Interdisciplinary Programs

Carnegie Mellon University offers several degree programs and courses of study which are coordinated by multiple colleges, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the university. These are detailed below.

Intercollege Majors

  • BXA Intercollege Degree Programs
    • Bachelor of Humanities and Arts Program
    • Bachelor of Engineering Studies and Arts Program
    • Bachelor of Science and Arts Program
    • Bachelor of Computer Science and Arts Program
  • B.S. in Computational Finance
  • B.S. in Music and Technology
  • B.S. in Neuroscience
  • B.S. in Psychology and Biological Sciences
  • Major in General Studies

INTERCOLLEGE ADDITIONAL MAJOR

  • Environmental & Sustainability Studies
  • BXA Intercollege Degree Programs
    • Engineering and Arts

Intercollege Minors

  • Minor in Computational Finance
  • Minor in Environmental & Sustainability Studies
  • Minor in Game Design (IDeATe)
  • Minor in Health Care Policy and Management
  • Minor in Immersive Technologies in Arts & Culture

BXA Intercollege Degree Programs

The BXA Intercollege Degree Programs enable students the freedom to individualize their educational experience by promoting integration, balance and innovation. BXA offers the following programs:

  • Bachelor of Humanities and Arts
  • Bachelor of Engineering Studies and Arts
  • Bachelor of Computer Science and Arts
  • Bachelor of Science and Arts
  • Engineering and Arts Additional Major

For detailed information on the BXA Intercollege Degree Programs, go to BXA Intercollege Degree Programs.

Bachelor of Science in Computational Finance

The Mellon College of Science, the Heinz College of Public Policy and Management and the Tepper School of Business jointly offer a degree uniquely designed to meet the quantitative needs of the finance industry. Modeled after the highly successful Carnegie Mellon Master of Science in Computational Finance, this degree allows students to develop a deep knowledge of mathematics, probability, statistics, and the applications of these disciplines to finance. Students who complete this degree may directly enter the finance industry, enter other industries where applied mathematics training is appropriate, or pursue advanced degrees in economics, finance or the mathematical sciences. Students entering the work force upon completion of this degree may wish to later complement their undergraduate degree with a Master's degree in Business Administration or another professional degree. Students who might eventually pursue doctoral degrees in economics, finance, statistics or mathematics should seek advising on how to use their electives in order to prepare for graduate work in their chosen disciplines.

The Bachelor of Science in Computational Finance is an Intercollege Program. Students may pursue Computational Finance as their primary major with either the Mellon College of Science (MCS) or the Tepper School of Business (Tepper) as their home college.    The coursework required for the major is essentially the same in each case, with a few minor exceptions outlined below. The general education requirements for the degree depend on the student's home college.

Students who pursue Computational Finance as an additional major will remain in the college of their primary major.  Additional majors must complete the Major Requirements outlined below, but not the General Education Requirements outlined for MCS and Tepper students.  Additional majors will complete the general education requirements for their home college.

Admission to the major in Computational Finance is by application.  Applications are accepted each fall and spring semester.  The application deadline has traditionally been just after the mid-semester break.  Applicants must have taken (or be currently taking)  at the time of application: 21-127 Concepts of Mathematics (or 21-128), 21-241 Matrices and Linear Transformations (or 21-242),  21-270 Introduction to Mathematical Finance.  Students from any college or program at Carnegie Mellon are welcome to apply to enroll in the major.  Additional information about computational finance and the Undergraduate Computational Finance Program at Carnegie Mellon can be found on the BSCF Program website.

Several majors are prohibited in combination with the Computational Finance major (either as Primary/Additional majors or as Dual Degrees) due to excessive overlap with the Computational Finance curriculum.  These include the Business Administration major, the major in Mathematical Sciences (including any of the various concentrations), and the major in Economics and Mathematical Sciences.

Major Requirements

The major in Computational Finance is built around a core sequence of courses in mathematical finance.  This core is supported by courses providing foundational mathematical skills and augmented with coursework in the related areas of Statistics, Computer Science, and Economics.  Additionally the major provides training in the "soft skills" required for work in a corporate environment.  The major also requires the completion of several depth electives, allowing students to tailor their education to their particular interests and needs.

The major requirements are the same for additional majors as they are for majors whose home college is MCS.  There are a few slight differences for students whose home college is Tepper.  These differences are described in the sections for Depth Electives and Professional Development below.

Foundations
21-120Differential and Integral Calculus10
21-122Integration and Approximation10
21-127Concepts of Mathematics12
21-241Matrices and Linear Transformations11
21-259Calculus in Three Dimensions10
21-260Differential Equations9
21-369Numerical Methods12
70-122Introduction to Accounting9
Mathematical Finance
21-270Introduction to Mathematical Finance9
21-370Discrete Time Finance9
21-420Continuous-Time Finance9
46-977MSCF Studies in Financial Engineering6
Statistics
21-325Probability9
36-226Introduction to Statistical Inference9
36-401Modern Regression9
Programming
15-110Principles of Computing10
15-112Fundamentals of Programming and Computer Science12
15-122Principles of Imperative Computation12
Economics
73-102Principles of Microeconomics9
or 73-104 Principles of Microeconomics Accelerated
73-103Principles of Macroeconomics9
73-240Intermediate Macroeconomics9
Professional Development
94-700Organizational Design & Implementation6
95-717Writing for Information Systems Management6
95-718Professional Speaking6

Note: Majors in the Tepper School of Business take 70-311 Organizational Behavior as part of the Functional Business Core curriculum.  This course will satisfy the 94-700 Organizational Design & Implementation requirement for these students.  Majors in the Tepper School of Business also take 70-340 Business Communications as part of the Functional Business Core curriculum.  This course will satisfy the 95-717 Writing for Information Systems Management requirement for these students.

Depth Electives

Depth electives give students an opportunity to tailor their coursework to their particular interests.  Students completing the major will take three depth electives (the minimum requirement is 24 units - the equivalent of two 9 unit courses and one 6 unit course). 

Note: Tepper students are required to select 70-391 Finance as one of their depth electives.

Depth electives are intended to develop a student's background in an area that is applicable to the finance industry.  Courses in finance or programming generally qualify as depth electives.  Mathematics, Statistics, or Economics courses in areas applicable to finance also qualify.  Computational Finance majors may have the opportunity to take MSCF courses (as described below) and these may also be counted as depth electives. 

There is no definitive list of approved depth electives.  The courses listed below have been taken as depth electives in recent years, but other courses could be approved upon request

10-301Introduction to Machine Learning (Undergrad)12
10-601Introduction to Machine Learning (Master's)12
10-605Machine Learning with Large Datasets12
15-150Principles of Functional Programming12
15-210Parallel and Sequential Data Structures and Algorithms12
15-213Introduction to Computer Systems12
15-351Algorithms and Advanced Data Structures12
15-451Algorithm Design and Analysis12
21-393Operations Research II9
21-355Principles of Real Analysis I9
21-378Mathematics of Fixed Income Markets9
36-402Advanced Methods for Data Analysis9
36-410Introduction to Probability Modeling9
36-462Special Topics: Methods of Statistical Learning9
36-463Special Topics: Multilevel and Hierarchical Models9
36-464Special Topics: Psychometrics: A Statistical Modeling Approach9
70-391Finance9
70-492Investment Analysis9
70-495Corporate Finance9
70-497Derivative Securities9

MSCF Courses

Computational Finance majors are required to take 46-977 MSCF Studies in Financial Engineering.  They may also have the opportunity to take up to four more MSCF courses.  Permission to enroll in these courses requires (1) approval from the BSCF program, (2) approval of the course instructor, and (3) space available in the course.  The MSCF curriculum with course descriptions is described on the MSCF website.

Some MSCF courses cover material in the undergraduate curriculum and thus are not generally suitable.  Other courses require background that is difficult to obtain as an undergraduate.  Students interested in taking MSCF courses are encouraged to discuss their interest with their BSCF advisor as early as possible.

General Education Requirements

Students completing Computational Finance as an additional major will complete the general education requirements from their home department and college.  Students completing Computational Finance as their primary major in either MCS or Tepper will complete a modified version of the general education requirements from their home college.  These requirements are outlined below.

General Education Requirements for MCS Students

Students in the Mellon College of Science completing the Computational Finance major as their primary major must complete the requirements below in addition to the major requirements.

99-101Computing @ Carnegie Mellon3
76-101Interpretation and Argument9
or 76-102 Advanced First Year Writing: Special Topics
or 76-106 Writing about Literature, Art and Culture
or 76-107 Writing about Data
or 76-108 Writing about Public Problems
Technical Breadth Requirement

A student must take at least 18 units of MCS technical breadth courses total, one from “Life Sciences” and one from “Physical Sciences”. AP/IB/Cambridge credit may not be used to fulfill these requirements. CMU placement exam credit can be used to fill these requirements. Transfer courses from an accredited college/university will be considered for these technical breadth requirements. To support educational exploration, courses taken to satisfy BSCF major requirements may not be used to satisfy the general education requirements. Courses that have been approved for each category can be found below.

A. Life Sciences

(Some courses have prerequisites that can be satisfied by AP, IB, Cambridge A Level Exams. Please check the prerequisites requirements as necessary.)

LIFE SCIENCES COURSES
02-250Introduction to Computational Biology12
02-261Quantitative Cell and Molecular Biology LaboratoryVar.
03-116Phage Genomics Research * Offered only in Doha6
03-117Frontiers, Analysis, and Discovery in Biological Sciences6
03-121Modern Biology9
03-151Honors Modern Biology10
03-124Modern Biology Laboratory9
03-125Evolution9
03-132Basic Science to Modern Medicine9
03-133Neurobiology of Disease9
03-135Structure and Function of the Human Body9
03-161Molecules to Mind9
03-231Honors Biochemistry9
03-232Biochemistry I9
42-101Introduction to Biomedical Engineering12
42-202Physiology9
85-219Foundations of Brain and Behavior9
B. Physical Sciences

(Some courses have prerequisites that can be satisfied by AP, IB, Cambridge A Level Exams. Please check the prerequisites requirements as necessary.)

PHYSICAL SCIENCES COURSES
09-105Introduction to Modern Chemistry I10
09-106Modern Chemistry II10
09-107Honors Chemistry: Fundamentals, Concepts and Applications10
09-111Nanolegos: Chemical Building Blocks9
09-214Physical Chemistry9
09-217Organic Chemistry I9
09-219Modern Organic Chemistry10
09-221Laboratory I: Introduction to Chemical Analysis12
09-225Climate Change: Chemistry, Physics and Planetary Science9
09-348Inorganic Chemistry10
33-121Physics I for Science Students12
33-122Physics II for Biological Sciences & Chemistry Students9
33-141Physics I for Engineering Students12
33-142Physics II for Engineering and Physics Students12
33-151Matter and Interactions I12
33-152Matter and Interactions II12
33-211Physics III: Modern Essentials10
33-224Stars, Galaxies and the Universe9
33-225Quantum Physics and Structure of Matter9
Non-Technical Elective: Cognition, Choice, and Behavior
One of the following:
80-100Introduction to Philosophy9
80-130Introduction to Ethics9
80-150Nature of Reason9
80-180Nature of Language9
80-208Critical Thinking9
80-220Philosophy of Science9
80-221Philosophy of Social Science9
80-270Problems of Mind and Body: Meaning and Doing9
80-271Mind and Body: The Objective and the Subjective9
80-312Mathematical Revolutions9
80-330Ethical Theory9
85-102Introduction to Psychology9
85-211Cognitive Psychology9
85-221Principles of Child Development9
85-241Social Psychology9
85-251Personality9
85-261Psychopathology9
88-120Reason, Passion and Cognition9

Though any of these courses will satisfy the Cognition, Choice, and Behavior requirement, students are strongly encouraged to consider taking one of the ethics courses: 80-130 or 80-330.

Non-Technical Elective: Cultural Analysis
One of the following:
57-173Survey of Western Music History9
57-209The Beatles9
70-342Managing Across Cultures9
76-232Introduction to Black Literature9
76-239Introduction to Film Studies9
76-241Introduction to Gender Studies9
79-104Global Histories9
79-202Flesh and Spirit: Early Modern Europe, 1400-17509
79-20520th Century Europe9
79-225West African History in Film9
79-229The Origins of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, 1880-19489
79-230The Arab-Israeli Conflict and Peace Process since 19489
79-240Development of American Culture9
79-239History of the American Working Class9
79-241African American History: Africa to the Civil War9
79-242African American History: Reconstruction to the Present9
79-261The Last Emperors: Chinese History and Society, 1600-19009
79-265Russian History: Game of Thrones9
79-266Russian History and Revolutionary Socialism9
79-281Introduction to Religion9
79-345Roots of Rock & Roll9
79-350Early Christianity9
80-100Introduction to Philosophy9
80-250Ancient Philosophy9
80-251Modern Philosophy9
80-253Continental Philosophy9
80-254Analytic Philosophy9
80-255Pragmatism: Making Ideas Work9
80-261Experience, Reason, and Truth9
80-276Philosophy of Religion9
82-xxxAny courses from Modern Languages
Non-Technical Electives: Two Additional Courses

In addition to the Cognition, Choice and Behavior and the Cultural Analysis requirements, majors in MCS must take two more courses (at least 18 units) from any of the departments in DC, CFA or Tepper, subject to the list of deletions and additions maintained by MCS.

Additional Notes

BSCF majors in MCS may use AP credits to satisfy nontechnical general education requirements. However, students cannot count more than 18 units from AP/IB/Cambridge exam credit towards these requirements. Transfer courses from an accredited college/university will be considered for these nontechnical breadth requirements. To support educational exploration, courses taken to satisfy BSCF major requirements may not be used to satisfy the general education requirements.


General Education Requirements for Tepper Students

Students in the Tepper School of Business completing the Computational Finance major as their primary major must complete the requirements below in addition to the major requirements.

Tepper Functional Business Core

Computational Finance majors whose home college is Tepper will complete a modified version of the Tepper Functional Business Core curriculum.

The Functional Business Core of the Undergraduate Business Administration Program includes 70-122 Introduction to Accounting, which is required by all Computational Finance majors. It also includes 70-391 Finance, which Tepper students majoring in Computational Finance must select as of one their Depth Electives. In addition, Tepper students pursuing the B.S. in Computational Finance must complete six other courses from the Functional Business Core.

These courses are:
70-106Business Science9
70-311Organizational Behavior9
70-332Business, Society and Ethics9
70-371Operations Management9
70-381Marketing I9
70-401Management Game12
Liberal Arts & Sciences Breadth Requirements

Candidates for the B.S. in Computational Finance must complete the Liberal Arts & Sciences Breadth Requirements as described in the catalog entry for the B.S. Degree in Business Administration.

Sample Curricula

MCS Sample Curriculum

What follows is the detailed curriculum for the degree Bachelor of Science in Computational Finance in the Mellon College of Science. This is an example of how an MCS student might meet the requirements of the Computational Finance major.  It is not expected that every student will follow this sequence.  In particular, well prepared students should consider taking 21-270 Introduction to Mathematical Finance during their Freshman Spring semester.  Students intending to do so are encouraged to take 21-127 Concepts of Mathematics or 21-241 Matrices and Linear Transformations during their Freshman Fall semester.

Freshman
FallSpring
15-110 Principles of Computing15-112 Fundamentals of Programming and Computer Science
21-120 Differential and Integral Calculus21-122 Integration and Approximation
76-101 Interpretation and Argument70-122 Introduction to Accounting
99-101 Computing @ Carnegie Mellonxx-xxx Science Requirement
xx-xxx Science Requirementxx-xxx Elective
Sophomore
FallSpring
21-241 Matrices and Linear Transformations21-270 Introduction to Mathematical Finance
21-259 Calculus in Three Dimensions21-127 Concepts of Mathematics
21-260 Differential Equations21-369 Numerical Methods
73-102 Principles of Microeconomics73-103 Principles of Macroeconomics
xx-xxx Humanities, Social Sciences, or Fine Arts Electivexx-xxx Elective
Junior
FallSpring
21-325 Probability21-420 Continuous-Time Finance
21-370 Discrete Time Finance36-226 Introduction to Statistical Inference
73-240 Intermediate Macroeconomicsxx-xxx Humanities, Social Sciences, or Fine Arts Elective
15-122 Principles of Imperative Computationxx-xxx Humanities, Social Sciences, or Fine Arts Elective
xx-xxx Electivexx-xxx Depth Elective
Senior
FallSpring
46-977 MSCF Studies in Financial Engineering95-717 Writing for Information Systems Management
94-700 Organizational Design & Implementation95-718 Professional Speaking
36-401 Modern Regressionxx-xxx Depth Elective
xx-xxx Depth Electivexx-xxx Humanities, Social Sciences, or Fine Arts Elective
xx-xxx Electivexx-xxx Elective
xx-xxx Electivexx-xxx Elective
Tepper Sample Curriculum

What follows is the detailed curriculum for the degree Bachelor of Science in Computational Finance in the Tepper School of Business. This is an example of how a Tepper student might meet the requirements of the Computational Finance major.  It is not expected that every student will follow this sequence.  In particular, well prepared students should consider taking 21-270 Introduction to Mathematical Finance during their Freshman Spring semester.  Students intending to do so are encouraged to take 21-127 Concepts of Mathematics or 21-241 Matrices and Linear Transformations during their Freshman Fall semester.

Freshman
FallSpring
15-110 Principles of Computing15-112 Fundamentals of Programming and Computer Science
21-120 Differential and Integral Calculus21-122 Integration and Approximation
73-102 Principles of Microeconomics21-241 Matrices and Linear Transformations
70-106 Business Science73-103 Principles of Macroeconomics
76-101 Interpretation and Argumentxx-xxx Breadth Course
99-101 Computing @ Carnegie Mellonxx-xxx Breadth Course
Sophomore
FallSpring
21-127 Concepts of Mathematics21-270 Introduction to Mathematical Finance
21-259 Calculus in Three Dimensions21-325 Probability
21-260 Differential Equations70-311 Organizational Behavior
70-122 Introduction to Accounting70-381 Marketing I
xx-xxx Elective73-240 Intermediate Macroeconomics
Junior
FallSpring
21-369 Numerical Methods21-420 Continuous-Time Finance
21-370 Discrete Time Finance36-226 Introduction to Statistical Inference
70-391 Finance70-371 Operations Management
15-122 Principles of Imperative Computationxx-xxx Breadth Course
xx-xxx Breadth Coursexx-xxx Breadth Course
Senior
FallSpring
36-401 Modern Regression95-717 Writing for Information Systems Management
46-977 MSCF Studies in Financial Engineering95-718 Professional Speaking
70-332 Business, Society and Ethicsxx-xxx Depth Elective
70-401 Management Gamexx-xxx Breadth Course
xx-xxx Depth Electivexx-xxx Breadth Course
xx-xxx Elective

Minor in Computational Finance

Unlike the major in Computational Finance, there is no application process for the minor in Computational Finance, however in order to declare the minor in Computational Finance, a student must satisfy one of the following sets of requirements:

  1. Completion of 21-270 Introduction to Mathematical Finance with a grade of A and an overall QPA of at least 3.20; OR
  2. Completion of 21-270 Introduction to Mathematical Finance and 21-370 Discrete Time Finance with an average grade of B and an overall QPA of at least 3.00; OR
  3. Completion of 21-270 Introduction to Mathematical Finance and 21-378 Mathematics of Fixed Income Markets with an average grade of B and an overall QPA of at least 3.00.
     

When a student has met the necessary requirements, he or she may declare the minor by contacting the Associate Director of the Undergraduate Computational Finance program.

Note: For students who have a grade of P in either 21-270 or 21-378 from the Spring 2020 semester (and only that semester) these requirements have been altered slightly.  The grade of P will not be counted toward the averages in conditions 2 or 3.  This effectively makes the requirements

1. Completion of 21-270 Introduction to Mathematical Finance with a grade of A and an overall QPA of at least 3.20; OR

2. Completion of 21-270 Introduction to Mathematical Finance and 21-370 Discrete Time Finance with an average grade of B and an overall QPA of at least 3.00; OR

2a. Completion of 21-270 Introduction to Mathematical Finance with a grade of P in Spring 2020, and completion of 21-370 Discrete Time Finance with a minimum grade of B and an overall QPA of at least 3.00; OR

3. Completion of 21-270 Introduction to Mathematical Finance and 21-378 Mathematics of Fixed Income Markets with an average grade of B and an overall QPA of at least 3.00; OR

3a. Completion of 21-270 Introduction to Mathematical Finance with a grade of P in Spring 2020, and completion of 21-378 Mathematics of Fixed Income Markets with a minimum grade of B and an overall QPA of at least 3.00.

21-241Matrices and Linear Transformations11
or 21-242 Matrix Theory
21-259Calculus in Three Dimensions9-11
or 21-256 Multivariate Analysis
or 21-268 Multidimensional Calculus
or 21-269 Vector Analysis
21-260Differential Equations9-10
or 21-261 Introduction to Ordinary Differential Equations
21-270Introduction to Mathematical Finance9
21-370Discrete Time Finance *9
21-420Continuous-Time Finance **9

To avoid excessive double counting, Computational Finance minors may not count 21-270 Introduction to Mathematical Finance21-370 Discrete Time Finance or 21-420 Continuous-Time Finance toward any other requirement.

*

The prerequisites for 21-370 are 21-270 and either 21-256 or 21-259 , and the co-requisite is 70-207 , 21-325 , 36-225 or 36-217.  Note that 70-207 is not accepted as a prerequisite for 21-420.

**

The prerequisites for 21-420 are 21-260 , 21-370 and one of the following three calculus based probability courses: 21-325 , 36-225 or 36-217 . Note that 70-207 is not a sufficient preparation in probability. Also note that 21-122 is a prerequisite for 21-260 and that 21-127 is recommended for 21-241 .

Students minoring in Computational Finance are strongly encouraged to take one or two economics course, e.g., 73-102, 73-103, 73-230 , or 73-240 .

Environmental & Sustainability Studies

Program in Environmental and Sustainability Studies

Abigail Owen, Program Director & Program Faculty, Minor and Additional Major in Environmental & Sustainability Studies
Ryan Sullivan, Program Faculty, Minor and Additional Major in Environmental & Sustainability Studies
Neil Donahue, Director, Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research
Joe Moore, Co-Advisor, Minor and Additional Major in Environmental & Sustainability Studies
Kathy Zhang, Program Assistant

https://www.cmu.edu/steinbrenner/undergraduate-program/index.html

Maggie Braun, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs, Mellon College of Science
Sharon Carver, Associate Dean for Educational Affairs, Marianna Brown Dietrich College of Humanities & Social Sciences

The Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education & Research, the Dietrich College of Humanities & Social Sciences, and the Mellon College of Science have joined together to establish the interdisciplinary Program in Environmental & Sustainability Studies, offering a Minor or an Additional Major. 

The Minor and Additional Major in Environmental & Sustainability Studies are designed to be accessible for any undergraduate student at Carnegie Mellon University, regardless of primary major and college, and without extensive prerequisite barriers. Building from core coursework, students can tailor their elective coursework, with intensive guidance from program advisors, to integrate appropriate electives from a wide range of possible courses to develop a coherent course of study with appropriate depth and breadth.  


Additional Major in Environmental and Sustainability Studies

The additional major is designed to allow students from any college at CMU to build on the depth of their primary major and address the breadth of intrinsically interdisciplinary issues associated with the environment and sustainability. 

There is no application process for the program in Environmental and Sustainability Studies, however a student must declare the Minor or Additional Major by contacting the Advisor or Program Director of the Environmental and Sustainability Studies program. Due to limited enrollment for a small class size in core course 66-236 “Introduction to Environmental Ideas” (9 Units), students are encouraged to declare the Minor or Additional Major as early as possible, so they can receive priority in course registration.

The Additional Major combines natural science, social science, and humanistic studies. These are co-equal. How Earth functions as a system is fundamental: key topics include climate, ecosystems, environmental chemistry (the behavior of molecules within the environment) and energy systems. Human interactions with the environment, and so the details of how cultural, political, and social systems function, are critical to understand, with an emphasis on sustainability and the environment. Issues of ethics, equity, and justice, situated in historical context, are vital to a full and complex understanding with a goal of equitable and appropriate solutions to environmental crises.

The three pillars are:
  1. Earth and Environmental Science. Majors should understand how the Earth works as a system, with more advanced understanding of selected scientific topics associated with Environment and Sustainability.
  2. Political Economy. Majors should understand the consequences and options of economics and policy at the local, regional, and global level.
  3. Humanities for Environment and Sustainability. Additional Majors should understand cultural, social, historical, ethical, and political aspects of environment and sustainability, including environmental, climate, and social justice.
Students who pursue the Additional Major will be able to: 
  • Apply humanistic, social, and scientific perspectives for problems of environment and sustainability
  • Distinguish among scientific methods for evaluating problems of environment and sustainability
  • Explain how aspects of history, culture, ethics, language, and arts relate to environment and sustainability, including goals for environmental justice and global climate justice. 
  • Assess sources of data about environment and sustainability
  • Formulate a research question for interdisciplinary studies of environment and sustainability. Identify discipline-specific methods for exploring or answering the questions posed and use the chosen methods to gather and analyze evidence
Double-Counting 

Maximum 3 courses, regardless of Units, can be double-counted for the Additional Major from any other Minor, Major, or Master’s program. This maximum does not apply to General Education courses.

General Education courses

Courses taken to fulfill a General Education requirement for the student’s college (the college of the student's primary major) are not calculated as “double-counting” for the Additional Major in Environmental and Sustainability Studies.

AP credit

AP courses are not counted towards requirements for the Additional Major in Environmental and Sustainability Studies.

Study abroad

Courses taken abroad may count towards Electives for the Additional Major, if accepted for transfer credit by the relevant CMU department and approved by the Program Director.

Requirements for the Additional Major in Environmental & Sustainability Studies
  • Minimum 102 Units Total for students with primary majors in CFA, Dietrich, Tepper 
  • Minimum 105 Units Total for students with primary majors in MCS, Engineering, SCS 
Core Courses: Complete 27 Units for students with Primary majors in CFA, Dietrich, Tepper; Complete 30 Units for Students with Primary Majors in MCS, Engineering, SCS Units
24-291Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet
Cross-listed as 09-291
9
24-381Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet: Science & Engineering Addendum
Cross-listed as 09-381. This 3-unit addendum course is required for students with primary majors in MCS, Engineering, or SCS.
3
66-236Introduction to Environmental Ideas9
66-506Senior Capstone9
Earth and Environmental Science - Complete any one (minimum 9 Units) Units
03-128Biology for Life Special Topics
Section S, "Tropical Ecology" (9 units) offered at CMU Study Abroad Program in Costa Rica; Without prerequisite
9
03-140Ecology and Environmental Science
Without prerequisite
9
33-115Physics for Future Presidents
Without prerequisite
9
09-225Climate Change: Chemistry, Physics and Planetary Science9
09-510Chemistry and Sustainability9
09-524Environmental Chemistry9
09-529Introduction to Sustainable Energy Science9
09-538Exposure and Risk Assessment for Environmental Pollutants9
33-226Physics of Energy9
Global Course - Complete any one (3 Units) Units
99-384Technology, Humanity, and Social Justice: Health
Each semester, a new 3-Unit course 99-xxx is offered on Global themes, in partnership with University of Pittsburgh’s Global Studies Center.
3
Statistics & Data Science - Complete 9 Units Units
36-200Reasoning with Data
This requirement can only be fulfilled with a course taken in the Department of Statistics & Data Science at CMU. AP Statistics does not fulfill this requirement. Students with AP credit can place into a higher-level course offered by the same Department, for example 36-202 or 36-290.
9
Political Economy - Complete any one (Minimum 9 Units) Units
19-101Introduction to Engineering and Public Policy
Without prerequisite
12
79-300History of American Public Policy
Without prerequisite
9
84-110Foundations of Political Economy
Without prerequisite
9
84-226International Relations
Without prerequisite
9
84-325Contemporary American Foreign Policy
Without prerequisite
9
88-344Systems Analysis: Environmental Policy
Without prerequisite
9
73-332Political Economy9
73-408Law and Economics9
73-427Sustainability, Energy, and Environmental Economics9
84-310International Political Economy9
88-221Markets, Democracy, and Public Policy9
88-366Behavioral Economics of Poverty and Development9
Electives for Environmental & Sustainability Studies - Complete 45 Units

For the Additional Major, select and complete at least 45 Units of eligible electives in consultation with the Program Advisor and/or Program Director. At least 36 out of 45 Units of Electives for the Additional Major should be “External electives” completed outside of the college where the student’s primary major is housed; this is to encourage students to pursue interdisciplinary breadth. The remaining 9 Units of Electives for the Additional Major are “Free electives” from any college, including the student's own primary college. 

Example

A student with a primary Major in Art (College of Fine Arts) could complete up to 9 Units of Electives for the Additional Major within the College of Fine Arts. This means up to 9 Units of Electives could be taken in Music, Design, Architecture, Drama, or Art; the remaining 36 Units of Electives must come from outside CFA: from Dietrich, Engineering, Business, or Science.

Electives are vetted by the program director from the CMU course catalog and listed each term based on the following criteria. Additional courses meeting these criteria can be approved by the program director. 

Additional courses from these categories always count as electives: 
  • Any additional courses listed in the above category “Earth and Environmental Science” can be counted as electives.
  • Any additional courses listed in the above category “Political Economy” can be counted as electives.
  • Any additional courses listed in the above category “Global Course” can be counted as electives.
Any further electives should:
  • Broaden the reach of the student’s interdisciplinary explorations in environment and sustainability
  • Thematically, courses should either add to depth from above-listed categories: "Earth and Environmental Science";  “Environmental Humanities”; “Three Unit Global Course”; and/or "Political Economy";
  • Or, electives should increase the student’s interdisciplinary grasp of topics related to environment and sustainability, with particular emphasis on topics related to environmental justice and/or global climate justice.

Minor in Environmental and Sustainability Studies 

There is no application process for the program in Environmental and Sustainability Studies, however a student must declare the Minor or Additional Major by contacting the Advisor or Program Director of the Environmental and Sustainability Studies program. Due to limited enrollment for a small class size in core course 66-236 “Introduction to Environmental Ideas” (9 Units), students are encouraged to declare the Minor or Additional Major as early as possible, so they can receive priority in course registration.

Students who pursue the minor will be able to: 
  • Identify humanistic, social, and scientific perspectives for problems of environment and sustainability
  • Distinguish among scientific methods for evaluating problems of environment and sustainability
  • Connect how aspects of history, culture, ethics, language, and arts relate to environment and sustainability, including goals for environmental justice and global climate justice
  • Discuss sources of data about environment and sustainability
Double-Counting 

Maximum 2 courses, regardless of Units, can be double-counted for the Minor from any other Minor, Major, or Master’s program. This maximum does not apply to General Education courses.

General Education courses

Courses taken to fulfill a General Education requirement for the student’s college (the college of the student's primary major) are not calculated as “double-counting” for the Minor in Environmental and Sustainability Studies.

AP credit

AP courses are not counted towards requirements for the Minor in Environmental and Sustainability Studies.

Study abroad

Courses taken abroad may count towards Electives for the Minor, if accepted for transfer credit by the relevant CMU department and approved by the Program Director.

Requirements for the Minor in Environmental & Sustainability Studies
  • Minimum 66 Units Total for students with primary majors in CFA, Dietrich, Tepper
  • Minimum 69 Units Total for students with primary majors in MCS, Engineering, SCS
Core Courses: Complete 18 Units for students with Primary majors in CFA, Dietrich, Tepper; Complete 21 Units for Students with Primary Majors in MCS, Engineering, SCS Units
24-291Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet
Cross-listed as 09-291
9
24-381Environmental Systems on a Changing Planet: Science & Engineering Addendum
Cross-listed as 09-381. This 3-unit addendum course is required for students with primary majors in MCS, Engineering, or SCS.
3
66-236Introduction to Environmental Ideas9
Global Course - Complete any one (3 Units) Units
99-384Technology, Humanity, and Social Justice: Health3
Statistics & Data Science - Complete 9 Units Units
36-200Reasoning with Data
This requirement can only be fulfilled with a course taken in the Department of Statistics & Data Science at CMU. AP Statistics does not fulfill this requirement. Students with AP credit can place into a higher-level course offered by the same Department, for example 36-202 or 36-290.
9
Electives for Environmental & Sustainability Studies - Complete 36 Units

For the Minor, select and complete at least 36 Units of eligible electives in consultation with the Program Advisor and/or Program Director. At least 27 out of 36 Units of Electives for the Minor should be “External electives” completed outside of the college where the student’s primary major is housed; this is to encourage students to pursue interdisciplinary breadth. The remaining 9 Units of Electives for the Minor are “Free electives” from any college, including the student's own primary college. 

Example

A student with a primary Major in Art (College of Fine Arts) could complete up to 9 Units of Electives for the Minor within the College of Fine Arts. This means up to 9 Units of Electives could be taken in Music, Design, Architecture, Drama, or Art; the remaining 27 Units of Electives for the Minor must come from outside CFA: from Dietrich, Engineering, Business, or Science.

Electives are vetted by the program director from the CMU course catalog and listed each term based on the following criteria. Additional courses meeting these criteria can be approved by the program director. 

Additional courses from these categories always count as electives: 
  • Any additional courses listed in the above category “Earth and Environmental Science” (see Additional Major requirements) can be counted as electives.
  • Any additional courses listed in the above category “Political Economy” (see Additional Major requirements) can be counted as electives.
  • Any additional courses listed in the above category “Global Course” can be counted as electives.
Any further electives should:
  • Broaden the reach of the student’s interdisciplinary explorations in environment and sustainability
  • Thematically, courses should either add to depth from above-listed categories: "Earth and Environmental Science";  “Environmental Humanities”; “Three Unit Global Course”; and/or "Political Economy";
  • Or, electives should increase the student’s interdisciplinary grasp of topics related to environment and sustainability, with particular emphasis on topics related to environmental justice and/or global climate justice.

Game Design Minor – IDeATe

The Game Design minor is offered by the Entertainment Technology Center as part of the Integrative Design, Arts and Technology (IDeATe) network. IDeATe offers students the opportunity to become immersed in a collaborative community of faculty and peers who share expertise, experience, and passions at the intersection of arts and technology. Students will engage in active "learning by doing" in shared labs and maker spaces. The program addresses current and emerging real-world challenges that require disciplinary expertise coupled with multidisciplinary perspectives and collaborative integrative approaches.

The IDeATe undergraduate curriculum consists of ten areas, all of which can also be taken as minors. The themes of these areas integrate knowledge in technology and arts: Game Design, Animation & Special Effects, Media Design, Design for Learning, Sonic Arts, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Intelligent Environments, Physical Computing, Soft Technologies, and Immersive Technologies in Arts & Culture. For more information about the IDeATe network, please visit Undergraduate Options.

Game design is an art, a craft, and a science. Students in the IDeATe Game Design minor will gain mastery in all three aspects through game design, development, and assessment. You will learn about the rich histories, theory, and practice of game creation taught by faculty experts, and have opportunities to collaborate across the many disciplines needed to make successful game experiences. Through coursework you will be able to realize your own unique aesthetics and voice by reflecting on your own game play and by thoughtfully critiquing the games of others. Through the minor students will be able to build a strong game design portfolio, deepen cultural sensitivities as a game designers, and expand their creative practice. In particular, you will gain skills and competencies in the following areas of game design:

  • Game systems and mechanics design
  • Interactive narrative and character development
  • Visual and audio asset creation
  • Game programming
  • Interface design and user testing
  • Collaboration and the iterative design process

Curriculum

One Computing Course - Minimum of 9 Units
Units
15-104Introduction to Computing for Creative Practice10
15-110Principles of Computing10
15-112Fundamentals of Programming and Computer Science12
60-212Intermediate Studio: Creative Coding12
One IDeATe Portal Course - Minimum of 9 Units
Units
16-223IDeATe Portal: Creative Kinetic Systems10
18-090Twisted Signals: Multimedia Processing for the Arts10
53-322IDeATe: Little Games/Big Stories: Indie Roleplaying Game Studio
Recommended Portal Course for this area
9
60-125IDeATe: Introduction to 3D Animation Pipeline12
60-218IDeATe Portal: Real-Time Animation10
60-223IDeATe Portal: Introduction to Physical Computing10
62-150IDeATe Portal: Introduction to Media Synthesis and Analysis
Recommended Portal Course for this area
10
82-250Digital Realities: Introducing Immersive Technologies for Arts and Culture9
99-361IDeATe Portal9
IDeATe Game Design Courses - Minimum of 27 Units
Units
05-418Design Educational Games12
05-499Special Topics in HCI
For sections related to Game Design
12
15-466Computer Game Programming12
53-230Programming for Game Designers12
53-320IDeATe Special Topics in Animation: Character Modeling6
53-321IDeATe Special Topics in Animation: Bipedal Rigging for Animation Production6
53-322IDeATe: Little Games/Big Stories: Indie Roleplaying Game Studio9
53-323IDEATE Storytelling Through Effects Animation6
53-353Understanding Game Engines9
53-371/76-368Role Playing Games Writing Workshop12
53-373Dynamic Motion and Game Experience12
53-451Research Issues in Game Development: Designing for XR12
53-471Game Design, Prototyping and Production15
53-472Advanced Game Studio12
53-558Reality Computing Studio12
60-333IDeATe: Animation Rigging10
60-419Advanced ETB: Experimental Game Studio: Digital Playgrounds10
Additional courses as available. Please refer to the IDeATe website for the list of Game Design courses for the currnent and upcoming semesters. 
Double-Counting

Students may double-count up to two of their Game Design minor courses toward requirements for other majors or minors.

 

Major in General Studies

The Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in General Studies provide students a pathway through a broad educational foundation while adhering to the strong standards of a CMU degree.

The General Studies major covers both intercollegiate breadth and discipline-specific knowledge. The intercollegiate educational requirements expose students to a variety of intellectual and cultural approaches and provide serviceable knowledge on a range of topics. In addition to this liberal arts style foundation, students are required to declare and complete an academic minor. This concentrated study equips students with in-depth knowledge of a given professional field. Students are challenged to move beyond base assumptions and to demonstrate higher order creativity, analysis, and application. Additionally, the academic minor sends a concrete signal to future employers to indicate areas of interest and experience: “BA/BS in General Studies” also requires a “Minor in X”. Near the end of their degree, General Studies students synthesize their educational pursuits. They are required to register for a 3+ unit Independent Study/Capstone to create a culminating project/paper. This course requires a supervising faculty advisor and is presented at Meeting of the Minds or an equivalent pre-approved public forum. 

Eligibility and approval

A student cannot independently pursue this degree. Any student expressing interest in transferring to the General Studies major must discuss their motivation and alternative options with their academic advisor, receive approval from their college’s Assistant/Associate Dean, and then be approved by the General Studies Academic Advisory Committee. Students must work with their Assistant/Associate Dean to first exhaust the following options:

  • maintaining their current degree path,

  • changing majors in one’s home college, or

  • transferring to another college at CMU.

In order to be considered for the General Studies major program, a student must fulfill all of the criteria: 

  1. A student must have successfully completed at least 180 units, 75% of which were completed at CMU.

  2. A student must have passed the University’s general education requirements: “First-Year Writing” and “Computing at CMU.” See table below for full listing of courses that can satisfy these requirements.

  3. A student must demonstrate the ability to be successful in their intended minor. Students must be on track to complete at least 50% of the minor’s coursework at the point of application.

  4. A student must create both a Success Plan and Curricular Plan with their advisor. This plan must include monthly meetings with their academic advisor, outline a plan for continual satisfactory academic progress, and be approved by their Assistant/Associate Dean.


     

If all the above criteria are met, each student’s case is brought to the General Studies Academic Advisory Committee and must receive a majority vote to advance.

Degree Structure and Graduation Requirements

In accordance with Carnegie Mellon’s standards and degree norms, all candidates must complete the following requirements in order to graduate with a General Studies major:

  1. Apply and be approved by the General Studies Academic Advisory Committee as a General Studies Major.

  2. Adhere to and make progress toward the agreed upon Success and Curricular plans.

  3. Declare and complete an academic minor in your home college or gain approval and complete a minor in another college. (Transfer credit acceptance will be determined by the equivalent CMU department). Additional minors beyond the General Studies degree with a minor in x will not be considered unless the secondary minor’s units are in addition to all of the General Studies degree requirements.

  4. Graduation requirements are broadly defined as follows, and outlined in the following “Curriculum” section: 

    1. Earn a minimum of 360 units.


    2. Students may count up to 40 non-factorable units with a maximum of 9 total non-factorable units of StuCo, ROTC, and P/E.

    3. Students must have a minimum of 45 units in upper level courses, as defined by the course’s home department (generally 300 level or above).

    4. Pass/fail courses may not be used for the primary major or minor requirements (for courses that are otherwise letter graded).  Pass/fail courses may not be used for the general education requirements of the degree.

    5. Earn a QPA of at least 2.0 for all courses taken (For undergraduate students who enrolled at Carnegie Mellon as freshmen and whose freshman grades cause the cumulative QPA to fall below 2.00, this requirement is modified to be a cumulative QPA of at least 2.00 for all courses taken after the freshman year.)

Curriculum

Minimum units required for B.A./B.S. in General Studies        360

Seminar requirement

99-430General Studies Capstone Course3-12, variable
 

First-year writing REQUIREMENT

Complete a total of 9 units from the following courses.
76-101Interpretation and Argument9
76-102Advanced First Year Writing: Special Topics9
76-106Writing about Literature, Art and Culture4.5
76-107Writing about Data4.5
76-108Writing about Public Problems4.5

general studies REQUIREMENTs

99-101Computing @ CMU3
Breadth courseworkMinimum of 18 units in each of three different CMU school/colleges covering at least five departments (this can include the school/department that the student is currently enrolled in).54 units

The courses used to satisfy the breadth requirement must be in addition to the minimum total of 45 units in upper level courses required for the major.

MIDDLE STATES REQUIREMENTS

General Studies students should have a well-rounded education that fulfills Middle States Accreditation requirements, demonstrating learning in each of seven categories. Students will work with their advisor and associate dean (or equivalent) to guarantee that each category is fulfilled, recognizing what they have done while exploring other degrees across departments and colleges. Courses counting for their major and/or minor can be used to fulfill these requirements.

Communication (oral, written, and visual)Variable units
Information literacyVariable units
Critical thinkingVariable units
Cultural and social understandingVariable units
Personal developmentVariable units
Quantitative reasoningVariable units
Scientific reasoningVariable units
 

Minor in Immersive Technologies in Arts & Culture

Students in the Immersive Technologies in Arts & Culture minor will be hybrid technologists, media-makers, and storytellers who can create mediated experiences at the intersection of technology, design, and the humanities. They will be equipped with the social consciousness, global awareness, and cross-cultural skills needed to forge positive new paths for immersive media going into the future. 

Students in the minor will learn to construct and deconstruct immersive and augmented experiences with respect to the cultural, socio-emotional, and embodied aspects of human experience. They will develop the technical know-how and creative production skills to collaboratively author original narratives and prototype spatially mediated experiences. In the making of augmented and immersive media, students will explore the narrative possibilities and technical affordances of the genre while attending to the aesthetic considerations, humanistic concerns, and design conventions defining this emerging mode of cultural production.

One IDEATE Portal Course (minimum of 9 units):

82-250Digital Realities: Introducing Immersive Technologies for Arts and Culture9

One Intercultural Focus Course (minimum of 9 units):

82-280Billingual & Bicultural Experiences in the US9
82-282Interpreting Global Texts & Cultures9
82-283Language Diversity & Cultural Identity9

One Computing Course (minimum of 9 units):

15-104Introduction to Computing for Creative Practice10
15-110Principles of Computing10
15-112Fundamentals of Programming and Computer Science12
60-212Intermediate Studio: Creative Coding12

IDeATe Immersive Technologies Courses (minimum of 27 units)*:

15-365Experimental Animation12
or 60-422 Advanced ETB: Experimental Animation
15-463Computational Photography12
53-353Understanding Game Engines9
53-373Dynamic Motion and Game Experience12
53-376360 Story and Sound12
53-451Research Issues in Game Development: Designing for XR12
53-558Reality Computing Studio12
54-397Sound Design For Interactive Environments9
54-399Decoding Media9
60-413Advanced ETB: Real-Time Animation10
82-284Multicultural Pittsburgh: VR Storytelling9
82-287Multicultural Immersion - Relating Your World in Virtual Reality6

*Additional courses are available. Please check IDeATe Courses for the options for the current and upcoming semester.

Double-counting: Students may double-count up to two of their IDeATe minor courses for other requirements. 

Minor in Health Care Policy and Management

Sponsored by:
Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy
Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Mellon College of Science

Faculty Advisors:
Jason D'Antonio, Mellon College of Science
James F. Jordan, H. John Heinz III College

The face of health care is changing. The practice of medicine is being fundamentally altered by the forces of change in public policy, health care organizations and in the industry as a whole. The role of individual professionals in this industry is changing as rapidly as the industry itself. Traditional career paths have disappeared overnight to be replaced by new opportunities that require new skills. New organizations are placing new demands on their professional and medical staffs. The criteria of efficiency and financial stability are entering the domains of diagnosis and treatment.

This minor is designed to provide students considering a career in the health professions with an understanding of how these changes are likely to affect their careers. Students will become familiar with the critical policy and management issues and will begin to learn to operate effectively in the emerging health care environment. The curriculum combines economic, organizational, managerial, historical and psychological perspectives on these issues to provide a foundation for a deepened understanding of the changing structure of health care organizations and policy.

Required Courses for HCPM Minor

A total of 54 units are required to complete this minor. Entry into the minor requires completion of  73-102 Principles of Microeconomics or the equivalent by approval.

Required Courses
Complete a total of 21 units from the following:
79-330Medicine and Society: Health, Healers, and Hospitals9
90-436Health Systems6
90-472Health Policy6
Elective Courses

Complete a minimum of 24 units from these two sections:

Heinz College Courses
94-409Healthcare Information Systems12
73-328Health Economics12
90-832Health Law6
90-433Population Health6
90-834Health Care Geographical Information Systems12
Other courses as approved
Humanities and Social Sciences Courses (9 units each)
80-245Medical Ethics9
76-494Healthcare Communications9
88-365Behavioral Economics and Public Policy9
42-444Medical Devices9
Other courses as approved

Please note that some of these courses have prerequisites that will not count toward the completion of the requirements for this minor.

Elective Focus Areas

Focus areas are suggested groupings of electives based on student interest. Students do not need to take all electives within one focus area; they are free to choose their 18-unit elective minimum from any combination of focus areas.

Health Management/Administration Focus Units
90-832Health Law6
80-245Medical Ethics9
76-494Healthcare Communications9
Health Policy Focus Units
73-328Health Economics12
90-832Health Law6
90-433Population Health6
88-365/90-882Behavioral Economics and Public Policy9
Other courses as approved
Health Analytics & IT Focus Units
94-409Healthcare Information Systems12
90-834Health Care Geographical Information Systems12
42-444Medical Devices9
Other courses as approved
 

B.S. in Psychology & Biological Sciences

Veronica Hinman, Department Head, Biological Sciences

Michael Tarr, Department Head, Psychology

This major is intended to reflect the interdisciplinary nature of current research in the fields of biology and psychology, as well as the national trend in some professions to seek individuals broadly trained in both the social and natural sciences.

Note: Students entering from the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences will earn a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Biological Sciences. Students in the Mellon College of Science will earn a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences and Psychology. 

Depending on a student's home college (DC or MCS), General Education (GenEd) requirements will be different. GenEd requirements for DC and MCS are found on their respective Catalog pages.

Degree Requirements:

Biological Sciences Units
03-151Honors Modern Biology10
or 03-121 Modern Biology
03-220Genetics9
or 03-221 Genomes, Evolution, and Disease: Introduction to Quantitative Genetic Analysis
03-231Honors Biochemistry9
03-320Cell Biology9
03-343Experimental Techniques in Molecular Biology12
03-411Topics in Research1
03-412Topics in Research1
03-xxxGeneral Biology Elective 19
03-3xxAdvanced Biology Elective 118
Total Biology units78

1 Please see description and requirements for electives under the B.S. in Biological Sciences section of this Catalog.

Mathematics, Statistics, Physics and Computer Science Units
21-120Differential and Integral Calculus10
21-124Calculus II for Biologists and Chemists10
or 21-122 Integration and Approximation
36-200Reasoning with Data9
36-309Experimental Design for Behavioral & Social Sciences9
or 85-309 Statistical Concepts and Methods for Behavioral and Social Science
33-121Physics I for Science Students 212
or 33-141 Physics I for Engineering Students
15-110Principles of Computing10-12
or 15-112 Fundamentals of Programming and Computer Science
99-101Computing @ Carnegie Mellon3
Total Science units63-65

2 MCS students must also complete 33-122 Physics II for Biological Sciences & Chemistry Students.

Chemistry Units
09-105Introduction to Modern Chemistry I10
09-106Modern Chemistry II10
09-217Organic Chemistry I9
09-218Organic Chemistry II9
09-207Techniques in Quantitative Analysis9
09-208Techniques for Organic Synthesis and Analysis9
Total Chemistry units56
Psychology Courses Units
85-102Introduction to Psychology9
85-219Foundations of Brain and Behavior9
85-2xxSurvey Psychology Courses *18
85-310Research Methods in Cognitive Psychology9
or 85-314 Cognitive Neuroscience Research Methods
or 85-320 Research Methods in Developmental Psychology
or 85-330 Analytic Research Methods
or 85-340 Research Methods in Social Psychology
85-3xxAdvanced Psychology Electives18
Total Psychology units63

 * Excluding 85-261 Psychopathology

 
Additional Advanced Elective9 units
(Choose one of the following courses)
85-3xxAdvanced Psychology Elective9
or
03-3xxAdvanced Biology Elective9
Additional Laboratory or Research Methods9-12 units
(Choose one of the following courses)
03-344Experimental Biochemistry12
03-345Experimental Cell and Developmental Biology12
03-346Experimental Neuroscience12
85-310Research Methods in Cognitive Psychology9
85-314Cognitive Neuroscience Research Methods9
85-320Research Methods in Developmental Psychology9
85-330Analytic Research Methods9
85-340Research Methods in Social Psychology9
Elective Units Units
Free Electives33-36
MCS Nontechnical Breadth or DC General Education requirements36-48
Total Elective units69-84

Minimum number of units required for degree:360

Bachelor of Science in Music and Technology

The Bachelor of Science in Music and Technology is offered jointly by the School of Music, the School of Computer Science, and the College of Engineering.

This program consists of a set of courses that span both music and technology, as well as a capstone composition/design/performance project. Courses in all three areas of study are stipulated in the music and technology undergraduate curriculum and provide for students coming from any of the three areas. In other words, regardless of a student’s entry point — an interest in computer science, electrical engineering, or music — the coursework prescribed will allow the student to gain the requisite knowledge and experience in all three areas. Students will work closely with advisors and will be guided in both course selection and capstone projects.

Curriculum

Minimum units required for B.S. in Music and Technology380
General Requirements85 units
Seminar
57-570Music and Technology Seminar
(8 semesters for a total of 8 units)
1
University
99-101Computing @ Carnegie Mellon3
76-101Interpretation and Argument9
xx-xxxGlobal, Cultural, and Diverse Perspectives Course9
Humanities
xx-xxxCognition, Choice and Behavior course9
xx-xxxEnglish, History, Modern Languages, Philosophy, or Psychology course9
Mathematics
21-120Differential and Integral Calculus10
21-122Integration and Approximation10
Science
33-114Physics of Musical Sound9
33-141Physics I for Engineering Students12
Electives33 or 37 units
Music Core81 units
57-152Harmony I9
57-153Harmony II9
57-408Form and Analysis6
57-151Counterpoint in Theory and Application6
57-25820th-21st Century Techniques6
57-257Orchestration I6
57-189Introduction to Repertoire and Listening for Musicians3
57-190Repertoire and Listening for Musicians I3
57-289Repertoire and Listening for Musicians II3
57-290Repertoire and Listening for Musicians III3
57-181Solfege I3
57-182Solfege II3
57-183Solfege III3
57-184Solfege IV3
57-161Eurhythmics I3
57-162Eurhythmics II3
57-173Survey of Western Music History9
Music and Technology Core121 units
15-112Fundamentals of Programming and Computer Science12
15-122Principles of Imperative Computation12
15-322Introduction to Computer Music9
18-100Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering12
18-202Mathematical Foundations of Electrical Engineering12
18-290Signals and Systems12
57-101Introduction to Music Technology6
57-347Electronic and Computer Music6
57-337Sound Recording6
57-338Sound Editing and Mastering6
57-438Multitrack Recording9
57-571Music and Technology Project12
57-572Music and Technology Project12
Concentration

Students complete either the Music Concentration or the Technical Concentration:

Music Concentration60 units
57-5xxStudio (4 semesters)36
57-4xxMajor Ensemble (4 semesters)24
Technical Concentration58 or 56 units
21-127Concepts of Mathematics12
15/18-213Introduction to Computer Systems12

AND EITHER:

18-220Electronic Devices and Analog Circuits12
18-240Structure and Design of Digital Systems12
15-2xx/18-3xx Electives in ECE or CS12
or above

OR:

15-210Parallel and Sequential Data Structures and Algorithms12
15-323Computer Music Systems and Information Processing9
15-2xx/18-3xx Electives in ECE or CS 12
or above

Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience

Veronica Hinman, Department Head, Biological Sciences

Michael Tarr, Department Head, Psychology

www.cmu.edu/ni

Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary field in which scientists from many backgrounds apply the tools of biology, cognitive science, psychology, chemistry, mathematics, statistics, computer science, and engineering to develop a comprehensive understanding of brain function at the level of molecules, neurons, brain circuits, cognitive brain modules, and behavior. Research in neuroscience across these disciplines has grown substantially in the past two decades, and a solid understanding of the physiological basis of many aspects of brain function both in health and disease has come along with this growth in research. Along with this comes an increasing need for students to begin careers in neuroscience and to be prepared to work on the problems in neuroscience and to bring new answers to the public and to patients. In order to be successful in developing new treatments and answering outstanding questions in the field, neuroscientists need to be conversant in many different levels of inquiry from neurobiology to cognitive neuroscience to computational neuroscience.

The Dietrich College of Humanities & Social Sciences and the Mellon College of Science have joined forces to establish an exciting interdisciplinary program leading to a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience. The goal of this degree program is to provide an intensive interdisciplinary education to enable outstanding students to become leaders in identifying and solving tomorrow's Neuroscience problems using a variety of methods. The program's interdisciplinary curriculum is designed for students to gain a fundamental understanding of brain function on many different levels and to begin to specialize within the broad field of Neuroscience. Students in Mellon College of Science or Dietrich College may have a primary major in Neuroscience in any of the three concentrations.  Students from other colleges may have a second major in Neuroscience in any of the three concentrations, subject to double-counting restrictions.

A degree in neuroscience provides excellent preparation for medical school or other graduate programs in the health professions. These students are aided by the Carnegie Mellon Health Professions Program (HPP), an advisory and resource service for all Carnegie Mellon students who are considering careers in the health care field. (See the HPP section in this catalog or www.cmu.edu/hpp for more information.)

Students wishing to pursue the Neuroscience major through Dietrich College should contact Dr. Lori Holt (loriholt@cmu.edu).  Students wishing to pursue the Neuroscience major through the Mellon College of Science should contact the Biological Sciences Undergraduate Programs Office.  Students wishing to pursue an additional major in either the Neurobiology or Computational Neuroscience concentrations should contact the Biological Sciences Undergraduate Programs Office.  Students wishing to pursue an additional major in the Cognitive Neuroscience concentration should contact Dr. Lori Holt (loriholt@cmu.edu). 

Students who pursue this major will:

  • Gain a broad understanding of Neuroscience at many different levels of analysis, including: cellular biology of the brain, brain systems, cognitive brain function, and computational brain modeling
  • Gain an understanding of the sciences underlying Neuroscience, including: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Cognition and Psychology, and other emerging areas
  • Develop a comprehensive understanding of brain function in health and disease
  • Be familiar with neuroanatomy & neurophysiology and their implications for nervous system function
  • Be prepared for advanced study in neurobiology, cognitive neuroscience, and/or neural computation
  • Be able to collaborate with Neuroscientists across a wide range of systems and levels of analysis
  • Prepare for careers in Neuroscience related companies, Neuroscience research, and/or medicine
  • Be prepared for specialization within subfields of Neuroscience given their concentration selection

Requirements for a B.S. in Neuroscience

All students must complete the following:

  1. General Science Requirements (see section A)
  2. Core Neuroscience Courses (see section B)
  3. Requirements for one concentration (see sections C, D, or E)*
  4. 18 additional relevant course units in their home concentration or other neuroscience areas (some examples listed in sections C, D, E, & F). At least 9 of these units must be at the 300-level or above.
  5. Their home college’s General Education requirements
  6. Free elective units to come to a total of 360 total course units
*

Double-counting restrictions and additional majors & minors

  • Students may not major in two concentrations.
  • Students using Neuroscience as an additional major or who have an additional major or minor to Neuroscience may only double-count at most 3 courses between this an their other major or minor (this restriction does not apply to prerequisites, General Education Requirements, or the General Science Requirements – section A).
  • Other majors and minors may have more stringent double-counting restrictions, please consult with your neuroscience advisors and with the advising staff for the relevant host department for the other majors/minors.
A. General Science Requirements
Units
21-120Differential and Integral Calculus10
21-122Integration and Approximation10
or 21-124 Calculus II for Biologists and Chemists
03-121Modern Biology9
or 03-151 Honors Modern Biology
03-201Undergraduate Colloquium for Sophomores1
03-220Genetics9
or 03-221 Genomes, Evolution, and Disease: Introduction to Quantitative Genetic Analysis
09-105Introduction to Modern Chemistry I10
09-106Modern Chemistry II10
09-207Techniques in Quantitative Analysis 19-12
or 09-221 Laboratory I: Introduction to Chemical Analysis
or 03-124 Modern Biology Laboratory
09-217Organic Chemistry I 19
or 33-122 Physics II for Biological Sciences & Chemistry Students
33-121Physics I for Science Students12
15-110Principles of Computing 210-12
or 15-112 Fundamentals of Programming and Computer Science
36-200Reasoning with Data 29
or 36-218 Probability Theory for Computer Scientists
or 36-219 Probability Theory and Random Processes
or 36-225 Introduction to Probability Theory
99-101Computing @ Carnegie Mellon3
 111-116
1

Neurobiology concentration students are required to complete 09-217 & 09-207 or 09-221.

2

Computational Neuroscience concentration students are required to complete 21-122, 15-112, & 36-218 or 36-219

B. Core Neuroscience Courses
Units
85-219Foundations of Brain and Behavior9
or 03-161 Molecules to Mind
85-211Cognitive Psychology9
or 85-213 Human Information Processing and Artificial Intelligence
03-362Cellular Neuroscience9
03-363Systems Neuroscience9
15-386Neural Computation 39
or 85-419 Introduction to Parallel Distributed Processing
or 02-319/03-360 Genomics and Epigenetics of the Brain
or 86-375 Computational Perception
or 85-435 Biologically Intelligent Exploration
 45
3

 Computational Neuroscience concentration students are required to complete 15-386.

C. Neurobiology Concentration
Didactic Core: Students must complete all of the following* Units
03-231Honors Biochemistry9
03-320Cell Biology9
 18
*

Neurobiology concentration students must complete 09-21709-207 or 09-221 in their General Science Requirements (section A, above)

Required laboratory, data analysis, & methodological courses Units
03-343Experimental Techniques in Molecular Biology12
03-346Experimental Neuroscience12
or 03-345 Experimental Cell and Developmental Biology
 24
Electives in Neurobiology (minimum of 18 additional units, at least 9 units at 300-level or above)** Units
03-133Neurobiology of Disease9
02-250Introduction to Computational Biology12
03-350Developmental Biology9
03-365Neural Correlates of Learning and Memory9
03-366Neuropharmacology: Drugs, Brain and Behavior9
03-439Introduction to Biophysics10
03-442Molecular Biology9
09-218Organic Chemistry II9
09-208Techniques for Organic Synthesis and Analysis9
or 09-222 Laboratory II: Organic Synthesis and Analysis
42-202Physiology9
42-203Biomedical Engineering Laboratory
NOTE: VERY Limited Seating Available for 42-203
9
**

At least 9 of these units must be 300-level or above

D. Cognitive Neuroscience Concentration
Didactic Core. Students must complete all of the following Units
85-102Introduction to Psychology9
36-309Experimental Design for Behavioral & Social Sciences9
 18
Required laboratory, data analysis, & methodological courses Units
85-310Research Methods in Cognitive Psychology9
85-314Cognitive Neuroscience Research Methods9
 18
Electives in Cognitive Neuroscience (minimum of 27 additional hours)** Units
85-221Principles of Child Development9
85-241Social Psychology9
85-261Psychopathology9
85-356Expertise: The cognitive (neuro)science of mastering almost any skill9
85-370Perception9
85-406Autism: Psychological and Neuroscience Perspectives9
85-408Visual Cognition9
85-412Cognitive Modeling9
85-414Cognitive Neuropsychology9
85-419Introduction to Parallel Distributed Processing *9
85-424Hemispheric Specialization: Why, How and What?9
85-426Learning in Humans and Machines9
85-429Cognitive Brain Imaging9
85-442Health Psychology9
85-501Readings in Developmental psychology9
*

If not used as a core course

**

At least 18 of these units must be 300-level or above

E. Computational Neuroscience Concentration    

Strong candidates for the Computational Neuroscience Concentration will have earned a B average in 21-127, 21-241, 15-112, and 15-122. We strongly recommend meeting with your advisor to discuss interest in this major and for help planning appropriate schedules to support student success.

Didactic Core. Students must complete all of the following* Units
21-127Concepts of Mathematics12
15-122Principles of Imperative Computation12
or 15-150 Principles of Functional Programming
21-241Matrices and Linear Transformations10
or 21-240 Matrix Algebra with Applications
 34

* Computational Neuroscience concentration students must complete 21-122, 15-112, and 36-218 or 36-219 in their General Science Requirements (section A, above) and 15-386 in their Core Neuroscience Courses (section B, above).  Students must complete a minimum of 60 units in this concentration.  Students should select their required laboratory and elective courses to complete a minimum of 31 units (Four 9 unit courses or a lesser number of 9 and 12 unit courses could be combined to complete this requirement).

Required laboratory, data analysis, and methodological courses (18-24 total units) Units
42/86-631Neural Data Analysis12
42-632Neural Signal Processing12
15-494Cognitive Robotics: The Future of Robot Toys12
15-883Computational Models of Neural Systems12
85-419Introduction to Parallel Distributed Processing9
85-435Biologically Intelligent Exploration9
Electives in Computational Neuroscience (minimum of 9 units) Units
03-360/02-319Genomics and Epigenetics of the Brain9
02-512Computational Methods for Biological Modeling and Simulation9
10-301Introduction to Machine Learning (Undergrad)12
or 10-315 Introduction to Machine Learning (SCS Majors)
or 10-601 Introduction to Machine Learning (Master's)
15-387Computational Perception9
15-451Algorithm Design and Analysis12
15-453Formal Languages, Automata, and Computability9
15-494Cognitive Robotics: The Future of Robot Toys12
15-883Computational Models of Neural Systems12
16-299Introduction to Feedback Control Systems12
16-311Introduction to Robotics12
21-228Discrete Mathematics9
or 15-251 Great Ideas in Theoretical Computer Science
21-259Calculus in Three Dimensions10
21-341Linear Algebra9
36-226Introduction to Statistical Inference9
36-350Statistical Computing9
36-401Modern Regression9
36-462Special Topics: Methods of Statistical Learning9
42/86-631Neural Data Analysis12
42-632Neural Signal Processing12
42-688Introduction to Neural Engineering12
F. Additional Neuroscience Electives 

Students are required to take a minimum of 18 additional relevant course units beyond those required for the concentration. These electives can be additional coursework from their home concentration or other neuroscience areas.  Some examples are listed in sections C, D, & E above as well as in the list below.  At least 9 of these additional 18 units must be at the 300-level or above.

NOTE: this list is not restrictive. Concentration advisors can approve additional elective courses that contribute to the student’s neuroscience education, subject to additional approval by the major steering committee.  

Examples of Additional Electives relevant to major*
33-122Physics II for Biological Sciences & Chemistry Students unless used for Science Core (section A)9
76-385Introduction to Discourse Analysis9
80-210Logic and Proofs9
80-211Logic and Mathematical Inquiry9
80-220Philosophy of Science9
80-254Analytic Philosophy9
80-270Problems of Mind and Body: Meaning and Doing9
80-280Linguistic Analysis9
88-355Social Brains: Neural Bases of Social Perception and Cognition9
*

Up to 9 units of applicable undergraduate research course work (e.g. 03-445 or 85-507/85-508) can count as a neuroscience elective (not towards a concentration).  A maximum of 27 additional units can be counted as a free electives.

Free Electives (depending on concentration & college)51-61
TOTAL hours to degree360
About Course Numbers:

Each Carnegie Mellon course number begins with a two-digit prefix that designates the department offering the course (i.e., 76-xxx courses are offered by the Department of English). Although each department maintains its own course numbering practices, typically, the first digit after the prefix indicates the class level: xx-1xx courses are freshmen-level, xx-2xx courses are sophomore level, etc. Depending on the department, xx-6xx courses may be either undergraduate senior-level or graduate-level, and xx-7xx courses and higher are graduate-level. Consult the Schedule of Classes each semester for course offerings and for any necessary pre-requisites or co-requisites.


Intercollege Courses

Carnegie Mellon University-wide Studies Courses

99-101 Computing @ Carnegie Mellon
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Computing@Carnegie Mellon (C@CM) is a 3-unit, pass/fail mini course that will help you develop foundational computing and information literacy skills, focusing on the tools and technologies that are specific to Carnegie Mellon so you can be successful in your other academic courses. All undergraduate students are required to take the course. C@CM is offered in a hybrid format through the Open Learning Initiative's (OLI) online course environment; meaning that you'll complete your coursework online and attend a face-to-face recitation session for review and supplemental instruction.

Course Website: http://www.cmu.edu/c-cm/
99-129 DC Grand Challenge First-Year Seminar: Unreality: Immersive and Spatial Media
Intermittent: 9 units
Virtual news stories and game worlds are accessible by putting on cardboard goggles, theme parks are engineered to provide convincing multisensory experiences, and workforces are reliant on augmented views of factory floors. Immersive and spatial media constitute a suite of emerging technologies that offer the opportunity to expand arts, entertainment, science, design, commercial enterprises and countless other domains in ways that were previously limited to science fiction. The potential for augmented reality to disrupt our current technological ecosystem is tremendous. Many of these technologies are now 50 years old and just starting to enter the commercial realm. As immersive experiences and augmented realities become more integrated into our work and leisure, do we need to worry about the ways that unreality affect our experiences of reality, or our interactions with each other? How do we know that we can trust our senses to tell us what is real? How do we begin to grapple with the ethical, cultural, social, technological, and regulatory implications of this shift?
99-153 Mindful Living
Fall and Spring: 3 units
The goal of this course is to increase students internal resources for meeting stress through mindfulness-based meditation training. Each week, students will be trained in formal mindfulness meditation practices and asked to meditate at home with the help of brief guided meditation recordings. Students will also be given weekly informal mindfulness practice suggestions to help them translate the skills of formal meditation practice into daily life. Class meetings will give students the weekly opportunity for reflection, discussion, and questions based on their experience of formal and informal practice assignments.
99-190 Managing Stress, Restoring Harmony
Fall: 6 units
The course is designed to explore the subject of stress and how it can best be managed to achieve optimal health and wellbeing. Topics addressed will include: the environmental, mental and emotional components of stress, factors that affect the experience of stress, how stress contributes to illness, and an overview of various stress management techniques. Several lectures will be supported by Carnegie Mellon faculty and staff.
99-194 Intimate Relationships & Sexual Health
Spring: 6 units
This course will explore the expression of human relationships and sexuality. Emphasis will be placed on college health and the social, cultural and health factors that affect relational interactions. This course is designed to assist students with improved functioning in personal relationships, provide information to take care of their sexual health and help them acquire skills to make decisions now and in the future. Topic areas will include relationships, sexual behavior, sexual health and interpersonal skills. Academic support will be provided by campus and community partners.
99-250 Seminar for Peer Mentors
Fall and Spring: 1 unit
SPECIAL PERMISSION REQUIRED: YES The purpose of this training course is to provide undergraduates with the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to become effective Peer Tutors. Throughout the course, students will be exposed to the mission and goals of Academic Development and the Peer Tutoring Program. The class lasts approximately nine weeks and is generally offered in the spring term from February through April. The course explores the roles and responsibilities of the tutor while offering insights into effective tutoring strategies through interactive discussion and role plays. In addition, trainees work hands-on with experienced tutors to troubleshoot potential problems and situations. Students will gain experience in group dynamics, communication skills, study strategies, referral resources, leadership, and creating a supportive learning environment. Teaching practice is an integral part of the training program. Students must complete an application in person or electronically at course URL and then be interviewed by the instructor(s) to determine if the student possesses the basic qualifications.

Course Website: http://www.cmu.edu/acadev/studentjobs/
99-262 ADDvocate: Anti-Discrimination Dialogue for Social Justice
Fall and Spring: 6 units
The aim of this multidisciplinary course is to establish a firm, education-based understanding of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion topics in Pittsburgh, Qatar and Worldwide to enhance their classroom and university experience. Through a series of lectures by subject experts, this course aims to educate and raise consciousness of discrimination, racism and bias in the real world. This course will also highlight strategies to become an active bystander and advocate for fair treatment in all our communities.
99-264 Introduction to Life Design
Fall and Spring: 3 units
What do you want to be when you grow up? is a dysfunctional question that is asked by society to every child. The nature of this question implies individuals should have a single goal that they should desire to reach and happiness/success will be achieved when this goal is reached. Instead, Introduction to Life Design asks individuals to explore what they want to grow into as life unfolds. Students in this course will identify what work and life mean to them, explore how their social identities influence how they engage with the world, ideate future possibilities, and learn how to explore those possibilities by prototyping experiences. This class is not for individuals looking for help in securing a job or internship opportunity. This class is for those who want to learn how to create and navigate a life of meaning.
99-270 Summer Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship
Summer
This course consists of student participation in projects focused on undergraduate research or creative inquiry under the direction of a Carnegie Mellon faculty member. Tenure track, teaching track, research track, librarian track, and special faculty may serve as SURA mentors. The subject of the inquiry, the number of units, and the criteria for grading are to be determined by the student and the faculty mentor. This agreement should be formalized in a one-page apprenticeship verification form that includes documented approval from the faculty mentor with a copy to be submitted to the Undergraduate Research Office. The students are responsible for finding a faculty member who is willing and able to supervise them on campus over the summer. In addition to the research experience, course requirements include a series of workshop sessions over the course of the summer that will introduce students to the basics of research design. Students will also be expected to present and/or attend the campus-wide undergraduate research symposium, Meeting of the Minds, in May of the following year. Students may register for a maximum of nine units with work to be completed over an eight-week period during the summer all term.
99-352 IDeATe: Soft Fabrication Skills
Fall and Spring: 1 unit
PLEASE NOTE: The specific meeting dates for the A1 section of this micro course are Sep 16, Sep 23, Sep 30. Textiles are a ubiquitous part of our everyday tactile experience. This workshop series aims to introduce textile techniques to participants with diverse backgrounds across the CMU campus. The fabrication skills and concepts that will be covered in this course will be taught from an interdisciplinary approach to merge practices in arts and technology. Students will learn methods of working with fabric such as hand and machine sewing, felting and knitting, along with merging aspects of digital fabrication and physical computing using flexible materials. Through discussions and demos, participants will have the opportunity to explore new methods of fabrication to integrate into their own practice.

Course Website: https://courses.ideate.cmu.edu/99-352
99-353 IDeATe: Design Essentials for Laser Cutting
Fall and Spring: 1 unit
PLEASE NOTE: The specific meeting dates for the A1 section of this micro course are Sep 23, Sep 30, Oct 7. The specific meeting dates for the A2 section of this micro course are Oct 29, Nov 5, Nov 12. This mini course is designed to get students ready to use a lasercutter. We will cover essential design considerations unique to lasercutting, material tolerances, available methods of assembly and finishing techniques, but the bulk of the class time is spent hands-on learning to design and create a lasercutter ready vector file. The primary software we use is Adobe Illustrator, with some time also spent in Photoshop for learning how to integrate raster images like photos and drawings into lasercut objects. Over the three classes, we will also discuss 2D, 2.5D and amp; 3D design basics, how to create tight joinery by understanding kerf, how to improve your photo engravings, and when switching software will save you a lot of time. Students who complete this course will be able to use the IDeATe facility's laser cutters on their own for future course work or personal projects.

Course Website: https://courses.ideate.cmu.edu/99-353
99-355 IDeATe: Introduction to Arduino
Fall and Spring: 1 unit
PLEASE NOTE: The specific meeting dates for the A1 section of this micro course are Sep 22, Sep 29, Oct 6. The specific meeting dates for the A2 section of this micro course are Oct 29, Nov 5, Nov 12. This workshop aims to demystify the Arduino microcontroller through hands-on work in the lab creating simple machines with embodied behaviors. The Arduino is a versatile resource for physical projects for students in all disciplines. This course brings students over the beginner's threshold to a basic understanding of the use, terminology, and potential of the Arduino. The skills and concepts taught in this course are presented from an interdisciplinary approach which merges practices in arts and technology. The first portion will teach the essential skills for creating a simple sensor-driven physical computing system, and the second portion will reinforce those skills by making a simple interactive project. The course has no technical prerequisites, although uses a little bit of algebra-level math. Undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty and staff interested in learning new skills in an interdisciplinary environment are welcome!

Course Website: http://courses.ideate.cmu.edu/99-355
99-356 IDeATe: Digital Media Literacies: Great World Challenge
Fall and Spring: 9 units
This course introduces students to new media for ethically finding, evaluating, producing and sharing artistic and scholarly innovations. It allows students the opportunity to gain practice with and exposure to tools, technologies and processes which support data analysis, visualization, communication, presentation and sharing through a variety of emerging and established dissemination channels. Students who excel in the course may be further supported in identifying and pursuing appropriate publication outlets for their research. The course will be of particular interest to students planning to engage in further undergraduate research opportunities.
99-357 IDeATe: Pragmatic Phototgraphy
Fall and Spring: 1 unit
PLEASE NOTE: The specific meeting dates for the A1 section of this micro course are Sep 24, Oct 1. The specific meeting dates for the A2 section of this micro course are Oct 28, Nov 4. Pragmatic Photography is a digital imaging course for the non-photographer. A tech-first approach provides a strong grounding in the core concepts and techniques of image-based media. This course will enable students to create photographs for project documentation. This class will not require special cameras or software; students will use commonly-available photo-editing software to create images using DSLRs, point and click cameras, or their cell phones. The course focuses on general principles that apply across different equipment and software.
99-361 IDeATe Portal
Spring: 9 units
Full descriptions of each section topic are available at https://courses.ideate.cmu.edu/99-361. IDeATe Portal courses introduce students to key aspects of critical, creative, and technical practice and prepare them to engage in productive interdisciplinary Collaborative Studio coursework in IDeATe minor areas. Section A: Inflatables students will focus on the design, fabrication, and creative applications of sculptural and inflatable forms created from soft materials. Section B: Intelligent Environments highlights the motivation and requirements for intelligent environments and components that could be used to add functionality to existing environments.

Course Website: https://courses.ideate.cmu.edu/99-361
99-362 IDeATe: Intelligent Learning Spaces
Spring: 9 units
Intelligent Learning Spaces explores the interactions between human learning and the spaces in which learning occurs. In this project-based course, students discuss, analyze, define, and apply theory from education, architecture and the arts to their project work. Students investigate precedents and existing experiences to create their own learning manifestos and designs.  Imagination, in-class participation, speculation, empathy and 360-degree awareness are key components of this class. Students work on scaffolded projects that build on their knowledge to showcase their intentions and creativity, reacting to a variety of contexts relevant to learning. Students have opportunities to develop creative inquiry skills and apply critical perspectives through project-based work that requires experimentations, hands-on learning, reflection, and documentation.
99-363 IDeATe: Spatial Storytelling
Spring: 6 units
Spatial Storytelling promotes the use of digital storytelling methods and methodologies across disciplinary topics. In this Spring mini, students are guided through the process from identifying a research problem, collecting data from diverse sources, learning specific geospatial mapping tools, and finally crafting narrative. They will work with spatial information (geospatial data) to build complex multimodal narratives around social issues. By the end of this course, students will know: what are spatial data, how to find and identify different types of spatial data, how to create a story based on data, and how to analyze data in geospatial software. Students will be able to develop constructive critique and data literacy skills to critically review peer work across disciplinary topics. Using competencies gained over the semester, students will create an online interactive narrative and present it to the broader community.
99-382 Technology, Humanity, and Social Justice: Environment
Fall: 3 units
As humans rely more and more on electronic devices to support their everyday activities, there are ever present warnings about the impacts such reliance has on human autonomy ranging from who owns and controls information networks, the inequitable impact of technology consumption on peoples and places, varying accessibility of technology around the globe, and the promises and limitations of technology in improving human health. By engaging in technology as a lens, this sequence of weekend micro-courses encourages students to examine technology as a system disproportionately impacting humanity by enabling and constraining human rights of groups of people around the globe. With a multi-disciplinary focus, the course invites researchers and practitioners from the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon, and relevant fields more broadly. In Fall 2022, the focus will be on humanity's use of technology and the disparate impacts on and benefits to the environment and varying groups of people. This will include discussion around the material, environmental, and health costs of extracting materials necessary to technology development and production as well as the waste created by the consumption habits initiated by global reliance on technology. It will also include a discussion of technology's role in advancing sustainability. Added Note: The course will occur on Friday, Nov. 4th, Saturday, Nov. 5th, and Sunday, Nov. 6th. Engagement in the course should be synchronous; accommodations for those in significant time zone differences will be provided to allow enrollment and completion of all elements of the weekend. If a student is interested in the course but unable to engage in the course dates, please reach out to Korryn Mozisek (kmozisek@andrew.cmu.edu).
99-384 Technology, Humanity, and Social Justice: Health
Intermittent: 3 units
As humans rely more and more on electronic devices to support their everyday activities, there are ever present warnings about the impacts such reliance has on human autonomy ranging from who owns and controls information networks, the inequitable impact of technology consumption on peoples and places, varying accessibility of technology around the globe, and the promises and limitations of technology in improving human health. By engaging in technology as a lens, this sequence of weekend micro-courses encourages students to examine technology as a system disproportionately impacting humanity by enabling and constraining human rights of groups of people around the globe. With a multi-disciplinary focus, the course invites researchers and practitioners from the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon, and relevant fields more broadly. In Fall 2023, the focus will be on the impact technology has on human health. This will include a discussion about technologys impact on human interactions, including mental health amid a pandemic and changing working conditions. It will also include a focus on the accessibility and disparities on health cares increased reliance on technology across the globe as well as the transition to digitizing health records and the dangers this creates in relation to privacy. Added Note: The course will occur on Friday, Oct. 27th, Saturday, Oct. 28th, and Sunday, Oct. 29th. Engagement in the course should be synchronous; accommodations for those in significant time zone differences will be provided to allow enrollment and completion of all elements of the weekend. If a student is interested in the course but unable to engage in the course dates, please reach out to Korryn Mozisek (kmozisek@andrew.cmu.edu).
99-409 Summer Research
Summer: 1 unit
This course allows undergraduate students from all fields to participate in research (including artistic/creative inquiry) under the direction of a Carnegie Mellon faculty member. Tenure track, teaching track, research track, librarian track, and special faculty may serve as research supervisors. Students should have previously participated in summer research via the Summer Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship and/or the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship before enrolling in 99-409 (students who are unsure of whether 99-409 is appropriate for them should consult with the Undergraduate Research Office). Students will need to complete a supervisor agreement form to be eligible for participation in this tuition-free 1-unit course. Students are responsible for finding research supervisors. In addition to the summer research with the faculty member, students will be expected to write a brief (one- to two-page) research report about their summer work. This course is not eligible for CPT for international students; please contact the Office for International Education for more information regarding CPT.
99-520 Collaborative Research through Projects
Summer
This course has students engage in experiential learning via interdisciplinary projects around a variety of topics determined by each instructor. Students should review the lengthier descriptions for each section posted on the Office of the Vice Provost website under the Academic Resources tab to gain more knowledge of the projects and pre-requisites. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JRPqsB15OBd-gWgrCuUXAqCnE7JApt4HmLehtNHyelk/edit?usp=sharing

Course Website: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JRPqsB15OBd-gWgrCuUXAqCnE7JApt4HmLehtNHyelk/edit?usp=sharing
99-530 Senior Preparation Seminar
Fall and Spring: 6 units
This mini course provides graduating seniors a chance to reflect on their experiences as students at Carnegie Mellon; intellectually, socially and as leaders in this community. In addition to its reflective component, the course will also look at how to prepare for upcoming transitions into post college roles and responsibilities. The course explores intrapersonal, interpersonal, and external factors at play for recent graduates.
99-784 Technology, Humanity, and Social Justice: Health
Intermittent: 3 units
As humans rely more and more on electronic devices to support their everyday activities, there are ever present warnings about the impacts such reliance has on human autonomy ranging from who owns and controls information networks, the inequitable impact of technology consumption on peoples and places, varying accessibility of technology around the globe, and the promises and limitations of technology in improving human health. By engaging in technology as a lens, this sequence of weekend micro-courses encourages students to examine technology as a system disproportionately impacting humanity by enabling and constraining human rights of groups of people around the globe. With a multi-disciplinary focus, the course invites researchers and practitioners from the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon, and relevant fields more broadly. In Fall 2023, the focus will be on the impact technology has on human health. This will include a discussion about technologys impact on human interactions, including mental health amid a pandemic and changing working conditions. It will also include a focus on the accessibility and disparities on health cares increased reliance on technology across the globe as well as the transition to digitizing health records and the dangers this creates in relation to privacy. Added Note: The course will occur on Friday, Oct. 27th, Saturday, Oct. 28th, and Sunday, Oct. 29th. Engagement in the course should be synchronous; accommodations for those in significant time zone differences will be provided to allow enrollment and completion of all elements of the weekend. If a student is interested in the course but unable to engage in the course dates, please reach out to Korryn Mozisek (kmozisek@andrew.cmu.edu).

StuCo (Student-Led) Courses

98-002 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Mastering Connect 4
Fall and Spring: 3 units
This is a course on strategy in Connect 4. It is intended so that even someone who has never heard of Connect 4 can master the game. The main goal is for students to see a given position of Connect 4 and be able to quickly determine the best course of action for the player to move. Experiencing the mastery of a game will help students improve their strategic thinking, which will assist almost all students in their professional careers. The course is lecture-based, and no prerequisites or additional materials are required to take the course. Assignments include weekly homework, a midterm, and a final exam.
98-003 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Sketch Comedy
Spring: 3 units
In this course, students will learn the fundamentals of writing and performing sketch comedy, as exemplified by Saturday Night Live, MadTV, and Tim Eric. Topics of focus will include idea generation, writing, editing, acting, and directing.
98-005 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to True Crime
Fall and Spring: 3 units
This course is designed to provide students with an introduction to true crime. This includes analyses of various cases as well as interrogation techniques and the process that the criminal justice system goes through from start to finish. Students will familiarize themselves with the technologies and personnel used to solve a case and how different techniques are used against suspects. Students should be aware that the course covers some sensitive topics that may be triggering for some individuals, such as mental health, police brutality, self-harm, abuse, etc.
98-008 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Shilling The Rust Programming Language
Fall and Spring: 3 units
This course is an introduction to the Rust programming language, a memory-safe systems programming language. Topics covered include memory safety, ownership and amp; lifetimes, the Rust stdlib, concurrency, traits, macros, and unsafe. Outside of class, there will be basic programming exercises and, during the second half of the semester, a student-defined project.
98-011 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Figure Skating
Intermittent: 3 units
In this course, students will learn how to watch and appreciate the figure skating by watching competitions, critiquing elements and programs, and watching movies. There will be optional weekly outings as a group to Schenley Ice Rink as weather permits. Topics of focus will include the development of the sport, scoring system, major controversies, and important skaters. There will be an individual presentation and assessment on recognizing and critiquing elements. There will be optional weekly outings to Schenley Park Ice Rink, weather permitting, where you can learn to skate with the help of competitive figure skaters. This cost will not be covered by the StuCo and is $8 per session (including skate rentals and admission). Attending these outings will not affect your grade in any way.

Course Website: http://www.cmu.edu/stuco/
98-012 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Fun with Robots
Fall and Spring: 3 units
This course teaches students the basics of programming, sensors, motors, and control using a Romi robot. Students will also build a basic breadboard circuit and use real sensor data to navigate. The course lecture format will include instructional slides and teaching at the beginning of each lecture, followed by a brief lecture on how what we do in class connects to "real-world" robotics. This is followed by supervised programming time, where the instructors will answer questions and advise students working on labs. There is a $10 lab fee. If your financial situation makes this fee an obstacle to your participation in the class, please talk to the instructors.

Course Website: http://www.cmu.edu/stuco/
98-013 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Lean: A Practical Introduction
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Lean is a general purpose theorem prover, proof assistant, and dependently typed programming language that has rapidly grown in popularity in the last few years, with its standard library doubling in size in the last year alone. This course will give students hands on experience formalizing math in Lean. We will work through a number of projects to learn about the tools Lean has to offer, in a low-pressure, collaborative environment. By the end, hopefully everyone will be working on formalizing a theorem that hasn't yet been formalized in Lean!

Course Website: http://www.cmu.edu/stuco/
98-014 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Product Management in Tech
Fall and Spring: 3 units
The course introduces students to the basics and commonly-used methodologies of project, program, and product management. In particular, we will focus on PM in the technology industry. The course will equip students interested in pursuing a career in PM (Project/Program/Product Management) with general knowledge and tips. Students will learn through weekly presentations, in-class discussions, and assignments. We will also have guest speakers (PMs) throughout the course to help students gain insights from industry professionals and explore different career paths in the PM space. There are no prerequisites for this course just an interest in PM!
98-018 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Learn Something New Every Week
Fall: 3 units
Have you ever wanted to make a StuCo but did not have a semester's worth of content to teach?In this class, every student will get the fantastic opportunity to teach a subject while learning many more. Every week, 1-3 students will give lectures on a topic of their choosing. The best topics are ones where nobody in the class knows anything beforehand but everybody in the room is a world expert afterward. Through this experience, one will be able to learn about topics they might have never run into before. Dually, students will hone their teaching skills and ability to engage a classroom with a mystery topic. Throughout the class, we will have lectures focused on teaching, education, and presentation styles plus improv-style games for the interested where students will practice teaching material in a more unprepared setting, suitable to the education of the real world.
98-019 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Effective Altruism: How Can We Do the Most Good
Fall and Spring: 3 units
An introduction to effective altruism and how it's principles can be used to shape your career to do the most good. The course is explore frameworks that could be used to make a rational career choice, with helping others in mind.
98-025 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Roguelike Games
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Students will learn to play roguelike games and will be taught skills applicable across these games and about popular games in the archetype. The focus will be on games that are free and widely available, rather than those that are paid. Students will be exposed to over 50 different types of games. The goal is to make students adeptly play and possibly beat different roguelikes, both as a way to have fun and to train students' strategic thinking abilities.
98-026 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Genshin Impact: Team Building
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Students will learn how to optimize Genshin Impact team builds and team fighting strategies. Understanding the different types of elemental reactions and best team builds for each character will help students with strategic thinking and leadership skills, both critical components to students pursuing their professional careers in any field. Students will experience lectures analyzing different Genshin team builds and techniques in battling against certain bosses in the game. Students will also have a portion of class time to independently practice their own skills and ask questions about their build. Students must have a proficient knowledge in Genshin Impact and a minimum Adventure Rank of 16. A diverse number of characters are recommended to test out different team builds but it is not required.
98-036 Student Taught Courses (StuCo):Intro to Cars and Motorsports
Intermittent: 3 units
Join in as we take a look at some of the most remarkable innovation in automotive history from a layman's perspective. Ranging from every day civilian vehicles to hypercars and motorsport spec vehicles, we will watch lots of informative shows and videos (like Top Gear, 5th Gear, Vehicle Virgins, etc.) and respectfully voice our opinions.
98-038 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Anime From Astro Boy to Your Name
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Anime is a limited animation style which originates from post World War II Japan, developed alongside Japanese Consumer Media into an artistic movement, and can be considered one of modern Japan's major cultural exports. Through this course, we will be exploring the history of the development of Anime and Contemporary Japan, as well as examining how these came to affect Anime and Anime Culture in the present day. This course is open to anyone with interest in Japanese Media History and Culture and does not require prior knowledge on the subject.
98-039 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to GO
Fall: 3 units
This class teaches the basics of the board game Go, including its rules, common tactics and strategies. No prior experience is required. Topics include life and death, local and global openings, well-known move combos, and principles of shape and style. Near the end, AlphaGo's impact on the game will be discussed. The goal for the class is for everyone who takes it to become a decent casual player.
98-043 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Chess Tactics and Strategy
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Chess is a strategy game that teaches many different useful skills. Themes such as problem solving and pattern recognition prominent in chess can be applied in many areas of life, such as academics. This course will cover vital principles of chess such as tactics, piece development, center control, common pawn structures, and more. The course will look at elementary endgame positions and themes like king activity and the value of passed pawns. We will look at famous games (such as the Opera Game) to illustrate various chess concepts. Finally, we will of course need to put our learning into practice, and so we will have time towards the end of each class to play games of chess. This course is suitable for students who know the basic rules of chess and are interested in improving their game.
98-044 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Flag Design
Fall: 3 units
This course will cover the design, history, and culture of flags. We will consider the purpose and meaning of flags; the characteristics that differentiate flags from other pieces of visual design; historical and modern design practices, including flag patterns, devices, emblems, and color symbolism; flag terminology; and the relevance of flags to cultures around the world. Throughout the course, students will have the opportunity to practice their knowledge by creating flags of their own and receiving feedback from each other. No prior knowledge is required.
98-054 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Methods and Metaphors
Fall and Spring: 3 units
One widely accepted definition of creativity is "the ability to draw and rationalize connections". The goal of this class is to learn and practice creativity in the context of design, and expand possibilities for the practice. We will evaluate a wide range of subjects/entities (from the concept of language to genus of trees) that are both metaphors of design, as well as methods for designing. For the sake of beauty, intrigue, or simply just humor, we will make links between the weird and random to inform a more creative design practice (as both a verb and noun). This StuCo is discussion and project based. There are no prerequisites.
98-057 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Intro to Polytopes
Fall and Spring: 3 units
This multifaceted course introduces students to polytopes, which are the n-dimensional generalizations of polygons and polyhedra. Topics include the history of the field (such as the work of Coxeter, Gr and #252;nbaum, and Schl and #228;fli); their combinatorial structure as abstract polytopes; classes of polytopes e.g. regulars, uniforms, and nobles; operations on polytopes including truncations, products, and conjugations; connections to group theory, such as Coxeter groups and the monodromy group; connections to topology via simplicial complexes; more recent developments, e.g. generalizations to hypertopes; and the polytope rendering software Miratope. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to join the Polytope Discord, some of whose members are conducting research in the field. The course will reference Abstract Regular Polytopes (McMullen, Schulte) and Geometric Regular Polytopes (McMullen). The major assignments are an individual write-up on a polytope of the student's choice and a group presentation on an active area of polytope research.
98-061 Student Taught Courses (StuCo):UXplore: Uncover the Best of Modern UX Design
Fall: 3 units
Good design is invisible. Beautifully designed things are often subtle, minimal, working in the background. It is bad design that usually hits you in the face, that stands out and can be uncomfortable. This course will uncover the hidden good designs in the products, services, and UIs we work with daily. We will explore the principles and best practices of modern product, service, and UI design through the examination of real-world examples. Each week, we will explore a different example of good design and analyze the elements that make it successful. We will look at the latest trends and techniques in the industry, and learn how to apply them to your own projects. Throughout the course, we will examine the user experience and consider how design decisions affect the user's perception and engagement. We will also learn how to use data to inform design decisions. The class will be a mix of lectures, discussions, and activities. We will also have guest lecturers (Designers, PMs, etc.) to discuss industry experience and throughout the course! By the end of the course, students will have a deeper understanding of how to design user-friendly and visually appealing products and services. There are no prerequisites for the class: interest is more than enough!
98-068 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Lucid Dreaming
Intermittent: 3 units
This course will teach students how to lucid dream and how to improve their dream control. Students will be required to keep a confidential dream journal over the length of the course. As students' abilities grow, students will be given optional challenges to complete for the next class. All students, whether experienced or new dreamers, are welcome to enroll. Note: This course is not recommended for students with dissociative disorders.
98-075 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Buddhism and Chinese Culture
Intermittent: 3 units
What do you know about Chinese culture? Have you wondered what does "Zen" mean in Buddhism and how it becomes part of the English vocabulary? Are you confused about the differences between Tibetan Buddhism and "Chinese" Buddhism? Do you want to know the historic origins of the conflicts between Dalai Lama and Chinese government? Are you surprised by the diversity and exuberance of Buddhist art? Do you know some Chinese festivals and rituals were influenced by Buddhism? Do you want to be able to introduce some history, characteristics and origins of some Chinese cultural phenomena when you go to China? If you are interested in any questions above or just want to know about Buddhism or Chinese culture in general, then this is the course for you. Buddhism hugely impacted the Chinese culture. This course will examine a variety of Chinese cultural elements. We will cover topics such as famous tourist mountains, Buddhist art, Zen and its meanings, Tibetan Buddhism, Shaolin martial art, and tea culture. We will link of some the recent trends and events so that we can make connections to the modern world we are living with. This is not a religion course, the focus is the cultural part, although some Buddhist teachings will be covered to have better understanding of the history. Chinese is not a requirement for this course, but this course will strengthen your grasp of Chinese.
98-097 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Intro to 3D Modeling- Character Design Pipeline
Intermittent: 3 units
Do you want to... -Make cool 3d models? -Learn an industry standard program? -Learn more about the industries 3d art are used in If the answer to any of those questions is YES, then this is the StuCo for you! * This course intends to give insight into the process of character creation involved in game/entertainment industry. * This is a technical course that teaches the tools and workflow involved in Zbrush. Students will learn the basic understanding of how to use Zbrush. * Students will work on different projects each week. * No prior experience is required. * We will use Discord as our primary means of communication. * There will be critics of the weekly assignments.

Course Website: http://cmu.edu/stuco
98-099 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Problem Solving through Solving Problems
Fall and Summer: 3 units
Do you want to gain strong problem-solving skills? Increase your confidence when approaching problems? Learn cool strategies and ideas? Or even shove pigeons into holes? Then this course is for you! Step inside the wonderful world of problem solving, where we will tackle enthralling problems, such as: How do ants behave when walking toward their neighbor? How many grandpas can there be if each student shares one? How many guards do we need to make a bank impenetrable? And the most challenging question of all, how can math be fun? Along the way, we will even become skillful enough to tackle some very challenging problems, from competitions such as the IMO and Putnam!

Course Website: http://cmu.edu/stuco
98-108 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Settlers of Catan
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Settlers of Catan is a dynamic game in which the conditions change with every game and require different strategies. 3 to 4 players compete to score 10 victory points using 5 different resources. This course invites newcomers, occasional enjoyers, and fanatics to play Catan. Over the course of the semester, we will explore tactics to expand your territory given any landscape and navigate the nuances of trading and the robber... Students will gain a deeper understanding and hopefully appreciation for Catan. No previous experience with Catan is required for this course. Every week, a new topic will be introduced to evolve your gameplay followed by a game with classmates in order to implement the concepts taught. Most importantly, this game is a way to foster a community of inclusion, competitiveness, and enjoyment. The instructors hope that through this course, students of diverse backgrounds can meet and form bonds over Catan. There will be a $10 course fee.

Course Website: http://cmu.edu/stuco
98-122 Student Taught Course (StuCo): Blackjack Techniques
Intermittent: 3 units
Blackjack is one of the most popular (and profitable) table games so far, contributing around a quarter of a typical casino's revenue. Unlike other casino games, such as Roulette, which are purely luck-based and are a net loss for the player, Blackjack can be beaten with card counting. This is because, unlike in Roulette, each card draw in Blackjack is not an independent event. Later card draws can be predicted with results from earlier draws in the same game, which makes some room for maneuvering of probabilities to the player's advantage. This course is for people who are interested in learning more about the rules and amp; tricks of Blackjack and learning how to beat it. NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED. We will learn the rules of the game, memorize the basic mathematical strategy, and master the card counting skills necessary to beat the game. Each week, after some theory, we will do training drills to help everyone get better at muscle skills. It just takes practice.
98-123 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Hand Lettering
Fall and Spring: 3 units
In this course, we will introduce you to the basics of hand lettering and modern brush calligraphy. Skills such as cursive, monoline lettering, faux calligraphy, brush lettering, shading, blending, and more will be developed with in class practice and projects. By the end of the course, you should be able to create lettering using a variety of materials. There are no prerequisites needed for this course; you do not need to have "good handwriting" to be able to do calligraphy. Everyone is welcome! COURSE FEE: $3 (This is used to purchase recommended supplies for students.)
98-127 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Game Creation for Ppl Who Want to Create Games
Intermittent: 3 units
In this course students will learn the basics of game creation. The course is intended for both beginners and experienced game designers. In addition to project work done in class, students will learn fundamental tools like Unity. The intent of this course is to expand the community of game makers at CMU to those who are interested in making games but may not have had the inclination to pursue it through more intensive means such as GCS or IDeATe. The course also serves as an additional place for those already involved in the community to learn and collaborate. Tutorials and projects done in Game Creation Society will mirror and compliment work done in class.
98-128 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Fundamentals of Improv Comedy
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Through improv games and structured activities, students will learn the basic tenets of improvisational theater with a focus on both short and long form styles. These tenets will include the basic rules of improv, building base reality, listening, top of intelligence, finding and continuing game, and how to use support moves. No prior experience is necessary. Students will be expected to participate in group activities, discussions, and performances during class time. They may also be asked to watch performances or attend workshops outside of class. Students will have the opportunity to participate in an end-of-semester showcase with a live audience.
98-129 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Principles of Dysfunctional Programming
Fall and Spring: 3 units
For much of our lives, we're put under pressure to do things quickly. In life, we often feel that we always have to be both effective and efficient. In this course, we offer an alternative approach to programming, where we give ourselves time to stop and smell the roses. Instead of chugging cups and cups of coffee to help us write efficient algorithms, we will instead write wonderfully inefficient algorithms which will allow us to code first, and then have a nice tea break while our algorithm continues to calmly perform its assigned tasks until the heat death of the universe. Welcome to Dysfunctional Programming, where we will take a leisurely stroll to explore "pessimal" algorithms with some concepts of computational complexity, some theory of computation, some programming techniques, and some math! Knowledge of programming will be generally helpful to take this course, but this course will attempt to be fairly beginner-friendly. To that end, little theoretical computer science knowledge is needed coming into this course, though skill in writing proofs may be useful.
98-134 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Genshin Impact
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Students will learn the basics of the PC/mobile game Genshin Impact, including gameplay, mechanics, general skills, and strategies that will help them problem-solve and think outside the box. In addition, students will have ample class time to play the game and receive advice from instructors. Furthermore, Genshin Impact's storyline has many deep and thought-provoking themes, and students will discuss such themes during class, prompting them to relate these to real-world events or philosophies.
98-140 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Mathemagic Card Tricks
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Students will learn how to perform some card tricks that are based upon deeper mathematical topics. Students will attempt to figure out how each trick works, and will be exposed to writing proofs that the tricks do indeed work as intuited. It will provide an accessible start for those unfamiliar with mathematical proofs, and will allow those with more knowledge of proofs to apply them to an area not otherwise taught in a mathematical way, allowing them to expand their knowledge and apply it more generally. The general class structure will consist of the instructor explaining how the trick from the previous week works, and then the instructor will provide the class with a new trick to figure out. Homeworks will be graded on effort, and will consist of a mixture of proving how and why the last week's problem works, and potentially an extension of the trick. The midterm will ask students to provide reasoning for or ask for a procedure for a new trick based on those covered in class. The final exam will have both a written and a practical portion. The written portion should be similar to that of the midterm. The physical portion will consist of students performing a card trick. No prerequisite classes are required. Students are expected to know the basic makeup of a deck of cards. This class will be accessible to both those familiar with and new to proofs.
98-148 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Student Journalism
Fall and Spring: 3 units
This course is for anyone interested in student journalism. The course will start out with the basics of newswriting and move into the different types of articles. We will start with headlines, ledes, and story structure. We will then talk about the different types of articles: news, opinion, technical, sports, and arts. From there, we will cover what makes a newspaper, a newspaper! This includes learning interviewing, photography, and layout skills. At the end of the semester, we will have a workshop that will teach students the basics of satire writing as well.
98-152 Student Taught Course: Sense and Sustainability
Fall: 3 units
The state of our planet can be daunting, but there is so much that we can do as individuals to preserve our planet. The first step is to understand the vast expanse of information out there about the various facets of environmentalism and sustainability. This course is meant to provide a comprehensive overview of all things environmental, so that we can understand and take action for ourselves and future generations.
98-154 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Intro to Open-Source FPGA & ASIC Chip Design
Fall and Spring: 3 units
There has recently been a massive growth in free, open-source hardware-design technologies. It is now possible to use modern methodologies (many of which are taken directly from software engineering) to make hardware design much easier and cheaper, and the industry at large is starting to adopt these technologies in widespread use. Modern open-source hardware-design tools are free, fast, don't require NDAs, and are a joy to use. This course aims to provide an overview of how these tools work and how to use them - everything from FPGA synthesis (Yosys and NextPNR), to simulation and verification (Verilator and CocoTB, which let you write testbenches in C++ or Python), to SoC and CPU generation, and even new hardware-design languages entirely (which integrate modern ideas from functional and object-oriented programming).
98-156 Student Taught Course: Contemporary and Marginalized Poetics Workshop
Spring: 3 units
The world of contemporary poetry is a vast and scintillating space. Where many collegiate poetry courses focus on historical poetics, this course aims to introduce students to the newest, most exciting poetry that shapes our current cultural landscapes. The democratic, accessible nature of short written work makes it a universal vehicle for expressing a broad spectrum of experiences and touching on myriad identities. The course will have a particular focus on marginalized poets, as well as intersectionality, by drawing on works from a diversity of ethnicities, classes, sexualities, genders, nationalities, and so on. Thus, students will learn how to engage with the creative work of many and varied people and pay respect to their stories, a vital skill in all walks of life. Through weekly readings (3-4 poems, articles, podcasts, or videos per week), students will gain increased fluency in interpretation of contemporary poetry. They will learn to analyze works and then incorporate observed techniques into their own poems. They will write a poem each week, ultimately developing a cohesive body of creative work. As this is a discussion-based course, participation is central and mandatory. No formal prerequisites or prior knowledge necessary; all that is needed is a desire to learn about emerging poets and techniques, as well as an eagerness to develop and improve upon one's poetry practice.
98-157 Student Taught Courses (STUCO): Music: Deep-diving Artists and Genres
Spring: 3 units
Students will be introduced to artists such as Frank Ocean and Lady Gaga as well as subcategories such as shoegaze and new wave. Each week will comprise different genres and specific artists. These genres and artists will be delved into through their history, discography, and how they continue to influence certain forms of society.
98-163 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Tetris
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Students taking this course will learn about finesse and efficient piece placement, how to create T-spin and combo setups for quick line clearing, and dominate both speed and versus versions of the classic game of Tetris.
98-166 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Great Ideas in Practical Games Development
Intermittent: 3 units
This course intends to give a solid understanding into the process of art creation and programming involved in game development. This class is intended for both beginners and experienced game designers. In addition to project work done in class, students will learn fundamental tools like Unreal, Autodesk Maya, Substance Painter, and Photoshop. Additionally, they will learn to use source control and work as a team. Students will complete a game project under guidance, and gain insight into the steps involved in creating a game. There will be weekly lectures, intermittent optional and guest lectures. We'll use a Discord server as our primary means of communication. Prior experience is not needed!
98-169 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Origami Design Fundamentals
Fall: 3 units
Origami is the ancient Japanese art of paper folding. In this StuCo, we will be exploring different folding techniques and algorithms for designing your own origami models. Students will learn the basics of foldability, as well as how to create novel tessellations, animals, curved folds, and thick origami. This course is heavily project based, and students will be expected to work on their origami models outside of class.
98-171 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Career Readiness for Future Professionals
Fall and Spring: 3 units
In this class, you'll develop a foundation of the career readiness skills needed to find and succeed in your future career! You'll identify and develop your career and professional goals, learn to write a strong resume and cover letter, and utilize professional communication and networking skills. Additionally, you'll develop an understanding of how different types of summer/semester experiences (internships, research, campus jobs, etc.) can be valuable, and develop the interviewing skills needed to obtain those experiences. This course isn't specific to any one major or career field, but the instructor hopes to work together with each student to help you apply these concepts to your own career path.
98-174 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Great Ideas in Tech Interviews & Coding Screens
Intermittent: 3 units
This course will teach students how to tackle questions commonly asked during technical interviews for internships and full-time job opportunities. Each lecture will focus on a different topic such as data structures, dynamic programming, and system design questions. Students will learn how to apply and modify classic algorithms and data structures from classes like 15-122 and 15-210 to solve problems that frequently show up in the coding challenges during the job interviews. We hope students come out of this course better prepared for the interview season, both technically and in terms of presenting themselves.
98-177 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Building Personal Websites
Fall and Spring: 3 units
In today's digital age, having a personal website makes it substantially easier to share information about yourself to employers and colleagues. In this course, students will learn the principles of web development in order to build their own personal website. Topics include basic HTML components, static elements, dynamically functioning elements, interactive graphics, loading content from text files, optimizing screen sizes and amp; runtimes, and cross-browser support. The course will be taught in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (JQuery). Students will be building their own website over the course of the semester, with the final project requiring students to submit a personal resume website that they can then keep when finishing the course. There is no cost associated with the course. Students must provide their own hardware.
98-179 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Japanese Mahjong
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Japanese Mahjong, also known as Riichi Mahjong, is a variation of Mahjong that had attracted worldwide popularity. Compare to most other variants, Japanese Mahjong emphasizes strategies and intellect over luck, making it very suitable as a competitive sport. This course introduces students to the rules and manners of Japanese Mahjong, as well as advanced strategies that would let you play like a pro. We will also set up a tournament toward the end of the semester, and the winner may get a prize! No prior knowledge of Mahjong is required, but experienced players may also learn something new and get a chance to play competitively. We will provide Mahjong sets to play face-to-face, but we also encourage students to purchase their own sets to help with our budget.
98-181 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Practical Magic
Intermittent: 3 units
An exploratory, hands on introduction to herbal medicine, mindfulness, tarot, and other common ritual processes, with a primary focus on using these tools for self-care, stress management, and everyday mental health care. Students will learn the basic building blocks of herbal medicine, including how to prepare common herbal remedies such as infusions, oils, salves, and tinctures. Additionally, the class will include units on traditional and practical uses of tarot, as well as learning to integrate mindfulness and ritual into a busy CMU student schedule.
98-182 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Billiard Games: From Noob to Pro
Intermittent: 3 units
COURSE LOCATION: CUC SCOTLAND YARD GAME ROOM This is an introductory course to billiard games (8-ball, 9-ball, snooker) that goes through the basics of posture, aim, spin, placement, and strategy. This course assumes zero experience in billiards and will start from ground zero. There will be no required textbooks or resources for the course.
98-185 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Chinese Yo-Yo (Diabolo)
Fall and Spring: 3 units
This course will introduce Chinese yo-yo (Diabolo) to students. Students will learn the basics of tilting, turning, and speeding up a yo-yo, doing simple tricks like tossing and catching, and combining basic tricks to create more complicated tricks, combos and routines. Each week, students will learn about a certain type of trick through demonstration and then practice together to improve their skills, and instructors will help as needed. Each week's lesson will build on previously learned skills, culminating in a midterm and final performance, where students will design their own routines (individually or in a team) with the help of instructors, and then perform them in front of the class. Students can either buy their own new yo-yo set from us (around $40-$50) or rent a used set from the instructors (for free).
98-186 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Roller Coasters: Background and Design
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Students will learn the fundamentals of how roller coasters are designed, roller coaster and manufacturer identification, basic physics used in roller coaster design, as well as the history of roller coasters. Lecture slides will go over the history of different roller coaster innovations and design philosophies, as well as real world examples and applications. During the course, students will take a class trip to Kennywood ($20 fee) to gain further insight into theme park management and roller coaster maintenance.
98-187 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Call of Duty: Zombies WAW-BO3
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Call of Duty: Zombies is a spin-off game of the Call of Duty series (licensed by Activision) based on the widely popular Nazi Zombies mode of Call of Duty: World at War released back in 2008 and developed by Treyarch. Originally, the game mode was just an experimental test featuring round-based survival gameplay. Due to its first success, other maps were created for the game, and years later the zombies mode was featured in subsequent sequels, Call of Duty: Black Ops 1, 2, 3, 4, Advanced Warfare, Infinite Warfare, WWII, and the most recent release this past year, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. This course will feature gameplay, controls, perks, characters, maps, weapons, story, trivia, and much more! A quick note that due to the increasing amount of content over the years, in addition to the spin-off zombies mode developed by SledgeHammer Games and Infinity Ward (and due to their low reception), this course will only be able to study and focus on Call of Duty: World at War and Black Ops 1, 2, and 3 due to the limited timeframe of the semester schedule.
98-194 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Understanding the Rubik's Cube
Intermittent: 3 units
The course is meant to assist you in understanding the logic behind solving a Rubik's Cube and perhaps come up with your own solution to solve it. This course is not meant to teach you how to fix a Rubik's Cube by spoon feeding you an algorithm nor is it about speed cubing. It is meant to teach you useful principles that can be used to help you solve the cube on your own.
98-202 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Classical Indian Philosophy
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Over the course of 3500 years, the Indian intellectual tradition has cultivated some of the most interesting theories of philosophy spanning formal logic, ethics, consciousness, and more. This introductory course to Classical Indian Philosophy begins with a background in Indian history, Sanskrit literature, and Dharmic religion before diving into rigorous approaches to epistemology and amp; metaphysics by 9 separate schools of thought. Taught with an emphasis on in-class discussion and engagement with arguments put forward by Indian thinkers, this course also seeks to assist students in constructing an intellectual identity informed by their ethno-historical context. Students with some background in computational/mathematical logic or analytic philosophy, as well as those of South Asian heritage, may especially enjoy this course's intersections with their prior knowledge.
98-203 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Music and Interaction
Fall and Spring: 3 units
In this course, students will sample a wide variety of knowledge ranging from the fields of HCI/Game design, music theory/music computing, interactive media design, and learn about how these disciplines intersect. The course will also provide an introduction to the history and development of rhythm games, audiovisual art, and experimental music practices. Instruction is a combination of lectures on various topics followed by hands-on p5.js programming exercises. Assignment will consist primarily of creative coding assignments where students with less programming background can build algorithmic thinking skills while more advanced coders will be able to apply their knowledge and build their portfolio. Collaborations are welcome on projects, especially between students from different backgrounds. Students with a background in any form of design, media arts, HCI, computer science, music, IDEATE, will be a good fit for the course. The course will be taught in p5.js, but students are free to explore other tools (e.g. Unity, Max MSP) for their projects. Students should be familiar with at least one of the following fields: design, music, programming, or be committed to spend extra time learning outside of scheduled lecture times. Coding knowledge is strongly preferred but not a requirement as we will go through programming basics in the first few weeks.
98-205 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Minecraft
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Minecraft is the single most sold video game of all time. It places you in a randomly generated world of blocks and sets you free to survive and be creative in a completely sandbox environment. This course will provide an in-depth introduction of how to play Minecraft, including basic to advanced survival skills, multiplayer aspects, modding, and whatnot. Along with playing survival Minecraft together on a class server, we will also play fun Minecraft minigames in class and explore possibilities such as playing on public servers. By the end of this class, students should know the basics about Minecraft and be able to survive in a Minecraft world, as well as expand their knowledge about Minecraft to depth within and out of the game. This class is designed for both players completely new to the game as well as those with plenty of experience looking to play Minecraft with some new friends. The game costs $30 and is required for the course.
98-211 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Styles of Bollywood Dance
Intermittent: 3 units
SPRING 2020 COURSE LOCATION: CUC ACTIVITIES ROOM - CUC AR 237 This course welcomes all levels of dance! The purpose of this course is to be an introduction to the world of Bollywood and Bollywood dance, teaching the fun origins and styles that can be found in the world-renowned Bollywood movies from the '60s to today. After this class, students will know the background and culture behind Bollywood dance and be able to choreograph their own moves to almost any Bollywood song in a variety of fun styles.
98-212 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Competitive Computer Security
Intermittent: 3 units
A fast-paced introduction to CTF (Capture the Flag) events. CTFs are offensive security competitions where players hack into competition-provided services in order to access and read the flag, scoring points for their team. These competitions generally focus on exploit development, reverse engineering, vulnerability research, cryptosystem analysis, and web platform exploitation. CTFs have grown into a massive international field, with Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Tencent among others sponsoring and hosting global CTFs. This course will guide students from a background understanding of computer internals through understanding where and how those can go wrong, culminating in being able to solve challenges found on major easy/medium-difficulty competitions.
98-217 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Bhangra 101
Fall and Spring: 3 units
SPRING 2020 COURSE LOCATION: CUC KENNER ROOM - CUC AR 255 BHANGRA 101 will provide an introduction to the dance, music, and cultural roots of Bhangra (Punjabi folk dance). We aim to teach not only how to dance, but also about the different moves and styles that contribute to Bhangra's prevalence today. The goal of this StuCo is to make Bhangra more accessible to those that have never danced and have built up an interest in Bhangra after seeing the school's Bhangra team perform on campus. NO DANCE EXPERIENCE EXPECTED OR REQUIRED.
98-218 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Fun With Python
Fall: 3 units
In this course we will explore various ways to use programming to achieve different purposes, to see the versatility of programming. We will be using Python 3 and cover a number of topics from applied string operations, to chatting server, to statistical simulation, and to AI. This course is mainly designed for those who took 15-110 and/or 15-112, and have not taken and/or do not plan to take further CS courses. We will explore the applications of programming when build projects, to facilitate the use of programming to solve everyday problems, and to encourage further creations by programming.

Course Website: https://andrew.cmu.edu/user/ymkong/98218/
98-222 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to IOS Development
Intermittent: 3 units
This course is a hands-on introduction to iOS development and creating basic applications for iPhone (and by extension, iPad). Even though this is a StuCo, we still go fairly in-depth to the many facets of basic iOS design. Therefore, expect this course to be more time-intensive than a traditional StuCo. You should expect weekly homework assignments in the first half of the semester and a midterm and final project in the second half of the semester. It is also highly recommended that you have some experience with object-oriented programming. 15-122 and 15-150 are recommended prerequisites, but 15-112 is okay too. You will either need a Mac running the latest version of Mac OS X or access to one of the Mac clusters on campus.

Course Website: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/course/98-222/index.html.
98-226 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Movies You Should Have Watched By Now
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Have you ever watched a movie? Great! Want to watch some more? This course surveys movies that are pioneers of genres, ideas, and storytelling forms that are popular in American film today. Students will discuss the origins of common tropes as well as how they have evolved and how they may have been subverted. Students will develop their film knowledge and be able to recognize the development of film structure, genre, and tropes in the media they consume today. In this course we will alternate between watching these movies and discussing their impact. Be ready to experience quality films and engage in quality conversation! :)
98-230 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Avatar: The Last Airbender & The Legend of Korra
Fall and Spring: 3 units
This class will offer an opportunity for fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra to engage in discussion of the two shows' themes, characters, storyline, animation, and the many cultural influences on the shows' creation, particularly East and South Asian cultures. A typical class will begin with a presentation on the topic(s) of the week with ample opportunity for class discussion, before watching an episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender or The Legend of Korra.
98-239 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): League of Legends
Intermittent: 3 units
With millions of players and an active competitive scene, League of Legends has become one of the biggest names in e-sports. This class is intended for players who are familiar with the game and wish to take their skill to the next level.
98-242 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Esoteric Programming Languages
Fall and Spring: 3 units
How do you fix the following compilation error: "PROGRAMMER IS INSUFFICIENTLY POLITE"? How do you bake a cake while printing "Hello world!" Welcome to the wonderful world of esoteric programming languages, where everything is possible but nothing of interest is easy. Learn how to write a program that you can't see, compute factorials using Microsoft PowerPoint, and compile a painting. Along the way, we'll answer questions like "What is a programming language?" and "Why does my compiler have indigestion?" Step into the realm of " and gt; and gt;[-] and lt; and lt;[- and gt; and gt;+ and lt; and lt;]" and come explore the outer boundaries of relatively sane computation.
98-244 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Sign Language Through Pop Music
Fall and Spring: 3 units
In this class, we will learn sign language to the rhythm of well-known music! Each class will cover a different topic, starting at fingerspelling and basic conversation and moving to signs for school and family topics. The history of sign language and deaf culture will be explored as well. Each week the assignment will be to learn the signs for the chorus of a song that uses words learned in class. The final project is to create a sign language music video. Each weekly session will be 80 minutes. The class will begin with a Pop Quiz/Review of prior vocabulary. Following that, we will learn the new vocabulary for about 30 minutes. Then, we will learn the assignment for the week, explore deaf history and culture, and play games in the remaining time.
98-247 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Becoming a Hogwarts Student
Fall and Spring: 3 units
There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class. You will learn about what is on page 394 in a Defence Against the Dark Arts class, what does polyjuice potion taste like in a Potion class, what do muggles use fluxweed for in a Herbology class, and many more subjects that a Hogwarts students should be taking! This course allows students to explore connections between magic introduced in the Harry Potter series and their counterparts in muggles' books.
98-251 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Principles of Racecar Engineering
Intermittent: 3 units
This course introduces students to key concepts and strategies used when designing and building a racecar. We will focus on two key areas: (1) understanding the theory of vehicle dynamics and how it drives vehicle design, and (2) learning basic engineering strategies as applied to the design and construction of racecars. The first half of the course will focus on vehicle dynamics and high level qualitative vehicle and system design. Topics include vehicle dynamics, tire behavior, suspension design, powertrains, and aerodynamics. The second half of the course will focus on engineering skills and their applications to racecar design and manufacturing. Topics will include engineering design, manufacturing techniques, computer aided engineering, and testing and tuning. We will also discuss the history of motorsports and watch motorsports documentaries throughout the semester to provide students with a greater understanding of the context of their work in the course. This is a project based course that will require students to learn and apply various computational tools to create their own vehicle and part designs. There will be two large projects in the course. The first project is a vehicle dynamics focused project involving optimizing a vehicle design using lap simulation software. The second project is an engineering project in which students will optimize a given part based on given design criteria. Students need not have any prior experience with cars or engineering, but are expected to have a basic understanding of physics and a strong desire to dive into technical topics and learn new skills and software tools.
98-253 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Beginner Throwing: An Introduction to Yo-yo
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Modern yo-yo is an exciting hobby and an interesting combination of art and sport requiring both creativity and dexterity. This course will be an introduction to 1A style yo-yo (single yo-yo, string tricks) that will start with basic techniques and lead into a variety of types of tricks. Responsive play will be introduced at first, followed by unresponsive play in order to perform more advanced tricks. Class will consist of practicing tricks presented through videos and demonstrations. As a final, students will create a unique trick to be presented to the class along with a short tutorial video explaining and teaching the trick.
98-254 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Ukulele For Non-Majors
Fall and Spring: 3 units
The ukulele is one of the most accessible instruments created; unlike the guitar or piano, the ukulele only has four strings and is much smaller, which is easier to transport. This makes it an ideal instrument for making music anywhere. This course will develop the musical abilities of students through a combined crash course of basic harmony, eurhythmics, and solfege, while simultaneously applying that knowledge to the ukulele. Students will acquire knowledge in music theory to order to read and build chords, a skill important to learning songs. Students will also acquire a rhythmic ability such that they can strum comfortably and effortlessly. Lastly, students will acquire some form of vocal and ear knowledge to assist in their education. The course may be intensive for students with absolutely no musical ability. Students will learn a variety of techniques in weekly classes and the broad scope of musical development may prove a little difficult. However, this can be amended with adequate practice, which is emphasized at the end of each class. Students are required to purchase their own ukulele instruments. Prices range from $30-$45.
98-255 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Cosplay 101
Fall and Spring: 3 units
This course will provide a foundation for obtaining the skills and mindset required for creating a cosplay out?t. Students will learn essential techniques such as using a sewing machine, determining materials, working with ?found objects? to create props and costumes, and other basic cosplay knowledge. By the end of the course students will be able to employ the knowledge learned in class to create a cosplay of their choosing!
98-256 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Humor Theory, for Non-Majors
Fall and Spring: 3 units
This course focuses on the underlying principles of humor. We will ask questions such as, "Why is this joke funny??", "Under what circumstances is this joke funny?", and "What would make this joke funnier?" By asking these questions in context of various genres, styles, and settings, we hope to illuminate some of the underlying principles that make a joke ?work.? Some recurring themes will be: the intended effect of humor on the audience, the structural elements of jokes,and the relationship between a joke and its medium. The course will be discussion-based, since humor is both subjective and an inherently social subject. Topics include: puns, anti-humor,stand-up comedy, one-liners, meta humor, and literary humor. There is no course fee.
98-257 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Exploring Sexism on the Silver Screen
Fall and Spring: 3 units
This course will examine the portrayal of the sexes on the silver screen by looking at different facets such as the "women in refrigerators" trope in superhero films, the thinly veiled sexism in Bollywood item songs, and the glasses-to-contacts-and-straight-hair-make-over in coming of age films. We will also discuss the implications of such a representation as it plays a vital role in perpetuating unattainable body standards, reinforces gender roles, and more.
98-258 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Competitive Pokemon
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Do you want to be the very best, like no one ever was? Pounding the Elite Four into dust with your level 100 team is one thing, but defeating a human trainer on equal footing is another. Competitive Pokemon involves strategy, teambuilding, predictions, and a thorough understanding of battle mechanics, all under a rainbow of different battle formats, each with their own set of rules and playstyles. This course will introduce basic mechanics, teambuilding principles, and strategy, as well as the most popular competitive formats such as VGC, Smogon singles, across the many generations of Pokemon's existence. No competitive experience required, but experienced players may also learn something new! All teambuilding and battling will be done through the free online simulator Pokemon Showdown.
98-259 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): From Food to Chinese Culture
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Maybe you are familiar with General Tso's chicken, Kung Pao chicken Ma Po Tofu, dumplings and spring rolls, and maybe you like them pretty much. But who is general Tso? What is Kung Pao? Where is Ma Po from? Who invented dumpling? Why do we eat spring rolls? If you are curious about the answers, this course is right for you. The lecture series covers ten most well-known Chinese festivals with their food and one additional special topic. Each lecture has a culture session and a language session. The culture session introduces Chinese festivals with their associated legend stories and food while the language session introduces students to some sophisticated yet practical Chinese phrases (or even verses from a poem). Through this interesting detour, this course provides an explanation of obscure aspects of Chinese language and culture. By the end of the course, students should walk away with basic ideas about Chinese culture and also advance in Chinese language.
98-260 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Everyday Mindfulness: Pragmatic Peace
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment. When this is done by calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, mindfulness can be used as a therapeutic technique. The benefits of mindfulness are well documented and proven. From decreased depression, physical pain reduction, regulation of emotions, decreased anxiety, decreased inflammation, improved academic performance, lessened feelings of stress, and the ability to shorten illness such as the cold and flu, mindfulness is a practice everyone can benefit from, especially CMU students. Throughout this course we will explore several mindfulness mediation techniques to find the one that best fits into your daily routine. Finding time with a busy schedule to fit in one more thing can be hard, so we will explore techniques from across the world and different cultures so that by the time you leave this class, you will have a daily mindfulness practice that best suits you. Examples of techniques include mindful yoga, expanding spaces, body scanning, visual meditations, and walking everyday mindfulness practices, like the ones from prominent mindfulness practitioners such as Thich Nhat Hanh, and many more. Come with an open heart and mind, and you are sure to leave this class with a greater sense of inner peace and tranquility.
98-261 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): The Captivity Debate: Killer Whales
Intermittent: 3 units
The death of experienced SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau in February of 2010 raised questions about humans? relationship with killer whales and the suitability of keeping them in captivity for human entertainment. This course will explore the history of killer whales in captivity, delve into the behavior of killer whales in the wild, compare it to that of killer whales in captivity, and question humans? role in the lives of highly intelligent, emotionally complex creatures.
98-262 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Intro to Boardgames
Fall and Spring: 3 units
This course will introduce students to the hobby of board games and nonstandard card games. We will be playing a wide variety of game genres and investigating their mechanics, with the ultimate goal of expanding your knowledge of the wide varieties of games and understanding their mechanics enough to extend similar principles of play to games that use similar mechanics. Each week we will have a small lecture and then play some of the board games we spoke about. Roughly every 3 weeks we will ask for a progress report on your midterm/final. What Kinds of Games will we be playing*: "Eurogames": Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride, Stone Age, Puerto Rico, etc. Nonstandard Card Games: Fluxx, Pit, Race for the Galaxy, The Resistance, etc. What Kinds of Games we will NOT be playing (Including but not limited to the following examples): Common household boardgames: Risk, Monopoly, Dominoes, Sorry, Apples to Apples, Scrabble, Clue, Life, Trivial Pursuit, etc. Standard 52 Card Deck Card Games: Blackjack, Poker, Rummy, etc. Traditional Games: Chess, Checkers, Go, Nine Man's Morris, etc. *We are not contractually obligated to introduce all of the games on the list, nor are we restricted only to this list when deciding upon what games we will play.
98-263 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): R for Data Science
Intermittent: 3 units
R is a software environment for statistical computing and graphics. Recently, there has been an explosion in tools used for extracting meaningful insights from data. Tools, such as the Tidyverse, an opinionated collection of R packages designed for data science, allow for practical data analysis and visualization.This course is a comprehensive, challenging, and useful introduction to R that you can apply to the real world. It will consist of weekly readings in the R for Data Science book, followed by relevant in class lab problems.
98-264 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Brick Walls and First Bases: A History of Comedy
Fall and Spring: 3 units
So, why am I here, exactly? E.B. White once said, ?Analyzing a joke is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies.?* Brick Walls and First Bases is a course dedicated to hitting that balance between knowing why jokes are funny and knowing so much about jokes that they just aren?t funny anymore.** We will be covering general historical trends in comedy as well as discussing comedic theory and social aspects vital to what makes something funny. The goal of this course is to know how comedy developed into what it is today. There will also be a notable focus on the contemporary comedy scene in America. Ok, I get it, comedy?s great. How will I learn about how great it is? This class will meet once a week from 6:30p.m. to 7:30p.m. During this time there will either be lecture or discussion. There will also be short, weekly homework assignments posted by me on blackboard. It is your responsibility to come to class having listened to or watched the necessary reading or video, so you can participate in class. There will also be a midterm exam and a final (students can choose either a paper or presentation) to show what you learned throughout the class. (Just think of how cool you?ll seem to your friends when you told them you were once ostensibly forced by someone who is barely your superior to write a paper on Mort Sahl! How exciting.)
98-265 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Hello Theater: The Logic of Illogical Methods
Fall and Spring: 3 units
This course explores how to a) Understand Various Theatrical techniques (both modern and traditional) b) Increasing Appreciation for Non-traditional theater and examining its strengths and merits c) Practical techniques for improving your own theatrical work. The course also explores closely related areas like leadership, learning theory, psychology and post- modernist culture.
98-266 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Private Pilot Ground School
Fall and Spring: 3 units
This course aims to provide information for students to prepare for the FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Test and engineering behind aviation. Topics include aerodynamics, aircraft systems, navigation, meteorology, aircraft performance, and human factors. No prior knowledge is required.
98-267 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Jamaican Entertainment
Intermittent: 3 units
This course is meant to examine the entertainment industry in Jamaica. The first-half of the semester will first examine the cultural aspects of the industry, such as the origins and types of: dance, food, music, and dialect. Given this background, the second-half of the semester will dive into event planning and management in the context of this culture; such as marketing, budgeting and finances.
98-268 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): The Scary Story: Gothic Lit and the Uncanny
Intermittent: 3 units
This course on Gothic literature and the scary story is for anyone who is intrigued by things that chill the blood and tingle the spine. All are welcome, from literary enthusiasts to those who haven?t taken an English course in years; all you need is an interest in storytelling and curiosity about human darkness. The course will explore Gothic themes, the nature of the uncanny, and the evolution of the scary story across region and time. How is the scary story colored by history and folklore? What psychological horrors lurk at the core of all truly scary stories? How does the history of the scary story relate to contemporary horror media? We will explore these questions and many more through authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, H. P. Lovecraft, Joyce Carol Oates, and a host of others. Class will be primarily lecture- and discussion-based. The midterm and final will allow you to create your own scary stories or creations to be shared in a spooky campfire- esque setting. Enroll if you dare!
98-269 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Intro to Sabermetrics & Exploring Baseball Data
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Students will be introduced to baseball statistics and data. They will learn basic statistics as well as more advanced statistics. They will learn what the statistics mean and how significant they are and how to apply their knowledge when actually comparing players and teams. There will be a final project where students can create their own project answering any baseball question that they desire using the metrics we have learned throughout the semester.
98-270 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Quadrotors: Robots in da Skies
Intermittent: 3 units
"Drones". "UAV's". We are starting to hear these words in the media, often in a negative context. But there is a world of hobbyists that play with the same machines with an entirely different intent. "Quadrotors" (robots that are like helicopters, but with four motors and blades) are being used to get beautiful footage from unique perspectives, to lift beer, for research, and even for music; and they are a blast to build, tinker with, and fly. We hope to use these robots as an introduction to the world of hobbyists for any student who would find making "something that they can fly" fun. It is not hard to learn to build a quadrotor, it is just a matter of being taught. We would love for students in fields such as "fine arts" or "business" to take this course, and we have designed it to be understood by a nontechnical audience, but to be enjoyed by everyone. Take our StuCo and harass your roommate by flying at them with your very own quadrotor that YOU built.
98-271 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Speedrunning 101%
Spring: 3 units
This course focuses on teaching students the principles of Speedrunning, including  choosing games, learning games, designing splits, recording/streaming their runs, and racing.  We will cover everything from the basics and lingo, to the software used for recording, and how  to integrate into the speedrunning community.
98-272 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Financial Literacy for Beginners
Fall and Spring: 3 units
This course is an introductory class designed to provide an overview of financial literacy. This course will break down ways for each student to think about their own spending habits and come up with ways to make better financial decisions. We will start off with basic knowledge about budgeting, spending psychology, banking, credit/debit cards, and go into some of the basic investing and economic information you should know when handling any money. This course will also integrate simple monetary biases that people have, and how to tackle and handle those situations. Students should be able to balance their finances and have a financial goal for the future by the end of this course. - Learn basic knowledge about budgeting, banking, credit/debit cards - Understand simple monetary biases that people have, and how to tackle and handle those situations - Balance finances and have financial goals for the future, including investment priorities.
98-273 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Mermaidology
Intermittent: 3 units
This course will focus on mermaids: what they are, where the stories and myths arose from, and how they affect us today. Topics including the origin of mermaids, mermaids in mythology, gender and sexuality in mermaids, mermaids in the media, and the existence of mermaids will be covered in this StuCo. We will use stories such as Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid", movies such as Disney's The Little Mermaid and Peter Pan, and even cultural icons like Aquaman to get a better understanding of the mermaid phenomenon and how it affects us.
98-274 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): How to Start an Anonymous Website
Spring: 3 units
Whatever you do on the Internet, everything starts with your IP address. On the conventional Internet, routing protocols ensure that nothing you do can be... (finishing this later...some statement will be made here about the motivation/concerns for online anonymity and privacy, and its personal and political implications...) The Tor project originated a few years ago as a result of the combination of the development and implementation of new encryption technologies and increasing concerns for privacy.
98-275 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Marvel Film and Media Studies
Intermittent: 3 units
This course is an exploration of one of the last decade's most successful media franchises: the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which began with 2008's "Iron Man," continuing with titles such as "The Avengers" and "Guardians of the Galaxy." Each class session will focus on a specific film (or films or shows) in the MCU. We will study each film from both a filmmaking standpoint and a thematic standpoint; we will begin by following the production of each film before delving into the story and content. We will also examine the cultural influence and impact of the MCU entries; topics will range from Wikileaks to Tumblr fandom. This course is for students who desire to learn more about the behind-the-scenes process behind some of their favorite films, or to just talk about how much they love Groot.
98-276 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Learning the Ropes
Intermittent: 3 units
Jump rope has risen from a playground activity to an internationally competitive sport. This StuCo will expose students to the basics of jump rope as a little-known sport and have them develop creativity and skills throughout the semester. Students will perform a choreographed routine at Dancers Symposium as a final project and will also have created a simple "freestyle" using the skills that they have learned. There is a course fee of $6 for a jump rope. The course fee is due to the instructor in person on the first day of class. Class will be held in the Morewood Gardens Multipurpose Room.
98-277 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Vim Editor: Philosophy, Principles and Practice
Intermittent: 3 units
Vim is a very powerful text editor that is often misused. This is because Vim has a editing model that is fundamentally different from almost all other editors out there, and it takes quite a bit of understanding to truly edit text at the speed of thought. The main purpose of this course is to answer the question: Why Vim? We will trace the roots of the Vim editor, and explain in detail how to think in Vim, how to utilize the most out of its commands, and how people use it in practice. We will also be talking a bit about some of the traps that beginners fall into, and will intentionally avoid topics that are too misleading. This course is mostly geared towards CS/ECE majors who spend most of their time coding in a C-style language.
98-278 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Animal Minds: Introduction to Animal Psychology
Intermittent: 3 units
Elephants mourn for their dead, captive dolphins can fall into insanity, and chimpanzees have nearly photographic memory but poor spoken word comprehension. This course is designed to give students an introduction to modern discoveries in animal psychology. Topics covered include animal consciousness, communication/learning, relationships, and emotions. We will also go in-depth with specific animals and explore the emotions and cognitive abilities of these species in order to gain a better understanding of how to interpret animal behavior as thoughts.
98-279 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Lights, Camera, Architecture
Intermittent: 3 units
Telling a story through film requires creating a world that captures the imagination and fancy of moviegoers. Whether a movie is in its preliminary or final stages of development, the setting of the film is essential to the overall storyline. Historical, fantastical or grounded in reality, each style and sense of place has its own impact on the storyline. We will look at the history of architecture in films, the role architecture plays in fantasy, futuristic, dystopian, and hybrid world building. We will also examine famous architecture, its destruction, and films that reach outside of what we understand as place and time. A captivating film is rooted in a strong storyline. A gripping storyline is nothing without the context in which it's placed. The context, the built environment, and the architecture will be the focus of our exploration of film from the 20th century to the present day.
98-280 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Backgammon: Everything You Need to Know
Intermittent: 3 units
This course is designed to take you through a journey to learn the art of Backgammon. We learn the history of the game, how to play the game, advanced techniques, and strategies, among many other things. The purpose of the course ultimately is to teach you to play backgammon well.
98-281 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Global Wine Studies
Intermittent: 3 units
You MUST be 21 or older to register for this course. If you are NOT confirmed on the roster, you are NOT permitted to attend this course. This course is designed to help you learn about wine industry from a consumer standpoint. By the end of the semester you will be able to: choose and serve wine, taste in a professional manner, read and interpret vocabulary, understand wine making, storing/aging, food pairing, and industry etiquette. There will be a course fee of approximately $150.
98-282 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): How to Draw Manga
Intermittent: 3 units
This class will teach students how to draw Japanese sequential comics, called manga, by helping them develop necessary skills including script writing, making names, character design, paneling, etc. Over the course of the semester, students will aim to complete two short comics.
98-283 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Beginner Hula Hooping and Intro to Hoop Dance
Intermittent: 3 units
Hoop Dance is a course which is meant to teach beginner hula hoopers various hula hooping skills that can be incorporated into a dance. Hoop dance is a very free form type of dance done with a hula hoop that has many different styles. Hoop Dance will introduce students to these styles and help each student develop their hooping style and technique.
98-284 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Intro to 3D Game Development in Unity
Intermittent: 3 units
Do you love video games? Have you ever wondered how some of your favorite video games are made? Introduction to Game Development in Unity 3D is a comprehensive course that takes you from a beginner to developing a full 3D game in Unity. This StuCo provides a foundation in the tools, techniques, and methods for creating and successfully using Unity 3D in a production environment. Topics include: Idea Creation, Interface Navigation, Scene Set-Up, Game Objects, Scripting, Animation, Physics, AI, and Overall Design. Design encompasses topics such as: Lighting, UI, Textures, and Audio.
98-285 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Intro to Naval Aviation
Intermittent: 3 units
Aviation is a central part of US Naval history and continues to play a large role in modern warfare today. The purpose of this class is to learn the history of naval aviation, identify the different aircraft and their individual missions, and to better understand the role of naval aviation in the bigger picture of the military and its operations.
98-286 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): The Navajo Language
Intermittent: 3 units
The Navajo language (Din and #233; bizaad) is a Native American language of the Athabaskan language family spoken in the Southwestern United States by over 170,000 people (over 7,500 of whom are monolingual). It is well known to most Americans as the language used in World War II by the United States as a means to transmit military messages with the help of Navajo soldiers, but its history and depth go far beyond that. This course aims to provide students with a way to learn the language to a basic degree, and provide foundations for learning it even more after the course has ended. In addition, this course strives to provide students with a linguistics background a unique opportunity to survey a Native American language. By the end of the course, students should walk away with the ability to describe the world and hold simple conversations in Navajo, as well as a greater understanding of Native American culture and society.
98-287 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Intro to Modern Hebrew
Intermittent: 3 units
While Hebrew itself has been around since the 10th century B.C., modern Hebrew has only been around since the 19th century. Now it is spoken by 9 million people worldwide. This course will teach you the basics of conversational Hebrew through lessons, games, fun, and music. By the end of the course, you will know the alphabet, basic sentence structure and vocabulary, how to ask about the weather and such, and some knew games and songs!
98-288 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Star Wars: The Course Awakens
Fall and Spring: 3 units
We will spend each class focusing on a specific topic in the Star Wars universe starting with plot discussion, clip viewing, fun facts, and opinions on each of the canon films. Then we will look more into the details of what makes Star Wars the worldwide pop culture phenomenon that it is by discussing other aspects of the franchise in the remaining classes.
98-289 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): An Exploration of Synesthesia
Intermittent: 3 units
"Tuesdays are hot pink." Hearing colors, tasting sounds, and feeling flavors are all different types of synesthesia, a neurological condition in which activation of one sense or cognitive pathway triggers another. For certain synesthetes, a particular smell might elicit texture and color; for another, a letter might have a bright color and distinct personality. Synesthesia is rare, and those who have it often believe everyone perceives the world similarly to the way they do. As a result, the condition rarely comes up in conversation or in classes. This course will be an exploration of cross-sensory perception, the different manifestations of synesthesia, and the theories behind its basis. We will compare and contrast the ways in which synesthetes and non-synesthetes experience the world, as well as delve into some of the deeper, emotional effects of living with synesthesia.
98-290 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Intro to Vocal Percussion
Intermittent: 3 units
Beatboxing is a discipline that emerged during the 1980s, when there was a need for electronic equipment to produce accompanying beats for rappers. As people generally could not afford these beat boxes, people discovered the ability to emulate the beats themselves, and these people were known as beatboxers. This course will explore some popular beatbox icons from that time. The popularity of beatbox dwindled once the electronic equipment for producing beats became more affordable, but their has been a resurgence of interest in beatboxing that leads to a split in old school vs. new school beatbox. The course will attempt to provide knowledge of both, with a higher emphasis on the more technical new school styles, which continue to expand today.
98-291 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Android Development
Intermittent: 3 units
This course introduces the student to mobile development through Android. We will focus on the different components of an Android application, including view hierarchy and complex layout elements. Students will learn to navigate between different activities, interact with other devices, and use SDKs (Software Development Kits) such as Google Maps. We also hope to introduce the student to networking on Android applications through building a chat service. The student will also learn to use Firebase for data persistence in the Android development use case.
98-292 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): 3D Game Design with Python & Panda3D
Intermittent: 3 units
This course will teach students how to craft 3D video games in python, starting from basic concepts of game engines to full project constructions. We will base our course practice on panda3D, a game engine developed by Carnegie Electrical Entertainment Center. Students are expected to have sufficient experience in python before joining (currently or once in 15-112). This will be a project-focusing class that helps students create their own games.
98-293 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Western Esotericism & Occultism
Intermittent: 3 units
The subject of Western esotericism is one that fascinates many but is very difficult to begin to understand. Is the complexity and intricacy of Western esotericism a beautiful thing to behold, or is it an ugly mess that misleads and distracts seekers of the absolute? This course presents a brief introduction to several key themes within the subject of Western esotericism, including Qabbalah, ritual magic, divination, alchemy, enchantment, and evocation. The writings of famous Western esotericists, including Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, Eliphas Levi, Aleister Crowley, Eugen Grosche, and Austin Osman Spare, will also be studied and discussed.
98-294 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Server-Side Programming with Node.js
Intermittent: 3 units
While we enjoy the many innovations of internet communication through our smart phones and web browsers, a lot of the heavy work are performed in the back stage by servers. They are the backbone of any web-based application, and they are built to do most of the heavy computing tasks that allows these applications stay dynamic and responsive. With the advent of Node.js, server-side development has become more advanced and approachable thanks to the scalability and modular design of the language. In this course we will learn how to use this advanced language to create a variety of creative server applications, such as a live chat system, GPS tracking, serving web content, and more.
98-295 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Lock Picking and Physical Security
Intermittent: 3 units
The purpose of this class is to both study the wide array of techniques used in modern-day security and to gain real skills in lock picking and bypass techniques. We will study the design of pin tumbler padlocks and deadbolts, which comprise the majority of locks one will encounter. Students will learn how to use single-pin-picking techniques to pick such locks. We will also look at bypass techniques such as unshielded padlock entry, bump keys, and padlock shimming. With this knowledge, students will be able to assess the security of their belongings and, of course, will never get locked out of their homes again. There is a fee of $30 per student to cover the cost of basic tools and a practice lock.
98-296 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): The Doctor WhoCo
Intermittent: 3 units
The BBC TV show Doctor Who originally aired from 1963 to 1989 before being resurrected in 2005 to become the popular franchise we know and love. The show has endured through many changes in format, leadership, and cast. This course is a place for anyone who wants to learn about the rich history of the show and discuss its eras, monsters, heroes, technology, and fandom. No prior knowledge of Doctor Who is required - all are welcome!
98-297 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Leadership Theory and Practice
Intermittent: 3 units
This course examines the theoretical nature of leadership and focuses on the applications of the leadership theory in economical, global, social, and political contexts. Students will be introduced to the history of leadership and leadership theory, from the "Great Man" theory of born natural leaders to the Contingency Theory of adapting one's leadership styles based on certain situations. By learning these theories and concepts, students will also examine their own leadership styles and develop strategies to become more influential and successful leaders in their organizations or professional workplaces. Emphasis will be placed on specific leadership topics such as team leadership, strategic leadership, developing others, change management, and systems thinking.
98-298 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Ping Pong
Intermittent: 3 units
COURSE LOCATION: CUC BASEMENT TABLE TENNIS COURT The ping-pong stu-co is designed to teach the basics of the game of ping-pong and improve the performance of current players. Students will start by learning the fundamentals of the sport, including but not limited to: competition level game rules, player style, and racquet personalization. The majority of the course will then be used to teach spin technique, placement strategy, and consistency. Both single-player and double-player modes will be taught. Instruction includes one on one with experienced teachers and a CMU hosted ping pong tournament! Prior experience can range from none to intermediate skill level. Due to the space restrictions of this course and the material taught, noticeably advanced players are subject for removal. This course will require a $20 materials fee to cover the expenses of personal paddles, balls, and other necessary materials.
98-300 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Elementary Cantonese
Intermittent: 3 units
Cantonese is the language spoken by people in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau, and virtually all overseas Chinatowns. There are more than 100 million people speaking Cantonese worldwide, and more than one million are living in the US and Canada. Being able to communicate in Cantonese will allow students to fully immerse in southern Chinese culture when they visit Hong Kong or Guangzhou, and to further appreciate classical Chinese. In this class, students would be able to learn Cantonese vocabulary and expressions through music, movies and class activities. There will be rich opportunities for student to practice Cantonese conversations. Students will learn to talk about day-to-day situations in basic Cantonese and gain more understanding about Cantonese culture. No knowledge of Cantonese is required but understanding Chinese characters is preferred and will be greatly helpful.
98-301 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Taylor Swift Through the Eras
Fall and Spring: 3 units
In this class, we will look at Taylor Swift's music career through each of her albums. Each class will cover a different album and a different topic related to that album. We will look at song Taylor Swift's use of personal experiences, literary techniques, and Easter eggs in her songs. We will look into the ways that Taylor swift has been able to change and adapt to society throughout her career including transitioning between different music genres and continuing to create music throughout the pandemic. We will also learn about why Taylor Swift has decided to rerecord her music and learn about the rerecording process. Each class will begin with a discussion. Classes are each 50 mins long and will be lecture/discussion style. During classes, we will listen to a lot of music and watch many music videos to help analyze the songs. There will be a few video assignments throughout the semester as well as a midterm essay and a final project.
98-302 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Fundamentals of Manhood
Intermittent: 3 units
This course will provide an overview of manhood. It will provide the fundamentals that are necessary to thrive as a rugged man in todays world. It will introduce modules of manhood such as basic auto maintenance, key cooking and BEVERAGE skills, outdoorsy concepts, and much much more! (Note: This course is open to men and women however some modules such as shaving techniques are geared specifically toward men. Women are still encouraged to join though!)
98-303 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Freestyle Rap
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Are you a fan of hip-hop who wants to learn how to create your own rhymes? Are you a quick-minded individual who enjoys a mental challenge? Have you ever heard a track and thought "man, I wanna drop bars all over this beat"? Then this is the class for you. Freestyle rap is a difficult but rewarding mental exercise that, when mastered, is guaranteed to sound dope. This class will start from the basics and work up to more and more complicated techniques. We promise that anyone who completes this class will be able to spit Sway-in-the-Morning-level bars, anytime, anywhere. All skill levels are welcome!
98-304 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Game Theory Across Disciplines
Intermittent: 3 units
Game Theory is the mathematical study of strategic decision-making, and it has been found to be a toolbox for studying topics across a wide variety of disciplines. This course is intended to introduce models and applications of Game Theory within a diverse set of fields, including (but not limited to) Psychology, Operations Research, Physics, Machine Learning, and International Relations. This course will analyze results in Game Theory that broke ground in the 20th century and will study new frontiers of Game Theory within the 21st century. Topics discussed in the course will include (but are not limited to) K-Level Learning, Matching Problems, The Principal-Agent Model, Evolutionary Game Theory, Quantum Games, Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning, and Global Games. No previous experience with Game Theory is required, as we will introduce rational Game Theory within the first few weeks of the course. While no previous background in mathematics is required, some familiarity with calculus is preferred.
98-305 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Latin
Intermittent: 3 units
Some (or many) might call it a dead language, but make no mistake: Latin is one of the most important languages in human history. Used by the Romans, the Byzantines, and all Mediterranean cultures, Latin is the essence of all Romance languages and western civilization. In this class, we will be examining the fundamentals of Latin, including the declensions of nouns, the conjugations and tenses of verbs, the types of participles, and the use of conjunctions. Furthermore, we will cover Roman mythology and history and delve into some of Latin's greatest writers, including Catullus, Pliny, and Virgil. This class is meant for students of all types, whether you're new to the language and curious about learning it or studied it in highschool and would like to further your education.
98-306 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Crafting a Community Impact
Intermittent: 3 units
This course aims to provide hands-on exploration, analysis, and exposure to self-initiated community contributions, as well as to provide structural support for those interested in contributing back to the Carnegie Mellon community (and beyond). The course emphasizes on exploration and analysis diverse methods of community contributions, comprehension about how huge ideas can be tackled by dividing into solvable chunks, as well as exposure to planning and implementing a community impact. By the end of the course, you will have analyzed, planned, organized, and implemented your contribution. Are you very much excited to contribute back to the Carnegie Mellon community with your super-awesome innovative ideas, but dont know where and how to start? If so, this is the perfect course for you to get you up and running.
98-307 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Time For Ponies! Intro to My Little Pony
Intermittent: 3 units
The show that has taken the world by storm! Find out why so many adults and even adult men watch "Friendship is Magic". This course will focus primarily on the TV show itself and will let students draw their own conclusions on whether or not its popularity is warranted. However, a few meetings will be devoted to the huge fandom My Little Pony has spawned, as well as how Hasbro interacts with its fans. We will watch, discuss, and analyze episodes, as well as bring in outside articles, YouTube videos, and interviews in an effort to understand My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. No prior knowledge of My Little Pony is required or assumed.
98-308 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Vehicles of Armored Warfare
Intermittent: 3 units
Just as how battleships were seen as a country's pride and show of apical military and manufacturing capabilities, tanks were in a sense, too. The course name is a bit of a misnomer because the term vehicle implies a multitude of self-propelled machines. To keep interests focused and manageable, this course deals with tanks. Yes. You heard me. TANKS! My objective is to teach as much as I know about tanks to an interested audience. As we progress, we will learn about the history, particular battles, and specific design details that made these steel monstrosities both loved and feared since the beginning of modern warfare.
98-309 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Build Your Own Startup
Fall and Spring: 3 units
In this dynamic and interactive course, we will take a hands-on approach to learning about entrepreneurship with a focus on startups in technology, data, green energy, fintech, healthcare, and other areas of student interest. Students will be divided into teams and will work together as potential co-founders throughout the course, giving them a realistic experience of the startup journey. Through engaging lectures, practical exercises, and real-world case studies, we will explore key concepts such as product market fit, marketing strategies, financing a business, and wireframing. Each week, we will delve deeper into one of these topics and students will have the opportunity to apply their understanding to their own startup idea, through regular feedback and mentorship from instructors and guest industry experts. The course will culminate in a final pitch where students will present their startup to the class and instructors, giving them a taste of the real-world experience in incubator and accelerator applications. Grading will be based on the quality of the pitch, the progress made on the startup throughout the course, and participation in class discussions and group work. This course is designed for students who are passionate about entrepreneurship and innovation and want to gain a deeper understanding of the startup ecosystem.
98-310 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Advanced Cantonese
Intermittent: 3 units
Cantonese is the language spoken by people in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau, and virtually all overseas Chinatowns. There are more than 100 million people speaking Cantonese worldwide, and more than one million are living in the US and Canada. Being able to communicate in Cantonese will allow students to fully immerse in southern Chinese culture when they visit Hong Kong or Guangzhou, and to further appreciate classical Chinese.
98-311 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Female Empowerment
Intermittent: 3 units
This course will engage with both historical and contemporary readings, as well as draw from anecdotal experiences and observations to understand how female empowerment has been viewed and obtained throughout history and today. We will consider the ways in which female empowerment has interacted with feminist theories of gender, and other demographics. In this course we will focus around how society defines female empowerment, and reshaping and transforming the ideas of female empowerment locally, nationally, and globally.
98-312 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Futurology
Intermittent: 3 units
What will the world look like 100 years from now? Technological breakthroughs happen every day, but where are they taking us as a society? Is that a place we want to go? Well attempt to answer these questions by looking at the past, present, and future of fields such as virtual reality, transportation, biotechnology, renewable energy, space exploration, politics, artificial intelligence, and more. Science fiction and futurology go hand in hand, so well also be looking at media such as Star Trek, Black Mirror, and 1984 to discuss what utopian and dystopian predictions could really come true (or already have).
98-313 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Dungeons & Dragons 101
Intermittent: 3 units
Dungeons and amp; Dragons, or D and amp;D for short, is a fantasy tabletop role playing game traditionally set in a medieval world where a group of players each playing as a hero must conquer some sort of objective or quest which is overseen by a player called the Dungeon Master. Dungeons and amp; Dragons 101 is a course designed to teach students both how to play as characters in D and amp;D and how to run their own games as Dungeon Masters. The course will be taught in the fourth edition of D and amp;D, and students will learn skills that will help them start and continue interesting campaigns with their friends. Students will make their own characters, play as those characters in adventurers with their peers, and will eventually design their own encounters and run their own games as Dungeon Masters. While we would recommend students purchasing the 4e Rulebooks for this class, all relevant references can be made using the D and amp;D wiki which we will provide a link to in the course. NOTICE: Students will be charged $3 for a set of dice, unless students have their own dice sets. The students keep the dice sets after the course.
98-314 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Bollywood
Intermittent: 3 units
The Hindi-language movie industry, also known as Bollywood, is one of the largest and most influential film industries in the world with a global audience. The goal of this course is to provide students with a basic knowledge of modern popular Hindi films and their cultural and historical significance. We will examine the intersection of contemporary Indian culture and film through genres typically different than those found in Hollywood, such as the masala film. To supplement course discussions, we will watch successful Hindi films from the last 30 years. Each class will consist of a short discussion/lecture followed by the viewing of a movie.
98-315 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Masculinity in the Wild
Intermittent: 3 units
Navigating the world today as a man seems to be more difficult than it used to. Should men cry? Should they be tough and strong? Does a man need to always hold the door open for a woman? There's a lot to talk about when it comes to being a man in America in 2017, and this course is the place to do it. Although this course is about masculinity, it is open to people of all genders. We will answer various questions about manhood from "what is masculinity" to "where do masculinity and feminism intersect" and "how does my manhood intersect with other parts of my identity?" There is no expectation for students to have any prior knowledge or background about masculinity. This course will prove to you that being a man is about more than knowing how to change a tire.
98-316 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): What's Up Doc? Mel Blanc & the Looney Toons Gang
Intermittent: 3 units
"What's Up, Doc?" will be an exploration of Mel Blanc and his voice characterizations throughout his career. Known as "The Man of a Thousand Voices," Mel Blanc is considered a master of creating cartoon voices such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig. This StuCo will also examine the current voice characterization of The Looney Tunes characters in recent adaptations of The Looney Tunes.
98-317 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Hype for Types
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Type theory is a foundation of mathematics that can serve as an alternative to set theory. It is integral to programming languages, which rely on type systems to ensure code correctness. This course aims to go over fun and weird results in type theory that you might otherwise have to read complicated academic papers to understand, as well as to provide a foundation to help understand these fun results. We'll provide plain English explanations of concepts such as algebraic datatypes, derivatives of types, negative types, type isomorphisms, and the Curry-Howard correspondence. Some math and programming background (around the level of 15-150) is required, though a type theory background is not necessary.
98-318 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): A Practical Inroduction to Arabic Calligraphy
Intermittent: 3 units
Arabic language is a beautiful language that inherits a heritage of Islamic prosperity across millennia. Of particular importance to the field of Arabic language is the craft of writing its words and letters, which on itself is a vast field with plentiful of contributions from calligraphers throughout the past 1400 years. In this course, we will take a very brief look at the world of Arabic calligraphy, with a strong emphasis on the practical aspect of it. We will focus mainly on the two most frequently used fonts in modern Arabic media, Req'a and Naskh, and learn how to apply these fonts to some common words and phrases.
98-319 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Game of Thrones
Intermittent: 3 units
The HBO series Game of Thrones (based on George R.R. Martins fantasy saga A Song of Ice and Fire) has grown to become one of the most widely viewed and analyzed television shows today. In this discussion-based course, we will explore content from the original texts and the television episodes and look at themes that appear throughout the series (such as power, religion, and morality) as well as the impact that the shows popularity has had on audiences views on topics such as sexuality, politics and feminism. We welcome all who are familiar with the Game of Thrones content and enjoy discussing this fascinating series. Winter is coming! Prerequisites: Should be familiar with content up to the end of season 3 of Game of Thrones (and should not mind spoilers if you have not watched beyond that)
98-320 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Intro to React Native
Intermittent: 3 units
Students will learn React Native from getting their environment set up to publishing an app on the app store. They will also learn how to manage a realtime database and even handle server-side functions.
98-321 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Kanye West: Take it Yeezy
Intermittent: 3 units
A discussion-based course that centers on Kanye West's discography, fashion, social media, and cultural impact in the twenty-first century.
98-322 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): LOST: We Have To Go Back
Intermittent: 3 units
This course will be an in-depth overview of all things LOST. Premiering in 2004, LOST became an immediate success with its focus on character based storytelling and use of flashbacks. Despite ending in 2010, the show continues to be discussed due to its still unsolved mysteries and highly debated finale. Topics for the course will include everything from the Dharma Initiative and mysteries of the Island to theories and the fundamental question: Were they dead the whole time? The production and legacy of the groundbreaking show will also be discussed. No prior knowledge of LOST is required, and those looking for a reason to watch the show are highly encouraged to enroll.
98-323 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Planning Pawnee: Urban Principles in Parks & Rec
Intermittent: 3 units
In this course, students will analyze and synthesize moments and key environmental characteristics present in NBCs hit television show Parks and Recreation as well as modern small- to midsize cities to determine the fundamental necessities of a 21st century city. Though no educational foundation in urban planning is needed for this course, topics will include basic principles of space, city planning, urban redevelopment, and the social implications of urban construction projects. Divided into two units, this course has two major assignments: a course reflection at the mid-semester as well as a final project which tasks students with improving aspects of the shows existing environment. Students will come away with a greater understanding of urban planning and development, both in the context of the fictional Pawnee, Indiana where the show is set and the cities we inhabit today.
98-324 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Spanish for Healthcare Professionals
Intermittent: 3 units
As the Spanish-speaking population grows in Pittsburgh and nationally, it is becoming increasingly more important for healthcare professionals to be comfortable speaking Spanish. This course will combine independent study and interactive in-class activities in order to create clinical settings that will call for your use of Spanish. Our objective is to have students be able to comfortably communicate with Spanish-speaking patients in a culturally sensitive manner. In addition to basic language development, students will learn Hispanic cultural values and beliefs that could affect their clinical decision-making and the way they interact with patients. No pre-requisites are necessary. If you are a pre-health student, a Spanish-speaker, or someone interested in gaining an incredible life skill, this is the StuCo for you!
98-325 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Taiwan and the World
Intermittent: 3 units
This course attempts to examine the roots and characteristics of cross-strait (that is, between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland) relationship and focus on understanding the narrative and emotions that have developed around the issue on both sides. This course will be split into 3 parts: understanding China, understanding Taiwan, and understanding the interaction between the two under the framework of larger international political trends such as the Sino-American rivalry in the region.
98-326 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): The Rise and Fall of Sonic the Hedgehog
Intermittent: 3 units
Sonic the Hedgehog was a driving cultural force in the 90s, on the same popularity level with children as Nintendos Mario and Pokemon. But something happened in the 21st century: Sonic games started being bad. Sonic Team kept making mistakes. And everyones beloved blue hedgehog lost his fanbase. What happened to Sonic? And did he ever bounce back to his former speed and glory? This course aims to find out.
98-327 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Touhou: Welcome to Gensokyo
Intermittent: 3 units
"What is a 'too-hu'?" "What Anime is it from?" Or perhaps more serious questions, "What exactly is Touhou?" "Why is it so prevalent?" and "Where the heck do I start with all the lore?" Touhou is a bullet hell video game series by Team Shanghai Alice. With its first game published in 1996, and its latest installment released just this past summer, for a simple arcade style game Touhou has gathered an immense fan base, consistently placing as the 2nd most popular franchise at Comiket, the world's largest doujinshi convention, and currently holding the title for most popular franchise overall (as ranked by doujin production). This course will explore the complex world of touhou, its rise to popularity in Japan, and how Touhou influences pop culture in Japan as a whole.
98-328 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): World Music: An Exploration
Intermittent: 3 units
This course will take students on a journey of the music scenes of every country in the world. For each country, students will learn what its music scene is like today, and how other factors, like society, geography, politics, and location influence the music made there today. Students will also listen to at least one song from each country that is representative of the music from there. By the end of the course, students will have heard music from soca to rigsar to q-pop to fado and everything in between.
98-329 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Civilization V: Understanding Civilizations
Intermittent: 3 units
Civilization V is a turn-based strategy game where players lead a civilization and guide its growth across thousands of years. As simple as it sounds, this game can be a valuable tool of understanding the framework of todays world. The goal of this course is threefold. The first, basic goal is for students to be able to enjoy playing this game as entertainment. The second goal is to reveal some thematic concepts in anthropology, politics, and history. Example concepts that will be covered include political and geographical factors of institutional action, the nature of war, the politics of scale, the butterfly effect, and more. The third goal is to understand how the limitations of the game as an oversimplified model affects the way in which we view events in this course, and keeping in mind such limitations as we use the game as an investigative tool. The latest version of the complete edition of Civilization V on Steam, with all purchasable DLCs, is required for participation in the course.
98-330 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Fundamentals of Personal Development
Intermittent: 3 units
This course will provide students with a general introduction to the principles of personal development. In this class students will learn how to: become more charismatic and increase their confidence, improve their negotiation skills, be more vulnerable, manage their time efficiently, and many more things. They will do so by learning how to create positive habits and break negative ones. Assignments include helping strangers, watching keynote conference speakers and short readings.
98-331 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Animation & Video Editing
Intermittent: 3 units
Ever watch a cartoon and wonder how its animated? Ever see a music video and think how they edited it? Wish you could do the same? In today's age, time-based mediums such as videos are becoming one of the most viewed mediums. In this course, we will cover studio standards for making videos and animations by merging classing animation techniques with professional video-editing techniques and software. Students will be exposed to Hand-Drawn Animation, Vector-Based Animation, Video Editing, Kinetic Typography and amp; Motion Graphics. This course covers the entire creative process from storyboarding and amp; animatics to editing and amp; post-production with tools such as After Effects, Flash Professional, Illustrator and amp; Photoshop. No animation or art experience required.
98-332 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Paper Crafting
Intermittent: 3 units
Do you want to create beautiful paper bouquet without spending money at shops? Do you want to give a trendy, dimensional, handmade card to your friend on holidays? This class is an introduction to paper crafting that will satisfy your wishes to be an amateur paper artist. Throughout the semester, we will mainly focus on paper quilling and will alternatively teach you about card making (such as handmade pop-up cards), sometimes with holiday themes. Then, see how to incorporate your new quilled creations into lovely cards or amazing and creative projects. Note: This is a project-based class. Most of the projects we are doing are three-dimensional. Students need to buy a basic quilling kit that costs approximately $20. Extra materials could be purchased based on needs.
98-333 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Charisma
Intermittent: 3 units
Charisma, also known as personal magnetism, is one of the most coveted personality traits seen in human society. There are many benefits to be derived from this trait; for example, charismatic people often have an easier time building healthy social lives, impressing interviewers, and leading teams effectively. Unfortunately, it is commonly believed that charisma is something a person is either born with or not. This damaging belief has discouraged many uncharismatic individuals from striving to develop this trait - a feat that is entirely possible if the trait is properly understood. In this class, students will study the major components of charisma and practice exercises designed to help them fully master these components.
98-334 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Tactical Skills and Knowledge
Intermittent: 3 units
This course is meant to enrich individual tactical knowledge and skills. The course has three main objectives: firstly, to provide entry-level tactical knowledge that prepares individuals for a variety of situations, problems and emergencies. Secondly, to expose students to the concept of unarmed and armed self-defense. Finally, to teach basic means of improving and maintaining tactical fitness. After completing this course, students should feel more confident in their abilities, and have the foundations to further their learning.
98-335 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Glowstringing/Poi
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Often seen in raves and music festivals, glowstringing is the art of dancing with glowsticks or other luminescent objects on a string by swinging them in the air, hitting them against your body, and performing other tricks and manipulations. In this StuCo, you can expect to learn many of the fundamentals of glowstringing, along with a simple choreography that you can use to put on a show for friends, family, or strangers. Although this course is targeted towards beginners with no experience, people of all skill levels will have something to learn. Class sessions are workshop-based but highly individualized. Everyone's learning pace is different and the pacing of the course will be adjusted based on overall learning speed of the class.
98-336 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Greek Mythology
Intermittent: 3 units
Greek myths have continued to inspire and capture the imagination for thousands of years. This course presents a basic introduction to Greek mythology and the concepts that are essential to understanding mythology. Students in this course will gain an understanding of Greek mythology and the Olympian gods and goddesses through readings, movies and discussions of these ancient stories.
98-337 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Traditional Chinese Martial Arts
Intermittent: 3 units
Tired of doing Yoga or lifting weights? The traditional Chinese martial arts will help you think exercising is a fun thing to do. From this course, you will not only learn the basic stances and styles of Chinese martial arts, but also gain the wisdom of life through the training.
98-338 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Memes for StuCo-Taking Teens
Intermittent: 3 units
Have you ever made a meme, posted it to an internet forum, and had it fail miserably? Perhaps you have found a hilarious meme on Reddit and wanted to know more about its origins. Join the creator of the CM Memes for Spicy Teens Facebook group and its mod team as we dive deep into the origins of memes, the subcultures created around "good content", and the future of Internet inside jokes.
98-339 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Slacklining
Intermittent: 3 units
Have you ever seen people walking on lines between trees around campus? Ever wondered what it's all about? Slacklining emerged as a supplemental sport for rock climbers to work on focus and balance and has been adopted by the mainstream as a fun hobby. In this course, we will learn about how to set up slacklines with a ratchet system, how to stand on a slackline, and how to take steps. If you're really good, you might even be able to do some tricks by the end of the semester! This course will meet outdoors so be prepared to hang out in potentially inclement weather. Student should expect to regularly attend class and practice slacklining; it's the only way to get better.
98-340 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Street Roaming in Tokyo
Intermittent: 3 units
Urban streets are cultural scenes: they give rise to various contemporary ideas and modern communities, which in turn transform the street they emerged from. The diversity of street culture in Tokyo naturally suggests that modern Japanese culture is not a unitary concept, but rather a coexistence of contrasting ideals. This course will walk you through streets of vastly different personalities, from Akihabara, the capital of Otaku subculture, to Sugamo, the fashion center for the elderly, to gain an eclectic view of culture in urban Japan. Although Tokyo is the main theme of the course, it would become clear that the same concepts will enrich your adventure in many other cities. Prior knowledge about Japanese or Japanese culture is optional. No travelling is required.
98-341 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Build Your Own Breadboard Computer
Fall and Summer: 3 units
Students will construct a homebrew computer on a breadboard from basic parts (e.g. a CPU, RAM, and ROM), similar to Ben Eater's Custom 6502 YouTube series. The computer will be built in a modular way, studying each part individually to go from a computer that can only blink a light to a fully complete system. By the end of this class, students will have their very own expandable custom computer that can communicate with other devices, display text, play games, etc. No computer architecture or assembly knowledge is required, though familiarity with breadboarding and the basics of digital logic is recommended. Some work time outside of class ( and lt;3 hours per week) will be required for building. A materials fee of and lt;$30 may be required (amount TBD).
98-347 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Names
Intermittent: 3 units
Names sure can be fascinating - and they can shape people's lives! In this course, you will be equipped to explore published name data, understand and respond to discussions about names in society, and ultimately create an informed list of favorite names.
98-348 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Old Icelandic
Intermittent: 3 units
"Ask veit ek standa, heitir Yggdrasill h and #225;r baðmr, ausinn hv and #237;ta auri; þaðan koma dggvar þærs and #237; dala falla; stendr æ yfir grnn Urðar brunni." In this course, we will learn the basics of Old Icelandic - the language itself as well as relevant concepts in linguistics. Topics in Old Icelandic include orthography, phonology, mutations, noun, pronoun and adjective declension, verb conjugation and syntax. We will also read and translate and write our own Old Icelandic text. Topics in linguistics include basics of phonology, historical linguistics, particularly the development of Proto-Germanic into Old Icelandic. We will compare and contrast Old Icelandic with other languages, modern or ancient, to facilitate our understanding of linguistics. If time allows, we may also discuss the history and the culture of the Nordic people, who constituted the majority of the speakers of Old Icelandic; however, it is to be noted that the focus of this course is on the language and linguistics rather than on history and culture. Upon completion of the course, in addition to gaining an understanding of the above topics, students will be able to conjugate verbs and decline nouns, adjectives and pronouns given their conjugation and declension classes, translate basic Old Icelandic text into English with a dictionary.
98-349 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Logic Puzzle StuCo
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Students will learn about various logic puzzle genres, such as Sudoku, Masyu, and other grid-based puzzles. They will learn techniques applicable to specific puzzles, and general strategies applicable to all puzzles or activities involving logic. Students will also have the opportunity to create their own puzzles, as well as learn about the math and history behind certain puzzle types. There are no prerequisites. The first half of each class will be lecture-based, introducing a puzzle genre's rules and various techniques. For the rest of class, students can work together to apply those techniques to solve puzzles.
98-350 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Bridge
Intermittent: 3 units
Students will learn to engage with the exciting world of bridge while building up partnerships with each other. Learn to take tricks, bid contracts, count cards, and work together to defeat other teams. In addition, the top finishers will have the chance to compete against other colleges in the Collegiate Bridge Bowl for a significant prize pool. No prior bridge experience necessary.
98-351 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Developing Speed-Power Athletes
Intermittent: 3 units
In many sports, speed, strength, and power are necessary to succeed. This course will provide a detailed approach for training these qualities and introduce the students to the science behind athletic development. The class will begin by describing individual sports abilities (ex. Max Strength, Speed Endurance, ect.), how these qualities relate to different sports, and how to develop these in an athlete. From here, the class will explore combining these different training components into one effective schedule.
98-352 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Star Trek
Intermittent: 3 units
Nerds: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Star Trek StuCo. Its one semester mission: to explore strange new shows, to seek out new films and new episodes, to boldly go where no StuCo has gone before! This course is for everyone who wants to learn more about Star Trek. Whether you've watched no Star Trek, or all of Star Trek, this StuCo is a forum for fans to simply watch Star Trek and talk about it. We will spend each class discussing a different topic in the Star Trek universe, discussing plot elements, behind-the-scenes fun facts, and the impact Star Trek had on pop culture.
98-359 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Survey of Horror in Media
Fall and Spring: 3 units
This course aims to provide a brief introduction to the horror genre across multiple mediums. We will engage with works of horror from diverse sources(television, feature films, short stories, fine art, and music) created over a period of nearly 200 years with the goal of pinpointing the characteristics of effective horror media. The course will feature material that is violent and often disturbing by nature.
98-360 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden StuCo
Fall and Spring: 3 units
What do mathematics, philosophy, and the arts have in common? This course will study the underlying themes and patterns of many seemingly-disparate fields, united by the idea of extracting meaning from meaninglessness, through the imposition of rules and self-reference. Students can expect to become familiar with ideas pertaining to the meaning of truth, the recognition of thinking on multiple different levels, and how recursive ideas can produce incredible results in many different contexts, even going so far as to provide a foundation for human intelligence itself. These ideas are all grounded in and taught from the book G and #246;del, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid, the groundbreaking 1979 book published by professor Douglas Hofstadter that changed American intellectualism at its core. A background in logic, mathematics, or computer science can help with comprehension, but it is by no means required.
98-361 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Löded Diper: Intro to Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Intermittent: 3 units
Greg Heffley. The Cheese Touch. Ploopy. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney shaped the culture of an entire generation of pre-teens. Now, 12 years after the original Diary of a Wimpy Kid book was released, we take this time to reflect on not only on the nostalgia of middle school drama but also the chaos of coming of age. Zoo Wee Mama!
98-362 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Northern Shaolin Temple Boxing
Intermittent: 3 units
SPRING 2020 COURSE LOCATION: MOREWOOD GARDENS MULTIPURPOSE ROOM. This one-semester course is designed for all members of the university community. This course will enable all participants to better understand the physical choreography, health benefits, combative techniques, history, and cultural influence of Traditional Chinese Kung Fu. Each of the above-mentioned points will be demonstrated by the instructor(s) and personally experienced by each participant. The greater significance that TCMA can play in each person's life beyond the entertainment value found in 'Kung Fu' movies will be identified through an emphasis on the physical exercise, personal development, and philosophical aspects of practice.
98-363 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Akkadian
Intermittent: 3 units
In this course, we will learn the basics of the Akkadian language and relevant concepts in linguistics. Topics in Akkadian include orthography, sounds, noun declension, verb morphology, syntax and reading/writing cuneiforms. Topics in linguistics include historical linguistics, phonology, Semitic linguistics, particularly root-template morphology in Semitic languages. We will read a variety of texts, romanized and cuneiforms, including the famous Code of Hammurabi. Upon completion of the course, in addition to gaining an understanding of the topics above, students will be able to read and translate Akkadian text given a dictionary.
98-364 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Puyo Puyo StuCo
Intermittent: 3 units
Puyo Puyo is a tile-matching puzzle game (like Tetris) that has been popular in Japan for over 25 years for its lovable characters and exciting gameplay, only recently gaining popularity internationally with the releases of Puyo Puyo Tetris and Puyo Puyo Champions. In this course, students will learn how to create chains in Puyo Puyo and battle competitively.
98-368 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to the Kardashians
Intermittent: 3 units
Have you had an intense desire to learn about Americas real first family, the Kardashians, your whole life and no way to fulfill it? Look no further than this course as we will go deep into the Kardashian-Jenner family history as well as their amazing reality TV show: Keeping Up With the Kardashians. By the end of this course, you can expect to be familiar with the entire family tree, be a full expert on all things Kardashian and know how to fight for and defend your favorite Kardashian regardless of the scandal that may be facing them. This is the course you may have never knew you wanted, but definitely needed.
98-369 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a cop comedy that first aired in 2013 and is continuing to this day. This Emmy, Golden Globe, Critics Choice, and GLAAD Media award-winning show centers around Jake Peralta and the rest of the 99th precinct of the NYPD. Part of Brooklyn Nine-Nines success is due to their skill at balancing a comedic atmosphere while also addressing and discussing current social issues. In this class, you will learn about a social issue each week and then watch an episode that addresses said social issue. Anyone is free to join the noicest StuCo at CMU - no prior knowledge is required!
98-370 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Mysteries of the Universe
Intermittent: 3 units
Have you ever looked at the stars and wondered what lies beyond? Come think about the answers to some of the universes biggest questions in this exciting and mind exploding class.
98-371 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Old Irish
Intermittent: 3 units
In this course, we will learn the basics of the Old Irish language and relevant concepts in linguistics. Topics in Old Irish include orthography, sounds, noun declension, verb morphology and syntax. Topics in linguistics include historical linguistics, phonology, and the special status of Celtic languages in the Indo-European language family. We will read a variety of texts. Upon completion of the course, in addition to gaining an understanding of the topics above, students will be able to read and translate Old Irish text given a dictionary.
98-372 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Battlestar Galactica
Intermittent: 3 units
In 1982, Edward James Olmos played Detective Gaff in Blade Runner. Four years later, when offered the lead role on Star Trek: The Next Generation, he turned it down. Why? He didn't want to do any more sci-fi. Why, then, did Olmos agree to lead the reboot of Battlestar Galactica, a cheesy science fiction show from the 70s that earned most of its fans by coasting on Star Wars hype? Through the course of a semester, we attempt to answer this question, and in the process, explore Battlestar Galactica's impact on American society. This course is for everyone who wants to learn more about Battlestar Galactica. Whether you've watched no Battlestar Galactica, or all of Battlestar Galactica, this StuCo is a forum for fans to simply watch the show and talk about it. We will spend each class discussing a different topic in the Battlestar Galactica universe, discussing plot elements, behind-the-scenes fun facts, and the impact Battlestar Galactica had on pop culture.
98-373 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): The Legend of Zelda: The Tri Course
Intermittent: 3 units
Nintendos The Legend of Zelda series has captivated video game fans for over thirty years as it has continuously evolved through new hardware and designs. In this course we will discuss various topics in the Legend of Zelda, both gameplay-wise and artistic, in an attempt to figure out what makes the series so appealing, and where it may go next. Experience or access to the games is not required. Its dangerous to go alone and #8212; take this StuCo!
98-374 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Steep by Steep: Investeagation into Tea Culture
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Not only is tea one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, but many cultures have developed unique traditions surrounding it. In this course, students will be introduced to the rich history surrounding tea in various countries including but not limited to the US, China, Japan, Russia, and Morocco. Students will also become familiar with a wide variety of brewing methods and types of tea as well as get the opportunity to sample some of these teas. There will be very short quizzes before every lecture on prior material covered. COURSE FEE: $2 (subject to change).
98-375 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to AI Alignment
Intermittent: 3 units
As we delegate more and more societal responsibilities to Artificial Intelligence, we raise pressing ethical questions about what will happen if these systems aren't aligned with our values. Many people, including AI experts like Stuart Russell, believe that there is an urgent need to mitigate the risks associated with future advanced AI systems and to ensure that their contributions are beneficial to humanity and the world. We will start by exploring arguments for and against the importance of AI alignment work, especially in relation to reducing existential risk. Then, we will learn about existing AI safety technical research, efforts to implement policy measures that reduce AI risk, and how you can personally contribute to AI safety. Basic knowledge about machine learning helps but is not required.
98-376 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Interpreting Film Through Painting
Intermittent: 3 units
This course is meant to introduce students to painting in a fun and less traditional way. Throughout the course, students will paint their interpretations of the themes in different movies. The course is meant to help students, even those who do not consider themselves as artistic, to learn the basic techniques of painting and to apply them to fun subject material. Through their art, students will also learn to interpret thematic motif elements in films and add their own perspective to it in their art. COURSE FEE: $20. There is a $20 course fee to provide for materials (painting paper, paints, and canvas for the projects).
98-377 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): The Way We Live Now
Intermittent: 3 units
This is a black-mirror-esque course that examines the relationship between personhood and digital technology in the context of the world right now. We will look at articles from tech insiders, contemporary writers, and professors of media to explore the question "What does it mean to be human in our times?" in a casual, open setting. The goal is to create a space where students can grow together in their awareness of themselves in the context of the physical-digital space we live in today.
98-378 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): First Clip to Video Editing
Intermittent: 3 units
First Clip to Video Editing is a video editing course for beginners. Start with the basics of Adobe Premiere, you will learn various video editing skills from transitions to color grading and create your own cool projects. There will be plenty of chances to analyze existing works as well as hands on experiences. A professional camera is preferred but NOT compulsory. Through completing an individual midterm project and a group final project, students will gradually form their own workflow and editing style, communicating and expressing themselves in a new way.
98-379 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Neuroscience for Non-Majors
Intermittent: 3 units
Anybody can learn neuroscience. Whether you are an artist, scientist, writer, philosopher, musician, or anyone else, as long as you are interested in how the mind works, this course is for you. Understanding the processes that determine your consciousness, emotions, reality, perceptions, and the only way you have ever experienced life is immensely powerful and meaningful. This introduction to neuroscience is tailored to accommodate for ANY background. The course will teach fundamental neuroscience concepts. It will also provide an overview of areas in current neuroscience research (learning and memory, neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases, etc.), experimental techniques used in neuroscience research, and neuroscience applications in a variety of different fields ranging from science fiction writing to philosophy to artificial intelligence. Instead of a midterm or final exam, there will be two projects that encourage you to use your individual creativity and the unique backgrounds and sets of skills you bring to the course.
98-380 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Practical Economics
Fall and Spring: 3 units
While Economics is an applied science, it is oftentimes described in abstract terms and graphs. This class aims to show how Economics can be used in the real world to solve the biggest problems facing society. Students will learn about and discuss topics such as Game Theory, Behavioral Economics, Market Design, and the Nobel Prize. Students will better understand how to improve the world by making better decisions. No previous knowledge of Economics is needed.
98-381 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Wuhan Chinese
Intermittent: 3 units
Wuhan Chinese, or "Wuhanese", is the dialect of Chinese spoken in Wuhan, the capital city of Central China's Hubei Province. Although Wuhan situates in China's central region, its dialect is an instance of Southwestern Mandarin, akin to the dialects of Sichuan, Guangxi, and Yunnan. Wuhanese provides a distinct flavor of spoken Chinese for students interested in the Chinese language and culture. In class, students will be exposed to media clips in Wuhanese and be given the opportunity to practice day-to-day conversations. Because of the relative proximity to Mandarin, students who already know some Mandarin will be able to speak Wuhanese comparatively well even within this semester. However, no prior experience in Wuhanese or Mandarin is necessary, and all are welcome!
98-382 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Bears, Beets, Battlestar Galactica: The Office
Intermittent: 3 units
Be ready to face any challenges that might be foolish enough to face you. Analyze and discuss different character arcs, hidden messages, and relationships in the office. Study the impact that these have had on our individual lives and society as a whole. What life lessons can we take from this iconic tv show? (It is recommended that you have seen and have a basic understanding of characters and plot lines from The Office).
98-383 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Old Church Slavonic
Intermittent: 3 units
This course is a gentle introduction to Old Church Slavonic (OCS), a liturgical language which is also famous for being the oldest documented Slavic language. We will learn the grammar following a textbook, discuss the grammar of OCS and contrast it with the grammars of other languages, and translate OCS texts given a dictionary.
98-384 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Harmonious Scenic Watercolor
Intermittent: 3 units
Watercolor is an expressive medium that captures the mood of the painter through clever use of color. This course will introduce you to various watercolor techniques, scenic painting practices and relevant color theory. Together, we will explore the beauty of nature using harmonious color palettes. No prior knowledge of watercolor or color theory is required.
98-387 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): The Schitt's Creek StuCo
Intermittent: 3 units
Schitt's Creek (2015-2020) is a Canadian comedy series that follows the struggles of the previously wealthy Rose family in the small town of Schitt's Creek. Over the course of 6 seasons, Schitt's Creek has been nominated for 172 awards, winning 64 of these. In this course we will watch various episodes from the show and discuss why Schitt's Creek has become such a cultural phenomenon. We will discuss topics such as LGBTQ+ representation, mental health, understanding others, perseverance, and effective comedy techniques. We will be watching episodes from every season of Schitt's Creek, so this course is open to everyone whether you have seen the entire show or haven't seen a single episode. COURSE FEE: Students must maintain a monthly subscription to either Hulu or Netflix throughout this course - EST $6-9/mo for 4 mos.
98-388 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to English Syntax
Intermittent: 3 units
In this course, we will learn about the syntax of English. Syntax is the study of the rules that dictate how words combine to form sentences in language. We will discuss the syntax of English both from a historical (diachronic) perspective, e.g.: the now-lost V2 word order of Old English; and from a contemporary (synchronic) perspective, compare dialects spoken across various speaker communities, e.g.: multiple modal constructions such as We might can go up there next Saturday. where more than one modal verb (in this case might and can) appear in a single sentence, used in the Southern United States; the zero copula of AAVE (African-American Vernacular English), where certain forms of the copula be can be omitted in certain contexts, e.g. He an expert 'He is an expert', but not others, e.g. *I driving to Amherst 'I'm driving to Amherst' (the asterisk * denotes ungrammaticality); imperatives in Belfast English, where the imperative verb can precede the subject, e.g. Read you that book! 'You read that book!', whereas only the opposite word order is permissible in Standard English: You read that book! We will also compare the syntactic properties of English with those of other languages. This course also covers the basics of generative linguistics, a widely accepted framework which has been used by linguists to analyze various syntactic phenomena. We will see that many interesting questions can be formulated and studied from a generative linguistic standpoint. We will also touch upon the basics of formal semantics and pragmatics and the so-called syntax-semantics interface and the syntax-pragmatics interface, i.e. the study of how syntax interacts with semantics and pragmatics. Examples of this are quantifier raising (QR) and presupposition holes.
98-389 Student Taught Courses (StuCo): Introduction to Nail Art
Fall and Spring: 3 units
With nail art, self-expression is right at our fingertips. Together, we will dive into not only how to paint various nail art designs, but we will also discuss the origins of nail art and past nail art trends. Each week, we will learn and practice a new design technique. By the end of the course, you will have your very own nail salon right at home. No prior nail painting experience is required. Students are encouraged to bring any of their own nail-art-related supplies (e.g. nail polishes, nail art brush, dotter tool, nail polish remover) if they have any and would like to use their own tools. Otherwise, the course will provide all necessary materials as shared class resources for all students. COURSE FEE $5.

Course Website: https://leesue630.github.io/intro-nail-art/
98-390 They Came as Romans: Roman Civilization 360
Fall and Spring: 3 units
Roman civilization was a famous and powerful ancient civilization, however its details are not regularly taught in schools. Moreover, even when it's taught, instructors often weigh too much on the historical timeline and take its culture for granted. In this course we will look into Ancient Rome through multiple lenses, including history, politics, warfare, society, culture, etc. We hope that through this course students will have a broad and more complete view of the ancient Roman civilization. We will also correct misinformations of Ancient Rome by popular media. This course will be conducted in a non-academic manner and it's fun and informative!
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