2018-2019 University Catalog 
    
    Apr 18, 2024  
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2018-2019 University Catalog archived

Course Descriptions

 

Education
  

  • EDUC 200 - Foundations of Education


    FDR: SS5
    Credits: 3
    An introduction to the issues relating to American public education in the 21st century. Students are introduced to information about teaching strategies and school policy upon which future courses can build. Emphasis is given to school efforts to create environments which promote equity and excellence within a multicultural system. Required for teacher licensure in Virginia. Fall Term 2018: EDUC 200-03 is a first-year seminar and open only to first-year students. Sigler.
  

  • EDUC 201 - Practicum: Foundation of Education


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 1
    Corequisite: EDUC 200. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. This practicum is designed to provide an experience observing and participating in a primary or secondary classroom. Additionally, a forum is provided for discussion of issues in education such as classroom management, differentiation, standardized curriculum and more. With these topics in mind, students challenge and refine beliefs as they spend time in a classroom. Working closely with a supervising teacher is invaluable to meeting the goals of this course. To meet the course requirements, students must complete 24 hours of fieldwork during the term. Sigler.
  

  • EDUC 210 - Fieldwork in Education


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 1-3
    Prerequisite: Instructor consent. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. This course provides students an opportunity to observe, assist, or tutor in a local educational setting. It is intended for those students who wish to explore education as a profession or who are interested in post-graduate programs and jobs in education and education policy. Students in the teacher-licensure program should enroll in the practicum courses that correspond to upper level education courses. May be repeated for up to 3 credits total. Sigler.
  

  • EDUC 215 - Earth Science and Chemistry for K-6 Elementary Education


    Credits: 0
    Prerequisite or corequisite: EDUC 343. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. This 30-hour required seminar includes a review of key science content for the elementary classroom, as required by the Virginia Standards of Learning. The course involves online work, using the Annenberg Learner series for teachers, as well as face-to-face meetings and includes the following topics: Interrelationships in Earth/Space Systems; Earth Patterns, Cycles, and Change; Earth Resources; and Matter. Students also analyze the specific SOLs needed for K-6 Elementary Science instruction and create and practice hands-on lessons for elementary students. Emphasis is placed on helping elementary children understand the underlying concepts of science. Sigler, Kearney
  

  • EDUC 230 - Educating Citizens for Democracy


    FDR: SS5
    Credits: 3
    Students study the relationship between education and democracy by critically examining various theories of democracy, competing conceptions of citizenship, and its implications for formal education. Specifically, students investigate the actual and possible roles for citizens in a democracy and the function of education in reproducing, altering, or challenging these roles. Students analyze and evaluate historic and philosophical texts, educational research, and conduct a narrative inquiry project to help draw conclusions about the best practices and policies for educating citizens for democracy. Moffa.
  

  • EDUC 239 - Exploring Childhood in Scandinavia: Comparing Policies and Practices to the U.S.


    (ECON 239)
    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 4
    Prerequisite: ECON 101. Study Abroad Course. An exploration of childhood in Scandinavia and the United States. Students spend one week in the U.S. and three weeks in Denmark, Sweden, and/or Finland. Students have experiences inside schools, daycare facilities, and preschools in both economically advantaged and disadvantaged areas and speak with administrators and policymakers. With additional readings focusing on education policy and broader family policy in each country, students engage in discussions and reflections on the relative strengths and weaknesses of policies in each country. Diette, Sigler.
  

  • EDUC 302 - Teaching the Exceptional Learner


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite EDUC 200, POV 101, or POV 103. This course addresses education for exceptional individuals by examining the key issues surrounding instruction for children and adolescents with disabilities or special talents. Students study the identification, etiology, and incidence of exceptionality. Through case-study review and individual research projects, students investigate the educational, social, and cultural dimensions of life in American society for exceptional individuals. Required for teacher licensure in Virginia. Staff.
  

  • EDUC 303 - Practicum: The Exceptional Learner


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 1
    Prerequisite: EDUC 202 or instructor consent. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. This practicum reinforces the content of EDUC 302 by providing students with an opportunity to explore special education in the field through observing and assisting in inclusive classrooms and special classes. Students also study the relationship between general-education and special-education teachers. Staff.
  

  • EDUC 305 - Teaching Elementary Reading


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: EDUC 200 or instructor consent. This course prepares students to teach reading in the elementary classroom. Participants will develop an understanding of the reading process, consider theories of reading instruction, examine current research in reading development and investigate elements of a balanced literacy program. Strategies for teaching word study, phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension and spelling will be studied for each developmental reading stage. Students will also examine formal and informal diagnostic techniques and instructional procedures for dealing with various types of reading difficulties. Sigler.
  

  • EDUC 306 - Practicum: Teaching Elementary Reading


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 1
    Corequisite: EDUC 305. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. This practicum course accompanies Education 305, and provides students with the opportunity to observe and practice reading methods used in elementary education. Sigler.
  

  • EDUC 310 - Art for Elementary Education


    Credits: 2
    Prerequisite: EDUC 200 or instructor consent. This course is intended to introduce students to some of the basic educational theories and methods used for guides for teaching art to children. The emphasis is on art as an experience for children that facilitates their self-expression, growth, and development. Developing meaningful art lesson plans with the implementation of Virginia Standards of Learning is a major objective of this course. Throughout the course, we focus on safety issues regarding art materials in a classroom environment. Offered at Southern Virginia University. Kearney.
  

  • EDUC 315 - Music and Movement for Elementary Education


    Credits: 2
    Prerequisite: EDUC 200 or instructor consent. A study of the variety of media related to music and movement appropriate for preschool and elementary school children. Topics covered include the nature and analysis of music and movement, teaching strategies and techniques, and development and implementation of lesson plans which include the Virginia Standards of Learning and the Foundation Blocks for Early Learning. Taught at Southern Virginia University. Kearney.
  

  • EDUC 330 - Elementary and General Music Methods


    Credits: 3
    Corequisite: EDUC 331. This course includes methodologies for teaching music in the classroom (Orff, Kodaly, and Dalcroze approaches), computer applications. music textbooks. and classroom materials for music education in the elementary and general music classroom. This course also includes the study of learning theories appropriate to elementary-aged music students combined with applications in practical lesson plans. Dobbins.
  

  • EDUC 331 - Practicum: Elementary and General Music Methods


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 1-2
    Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. An introduction to the teacher’s role in instructional settings. Class sessions focus on techniques for observing and recording classroom behavior, relationships between the teaching of reading and the teaching of music, and planning music instruction. Students must complete a placement on both the elementary and the secondary level. To meet the course requirements, students must complete 30 hours of fieldwork during the term. May be taken for a second credit if a different placement is completed. Dobbins.
  

  • EDUC 335 - Secondary Vocal Music Methods


    Credits: 3
    Corequisite: EDUC 337. Focuses on techniques, pedagogy, classroom management, literature, and other skills necessary to become an effective middle school or high school vocal/choral teacher. Lynch.
  

  • EDUC 336 - Secondary Instrumental Music Methods


    Credits: 3
    Corequisite: EDUC 337. This course includes methodologies for teaching instrumental music in the secondary classroom environment. Emphasis is placed on the music selection process, the day-to-day administration of a secondary instrumental music program, learning theories applicable to secondary students, and current research in the field of secondary instrumental music education. Dobbins.
  

  • EDUC 337 - Practicum: Secondary Music


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 1-2
    This fieldwork placement permits students to work in the schools to observe and practice instructional techniques covered in EDUC 335 and EDUC 336. May be repeated for up to two credits total. Staff.
  

  • EDUC 340 - Elementary Language Arts and Social Studies Methods


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: EDUC 200 or instructor consent. This course prepares students to teach language arts and social studies in the elementary classroom. Participants develop an understanding of the theories of language arts and social studies instruction and examine current research in language arts and social studies instruction. Students learn strategies for direct instruction and group learning to meet the needs of learners at different stages of development. Students also learn how to plan and prepare lessons while managing the learning environment of the classroom. Kearney, Sigler.
  

  • EDUC 341 - Practicum: Elementary Language Arts and Social Studies Methods


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 1
    Corequisite: EDUC 340. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. This practicum reinforces the content of EDUC 340. This observation and participation in area schools gives the students the opportunity to carry out instructional techniques and examine language arts and social studies instruction in an authentic environment. Kearney, Sigler.
  

  • EDUC 343 - Elementary Math and Science Methods


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: EDUC 200 or instructor consent. This course prepares students to teach mathematics and science in the elementary classroom. Participants develop an understanding of the theories of mathematics and science instruction and examine current research in inquiry-based mathematics and science instruction. Students learn strategies for direct instruction and group learning to meet the needs of learners at different stages of development. Students also learn how to plan and prepare lessons while managing the learning environment of the math and science classroom. Kearney, Sigler.
  

  • EDUC 344 - Practicum: Elementary Math and Science Methods


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 1
    Corequisite: EDUC 343. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. This practicum reinforces the content of EDUC 343. This observation and participation in area schools gives the students the opportunity to carry out instructional techniques and examine mathematics and science instruction in an authentic environment. Kearney, Sigler.
  

  • EDUC 345 - Elementary and Secondary Vocal Music Methods


    Credits: 3

    Prerequisite: EDUC 200 or instructor consent.  

    An overview of singers’ vocal development including analysis of common vocal challenges, study of pedagogical techniques in group settings, evaluation of vocal and choral literature and texts, construction of vocal interviews, and guidelines for performance at the elementary and secondary levels. Lynch.
  

  • EDUC 346 - Practicum: Elementary and Secondary Vocal Music Methods


    Credits: 1-2

    Corequisite: EDUC 345.  

    This fieldwork placement permits students to work in the schools with choral groups to observe and practice the instructional techniques covered in EDUC 345. Course work includes non-music observations in public schools and a music project In which students observe and participate as instructional aides. Class sessions focus on techniques for observing and recording classroom behavior, relationships between teaching of music and the planning of music instruction. May be repeated for up to three credits total. Lynch.
  

  • EDUC 353 - Middle and Secondary Content Area Reading and Writing


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: EDUC 200 or instructor consent. In this course, students examine research on adolescent literacy and study instructional strategies for secondary content area subjects. Students examine how literacy can be developed through specific strategies in the content area classroom. Specifically, the course highlights methods for incorporating reading and writing across the curriculum through content-based reading and writing activities, questioning and discussion techniques, vocabulary exercises, and research-based study techniques. In addition, students examine ways to integrate the arts across all content areas to foster student comprehension and critical thinking Staff.
  

  • EDUC 354 - Practicum: Secondary Content Area Reading and Writing


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 1
    Corequisite: EDUC 353. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. This practicum reinforces the content of EDUC 353 and provides students with an opportunity to teach several lessons they have designed. To meet the course requirements, students must complete 30 hours of fieldwork during the term. Staff.
  

  • EDUC 356 - Methods for Middle and Secondary Education


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: EDUC 200 or instructor consent. In this course, participants develop an understanding of theories of instruction and examine current research in secondary instruction. Students learn strategies for direct instruction and group learning to meet the needs of learners at different stages of development. Students also learn how to plan and prepare lessons while managing the learning environment of the classroom. Staff.
  

  • EDUC 357 - Practicum: Methods for Middle and Secondary Education


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 1
    Corequisite: EDUC 356. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. This practicum reinforces the content of EDUC 356. It provides students with an opportunity to observe and participate in secondary school instruction in an authentic environment. To meet the course requirements, students must complete 30 hours of fieldwork during the term. Staff.
  

  • EDUC 365 - Methods for World Language


    Credits: 3
    This course prepares students to teach world languages in elementary and secondary classrooms, including English as a Second Language. Participants develop an understanding of theories of foreign-language pedagogy and examine current research in foreign-language instruction. Students learn strategies for direct instruction and group learning to meet the needs of learners at different stages of development. Students also learn how to plan and prepare lessons while managing the learning environment of the classroom. Kuettner.
  

  • EDUC 366 - Practicum: Methods for World Language


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 1-2
    Corequisite: EDUC 365. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. This practicum reinforces the content of EDUC 365. It provides students with an opportunity to observe and participate in world-languages instruction in an authentic environment. To meet the course requirements, students must complete 30 hours of fieldwork during the term. May be taken for a second credit if a different placement is completed. Kuettner.
  

  • EDUC 369 - Urban Education and Poverty


    Credits: 4
    Prerequisites: One course chosen from EDUC 200, EDUC 210, 300-level EDUC courses, ECON 236, POV 101, POV 103, or instructor consent. Not open to students with credit for ECON 234. In this course, students explore pedagogy, curriculum, and social issues related to urban education by working in schools in the Richmond area for three weeks. Students read about and discuss the broader social and economic forces, particularly poverty, that have shaped urban schools and the ramifications of those forces for school design. The Richmond schools provide the opportunity to observe critical components of teaching and learning in the urban classroom. Housing is provided with alumni during the week. Students return to Lexington for Friday seminars and for the fourth week of the term for seminars and discussion. Sigler.
  

  • EDUC 401 - Directed Individual Study


    Credits: 1
    Prerequisites: Consent of the Director of Teacher Education. Students investigate current issues in education through research and work in the field and have opportunities to put educational theory into practice in elementary and secondary school settings. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Staff.
  

  • EDUC 402 - Directed Individual Study


    Credits: 2
    Prerequisites: Consent of the Director of Teacher Education. Students investigate current issues in education through research and work in the field and have opportunities to put educational theory into practice in elementary and secondary school settings. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Staff.
  

  • EDUC 403 - Directed Individual Study


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisites: Consent of the Director of Teacher Education. Students investigate current issues in education through research and work in the field and have opportunities to put educational theory into practice in elementary and secondary school settings. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Staff.
  

  • EDUC 451A - Directed Teaching Seminar: Pre-K to 12


    Credits: 1
    Corequisite: EDUC 464A. Prerequisite: Successful completion of all requirements for teacher licensure, and instructor consent. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. This directed-teaching seminar is designed for students seeking licensure in the area of Pre-Kindergarten-to-12 education. Students meet weekly in a 90-minute seminar. The focus of the seminar is on developing a portfolio that reflects each student’s behavioral management plan, educational philosophy, curriculum design experience and fieldwork experience. Sigler.
  

  • EDUC 451E - Directed Teaching Seminar: Elementary


    Credits: 1
    Corequisite: EDUC 464E. Prerequisite: Successful completion of all requirements for teacher licensure, and instructor consent. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. This directed-teaching seminar is designed for students seeking licensure in the area of elementary education. Students meet weekly in a 90-minute seminar. The focus of the seminar is on developing a portfolio that reflects each student’s behavioral management plan, educational philosophy, curriculum design experience and fieldwork experience. Sigler.
  

  • EDUC 451S - Directed Teaching Seminar: Middle and Secondary


    Credits: 1
    Corequisite: EDUC 464S. Prerequisite: Successful completion of all requirements for teacher licensure, and instructor consent. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. This directed-teaching seminar is designed for students seeking licensure in the area of secondary education. Students meet weekly in a 90-minute seminar. The focus of the seminar is on developing a portfolio that reflects each student’s behavioral management plan, educational philosophy, curriculum design experience and fieldwork experience. Sigler.
  

  • EDUC 464A - Directed Teaching: Pre-K to 12


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 14
    Prerequisite: Successful completion of all requirements for licensure except directed teaching, and instructor consent. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. This directed-teaching experience is designed for students seeking licensure in the area of Pre-Kindergarten-to-12 education. Students participate in designated field settings for a minimum of 12 weeks. Specific activities are conducted within these settings to demonstrate competencies necessary for licensure. On-site supervision is provided to the student at least four times during the term of the placement. Pre-K-12 students must complete two seven-week placements; three observations per placement are completed for their directed teaching experience. Staff
  

  • EDUC 464E - Directed Teaching: Elementary


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 14
    Prerequisite: Successful completion of all requirements for licensure except directed teaching, and instructor consent. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. This directed-teaching experience is designed for students seeking licensure in the area of elementary education. Students participate in designated field settings for a minimum of 12 weeks. Specific activities are conducted within these settings to demonstrate competencies necessary for licensure. On-site supervision is provided to the student at least four times during the term of the placement. Pre-K-12 students must complete two seven-week placements; three observations per placement are completed for their directed teaching experience. Staff.
  

  • EDUC 464S - Directed Teaching: Middle and Secondary


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 14
    Prerequisite: Successful completion of all requirements for licensure except directed teaching, and instructor consent. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. This directed-teaching experience is designed for students seeking licensure in the area of secondary education. Students participate in designated field settings for a minimum of 12 weeks. Specific activities are conducted within these settings to demonstrate competencies necessary for licensure. On-site supervision is provided to the student at least four times during the term of the placement. Staff.

Engineering
  

  • ENGN 125 - Engineering Marvels


    Credits: 4
    A Spring Term Abroad course. Engineering has evolved over the years as technology and society has advanced. This course investigates technical engineering concepts, the evolution of engineering, and the historical and cultural significance of engineering through the study of ancient and modern engineering marvels around the world. A framework of basic engineering analysis and historical context are explored for the marvels before travel. Site visits and tours take place abroad to explore these marvels firsthand. Specific topics vary depending on location. D’Alessandro.
  

  • ENGN 160 - CADD: Computer-Aided Drafting & Design


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: MATH 102 with a minimum grade of C (2.0). An introduction to engineering and architectural drawings. Emphasis is placed on using computer software to create two-dimensional drawings and three-dimensional models. Specific topics include orthographic projections, pictorials, assembly drawings, dimensioning practices, and techniques for three-dimensional visualization. D’Alessandro.
  

  • ENGN 178 - Introduction to Engineering


    FDR: SC
    Credits: 4
    This course introduces students to basic skills useful to engineers, the engineering design process, and the engineering profession. Students learn various topics of engineering, including engineering disciplines, the role of an engineer in the engineering design process, and engineering ethics. Skills learned in this course include programming and the preparation of engineering drawings. Programming skills are developed using flowcharting and MATLAB. Autodesk Inventor is used to create three-dimensional solid models and engineering drawings. The course culminates in a collaborative design project, allowing students to use their new skills D’Alessandro, Erickson, Kuehner.
  

  • ENGN 203 - Mechanics I: Statics


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in MATH-101 and PHYS-111 (PHYS 111 as corequisite with instructor consent) The science of mechanics is used to study bodies in equilibrium under the action of external forces. Emphasis is on problem solving: trusses, frames and machines, centroids, area moments of inertia, beams, cables, and friction. D’Alessandro.
  

  • ENGN 204 - Mechanics II: Dynamics


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Grade C or better in ENGN 203. A study of kinetics of particles and rigid bodies including force, mass, acceleration, work, energy, momentum. A student may not receive degree credit for both ENGN 204 and PHYS 230. Kuehner.
  

  • ENGN 207 - Electrical Circuits


    (PHYS 207)
    Credits: 4
    Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in PHYS 112. Corequisite: ENGN 207L. A detailed study of electrical circuits and the methods used in their analysis. Basic circuit components, as well as devices such as operational amplifiers, are investigated. The laboratory acquaints the student both with fundamental electronic diagnostic equipment and with the design and behavior of useful circuits. Laboratory course. Erickson.
  

  • ENGN 208 - Electronics


    (PHYS 208)
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: C or better in ENGN (PHYS) 207. An introduction to practical analog and digital electronics emphasizing design, construction, and measurement of circuits in the laboratory. Topics may include diode wave-shaping circuits, transistor audio amplifiers, power supplies, oscillators, data converters (A/D and D/A), Boolean logic gates, programmable logic devices, flip-flops, counters, data storage and retrieval, and a survey of emerging technologies. Erickson.
  

  • ENGN 225 - Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering


    (PHYS 225)
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisites: PHYS 112, MATH 221. Study of a collection of mathematical techniques particularly useful in upper-level courses in physics and engineering: vector differential operators such as gradient, divergence, and curl; functions of complex variables; Fourier analysis; orthogonal functions; matrix algebra and the matrix eigenvalue problem; ordinary and partial differential equations. Erickson.
  

  • ENGN 240 - Thermodynamics


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisites: MATH 221 and C or better in PHYS 112. A study of the fundamental concepts of thermodynamics, thermodynamic properties of matter, and applications to engineering processes. Kuehner.
  

  • ENGN 250 - Introduction to Engineering Design


    Credits: 4
    Prerequisite: PHYS 112. This course introduces students to the principles of engineering design through first-hand experience with a design project that culminates in a design competition. In this project-based course, the students gain an understanding of computer-aided drafting, machining techniques, construction methods, design criteria, progress- and final-report writing, and group presentations. D’Alessandro, Kuehner.
  

  • ENGN 255 - Numerical Methods for Engineering and Physics


    (PHYS 255)
    Credits: 4
    Prerequisite: PHYS 112. This course introduces students to computer programming and a variety of numerical methods used for computation-intensive work in engineering and physics. Numerical integration, difference approximations to differential equations, stochastic methods, graphical presentation, and nonlinear dynamics are among the topics covered. Students need no previous programming experience. Staff.
  

  • ENGN 260 - Materials Science


    (PHYS 260)
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in PHYS 111. An introduction to solid state materials. A study of the relation between microstructure and the corresponding physical properties for metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites. D’Alessandro.
  

  • ENGN 267 - Bioengineering and Bioinspired Design


    (BIOL 267) FDR: SC
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: PHYS 112 and instructor consent. Interdisciplinary study of the physical principles of animal navigation and sensory mechanisms. This course integrates biology, physics, engineering, and quantitative methods to study how an animal’s physiology is optimized to perform a critical function, as well as how these biological systems inspire new technologies. Topics include: long-distance navigation; locomotion; optical, thermal, and auditory sensing; bioelectricity; biomaterials; and swarm synchronicity. Some examples of questions addressed are: How does a loggerhead turtle navigate during a 9,000 mile open-ocean swim to return to the beach where it was born? How does a blowfly hover and outmaneuver an F-16? How is the mantis shrimp eye guiding the next revolution in DVD technology? This course is intended for students interested in working on problems at the boundary of biology and physics/engineering, and is appropriate for those who have more experience in one field than the other. Lectures, reading and discussion of research literature, and hands-on investigation/field-work, where appropriate. Erickson.
  

  • ENGN 295 - Intermediate Special Topics in Engineering


    Credits: 3 credits for fall or winter; 4 credits for spring.

    Prerequisites: Vary with topic. Intermediate work in bioengineering, solid mechanics, fluid mechanics or materials science. May be repeated for a maximum of six credits if the topics are different.

    Fall 2018, ENGN 295A-01: Machine Dynamics and Design (3). Prerequisite: ENGN 178 and 204. Rigid body kinematic and kinetic analysis of common machine types to determine machine output for an input driving force. Investigation of design procedures for and synthesis of common mechanisms including motions such as quick-return, dwell periods, or coupling. Students learn to generate machines that express desired motions or complete specific tasks. Students also design and create machines using graphical techniques, computer modeling, and basic construction techniques. Kuehner.


  

  • ENGN 301 - Solid Mechanics


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in ENGN 203. Corequisite: ENGN 351. Internal equilibrium of members; introduction to mechanics of continuous media; concepts of stress, material properties, principal moments of inertia; deformation caused by axial loads, shear, torsion, bending and combined loading. D’Alessandro.
  

  • ENGN 311 - Fluid Mechanics


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in ENGN 204 or PHYS 230, and grade of C or better in ENGN (PHYS) 225 and MATH 332. Corequisite: ENGN 361. Fluid statics; application of the integral mass, momentum, and energy equations using control volume concepts; introduction to viscous flow, boundary layer theory, and differential analysis. Kuehner.
  

  • ENGN 312 - Heat Transfer


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisites: MATH 332 and grade of C or better in ENGN 311. Principles of heat transfer by conduction, convection, and radiation. Topics include transient and steady state analysis, boiling, condensation, and heat exchanger analysis. Application of these principles to selected problems in engineering. Kuehner.
  

  • ENGN 330 - Mechanical Vibrations


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisites: MATH 332 and grade of C or better in ENGN 204 or PHYS 230. Analysis of lumped parameter and continuous systems (free and forced, damped and undamped, single- and multi-degree-of-freedom); transient response to shock pulses; simple linear systems; exact and approximate solution techniques; and solution to continuous systems using partial differential equations. Erickson.
  

  • ENGN 351 - Solid Mechanics Laboratory


    Credits: 1
    Corequisite: ENGN 301. Experimental observation and correlation with theoretical predictions of elastic behavior of structures under static loading; statically determinate loading of beams; tension of metals; compression of mortar; torsion; and computer models for stress analysis. Laboratory course. D’Alessandro.
  

  • ENGN 361 - Fluid Mechanics Laboratory


    Credits: 1
    Corequisite: ENGN 311. Experimental investigation of fluid mechanics under static and dynamic conditions. Correlation of experimental results with theoretical models of fluid behavior. Experiments examine concepts such as hydrostatic force, fluid kinematics, kinetics, and energy. Laboratory course. Kuehner.
  

  • ENGN 378 - Capstone Design


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 4
    Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in all of the following: ENGN 178,204,207, 225; in either ENGN 301 with 351 or ENGN 311 with 361; and in one engineering elective for the major. First term of the year-long capstone design project in which student teams solve open-ended engineering problems by integrating and synthesizing engineering design and analysis learned in previous courses. Project topics vary year-to-year and are driven by student interest. The fall term is dedicated to the design and planning phases. This includes project topic selection; comprehensive study of necessary background material; and identification of design objectives, conceptual models, and materials and equipment needed. This course culminates with submission of a full design proposal. Laboratory course with fee. D’Alessandro, Erickson, Kuehner.
  

  • ENGN 379 - Capstone Design


    Credits: 4
    Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in ENGN 378. Second term of the year-long capstone design project in which student teams solve open-ended engineering problems by integrating and synthesizing engineering design and analysis learned in previous courses. Project topics vary year-to-year and are driven by student interest. The winter term is dedicated to implementation – building, testing, analyzing, and revising the design, culminating with a public presentation and proof-of-concept demonstration. Laboratory course with fee. D’Alessandro, Erickson, Kuehner.
  

  • ENGN 395 - Special Topics in Engineering


    Credits: 3

    Prerequisite: Junior standing. Advanced work in solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, or materials science. Topics selected based on student interest. May be repeated for a maximum of six credits if the topics are different.

    Winter 2019, ENGN 395A-01: Structural Design (3). Prerequisite: ENGN 301 and 351. An introduction to the basics of structural design, with an emphasis on reinforced concrete buildings. Design and analysis of fundamental building components, including floor slabs, beams, and columns, are addressed with reference to the ACI 318 building code. Basic construction methods and materials are also addressed as a supplementary design consideration. D’Allessandro.


  

  • ENGN 401 - Engineering Problems


    Credits: 1
    Prerequisites: Junior standing and approval of the instructor. A special course of instruction, reading and investigation designed to serve the needs of individual students in a selected field of proposed engineering endeavor. May be repeated for degree credit with permission. Staff.
  

  • ENGN 402 - Engineering Problems


    Credits: 2
    Prerequisites: Junior standing and approval of the instructor. A special course of instruction, reading and investigation designed to serve the needs of individual students in a selected field of proposed engineering endeavor. May be repeated for degree credit with permission. Staff.
  

  • ENGN 403 - Engineering Problems


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisites: Junior standing and approval of the instructor. A special course of instruction, reading and investigation designed to serve the needs of individual students in a selected field of proposed engineering endeavor. May be repeated for degree credit with permission. Staff.
  

  • ENGN 421 - Directed Individual Research


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 1
    Prerequisite: Instructor consent. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. Directed research in engineering. May be repeated for degree credit. May be carried out during the summer. Staff.
  

  • ENGN 422 - Directed Individual Research


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 2
    Prerequisite: Instructor consent. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. Directed research in engineering. May be repeated for degree credit. May be carried out during the summer. Staff.
  

  • ENGN 423 - Directed Individual Research


    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Instructor consent. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. Directed research in engineering. May be repeated for degree credit. May be carried out during the summer. Staff.
  

  • ENGN 473 - Senior Thesis


    Credits: 3
    Prerequisites: Previous research experience, senior standing, declared major in engineering or integrated engineering, and instructor consent. Culminates in the writing of a thesis on original scholarship undertaken with the guidance of a faculty adviser. May also involve additional research in engineering, individual or group conferences with the faculty adviser, literature review, interim reports, and dissemination activities.  Staff.
  

  • ENGN 493 - Honors Thesis


    Credits: 3-3
    Prerequisites: Instructor consent and departmental honors candidacy. Honors Thesis. Staff.

English
  

  • ENGL 201 - Introduction to Creative Writing


    FDR: HA
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Completion of FW requirement. Limited enrollment. A course in the practice of creative writing, with attention to two or more genres. Pairings vary by instructor but examples might include narrative fiction and nonfiction; poetry and the lyric essay; and flash and hybrid forms. This course involves workshops, literary study, and critical writing. Staff.
  

  • ENGL 202 - Topics in Creative Writing: Playwriting


    FDR: HA
    Credits: 4
    Prerequisite: Completion of FDR FW requirement. A course in the practice of writing plays, involving workshops, literary study, critical writing, and performance. Gavaler.
  

  • ENGL 203 - Topics in Creative Writing: Fiction


    FDR: HA
    Credits: 3 credits in Fall or Winter; 4 credits in Spring

    Prerequisites: Completion of FW requirement. Limited enrollment. A course in the practice of writing short fiction, involving workshops, literary study, and critical writing.

     


  

  • ENGL 204 - Topics in Creative Writing: Poetry


    FDR: HA
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisites: Completion of FW requirement. Limited enrollment. A course in the practice of writing poetry, involving workshops, literary study, and critical writing. Staff.
  

  • ENGL 206 - Topics in Creative Writing: Nonfiction


    FDR: HA
    Credits: 3 in fall, winter; 4 in spring
    Prerequisite: Competition of FW requirement. Limited enrollment. A course in the practice of writing nonfiction, involving workshops, literary study, and critical writing. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Staff.
  

  • ENGL 207 - Eco-Writing


    FDR: HA
    Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
    Credits: 4

    Prerequisite: Completion of FW FDR. Every Tuesday expeditions involve moderate to challenging hiking. An expeditionary course in environmental creative writing. Readings include canonical writers such as Frost, Emerson, Auden, Rumi, and Muir, as well as contemporary writers such as W.S. Merwin, Mary Oliver, Janice Ray, Gary Snyder, Annie Dillard, Tich Nhat Hanh, Wendell Berry, and Robert Hass. We take weekly “expeditions” including creative writing hikes, a landscape painting exhibit, and a Buddhist monastery. “Expeditionary courses” sometimes involve moderate to challenging hiking. We research the science and social science of the ecosystems explored, as well as the language of those ecosystems. The course has two primary aspects: (1) reading and literary analysis of eco-literature (fiction, non-fiction, and poetry) and (2) developing skill and craft in creating eco-writing through the act of writing in these genres and through participation in weekly “writing workshop.”

      Green.
  

  • ENGL 210 - Topics in Creative Writing


    FDR: HA
    Credits: 3-4
    Prerequisite: Completion of FDR FW requirement. Limited enrollment. A course in the practice of creative writing, involving workshops, literary study, and critical writing. May be repeated for credit if the topic is different. Staff.
  

  • ENGL 215 - Creating Comics


    (ARTS 215) FDR: HA
    Credits: 4
    Prerequisite: ARTS 111 or WRIT 100, and instructor consent. A course which is both a creative-writing and a studio-art course. Students study graphic narratives as an art form that combines image-making and storytelling, producing their own multi-page narratives through the “writing” of images. The course includes a theoretical overview of the comics form, using a range of works as practical models. Beavers, Gavaler.
  

  • ENGL 222 - Introductory Topics in British Literature


    FDR: HL
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Completion of FDR FW requirement. Introductory topics in British literature, supported by attention to h1stoncal and cultural contexts. Versions of this course may survey several periods or concentrate on a group of works from a short span of time or focus on a cultural phenomenon. Students develop their analytical writing skills in a series of short papers. May be repeated for degree credit and for the major if the topics are different. Staff.
  

  • ENGL 223 - Introductory Topics in American Literature


    FDR: HL
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Completion of FDR FW requirement. Introductory topics in American Literature, supported by attention to historical and cultural contexts. Versions of this course may survey several periods or concentrate on a group of works from a short span of time or focus on a cultural phenomenon. Students develop their analytical writing skills in a series of short papers. May be repeated for degree credit and for the major if the topics are different. Staff.
  

  • ENGL 224 - Introductory Topics in World Literature


    Prerequisite: Completion of FDR FW requirement. lntroductory topics in world literature, taught in English and supported by attention to historical and cultural contexts. Versions of this course may survey several periods or concentrate on a group of works from a short span of time or focus on a cultural phenomenon. Students develop their analytical writing skills in a series of short papers. May be repeated for degree credit and for the major if the topics are different. Staff.
  

  • ENGL 230 - Poetry


    FDR: HL
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Completion of FW requirement. An introductory study of poetry written in English. The course may survey representative poems or focus on a theme. In all versions of the course, students will develop a range of interpretive strategies, learning the vocabulary appropriate to poetry’s many structures, modes, and devices. Wheeler.
  

  • ENGL 231 - Drama


    FDR: HL
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Completion of FW requirement. An introductory study of drama, emphasizing form, history, and performance. Organization may be chronological, thematic, or generic and may cover English language, western, or world drama. In all cases, the course introduces students to fundamental issues in the interpretation of theatrical texts. Staff.
  

  • ENGL 232 - The Novel


    FDR: HL
    Credits: 3

    Prerequisite: Completion of FW requirement. An introductory study of the novel written in English. The course may focus on major representative texts or upon a subgenre or thematic approach. In all cases, the course introduces students to fundamental issues in the history and theory of modern narrative.

     


  

  • ENGL 233 - Introduction to Film


    (FILM 233) FDR: HL
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Completion of FW requirement. An introductory study of film taught in English and with a topical focus on texts from a variety of global film-making traditions. At its origins, film displayed boundary-crossing international ambitions, and this course attends to that important fact, but the course’s individual variations emphasize one national film tradition (e.g., American, French, Indian, British, Italian, Chinese, etc.) and, within it, may focus on major representative texts or upon a subgenre or thematic approach. In all cases, the course introduces students to fundamental issues in the history, theory, and basic terminology of film. Staff.
  

  • ENGL 234 - Children’s Literature


    FDR: HL
    Credits: 3-4
    Prerequisite: Completion of FW requirement. A study of works written in English for children. The course treats major writers, thematic and generic groupings of texts, and children’s literature in historical context. Readings may include poetry, drama, fiction, nonfiction, and illustrated books, including picture books that dispense with text.


  

  • ENGL 235 - Fantasy


    FDR: HL
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Completion of FW requirement. A study of major types of narrative in which the imagination modifies the “natural” world and human society: the marvelous in epic, romance, and Islamic story collections; the fantastic in romantic and modern narrative; and the futuristic in science fiction and social fable. Staff.
  

  • ENGL 236 - The Bible as English Literature


    FDR: HL
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Completion of FW requirement. An intensive study of the Bible as a literary work, focusing on such elements as poetry, narrative, myth, archetype, prophecy, symbol, allegory, and character. Emphases may include the Bible’s influence upon the traditions of English literature and various perspectives of biblical narrative in philosophy, theology, or literary criticism. Staff.
  

  • ENGL 237 - The Bible as Literature: Exile and Return


    FDR: HL
    Credits: 4
    Prerequisite: Completion of FW requirement. Students may not take for degree credit both this course and ENGL 236.  Stories of leaving, and one day returning, are found in nearly every book of the Bible.  Leaving Eden, Ur, or Israel; being sold from one’s homeland into slavery; losing the messiah—all of these exiles are critical to any study of the Bible, as well as later literature based on the Bible.  As the poet John Milton well understood, exile, by its nature, includes longing for a return—either to Paradise, to one’s homeland, or to the deity’s presence on earth; it can also include desire for a new settlement, and a new historical era.  Themes of exile and return connect the Bible to the genre of epic, another ancient literary form, where homecoming and settlement sometimes hail the beginning of a new people, nation, or age.  In this class we explore themes of exile and return in Genesis and Exodus, I and II Kings, Ezekiel, the Gospels of Matthew and John, and the books of Acts and Revelation.  Exile and return feature not just as recurrent themes in separate books, but as narrative forms themselves (such as epic, or even the law, which exiles narrative), as metaphors, spiritual states, and central tropes of Biblical literature.  In addition to focused literary study, we engage with Biblical forms through the history of the book and in local religious contexts.  We study rare Bibles available in special collections and facsimile, becoming familiar with how the bible was experienced in earlier historical periods.  Finally, students engage in fieldwork involving attendance and observance of how local religious communities (outside of one’s own faith tradition) read scripture today.  Gertz.
  

  • ENGL 240 - Arthurian Legend


    FDR: HL
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Completion of FW requirement. Why does King Arthur continue to fascinate and haunt our cultural imagination? This course surveys the origins and histories of Arthurian literature, beginning with Celtic myths, Welsh tales, and Latin chronicles. We then examine medieval French and English traditions that include Chrétien de Troyes’ Perceval, the lais of Marie de France, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the Alliterative Morte Arthure, and Malory’s Le Morte Darthur. In addition to historical and literary contexts, we explore theoretical issues surrounding the texts, especially the relationship between history and fantasy, courtly love and adultery, erotic love and madness, romance and chivalry, gender and agency, and Europe and its Others. Finally, we investigate Arthurian medievalisms in Victorian England and in American (post)modernity through Tennyson, Twain, Barthelme, and Ishiguro. Along the way, we view various film adaptations of Arthurian legends. All texts are read in modern English translation. Kao.
  

  • ENGL 242 - Individual Shakespeare Play: Othello


    FDR: HL
    Credits: 4

    Prerequisite: Completion of FW requirement. A detailed study of a single Shakespearean play, including its sources, textual variants, performance history, film adaptations and literary and cultural legacy. The course includes both performance-based and analytical assignments.

    Spring 2019, ENGL 242-01: Othello and Ourselves: Race, Religion, and Reconciliation in Shakespeare (3). Race, religion, sexualized violence: Othello is a play that poses timely and difficult questions for our own age. This course examines one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies in detail, studying its sources, historical context, textual history, performance history, and film adaptations. Subsequently, special attention is given to the play’s literary and cultural legacy to see ways the play has been both cited and revised to comment on our modern situation. We consider one of Shakespeare’s late plays, The Winter’s Tale, as one of the early “revisions” of Shakespeare’s Othello and see the play at the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton. (HL) Pickett. Pickett.
  

  • ENGL 250 - Medieval and Early Modern British Literature


    FDR: HL
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Completion of FW requirement. This course is a survey of English literature from the Early Middle Ages to the Early Modern period. We read works in various genres–verse, drama, and prose–and understand their specific cultural and historical contexts. We also examine select modern film adaptations of canonical works as part of the evolving history of critical reception. Kao.
  

  • ENGL 252 - Shakespeare


    FDR: HL
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Completion of FW requirement. A study of the major genres of Shakespeare’s plays, employing analysis shaped by formal, historical, and performance-based questions. Emphasis is given to tracing how Shakespeare’s work engages early modern cultural concerns, such as the nature of political rule, gender, religion, and sexuality. A variety of skills are developed in order to assist students with interpretation, which may include verse analysis, study of early modern dramatic forms, performance workshops, two medium-length papers, reviews of live play productions, and a final, student-directed performance of a selected play. Staff.
  

  • ENGL 253 - Southern American Literature


    FDR: HL
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Completion of FW requirement. A study of selected fiction, poetry, drama, and nonfiction by Southern writers in their historical and literary contexts. We practice multiple approaches to critical reading, and students develop their analytical writing skills in a series of short papers.


  

  • ENGL 254 - I Heart Jane: Austen’s Fan Cultures and Afterlives


    FDR: HL
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Completion of FDR FW requirement. In the 20th and 21st centuries, Jane Austen has attained a celebrity that far exceeds the recognition she enjoyed during her lifetime. The fan culture that now surrounds Austen, her spunky heroines, and her swoon-worthy heroes rivals that of Star Wars or Harry Potter. Austen enthusiasts meet for book club, wear Regency costumes, convene for tea, and throw balls with period-appropriate music and dance. All of this mooning over Mr. Darcy, however, could easily be the object of Austen’s own satire. Mercilessly lampooning silliness and frivolity, “dear Jane” was more inveterate cynic than hopeless romantic. How, then, did Austen transform from biting social satirist to patron saint of chick lit? Beginning with three of Austen’s novels, and then turning to the fan cultures surrounding Pride and Prejudice, this course examines the nature of fandom, especially its propensity to change and adapt the very thing it celebrates. What does it mean to be a fan? Is there such a thing as an “original” or authorial meaning of a text? What do Austen’s fan cultures say about both the novels themselves and the society that appropriates them? Walle.
  

  • ENGL 255 - Superheroes


    FDR: HL
    Credits: 4
    Prerequisite: Completion of FW requirement. The course explores the early development of the superhero character and narrative form, focusing on pulp literature texts published before the first appearance of Superman in 1938. The cultural context, including Nietzsche’s Übermensch philosophy and the eugenics movement, is also central. The second half of the course is devoted to the evolution of the superhero in fiction, comic books, and film, from 1938 to the present. Students read, analyze, and interpret literary and cultural texts to produce their own analytical and creative works. Gavaler.
  

  • ENGL 260 - Literary Approaches to Poverty


    FDR: HL
    Credits: 3

    Prerequisite: Completion of FW requirement. Examines literary responses to the experience of poverty, imaginative representations of human life in straitened circumstances, and arguments about the causes and consequences of poverty that appear in literature. Critical consideration of dominant paradigms (“the country and the city,” “the deserving poor,” “the two nations,” “from rags to riches,” “the fallen woman,” “the abyss”) augments reading based in cultural contexts. Historical focus will vary according to professor’s areas of interest and expertise.

    Fall 2018, ENGL 260-01: Literary Approaches to Poverty: The Radical Power of Storytelling (3). Dorothy Allison, Appalachian poet and novelist, writes, “…stories are the one sure way I know to touch the heart and change the world.” In this course, we examine contemporary American literature concerned with historic poverty, and subsequent trauma, as a condition of material lack that troubles the nation’s founding commitments to individual freedom and social equality. These writers are especially preoccupied with tracking and expressing the physical, psychological, and political effects of want. To better understand the literary treatment of poverty, we consider this writing in relation to ongoing scholarly and political debates about the origins and remedies of economic inequality. We are also especially attentive to the ways that representing poverty creates formal and rhetorical problems that definitively shape this literature: who is telling this story? who is represented? how accurate are those representations? what makes a particular narrative accessible, meaningful or powerful? what is the goal of writing such literature? who is the intended audience? Given the diversity of U.S. populations, we consider dynamics such as race, gender, class, sexuality and political movements along with traditional literary analysis and research. For minors in poverty and human capability, this course supports the program objective of developing critical social consciousness through analysis of fictional and nonfictional literary texts. (HL) Miranda. Staff.
  

  • ENGL 261 - Reading Gender


    FDR: HL
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Completion of FW requirement. A course on using gender as a tool of literary analysis. We study the ways ideas about masculinity and femininity inform and are informed by poetry, short stories, novels, plays, films, and/or pop culture productions. Also includes readings in feminist theory about literary interpretation and about the ways gender intersects with other social categories, including race, ethnicity, sexuality, and class. Historical focus will vary according to professor’s areas of interest and expertise. We study novels, poems, stories, and films that engage with what might be considered some major modern myths of gender: popular fairy tales. We focus at length upon the Cinderella and Red Riding Hood stories but also consider versions of several additional tales, always with the goal of analyzing the particular ideas about women and men, girls and boys, femininity and masculinity that both underlie and are produced by specific iterations of these familiar stories. Staff.
  

  • ENGL 262 - Literature, Race, and Ethnicity


    FDR: HL
    Credits: 3 in fall, winter; 4 in spring
    Prerequisite: Completion of FW requirement. A course that uses ethnicity, race, and culture to develop readings of literature. Politics and history play a large role in this critical approach; students should be prepared to explore their own ethnic awareness as it intersects with other, often conflicting, perspectives. Focus will vary with the professor’s interests and expertise, but may include one or more literatures of the English-speaking world: Chicano and Latino, Native American, African-American, Asian-American, Caribbean, African, sub-continental (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka), and others. Staff.
  

  • ENGL 285 - Reading Lolita in Lexington


    FDR: HL
    Credits: 3
    Prerequisite: Completion of FW requirement. This class uses Azar Nafisi’s memoir, Reading Lolita in Tehran , as a centerpiece for learning about Islam, Iran, and the intersections between Western literature and the lives of contemporary Iranian women. We read The Great Gatsby, Lolita, and Pride and Prejudice, exploring how they resonated in the lives of Nafisi’s students in Tehran. We also visit The Islamic Center of Washington and conduct journalistic research into attitudes about Iran and Islam. Brodie.
 

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