narrative film, storytelling, genre, authorship
Students should expect to spend 8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC4
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / 104
Animation is an art of transformation, metamorphosis, and amalgamation. Animation is both anti-technology and hyper digital. Animation is subversive, magical, and expansive. In this course, students will be introduced to an array of foundational animation ideas and techniques. Students will gain hands-on experience with stop motion animation, hand drawn animation, 2d digital animation, sound recording, and hybrid analog/digital techniques. The course will include screenings and discussion, technical demos, studio work, and critique. We will use the following gear and software: Digital cameras, smartphones, sound recorders, Dragon Frame stop motion, Adobe Premiere, Animate, and Photoshop. Animation can be a time-consuming process, please plan to spend a minimum of 10 hours per week working outside of class. Some weeks this will be less, often it will be more. Students will need an external hard drive. Keywords:animation, video, filmmaking, stop motion, moving image
Lab/Materials fee:$30 , , Students should expect to spend 10 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: M 01:00PM-03:50PM
Location: / 201
In this course, students will learn to play by ear and develop a repertoire of traditional Appalachian dance music (old time) and old time country song. Prior experience with old time music is not necessary, but a basic working knowledge of one of the following instruments is required: fiddle (violin), banjo, guitar, upright bass, mandolin, cello, harmonica, ukelele, and other appropriate instruments in consultation with instructor. While this is primarily a performance course, students will also complete regular reading/written and listening assignments. Keywords:music, performance, ethnomusicology, American Studies, folk arts
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC4
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: W 02:30PM-05:20PM
Location: / RECITAL
In this introductory literature and cultural theory course, we will examine the relationships between literature and resistance in diverse historical and cultural contexts. We will explore longstanding, if often contradictory, associations between literature and revolution, fiction and freedom, poetry and democracy, and the role played by creative and artistic imagination in social and political movements. Special attention will be paid to the place of literary texts in imperial and nationalist projects as well as in anti-imperial and anti-colonial struggle. Multiple national and linguistic traditions will be considered, including texts by US-based, European, African, Caribbean, and Latin American writers. Theoretical readings will touch on censorship, Black critical geographies, pan-Africanism, Negritude, creolization, and orality/spoken word. Keywords:Literature, Literary Studies, Decolonization, African Literature, Caribbean Literature
The content of this course deals with issues of race and power, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC2
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 01:00PM-02:20PM
Location: / 105
This course is for educators, artists, dance and theater makers, and anyone interested in embodied modes of learning, gathering, and facilitation. With a focus on dance practices and dance pedagogy, we will read about and discuss anti-racist pedagogy, trauma-informed facilitation, universal design, addressing and undoing ableism in the classroom, and approaches to working with children and other age groups. On Thursdays, the class will stretch an extra hour, which enrolled students will run as a class series for the second half of the semester. This series will be open to the entire HC community-students, staff, faculty. Hands-on teaching experience will help students deepen their skills at leading and facilitating embodied activities. Writing assignments throughout will ask student to reflect on their experience as teachers and learners. Keywords:Dance, Education, Pedagogy, Movement, Teaching
The content of this course deals with issues of race and power, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC4
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TH 10:30AM-11:50AM T 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / SMALL
In this course, we will consider and study how Black feminist writing, specifically prose, operates as a mode of "living and feeling, dreaming and being," as Jennifer Nash calls it. Examining and theorizing Black life in the first quarter of the twenty-first century, Black feminism today questions theories that would reduce Black life to Black death. In refusing this reduction, Black women offer alternatives through their aesthetic choices to center "beauty, intimacy, and care . . . as fierce and rigorous practice[s] of Black survival" and thriving, as Tina Campt argues. Writers will include Saidiya Hartman, Christina Sharpe, Marquis Bey, and Imani Perry among others. Presentations and frequent short, in-class writing assignments will spark the work to be done in longer writing assignments and final projects that will be negotiated with the instructor. Keywords:Black, feminism, women, writing, theory
The content of this course deals with issues of race and power., , Students should expect to spend 8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time, , Library Materials:, , Elizabeth Alexander, The Trayvon Generation, Marquis Bey, Black Trans Feminism, Saidiya Hartman, Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments, Jennifer Nash, How We Write Now, Imani Perry, Breathe, Christina Sharpe, Ordinary Notes-. In the Wake, , Books:, , Title:The Trayvon Generation, Author:Alexander, Elizabeth, ISBN:978-1538737897, Cost:$8.00, , Title:Black Trans Feminism, Author:Bey, Marquis, ISBN:978-1478017813, Cost:$28.00, , Title:Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments, Author:Hartman, Saidiya, ISBN:978-0393357622, Cost:$16.00, , Title:How We Write Now, Author:Nash, Jennifer, ISBN:978-1478030461, Cost:$25.00, , Title:Perry, Imani, Author:Breathe, ISBN:978-0807076552, Cost:$11.00, , Title:Ordinary Notes, Author:Christina Sharpe, ISBN:978-0374604486, Cost:$14.50
Distribution: LC2
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 06:00PM-07:20PM
Location: / 105
This course is designed for beginning and intermediate level dancers. The studio will be our laboratory for a semester-long exploration of contemporary dance concepts with a focus on opening sensation, clarifying points of initiation in the body, expansive use of space, and dynamic phrase-work. In motion, we will activate connection between periphery and center, time and weight, gravity and support-giving continued attention to alignment, spatial clarity, breath, range of motion, and the development of strength and stamina. In this course, a sampling of somatic techniques and knowledges will be introduced as a complement to dance technique. These somatic practices offer inroads to experiencing presence & sensation, examining one's habits and patterns, and expanding one's approach to the body. You will also be asked to reflect on the histories and knowledge you bring into class, articulate learning ambitions, and track new developments. The goal of this course is to support a sustainable and deeply engaged movement practice-one that may inform the development of a lifetime of embodied creative process. Keywords:dance, somatics, technique, movement, body
Half Course, , Students should expect to spend 2-4 hours weekly on work and, preparation outsidof class time.
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 05:00PM-06:20PM
Location: / MAIN
This hands-on editing class introduces both traditional and experimental editing techniques on Adobe's Premiere Pro editing software. Through individual projects, screenings, in-class demonstrations and short editing assignments, students will study the art and aesthetics of editing in experimental, documentary and narrative genres while developing a vocabulary to discuss both the function and art of the cut. The class covers elements of storytelling, pace, emotion, action, continuity, and time manipulation. While most of the class will utilize Adobe Premiere Pro, we will use Davinci Resolve when learning about color correction and grading. This class is meant to accommodate beginning to intermediate level editors. Keywords:Editing, Film, Video, Premiere, Resolve
Lab/Materials fee:$65, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: W 01:00PM-03:50PM TH 10:00AM-11:50AM
Location: / 115
This course will focus on digital painting techniques for 2D output. Work from this class can be applied to 2D static and still work, time based media, 3D textures, Game Design, Animation, film/video as well as for print and other media. Students will use industry standard software packages to translate traditional painting techniques in digital format. We will focus on technical aspects such as format and size as well as brush modification and creation, painting with light using the RGB color wheel, color theory and texture for use in static 2D images, applied 2D textures for 3D use, painting over reference images and creating images from scratch. Students will be expected to have their own digitizing graphics tablet that they can use in class and for work outside of class.The graphics tablet must support pressure sensitivity and the software the students use must support .tiff/.psd file format, layers, brush creation, output to print resolution and raster editing capabilities. Students will create work from still life to imagined spaces.Students should expect to have at least 6-8 hours of work outside the classroom for this course. Students are expected to use reference images in this course but absolutely no AI generated work will be accepted for work in this course in any format, including, but not limited to generated reference images, final work, thumbnail sketches, etc.Students are expected to have a familiarity and comfort with digital software and graphics tablets prior to taking this class Keywords:Digital Art, Illustration, Painting, Art, Computer Science
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time.
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 02:30PM-03:50PM
Location: / 126
Through the course Craft Ecologies, students will trace the complex systems which bring material into being. Exploring the natural substances of Western Massachusetts, students will harvest raw materials, think through material as an extension of place, and create process-based artworks. In this studio seminar, we will consider the correspondence between maker and material. Naturalpigments and foraged fibers will enter contemporary art discourse as students explore entanglements between the natural an human-built worlds. Coursework will include a semester-long self-designed project related to course themes. We will also undertake weekly reading assignments such as Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass, Ursula Le Guin's Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction, and Tim Ingold's Making. Evaluations will be based on student's engagement with the course material and through demonstrated effort on their self-designed projects Keywords:Sculpture, Material Studies, Art & Science, Ecology, Craft Lab/Material Fees:USD50 Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC1
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: M 01:00PM-03:50PM
Location: / STUDIO 3
This course will examine questions of race and representation through contemporary art, literature, and visual and cultural theory. Students will consider the complex and intertwined histories of race and representation across a range of media and genres (painting, photography, film, video and new media art, performance, short fiction, spoken word, and poetry), periods, and cultural spaces. Critical and theoretical readings will span colonial and postcolonial contexts; engage with Orientalism, primitivism, Indigenous futurism, and Black feminist philosophy; and be drawn from art history, media theory, postcolonial theory, and thinkers taking intersectional approaches to race in both visual and literary studies. Students will also be introduced to current debates about the "inherent racism" of photography, the politics of abstraction, and data healing. Keywords:Art History, Visual Studies, Contemporary Art, Art Theory, Photography History
The content of this course deals with issues of race and power, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC2
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 02:30PM-03:50PM
Location: / 106
This course explores the photography book as a distinctive art form, focusing on its design, construction, and history. Through a study of photographs, image sequencing, book layout, and contemporary trends in the field, students will gain a deeper understanding of how photography books are conceptualized and produced. Weekly assigned readings will inform students' appreciation for the creative depth and intention that artists pour into their books. While students will not be creating photography books in this course, they will engage in discussions that position the photography book as an artistic object in its own right. Students will leave this course being able to critically analyze photography books and with a foundational understanding of how this category of art books are placed within the art world. Keywords:Photography, Art books, Photography books, Image, Design
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC4
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / 120
Historically, settler states and imperial regimes have disenfranchised and dispossessed racialized Others by constructing ideological frameworks that justify and obscure the ongoing violence of the colonial process. Through a close examination of film, television, music, and digital media, this course will explore how contemporary US popular culture fabricates and disseminates imperialist fantasies and settler mythologies. It will interrogate the political meanings embedded in popular culture and ask: What do imperial productions and settler creations reveal about the tangled relationships between race, history, and desire? How do colonial and imperial settings propagate racism, sexism and ableism; anxieties about class, gender, and sexuality; and concerns about the white (settler) colonial state's ability to digest and domesticate non-normative Others? What are the material consequences of romanticizing imperialism and settler colonialism? Can cultural industries rooted in racial and sexual conquest be decolonized? How does one disrupt and subvert the white (settler) colonial gaze? Keywords:ethnic studies, critical race theory, colonialism, popular culture, film & media studies
The content of this course deals with issues of race and power, , Students should expect to spend 10 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC2
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 01:00PM-02:20PM
Location: / 2
In this course, we will learn how to produce music pieces for public radio and podcasts. We will learn the basics of radio journalism, including reporting, recording, scriptwriting, production, and the effective use of music and ambient sound. Students will produce two music-related pieces - a vox pop and a final project in a style consistent with public radio. Students will gain a working knowledge of sound editing techniques using Adobe Audition. In addition to workshopping students' projects in class, there will be reading and listening assignments that introduce students to creative public radio pieces focusing on music. Students can borrow digital recorders, microphones, and other equipment from Media Services. Prior college-level coursework in media production, writing, or ethnography is strongly recommended. Keywords:journalism, radio, podcasting, music, sound
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC3
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / 105
We will approach research as the inherently creative practice that it is, while also querying the boundaries between theory and practice, thought and creation, study and work. Rather than conceptualizing and conducting research as a linear process that goes from point A to B, we will explore research methods that invite or require us to get lost, embrace constraint, and grapple with the desires and impulses of others. In the first part of our weekly sessions, we will apprentice ourselves to a range of well-known experimental methods centering contingency (flanerie, everyday tactics, spatial practice research), constraint (OuLiPo, automatic writing, zaoum and cubo-futurism), and collaboration (participant observation, the interview, art as social practice). In the second part, students will work on, and workshop, their own independent research projects. This course is designed for students working on Division II supported projects and in the first semester of Division III. Keywords:Research Methods, Contemporary Art, Cultural Studies
This course can be used to fulfill the Division II Project, requirement, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: W 01:00PM-03:50PM
Location: / 107
In Advanced Animation Projects, students will create long-form, independent animation projects. We will begin with ideation and pre-production, moving into production, post-production, professional practices, and ending with a screening & critique. This course is well-suited for advanced Div II and Div III students with prior animation experience and an interest in creating a robust, semester-long animation project. Students should expect to work a minimum of 10 hours per week outside of class time. Students will need an external hard drive. Keywords:animation, film, video, moving image, sound
This course can be used to fulfill the Division II Project, requirement, , Students should expect to spend 10 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC4
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: T 06:00PM-08:50PM
Location: / 201
Still Lives and Story Lines: Photography and the Narrative: This course will focus on the elements of storytelling and photography. We will consider three modes of photographic practice: the personal narrative, photojournalism, and documentary photography. In the project-centered course, class members will choose between completing an extended semester-long project or two smaller, half-semester projects. Over the course of the spring semester, we will also explore critical issues in contemporary as well as historical photographic practice. Readings and discussions will revolve around aesthetic and practical concerns raised by individual practice. In the critique process, students will be asked to assess each other's ongoing projects within a larger context of known works and approaches: who gets to tell what stories for which audience? Students interested in taking this course should have prior photography experience and be confident with their skills; there will be minimal technical training introduced. Instead, we will concentrate on the research, approach, editing, and sequence.At the end of the semester, students will curate an exhibition of work generated by class participants. Keywords:Photography, Narrative Photography
This course can be used to fulfill the Division II Project, requirement, , Lab/Materials fee:65, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC4
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: T 01:00PM-03:50PM T 01:00PM-03:50PM
Location: / 201
In this course, students will learn to create dynamic worlds with diverse populations, mythology, and characters for games and animation. Students will use a variety of techniques and processes to develop and design worlds for their concept. World building gives a rich and dynamic canvas on which to develop characters, obstacles, motivations, macro and micro issues, and conflicts and resolutions. Such practice allows for more robust and consistent worlds in which to set singular or serial events in linear and non-linear ways. Using visual and written content, students will develop characters and environments that are influenced by both created and existing cultural and historical content. Students interested in tabletop games, RPGs, and/or digital games are all welcome Keywords:Game Design, Creative Writing, Speculative Fiction, Animation
This course can be used to fulfill the Division II Project, requirement, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC4
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 01:00PM-02:20PM
Location: / 112
In this course, students will take existing foundational world systems and look at more complex solutions for social constructs, speculative created histories, speculative created species of flora, fauna and people as well as develop complex systems in existing worlds to further develop ideas in language, culture, history, architecture, social development and more. Students are expected to come into the course with an already developed world foundation from the previous Worldbuilding class. Keywords:Creative Writing, Speculative Fiction, Game Design, Animation
This course can be used to fulfill the Division II Project, requirement, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC4
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 01:00PM-02:20PM
Location: / 112
This course is designed for students with Adobe InDesign experience and builds on the foundations of the Photography Zines class. Students will explore the many facets of independent publishing while creating their own zine press, either individually or in groups. Throughout the course, students will develop a manifesto, print a series of editioned zines, and establish an online shop, among other projects. Readings, discussions, and lectures will focus on the role of zines in shaping recent social and cultural movements, emphasizing their significance as a tool for community building. Lab sessions will provide further technical instruction on Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, and printing with Inkjet and Laser printers. For the final project students will collectively organize a zine fair on campus.
Lab/Materials fee:$65, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC4
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TH 01:00PM-03:50PM T 04:30PM-06:00PM
Location: / 120
This interactive course offers students the guidance and resources to collaboratively produce a video by the conclusion of the semester. Students with an interest in narrative filmmaking, screenwriting, acting, directing, cinematography, producing, prop and set design, and other video production aspects are encouraged to participate. While primarily tailored for Division II level students fulfilling the Division II "supported projects" requirement, advanced Division I and Division III students may also enroll provided they have completed a college-level video production course in a prior semester, or have documentation of filmmaking skills. Following an initial video production exercise, along with readings, screenings, and discussions, students will form groups and progress through the various stages of video project development, from the initial proposal and scriptwriting to video production, lighting, and editing workshops, culminating in the final product. A willingness to engage in collaboration toward a common goal is a must! Keywords:video production, Division II project seminar, film studies, screenwriting, acting
This course can be used to fulfill the Division II Project, requirement, , Students should expect to spend 8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC4
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: W 01:00PM-03:50PM
Location: / B9
The focus of this course is on experimenting with sustainable methods of bringing 16mm analog filmmaking into the future! It is designed as an immersive hands-on workshop. Students' experiments throughout the semester in analog sound and image will culminate in a single individual project to be screened and/or performed at the end of the semester. These experiments will be accompanied by several readings by film artists and screenings of films that utilize analog media as a conceptual tool for class discussion. The techniques covered in this course are shooting with color film, in-camera 16mm special effects, various approaches to black and white hand processing, cameraless imagemaking, destructive film techniques and darkroom special effects. A main focus in this class will be working with eco-developers and experimenting with eco-tints. Students will actively experiment with the instructor in an effort to find/formulate the most effective recipes. Students will work in collaboration with the Hampshire Farm, harvesting and planting indigo, marigold, rosemary, onion and hibiscus. We will spend a large amount of class time shooting film and working in the lab. Students will be expected to take the initiative in scheduling time in the lab for conducting tests and processing outside of class time. Keywords:Sustainability, Analog, 16mm, Film, Eco-Developers
La fee:$65 Lab Fee;Materialfee: $135 , Total $200, , Students should expect to spend 8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC1
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: T 09:00AM-11:50AM W 10:00AM-11:50AM
Location: / 131
The first commercial radio broadcasting in the U.S. was on November 2, 1920, when Pittsburgh's KDKA announced the result of the presidential election, cutting out the newspaper. The date was deliberately chosen to demonstrate the power of radio over print media. In March 2024, presenting her eighth album Cowboy Carter in a frame of fictional country music radio station, KNTRY Radio Texas, Beyonce problematized the Americana narrative of country music as well as racial politics on air. Since its inception, radio has been deeply integrated into our political life, shaping voices, telling stories, and feeding spatiotemporal imaginations.?This course explores cultural history and the enduring impacts of radio as tools of both political violence and resistance. We investigate technological and material cultures of radio equipment, radio programming as politics, and sonic territorialization and grassroots resilience among other issues. Case studies cover diverse geographical areas and the times from 1920 to the present Keywords:Radio, sound, voice, politics, media
The content of this course deals with issues of race and power, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC3
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / RECITAL
This course is for Div II students who are ready to design, develop, and present a creative project in dance or interdisciplinary performance. Students should enter with a specific project in mind or underway. We will meet weekly to discuss and share tools for multiple stages of the creative process: goal-setting, planning, research, development, revising, and production/presentation. Accompanying materials and discussions will emphasize praxis-how ideas, theories, and politics meet the world through artmaking. Students will voice emerging ideas and share elements of works-in-process at each session. We will activate co-working methods and explore structures for offering and receiving feedback. While some students in this course will be working toward a specific concert, enrollment in this course does not guarantee a slot in dance program productions. Self-producing and other opportunities will be discussed. Prerequisite: Students should have taken a dance, theatre, or visual arts course in which they created embodied performance-related projects Keywords:Dance, Performance, Theater, Production, Praxis
This course can be used to fulfill the Division II Project, requirement, , Field Trip fee: (mileage, admission fees, etc.)$35, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC4
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: M 06:00PM-08:50PM M 06:00PM-08:50PM
Location: / SMALL
This course is an introduction to color photography using analog photography, digital photography, and the digital darkroom. Students will also be encouraged to push their photographs beyond the digital realm and have them exist as tangible objects. Weekly assignments and critiques will go over the student's aesthetic and technical progress. While readings and class discussions moving away from the western canon and centering BIPOC artists will introduce students to historical and contemporary photographers & movements. Lab sessions will cover a range of techniques including the nuances of color, color film, digital, color management and archival inkjet printing. An additional lab workshop will meet once a week for two hours. Keywords:Color Photography, photo workshop II, Digital Photography, color
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC2
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: W 01:00PM-03:50PM M 06:00PM-07:20PM
Location: / 131
"The Repair" is preceded by the injury. Injuries on the landscape, the environment, on objects, architecture, on the body, on the psyche. In this studio art course students are going to develop multimedia art projects based on their engagement in questions concerning the human impact on land, objects, waters, architecture, plants, animals, and humans. A thorough research phase, lectures, and exhibition visits in the beginning of the semester will require students to engage with the work of artists who are contemplating the human, social, and environmental havocs of our times and their intersections with superiority, destruction, colonialism, displacement, commerce, migration, appropriation, power structures, etc. By writing and presenting course papers, students are first going to collaboratively research the work of artists like Mona Hatoum, Kader Attia, Philip Guston, Jean Dubuffet, El Anatsui, Satch Hoyt, Yinka Shonibare, Ghada Amer, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Wangechi Mutu, Anish Kapoor, David Hammons, Joseph Beuys - and then draft, carry out, and curate their own studio art projects Keywords:Studio Art, Multimedia Art, Research, Critical Art Theory, Curation
The content of this course deals with issues of race and power, , Prerequisites: Two successfully completed college level art, courses, , Lab/Materials fee: $50, Field Trip fee: (mileage, admission fees, etc.)$20, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC4
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: F 01:00PM-02:20PM F 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / STUDIO 3
What kinds of stories can we tell from archives? What stories do archives themselves tell? Cultural historians and cultural critics often rely on archives and special collections, which contain materials like letters, journals, manuscripts, organizational records, oral histories, photographs, periodicals, and ephemera. Creative writers, artists, and filmmakers can draw upon archives to shape their work as well. In this research- and writing-intensive seminar, students will have the opportunity to develop independent projects in the humanities, arts, media and cultural studies, using archival materials as the foundation for their work. During the first half of the semester, we will visit local archives and special collections at Hampshire, Amherst, Mount Holyoke, Smith, UMass, and the Emily Dickinson Museum, using scholarly sources to develop critical and methodological tools for archival practice. The second half of the semester will focus on the process of developing a substantial independent research project in stages. Peer review workshops will be a key component of the course, complemented by library research sessions and instruction in effective argumentation. Students interested in creative final projects in writing, film and photography, media, and other areas relevant to research in humanities and cultural studies are welcome, as well as students pursuing divisional work in literary studies, film and visual culture, and related areas. While students need not have previous background in archival research, they should have a working knowledge of the field in which they will conduct independent research. This course meets the Division II Supported Projects Requirement. Keywords: archives, independent projects, research, creative practice
This course can be used to fulfill the Division II Project, requirement, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time, , Please fill out the Instructor Permission form available through, Central Records, and contact the professor here:, https://forms.gle/D2AFWnoS9MzRTmdH7 , , Library Materials:, , Wayne C. Booth, et al. The Craft of Research, 5th ed. - ISBN:, 9780226826677
Distribution: LC3
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: W 09:00AM-11:50AM
Location: / 105
This integrative seminar is designed for students who are working on a DIV III/Senior Project in the performing arts (music, theater, and dance). It is especially designed for those returning from a semester of field study. The first half of the semester will focus on weekly reading assignments of and short written responses to articles from disciplines such as performance studies, cultural theory, and ethnography and are intended to give students diverse theoretical frameworks from which to locate their Division III work. The second half of the semester will focus on reading assignments selected and presented by individual students. This seminar will also include class workshopping of students' ongoing DIV III work as well as time for working together in small groups on Division III projects. This course fulfills the Advanced Learning Activity for DIV III students.
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC4
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 02:30PM-03:50PM
Location: / 105
This course is geared toward Division III students and Five College seniors completing or anticipating advanced architectural or other design studio projects. The Advanced Architecture + Design Lab course provides a structured and critical creative environment for students to explore, experimen,t and design in both an individual and collaborative studio setting. In this course, students will develop their own individual design projects, identify their own approach, scope and thesis, then execute their creative solutions throughout the semester. This course is highly interdisciplinary in nature, yet designed for students developing projects in various areas of graphic design, illustration, industrial design, environmental studies, architecture, and urban planning. Students must have an individual project in mind or in progress at the start of the term. For non-Hampshire students, students should have an established work methodology and taken several studios in art or architectural design. Division II Hampshire students are welcome if space permits. Instructor Permission Required--Priority for acceptance will be given to upper-level students, and Five College Architectural Studies Majors. Contact Thom Long at tlong@hampshire.edu for details and permission. Keywords:Div III Concentrator, Capstone, Design, Architecture, Studio
This course can be used to fulfill the Division II Project, requirement, , Lab/Materials fee:$50, , Students should expect to spend 8-10 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC3
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 09:00AM-11:50AM
Location: / 3
This intro-level workshop is for students interested in pursuing all types of narrative/prose fiction, whether literary fiction or genre fiction (science fiction, fantasy, horror, etc). We'll spend some time as a community critically examining short fiction from authors such as Carmen Maria Machado, Octavia Butler, Angela Carter, Ursula K. LeGuin, and others, in order to understand how they make use of character, form, structure, place, voice, and other fundamental tools of fiction-writing. The heart of the class, however, will be developing our own original works of fiction and then learning how to workshop, iterate, revise, and improve our creative writing in the context of a supportive community of artists. By the end of the class, students will have a small portfolio of creative work as well as a strong foundation of writing skills they can carry on into future workshops and other creative courses. Keywords:creative writing, fiction, workshop, genre fiction, literature
Students should expect to spend 8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / 2
How do we shape the places we inhabit and move through, and how do they shape us? Why is place so connected to memory and sense of self? How can we capture the essence of a place or space in our writing, or narrate the complicated, sometimes ambivalent feelings that place evokes? In this course, we'll explore the work of scholars, essayists, and creative writers writing about the nuances of place, identity, and belonging, and we'll use these as grounds for our own writing. Students will complete a series of essays-a personal essay, critical essay, and research essay-taking each piece through an extensive drafting process designed to strengthen foundational skills in college writing and develop strategies to approach different types of writing. Students will be required to complete a final presentation and to submit their work for peer review and discussion. This is an ideal course for Division I students or upper-level students seeking to build their writing skills
The content of this course deals with issues of race and power, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time, , Libraray Materials:, Course Reader will be available at Duplications
Distribution: LC4
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: WF 01:00PM-02:20PM
Location: / WRC
This course explores the dynamic interplay between performance, ritual, and astrology, examining how these practices shape and reflect cultural beliefs and individual identities. Through an interdisciplinary lens, we will analyze historical and contemporary rituals that utilize astrological concepts, investigating their significance in various cultures. Students will engage with key texts, performance art, and case studies, exploring how astrology influences ritual practices and how these rituals, in turn, inform our understanding of the cosmos..We will discuss themes such as symbolism, narrative, and the role of community in these practices, as well as the impact of modernity on traditional beliefs. Through hands-on projects, discussions, and collaborative performances, students will develop a deeper understanding of how astrology and ritual can serve as powerful tools for self-exploration and collective expression. Keywords:spirituality, performance, theater, astrology, ritual
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 01:00PM-03:50PM
Location: / 21
When designing costumes, projections, sound, lighting, or scenery, do theatre designers read and hear musicals any differently than a director or an actor? To what does a designer respond? Theme, character, dialogue, stage directions, place, time, rhythm, flow, music, and arcs all play into a designer's process of discovering the visual and aural possibilities of musicals on stage. How does a designer sift through the body of a script to discover clues of the physical nature of the play? As students are introduced to different design areas (scenery, props, lighting, costumes, projections, or sound) they will read, listen to, and discuss a variety of musicals representing different periods and genres. Students will research aesthetic styles and present initial design ideas for each musical. Students will expand their design vocabulary and practice design presentations. Keywords:musicals, design, theatre
Students should expect to spend 8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC4
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 02:30PM-03:50PM
Location: / 5
This intermediate level workshop is for students interested in pursuing the art of writing fiction. We'll ground our exploration of craft in the question: "what roles does imagination play in the political project of changing the world?" Beginning from the premise that one must first imagine what the world might look like before one pursues the material and social activism necessary to change it, we'll look at how marginalized authors working in science fiction, queer and trans lit, Afro-futurism, and other genres have used fiction to imagine the possibilities of political and cultural change. We'll use that knowledge to develop our own original works of fiction and then workshop, iterate, revise, and improve our creative writing in the context of a supportive community of artists. Note: this class is primarily intended for those with at least some previous experience with creative writing keywords:creative writing, fiction, literature, science fiction, fantasy
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time, , Books:, , Title:The Dispossessed, Author:Ursula K. LeGuin, ISBN:978-0060512750, Cost:17.99
Distribution: LC4
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 01:00PM-02:20PM
Location: / 2
In this course students undertake semester-long projects in theatre related subjects. Students are expected to propose, initiate, plan, manage, and complete work that may be associated with a Hampshire Theatre Program production, a Division III production, or the 2025 Division III Theatre Festival. Students may also propose projects that fall within the theatre parameters of the course. Each project will be framed by scope, planning, background research/context/information gathering, drafts or iterations, communication, reflection, and revision. Students will be expected to participate in weekly in-class progress and feedback sessions. Students will also respond to production, design, and management selected readings and media. This class may satisfy the Division II Supported Project Requirement. Keywords:theatre, design, management,production, projects
This course can be used to fulfill the Division II Project, requirement, , Students should expect to spend 8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / 21
This course is a continuation of the work begun in Intro to Playwriting. We'll deepen our understanding of playwriting through the exploration of character development, thematic complexity, and dramatic structure. Building on foundational skills, this course will engage in intensive workshops, analyzing contemporary and classical texts to uncover what makes a compelling narrative. Students will experiment with different forms and styles, from one-act plays to full-length works, honing their unique voice while receiving constructive feedback from the creative ensemble. An emphasis will be placed on creating authentic dialogue, crafting engaging plots, and exploring the nuances of staging and performance. Keywords:writing, playwriting, plays, drama, dramaturgy
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC4
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 01:00PM-02:20PM
Location: / 21
From James Baldwin's recounting of being in prison in Paris to Joan Didion's recollections of 1960s Hollywood to Alexander Chee's meditations on the tarot, many great writers have used the personal essay to illuminate universal or cultural truths, moving from the minutiae of daily life to insights and observations about the human condition. This course will explore this dynamic literary genre, considering how different forms and structures (i.e., the braided essay, the lyric essay, the hermit crab, etc.) shape the stories we tell about our lives and experiences, and the world we live in. Students will read a range of personal essays of varying lengths, looking at how writers use form and narrative to examine the nature of truth, time, and memory, and raise questions about power, location, and identity. As we engage with published work and write, workshop, and revise our own short essays, we'll think critically about what stories and histories get told and what gets silenced, and how we can use writing to open up spaces for connection, reflection, resistance, and joy
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time, , Libraray Materials:, , Course Reader will be available for purchase at Duplications
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / WRC
Make your projects move, spin, flap, and twitch. We will learn how to design and build moving sculptures using wood, metal, plastic, and found objects. This course will introduce terminology and components for transferring and adapting motion, from simple levers and cranks to gears, cams, and pistons. We will explore techniques for designing and fabricating parts and assembling them into functioning mechanical contraptions. All levels of experience are welcome. Students must be prepared to engage in hands-on tool use in a supportive environment, and be able to devote 6 - 10 hours a week outside of scheduled class time to work on projects. Keyword:mechanical, build, kinetic, fabricate, design
Lab/Materials fee:$40, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC1
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / SHOP
Light Art encourages us to slow down, observe, absorb, perceive, and feel. Light art is immersive, it alters our mental and emotional state. Light art truly invites us into it, not in the figurative manner that all art can, but literally. You pass through it, and it devours you. Whether it's calming, agitating, or whimsical, light can provoke thought or initiate a chuckle. Within a studio format the class will manipulate light and explore light as sculpture and environment. We will tell stories and create acts of guerilla lighting. Using theatre lighting instruments and a vast array of other light emitting sources, students will create individual lightworks that express narratives, or simply reveal. We will study color, color mixing, reflection, and refraction. Students will develop skills and techniques that will inform students' personal use of light as an expressive medium. We will review the history of light art as well as the works of several light artists. Keywords:light, art, installation, studio, color
Lab/Materials fee:$60.00, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / 21
The central wager of this course is that formal constraint offers a path toward imaginative liberation. As we work our way through forms such as the sonnet, the cento, and the sestina, we'll also consider the ways in which tradition can hold us back. What does it mean to be a modern human inhabiting a historical form? How do we accommodate our speech to the demands of form? To what extent can we alter an old form to serve contemporary needs? For who and to what ends might we invent new forms? To help us consider such questions and to guide composition of new poems, we'll read widely: Cecco Angioleri, Terrence Hayes, Diane Seuss, Edna St. Vincent Millay and giovanni singleton, among others. Students' work will include feedback, a critical essay and poems. I recommend students have taken an introductory poetry workshop before enrolling in this course Keywords: Poetry, creative writing, literature
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: M 02:30PM-05:30PM
Location: / 4
In this course students will explore sculpture through the lense of assemblage, found objects, collections and archives. We will explore ideas of appropriation, adhocism sculptural object as a self-contained form and as an element within a found or created environment. Traditional materials such as steel, wood, plaster and concrete will be taught concurrently with more ephemeral materials including paper, wire mesh and found materials. Ideas originating within the traditions of modernism, postmodernism, minimalism, post minimalism, installation art and public art will be introduced through slide lectures, readings and independent research. The course will culminate in an independent project. An introductory level course in sculpture is recommended Keywords:Sculpture, Art, Makin
Lab/Materials fee:$90, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC3
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 01:00PM-03:20PM TTH 01:00PM-03:20PM
Location: / SCULPT
In this course, students will create a series of interactive projects, starting with screen-based works, progressing to connecting simple electronic sensors and actuators to multimedia programs, and culminating in a fully realized interactive work, which may be web-based, a sculpture, installation or performance. Students will work with a variety of multimedia technologies (including animation, video, and sound), various types of sensors (tracking motion with video cameras, sensing movement and touch, sensing environmental conditions, etc.). They will also work with a range of actuator technologies (DC motors, servo motors, solenoids, etc.). Our engagement with these technologies will be supported and contextualized by looking at the work of prominent interactive artists and by a series of theoretical readings drawn from fine art, new media, philosophy, and other disciplines Keywords:computer programming, art, installation, interactive art, performance art
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC3
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 09:00AM-11:50AM
Location: / 126
In this hybrid lit/film seminar and creative writing course, we'll explore queer monstrosity in horror film, literature, and comics, including topics such as trans horror, images of motherhood, and race in horror. Together, we'll discuss prominent works of queer horror by drawing on theorists like Susan Stryker and Toni Morrison and develop creative writing projects (prose, comics, or screenplays) that unpack what horror means to us as writers and artists. How does horror help us interrogate traditional notions of gender and embodiment? Does our love of queer monstrosity tell us something dark about our own culture or point to some kind of power lying hidden in the shadows? We'll answer these questions and more! Possible texts: The Haunting of Hill House, I Saw the TV Glow, Silence of the Lambs, Hereditary, My Favorite Thing is Monsters, The Gilda Stories, Carmilla, Get Out, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Witch, &c. Keywords:horror, creative writing, queer, comics, film
The content of this course deals with issues of race and power, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC4
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 02:30PM-03:50PM
Location: / 107
This studio course introduces intermediate level sculpture and studio art concentrators to mold making and casting processes. Students will be exposed to a range of cast sculpture both historic and contemporary via books and slide lectures. Through assignments and independent work, students will explore the process of mold making and casting through a range of different materials including Plaster, concrete, silicone rubber and thermoplastics. Students will research historical and contemporary artists who utilize casting and present relevant work for class discussion. The course will culminate in an ambitious independent project. Keywords:Art, Moldmaking, Casting, Sculpture, Making
Lab/Materials fee:$125, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC3
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 09:30AM-11:50AM TTH 09:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / SCULPT
We are going to organize and host an outreach event for LGBTQ+ young folks who are interested in STEM called Queer Science. While preparing for this, we will learn about teaching pedagogy, educational evaluations using quantitative and qualitative assessments, science communication, mentorship, and community organizing across the Five Colleges. We will interrogate these pedagogical foundations and create our own aspirational vision for Queering STEM education. We will connect with LGBTQ+ scientists across the Five Colleges and help them build fantastic interactive demonstrations to inspire LGBTQ+ young folks. The efforts of this course will lead to hosting a fantastic Queer Science Day event and to a publishable report about how to inspire future LGBTQ+ scientists into STEM fields! Keywords:STEM, Education, Outreach, pedagogy, queer
Students should expect to spend 8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC1
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / 2-OPEN
Due to the growing availability of "big data" and the high computational speeds and storage capacity of modern computers, data science has become a highly influential field that impacts every aspect of our lives. Endeavors as disparate as facial recognition, climate modeling, and training computers to write poetry are linked by the fact that in each case researchers are using computers to find and exploit patterns in data. These patterns can be used to make predictions, test hypotheses, and to simulate real-world phenomena to an eerily accurate degree. In this course, students will learn the fundamental concepts of data science, simultaneously developing and applying coding skills using the language Python and learning several principles and techniques for data analysis. In particular, students will learn and practice writing computer code to access data, explore data, and analyze data. Keywords:Data science, coding, data, Python
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / 316
Games play a long and unique role in human culture. While we often do not think of them this way, they are a form of mathematical modeling, and they can be used to learn a variety of practical mathematical concepts. This course will use complex tabletop games to explore concepts from several fields of mathematics, nearly all of which are pertinent to the study and management of complex systems. We will play games. We will identify and analyze key concepts and structures within those games. We will use that analysis to improve our game playing. Then we will turn that same analytical lens onto the real world. Throughout the course, we will see that the dynamics and concepts that appear in our games (e.g. exponential growth) also appear with surprising regularity in systems we care about and that are important to the sustainability of the human enterprise. Keywords:games, applied math, systems, sustainability
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC1
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 01:00PM-02:20PM
Location: / 333
This course will use a natural science lens to explore sustainability with a specific focus on the food-water-energy nexus. We will use the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as one framework of study covering the implementation of the goals on a global scale as well as efforts underway locally and regionally. Students in this class will read primary literature, complete case studies, work collaboratively and independently on sustainability projects and actively participate in small group and class discussions and activities. We will use elements of the Hampshire College campus living laboratory as points of discussion, taking fields trips when possible, including: the net zero energy/water living building, the solar array and the college farm center. Keywords:Sustainability, environmental science, systems thinking
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC1
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 01:00PM-02:20PM
Location: / 333
In this course students will engage with mathematical modeling in two important ways: by learning to use existing models as powerful problem-solving tools and by developing their skills in creating their own models. The kind of models we examine are known as discrete dynamical systems, which are just models that specify mathematically how a quantity changes from one time step to the next. We develop such models in a variety of important contexts including populations and sustainability, infectious diseases, blood alcohol concentration, and ranking systems for sports teams or web searches. We only introduce the mathematics necessary for answering important questions in each context, and we will use a spreadsheet applicationl as our modeling software throughout the course. Some mathematical concepts we will cover include exponential growth, equilibrium values, and stability. No prior college-level mathematics or experience with spreadsheets is assumed.
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC1
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 09:00AM-10:20AM
Location: / 316
What is energy? This course will cover the concept of energy in the contexts of theoretical and applied physics. Starting with the idea of energy as a way to explain the interactions of elementary particles in fundamental physics, we will then explore the role of energy in physical processes on larger length scales. Our trajectory will take us from the interactions of matter and light described by quantum physics, which govern biological and chemical processes, to interactions of macroscopic objects and thermodynamic systems, which are relevant to our daily lives and are described by classical physics. This theoretical basis will allow us to discuss a variety of mechanisms of energy generation, conversion, transfer, storage, and use efficiency in various practical contexts. Keywords:physics, energy, environment, science
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC1
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 02:30PM-03:50PM
Location: / 3-PHYC
Humans are recent tenants on an ancient Earth. Understanding Earth's remarkable history is enlightening yet humbling. Earth's history provides a critical lens for evaluating the environmental processes occurring in our modern world. In this course, we will travel through time to study the evolution of Earth from its fiery beginning over 4.5 billion years ago to the present day. We will explore the physical and biological evolution of Earth and gain an appreciation for Earth as a series of complex systems that interact dynamically and holistically. We will also learn how geologists reconstruct Earth history as well as predict the future. This course will be valuable for anyone who is curious about geology, life, and evolution and is concerned about the future of Earth and its tenants. Keywords:Geology, Environmental science, evolution, sustainability
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC1
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / 333
In this course we will examine how interaction between matter and energy governs chemical reactions and other chemical processes. Largely through the lens of chemical thermodynamics, we will gain both qualitative and quantitative insight into a range of chemical changes, building predictive capabilities within the overlapping topics of thermochemistry, intermolecular forces, solution equilibria, electrochemistry, acids and bases, and nuclear reactions. Assignments will include in-class, small group, and self-guided problem solving, three cumulative problem sets, and a presentation on a topic of the student's choice. Students will also be registered in NS-0219, the laboratory section of this course
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time, , Books:, , Title:Chemistry, 10th Ed., Author:Kenneth W Whitten, Raymond E Davis, Larry Peck, George G, Stanley, ISBN:978-1133610663, Cost:$ 146.26, , Title:Student Solutions Manual for Whitten, Davis, Peck, and, Stanley's Chemistry. 10th Ed, Author:Wendy Keeney-Kennicutt, ISBN:978-1133933526, Cost:$96.60
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MWF 09:00AM-10:20AM MWF 09:00AM-10:20AM
Location: / 2-OPEN
Physics I covers the fundamental principles of physics by teaching classical mechanics, while emphasizing the correspondence to quantum physics. The topics will include the essence of measurement, properties of elementary constituents of Nature (particles and probability waves), mechanics (motion and its causes), and fundamental interactions. Special focus will be placed on general principles, such as the conservation laws (energy, linear and angular momentum, spin) and the superposition principle. Students will approach these topics in an active-learning style, wherein hands-on lab activities are integrated with problem-solving sessions and mini-lectures. The course aims itself at all who seek a basic understanding of the fundamental laws of physics, including students on pre-professional track, and students who focus on physical or mathematical sciences. This course can be taken at either the algebra level or calculus level, which will be noted in the student evaluations. Students must concurrently register for Physics I Lab section. Readings and written work will be assigned for each class Keywords:physics, mechanics
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time, , Books:, , Title:Fundamentals of Physics, Volume 1, 12th edition (E-book), Author:David Halliday, Robert Resnick, Jearl Walker, ISBN:978-1-119-80115-3, Cost:$91.95
Distribution: LC3
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 09:00AM-10:20AM
Location: / 3-PHYC
This is a Lab section for NS-204, Physics I Lab and students must be concurrently enrolled in both
Students should expect to spend 8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC3
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / 3-PHYC
What does it mean to intentionally and responsibly work with the land that we occupy? How do we manage it? What are our responsibilities to be stewards in a changing climate? Hampshire College resides on hundred of acres of land in western Massachusetts. Our campus is our learning laboratory where students will design and engage with independent projects across the land, the farm, and the forests. Our readings and class discussions will dive deeper with questions on land management, agriculture, and sustainability. This course is appropriate for students who are eager to cultivate a project that engages with the natural environment. Coursework includes weekly research, writing assignments, class discussions, and presentations. Within a supportive, structured, and collaborative space for students to pursue projects of their own design, alone or as part of a project team. Students are asked to arrive with a project in mind, and should connect with the professor in advance to discuss feasibility and idea generation. Completion of this course fulfills the Division II Supported Project Requirement. Keywords:agriculture, sustainability, botany, biology
This course can be used to fulfill the Division II Project, requirement, , Students should expect to spend 8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC1
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 01:00PM-02:20PM
Location: / 110
In this lab, we will explore experimentally quantitative aspects of chemical equilibrium, thermochemistry, and kinetics, alternately following and preceding coverage of these topics in the classroom. Emphasis will be placed on experimental design, accuracy and precision of measurement, data analysis, and on using the power of experiment to shed light on fundamental behaviors of chemical substances. After exposure to a toolbox of experimental techniques, including familiarization with a range of instrumentation and experience analyzing individual and pooled class data, students will work in small groups to carry out a project of their own design. Students taking this laboratory are required to enroll in the corresponding classroom component of the course (NS-0203)
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TH 01:00PM-05:00PM
Location: / 2-CHEM
Animal Physiology: This course will cover physiology of organ systems in a variety of animal phyla, including vertebrates and invertebrates. Topics may include nutrition, temperature regulation and neural, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, digestive and endocrine function. One focus will be on cellular and molecular mechanisms common across systems and phyla. We will spend some time outdoors and at the Hampshire College Farm. Students will engage in class problems, discussion, and reading of text and primary science literature. Keywords:Biology, physiology, animal, health
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / 316
Cell biology laboratory skills are the core foundational skills for all biomedical research. Students will maintain mammalian cell lines throughout the semester and conduct experiments using their cells using techniques such as transfections, fluorescence microscopy, proliferation assays, migration assays, and transwell invasion assays. The end of the semester will be reserved for students to design and conduct their own cell biology experiments. Students must also enroll in Cell Biology (NS-247), the main course component. Keywords:Biomedical research, neuroscience, cancer, stem cells
This course can be used to fulfill the Division II Project, requirement, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: W 01:00PM-03:50PM
Location: / 2-OPEN
Cells are the foundation of all life. The structures and processes inside cells determine how life functions (or dysfunctions). We will discover what is known about how cells work through a combination of primary literature, laboratory research, and textbook readings. We will also discuss what is still not known and how scientists work to find the answers. The class structure will be divided into one day of lecture and one day of problem set review. Students that take Cell Biology will also be enrolled in Cell Biology Laboratory (NS-246), the laboratory component of the course. Keywords:Biomedical research, neuroscience, cancer, stem cells
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time, , Books:, , Title:Molecular Biology of the Cell 6th Edition, Author:Bruce Alberts, ISBN:0815345240
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / 2-OPEN
Learn the foundations of bioinformatics with a hands-on class using data from the guts of bees (collaboration with Dr. Jennifer VanWyk!). We will explore how to analyze microbial population data from a large, diverse array of microorganisms by sequencing and analyzing 16S rRNA gene amplicons. This type of dataset is extremely common in environmental microbiology, medical microbiology, and even applies to other ecology fields. This course will focus heavily on coding using RStudio and large spreadsheets. The final report of this course will *hopefully* be published in a peer-reviewed journal! You are strongly encouraged to take Bioinformatics: Metagenomics Assembly alongside this course. Keywords:microbiology, bioinformatics, environmental, ecology, computational
This course can be used to fulfill the Division II Project, requirement, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC1
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 02:30PM-03:50PM
Location: / 316
Learn how to assemble a genome of a parasite that infects bees (collaboration with Dr. Jennifer VanWyk!). We will analyze shotgun metagenomic data to understand this parasite's functions in the guts of bees by annotating specific proteins, functions, and enzymes. This type of data set is extremely common in environmental microbiology and medical microbiology. We will focus heavily on using KBase and spreadsheets, while occasionally learning about python and submitting jobs to slurm clusters. The final report of this course will *hopefully* be published in a peer-reviewed journal! You are strongly encouraged to take Bioinformatics: Community Analysis alongside this course. Keywords:microbiology, bioinformatics, environmental, ecology, computational
This course can be used to fulfill the Division II Project, requirement, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC1
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: F 09:00AM-12:00PM
Location: / 316
Ecology is the study of the relationship of organisms with their environment.In the first half of the semester, we will take a single-species approach to learning principles of ecology, covering topics such as ecophysiology, behavioral ecology, population ecology and evolution. We will then expand to a multispecies context to explore principles of community structure and functioning, species diversity patterns, and multi-trophic interactions. By the end of the course, students should be confident in synthesizing primary scientific literature, statistical and graphical comprehension of experimental results, and meaningfully engage in the peer review process. Keywords:Biology
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC1
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / 110
We are going to build and develop a video game to help reinforce environmental engineering principles centered around wastewater treatment! Everybody poops but the cleaning process is often "out of sight and out of mind!" To help younger generations learn about the complex microbiology which cleans and remediates such a vital part of our daily lives. we're going to develop an interactive game! This class is going to require self-motivated students who are already reasonably proficient or can self-learn one of the following: art design, sound design, computer programing, and science communication. Throughout the course you will become experts in wastewater treatment, science communication, and gain real-world team building skills. Our final project will hopefully become a new educational tool for the public! Please e-mail Dr. Juliet Johnston (jjfac@hampshire.edu) for permission to enter the course and specify which skills you bring to the team! Keywords:Education, engineering, game design, sound, art
This course can be used to fulfill the Division II Project, requirement, , Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC1
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: F 01:00PM-03:50PM
Location: / 316
We live in a world of randomness-not a world of chaos, but a world in which very few things can be predicted with certainty. We also live in a world of connections where random events in one part of a system propagate into other parts of the system and influence the probability of events there. Bayesian modeling places a rigorous mathematical framework around the world of randomness and connections, a framework that can be shaped by data and used to increase our ability to make predictions and test hypotheses. In this course, we will learn the fundamentals of Bayesian models as well as the underlying concepts of probability and mathematical modeling. Students will apply these modeling principles to ecological, economic, and social systems. The course will culminate with students collecting data and developing and interpreting their own models. Prior experience in probability and statistics is strongly recommended. Keywords:Statistics, Modeling, Ecology, Probability
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 01:00PM-02:20PM
Location: / 320
This course introduces students to fundamental topics in linear algebra. We will use Python to visualize concepts, implement algorithms, and perform calculations that would be intractable by hand. No prior Python experience is required. The focus of the course will be on applications in a variety of contexts, though there will be some theory as well. Topics will include systems of equations, vectors, matrix algebra, linear independence, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, and matrix factorization. While the course has no formal prerequisites in terms of mathematics or coding, it will require some mathematical maturity and/or comfort with programming
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TTH 01:00PM-02:20PM
Location: / 316
This course will use a natural science lens to explore sustainability with a specific focus on the food-water-energy nexus. We will use the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as one framework of study covering the implementation of the goals on a global scale as well as efforts underway locally and regionally. Students in this class will read primary literature, complete case studies, work collaboratively and independently on sustainability projects and actively participate in small group and class discussions and activities. We will use elements of the Hampshire College campus living laboratory as points of discussion, taking fields trips when possible, including: the net zero energy/water living building, the solar array and the college farm center. Keywords:Sustainability, environmental science, systems thinking
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution: LC1
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 01:00PM-02:20PM
Location: / 333
This seminar is designed for Division III students studying topics in all fields of the sciences and students finishing Division II and preparing for Division III. The seminar will provide a collaborative environment for students working on independent projects. We will use a workshop format to generate ideas, critically read each other's work and provide constructive feedback and suggestions. Students will learn and practice skills to communicate their work in a variety of formats to a variety of audiences (including virtual and digital mediums). We will also discuss presenting and analyzing data, writing abstracts, citing sources, etc. Specific content will be dictated by student interests. Each student will lead a discussion about their work and provide background materials to inform the discussion including primary research articles, writing excerpts from their projects (reflective essays, Division III proposals, Division III chapters, etc.). At the end of the semester, each student will present their work and receive feedback from their peers. Keywords:Environmental science, science communication
Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and, preparation outside of class time
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / 333
Learn the foundations of yoga through the practice of yoga postures, breathing, techniques, yoga philosophy and meditation. Intended for students who are new to yoga or those looking for an introduction to yoga beyond the poses. Expect detail-oriented instruction, dynamic exploration of movement, and guided relaxation. Please bring your own yoga mat. Yoga mats are for sale at the OPRA equipment room. Five Colleges students will be graded pass/fail
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: T 10:30AM-11:50AM
Location: / 21
This course is an opportunity to experience many activities that make up outdoor adventure. Students will be introduced to natural areas in the Pioneer Valley and Western Massachusetts. In the winter, activities may include snowshoeing and cross country skiing. During warmer months, students will canoe, hike, climb, and do trail work. This course is an opportunity to get out each week and learn new outdoor adventure skills. No experience with any of the outdoor activities is required to participate in this class! There will be one required overnight Friday May 2-Saturday May 3.
Field Trip fee:, $25 to cover admission to Cross Country skiing touring area and, food for the overnight
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: TH 01:00PM-05:30PM
Location: / OBASKET
Do you rely on "smart" phone apps and GPS to get where you're going? Learn how to navigate in the ways of our ancestors, using pathfinding, terrain association, map reading, compass skills, orienteering, celestial navigation and other techniques to travel distances across new terrain. This class will be held outdoors and will require up to 1 to 4 miles travel, on foot, on and off trail. We may on occasion use cross country skis, snowshoes, bicycles or canoes to travel. There will be one night navigation session held at a day and time TBD in April. 5-College students will be graded pass/fail.
Lab/Materials fee:$15
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: T 09:00AM-12:30PM
Location: / GYM
This course will strive to serve as an introduction to trail running, as well as being able to experience the outdoors each class. During each class period, we will have a discussion about trail running techniques and strategies, go for a run on the trails, and then reflect and stretch at the end. This course is designed to be a positive and inclusive space for all participants who sign up, the distances and paces will be determined based on what will be best for the group.
Must own appropriate sneakers and running attire for all weather
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MF 04:00PM-06:00PM
Location: / LOBBY
Indoor rock climbing is designed to give students experience on indoor climbing walls focusing on technique and strength development. Students will spend time at the Hampshire rock wall and local rock climbing gyms with the goal of becoming more efficient climbers. Classes will include technique and strength activities/drills in an effort to challenge students at their ability level. When weather becomes warmer, we may spend one to two days outside climbing to explore how indoor skills apply to outdoor scenarios. 5-College students will be graded pass/fail.
Field Trip fee: $60 - Local climbing gym entrance fees
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: F 09:30AM-01:00PM
Location: / RCC
The downhill skiing course is designed to give folks experience navigating downhill terrain regardless of experience level. For folks with little to no experience, we will start ground up, building foundational skiing skills over the course of 4 weeks. Students can choose to participate in a formal lesson or learn in a more applied way through experience. For those with preexisting ski skills, you will have the class time to get as many runs in as possible with a group who will provide technical feedback and good company. This course will take place at Berkshire East from January 29th - February 26th.. A required course fee of $122 is associated with this course and will cover a lift ticket for Berkshire East for our class timeframe. Students also have the option to rent ski or snowboard equipment ($76) and/or participate in a formal lesson ($60). Please reach out to Michelle (mldop@hampshire.edu) if finances pose a barrier. -Students will need to commit to that combination of gear/lessons they would like by December 13th. This course will be graded pass/fail. A "pass" for this course is based on attendance and participation.
Field Trip fee: $122 min
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: W 12:00PM-05:30PM
Location: / RCC
Students in this class must have previous experience canoeing on moving water. Students in this course will work on developing and refining their Class II whitewater canoeing abilities. This class will run March 28th-May 9th, with an initial class meeting on January 31 to discuss the course and answer questions. This class is from 10:00-5:30, with the high likelihood that several class days will meet earlier in order to accommodate dam release timing.
Previous experience canoeing on moving water. Must be able to, swim.
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: F 10:00AM-05:30PM
Location: / OBASKET
Weight Training: Students in this course will practice and learn the basics of using weighted and unweighted exercise to train flexibility/mobility, strength, speed, endurance and coordination. Students will design and receive feedback on an individualized weight training program. Each class session will include cardio warmup, stretching, and weight lifting. Participants who have never been involved in a fitness program are especially welcome, along with experienced students of weight training methods. The instructor for the Spring 2025 Weight Training class will be John Snyder.
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: MW 09:00AM-10:00AM
Location: / WGHT RM
Fundamentals of Tennis: This class covers basic tennis techniques. Our focus will be on developing smooth confident strokes. Students will also spend time learning the rules of the game and playing. 5-College students will be graded pass/fail
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: W 12:00PM-01:00PM
Location: / CTS/TRK
Develop your skills as a leader in the outdoors that will apply to your own adventures or leading trips for others. The Outdoor Leadership class will focus on leadership theory and skills with the goal of developing strong facilitators, risk managers, community members, and stewards of outdoor spaces. While this course is not solely focused on sport skill development, we will spend much of our time outdoors leading and participating in different outdoor activities like skiing, hiking, snow shoeing, land navigation, backpacking, and orienteering. By the end of the course, each student will have been responsible for leading a trip and providing valuable feedback to their peers on trips they've participated in. Students who participate in the Leadership course may find opportunities facilitating or co-facilitating OPRA weekend trips and pre orientation trips. This course is instructor permission. 5 College students are welcome and encouraged to apply, and Hampshire students will be prioritized.
General outdoor experience
Distribution:
This course has a Prerequisite:
Time: T 09:00AM-01:00PM
Location: / RCC