2022-2023 University Catalog archived
Course Descriptions
|
|
|
|
| |
Dance |
| |
-
DANC 202 - Dance Europe
FDR: HA Fine Arts Distribution
Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
Credits: 4
Contemporary modern dance is an art form that explores questions about the body, identity, and globalization. Choreographers experiment with their craft by examining the way in which we relate to the world around us. The globalization of dance leads to cultural interchange and critical thinking about our place in a larger society and includes an exchange of styles and ideas and a cultural reflection on how and why dance is made. Globalism creates a rich artistic atmosphere and contributes to a wide variety of styles. Students travel to the four centers of contemporary modern dance in Europe: Paris, London, Amsterdam, Brussels. We explore contemporary aesthetics of particular regions, how culture influences movement choices, and the new ways in which European audiences are adapting to new forms of expression.
|
| |
-
DANC 215 - World Dance Technique
FDR: HA Fine Arts Distribution
Credits: 2
This dance class reflects the world dance form that is the specialty of the dance artist-in-residence. The basic dance techniques of that specific form are taught and movement is tied to the historical narrative of the country.
|
| |
-
DANC 220 - Dance Composition
FDR: HA Fine Arts Distribution
Credits: 3
A studio course exploring the craft and art of creating dance performances in a variety of styles and contexts. Images, text, music, improvisation and the elements of time, space and energy are examined as sources for dance material leading to individual andgroup choreography.
|
| |
-
DANC 225 - Intermediate Contemporary Modern Dance Technique
Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
Credits: 2
May be repeated for up to eight credits. A studio course devoted to refining effort/shape values and pursuing performance quality phrasing and style in Horton modern dance technique. Students investigate self-directed reverse combinations, deconstruct movement phrases into sequential elements, and practice listening to the body by connecting movement phrases with kinesthetic experiences.
|
| |
-
DANC 230 - Musical-Theater Dance Technique
Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
Credits: 2
May be repeated for up to six degree credits. A studio exploration of choreography in musical theater from the 1940s to the present. Composition, theme, and form are discussed in concert with practical work in restaging historically significant musical dance choreographies. Of particular interest are the choreographers’ styles and the many dance techniques prevalent in musical theater.
|
| |
-
DANC 233 - Movement for Actors
FDR: HA Fine Arts Distribution
Credits: 3
This course exams an array of methods that provide a vocabulary for thinking about, acting upon, and talking about movement and gesture and the physical integration of voice, breath, speech, and movement. We explore Alexander Technique and create an awareness of physical habits of ‘misuse’ and transform them by focusing on breathing and vocal work. Students examine viewpoints as a method for vocabulary to discuss work and as a tool for creating it. Laban Movement Analysis looks at these same concepts as a language for interpreting and documenting human movement. Class meetings include lecture, studio work, and individual projects.
|
| |
-
DANC 235 - Head to Toe
FDR: HA Fine Arts Distribution
Credits: 4
The theory and practice of creating a lecture/demonstration-style performance based on the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) for elementary students. This class spends time researching recent scholarly writings on the brain, neural wiring and how pairing movement with traditional educational concepts can help young children to learn better. Students then use these principles to create a lecture/demonstration for local 4th- and 5th-grade students, including meeting and discussing ideas with local principals, setting up performances, creating a concert that ties to Virginia SOLs in English, Science or Mathematics, making costumes, sets or other production elements, choreographing and performing the material. Students also prepare an evaluation of the production and create literature to leave with the teachers so that the basic principles used to create the performance can be continued if desired.
|
| |
-
DANC 240 - Contemporary Modern Dance History
FDR: HA
Credits: 3
This course is a study of the manifestations of American modern dance from the beginning of the 20th century to the present. Students explore the relationship between dance and developments in U.S. culture and study the innovators of the art form and their techniques, writings, and art works through readings, video and lectures.
|
| |
-
DANC 250 - Aerial Dance Techniques
FDR: HA Fine Arts Distribution
Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
Credits: 3
Course fee required. May be repeated for up to nine degree credits. Prerequisite: instructor consent. This course examines a unique array of techniques from across the aerial arts and a diversity of experimental approaches to movement in the air. The history of the form as well as lineage of style and current techniques are expressed through lecture, studio work, required readings and videos, masterclasses, performances, and written responses.
|
| |
-
DANC 292 - Ballet Technique
Credits: 2
This course may be repeated for degree credit for up to six degree credits. This studio course is devoted to the practice of classical ballet technique and to the exploration of classical and contemporary ballet in performance.
|
| |
-
DANC 330 - Experiential Anatomy
FDR: HA
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: Instructor consent. A study of human motion as it relates to the locomotor and physical activities of the dancer. The course covers the planes of the body; vocabulary of the skeleton; and specific muscles, their actions, and how they relate to the dancer’s body. Injury prevention through alignment and proper movement is considered, as well as the reversal of body alienation. Attention is given to the application of course information to technique class and performance.
|
| |
-
DANC 340 - Contemporary Dance Observation and Analysis
FDR: HA Fine Arts Distribution
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: instructor consent. The observation and analysis of live and recorded contemporary dance focusing on the work of emerging and established choreographers. Exploration of methods for describing the moving body in space. Emphasis is placed on the written and verbal critique of contemporary dance in performance.
|
| |
-
DANC 390 - Special Topics
Credits: 3-4
May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Selected studies in dance with a focus on history, choreography, technique or performance. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
|
| |
-
DANC 401 - Directed Individual Study
Credits: 1
Prerequisite: instructor consent. Students enrich their academic experience by undertaking a performance project. Students must demonstrate ability to work with little supervision and must develop a written proposal defining the issue to be addressed, an outline of the proposed methodology, and a statement of the intended outcome with a schedule for completion. The project may include written, historical, and practical components. May be repeated for up to 12 credits.
|
| |
-
DANC 402 - Directed Individual Study
Credits: 2
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: Instructor consent. Students enrich their academic experience by undertaking a performance project. Students must demonstrate ability to work with little supervision and must develop a written proposal defining the issue to be addressed, an outline of the proposed methodology, and a statement of the intended outcome with a schedule for completion. The project must include written, historical, and practical components, and permission must be secured in advance of registration. May be repeated for up to 12 credits.
|
| |
-
DANC 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: instructor consent. Students enrich their academic experience by undertaking a performance project. Students must demonstrate ability to work with little supervision and must develop a written proposal defining the issue to be addressed, an outline of the proposed methodology, and a statement of the intended outcome with a schedule for completion. The project may include written, historical, and practical components. Maybe repeated for up to 12 credits.
|
| |
-
DANC 421 - Directed Independent Research
Credits: 1
May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: instructor consent. Students will enrich their academic experience by pursuing advanced study in a specialized area of dance. Permission to undertake directed individual research is a privilege granted to students who have demonstrated their ability to work with little supervision. The student wishing to undertake the class must develop a three- to five-page written proposal that includes the problem or issue to be addressed, an outline of the proposed methodology to be used in executing the research, and a statement of the intended outcome with a schedule for completing it. Student must secure approval for the research by the faculty advisor of the project.
|
| |
-
DANC 422 - Directed Independent Research
Credits: 2
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: Instructor consent. Students will enrich their academic experience by pursuing advanced study in a specialized area of dance. Permission to undertake directed individual research is a privilege granted to students who have demonstrated their ability to work with little supervision. The student wishing to undertake the class must develop a three- to five-page written proposal that includes the problem or issue to be addressed, an outline of the proposed methodology to be used in executing the research, and a statement of the intended outcome with a schedule for completing it. Student must secure approval for the research by the faculty advisor of the project. May be repeated for credit.
|
| |
-
DANC 423 - Directed Independent Research
Credits: 3
May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: instructor consent. Students will enrich their academic experience by pursuing advanced study in a specialized area of dance. Permission to undertake directed individual research is a privilege granted to students who have demonstrated their ability to work with little supervision. The student wishing to undertake the class must develop a three- to five-page written proposal that includes the problem or issue to be addressed, an outline of the proposed methodology to be used in executing the research, and a statement of the intended outcome with a schedule for completing it. Student must secure approval for the research by the faculty advisor of the project.
|
Data Science |
| |
-
DS 100 - Introduction to Data Science
Credits: 3
Open to students from any class year or academic discipline. No coding experience is required. Prerequisite: instructor consent. A pilot online course taught by the Liberal Arts Collaborative (LACOL) consortium, including W&L faculty. Prerequisite or corequisite: MATH 101 or equivalent. Open to students from any class year or academic discipline. No coding experience is required. An introduction to the methods of data science, including visualization, manipulation, programming, and modeling. Data plays a central and important role in scholarship, in research, and in modern society. Data science is a collection of analytical and computational methods to enable insight, understanding, and predictions to be drawn from data. Students gain inspiration and confidence to apply the tools and methods of data science in numerous ways, by exposure to theory and application of data science tools and methods that are useful for studying problems in the social sciences, environmental science, psychology, medicine, ecology, chemistry, physics, and other disciplines. This course is taught fully online through both real-time (synchronous) and asynchronous delivery with faculty of Bryn Mawr College, Davidson College, Vassar College, Swarthmore College, Washington and Lee University, and Williams College.
|
| |
-
DS 285 - Statistical Methods for Correcting Bias
Credits: 3
This course will investigate the differences and similarities between statistical bias and social bias. Students will study techniques to ameliorate or eliminate both.
|
| |
-
DS 395 - Special Topics in Data Science
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: Instructor consent. Exploration of a topic in data science, where students craft testable research questions and retrieve an appropriate data set to answer those research questions. Includes training in some aspect of data science and incorporates extensive independent student work, with individual projects being the key product of that work, synthesizing what you have learned in the data science minor and demonstrating mastery of core data-science skills. Topics may include causal inference for data science with directed acyclic graphs (DAGs); analysis of spatial data; or multilevel models. Data Science faculty. Offered periodically depending on faculty availability and expertise and student interest.
|
| |
-
DS 399 - Data Science Capstone
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: instructor consent. In this course, students have the opportunity to identify a topic of interest, craft testable research questions, and retrieve an appropriate data set to answer those research questions. Students’ primary goal is to synthesize what you have learned in the data science minor and demonstrate mastery of core data-science skills.
|
| |
-
DS 401 - Directed Individual Study
Credits: 1
To be taken during the fall or winter term of the senior year. Prerequisite: instructor consent. Under the guidance of faculty in the data-science program, the student produces a digital portfolio (required for the minor) of coursework, research, and non-curricular activities in data science that demonstrates the student’s mastery of data science. Students receive instruction in best practices and expected requirements but have considerable freedom in designing their portfolios. It is expected that the student works independently each week on producing the portfolio.
|
Digital Culture & Information |
| |
-
DCI 101 - Introduction to Digital Culture and Information
Credits: 3
What does it mean to be a citizen of a digital world? How do you think critically about the ways that technology shapes our society? How do you learn new digital skills when platforms are constantly changing? How do you find and use information effectively without being overwhelmed or mislead? Through hands-on activities and project-based learning, this course serves as an introduction to the study of digital culture and information. Students will develop the critical capacity and technological fluency necessary to understand, analyze, critique, and create in a world dominated by digital media, software algorithms, and information overload.
|
| |
-
DCI 103 - Digital Humanities: Social Justice Collections and Liberal Arts Curricula
Credits: 3
Through a unique collaboration between ten peer colleges, this course uses college archives and collections, and curricular data, as a multi-campus corpus to be interrogated as a basis for historically and socially relevant digital research. Students will apply different lenses - history, language, culture, religion, solo/ensemble works of art, digital making to formulate and address a research question through digital means. This course is taught fully online through both real-time (synchronous) and asynchronous delivery, with faculty of LACOL-affiliated colleges.
|
| |
-
DCI 110 - Web Programming for Non-Programmers
FDR: SC Science, Math, CS Distribution
Credits: 4
No prior programming experience is needed, but a desire to learn and to be challenged is a must. Computer science and IT graduates are no longer the only people expected to have some knowledge of how to program. Humanities and social science majors can greatly increase their job prospects by understanding the fundamentals of writing computer code, not only through the ability itself but also being better able to communicate with programming professionals and comprehending the software development and design process as a whole. The most centralized and simple platform for learning is the Web. This course starts with a brief introduction to/review of HTML and CSS and then focuses on using JavaScript to write basic code and implement preexisting libraries to analyze and visualize data. Students become familiar with building a complete Web page that showcases all three languages.
|
| |
-
DCI 175 - Innovations in Publishing
Credits: 4
An intensive introduction to the publishing industry with a focus on digital innovations. A hands-on approach in a series of four laboratory sessions provides students with the ability to tackle a variety of technical scenarios for publishing. Each class begins with news from the publishing industry and ends by examining job ads to understand the types of skills and experiences necessary for pursuing careers in this very broad field. This course focuses primarily on the publishing of video games.
|
| |
-
DCI 180 - FS: First-Year Seminar
Credits: 3
A seminar for first-year students. Applicability to FDRs and other requirements varies. Prerequisite: first-year student class standing. First-year Seminar.
|
| |
-
DCI 190 - Digital Culture and Information Studio
Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
Credits: 1
May be repeated for up to three degree credits if the topics are different. This course examines the research questions that guide digital humanities methodology, reviews exemplary scholarly projects on the topic at hand, and offers significant hands-on experience exploring relevant tools.
|
| |
-
DCI 191 - Conventions of Scholarship: Past, Present, and Future
Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
Credits: 1
What is scholarship? Who controls it? Who is left out of scholarly conversations? In the first six weeks of this course, students will explore how various information stakeholders define scholarship, from academics to government bodies. We will primarily explore how academic inquiry differs from personal inquiry; what conventions people observe within the social sciences, humanities, fine arts, and STEM; and the problem of gatekeeping in academic scholarship, and how certain populations are marginalized. Students will learn how to identify quality scholarship, while remembering that quality is subjective and fluid. The second half of the course will leave behind the classroom in favor of an experiential learning lab in the University Library. Students will help their peers not only find information and scholarship to satisfy their own academic inquiry, but will also learn how libraries organize that material and make it discoverable.
|
| |
-
DCI 201 - Digital Collections and Exhibits
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: completion of FDR:FW requirement. Students explore W&L’s history through primary sources in Special Collections and Archives to develop a public-facing online collection of materials and a narrative exhibit. This course teaches students how to plan and implement a digital collection and exhibit from the initial concept through the final project.
|
| |
-
DCI 202 - Introduction to Data Science
FDR: FM Math and Computer Science Foundation
Credits: 3
Not open to students with credit for ECON 202 or INTR 202. Foundation in introductory statistics and data science which enables students to understand and participate in introductory data-science projects. The course starts with an introduction to the concepts of data science and its use in today’s society. Students are exposed to a survey of the basics of statistics and probability theory; tackle the basics of regression analysis, learn a multitude of data manipulation and visualization techniques; and are introduced to programming in R.
|
| |
-
DCI 270 - 21st-Century Show and Tell: Multimedia Design for Instruction
Credits: 3
E-learning provides a method to convey instruction for concepts and skills that require minimal to moderate explanation and nuance. It can serve as a primer for information that a wide audience needs to know prior to diving deeper into a topic or as a refresher for knowledge that can be accessed anytime and anywhere an Internet connection is available. Students learn core instructional-design theories and to use instructional technology to develop a learning module in the context of an academic library. They design the course from scratch following industry-standard principles using tools that aid in wire-framing, scriptwriting, asset collection, and module construction.
|
| |
-
DCI 271 - New Dark Age
Credits: 3
Are we living in a New Dark Age? Artist and writer James Bridle argues that the abundance of information intended to enlighten the world has, in practice, darkened it. This course takes a big-picture look at the interconnected impact of technology on the world around us. Is it enough to learn to code or think computationally? Through research, hands-on assignments, and local trips, we seek to understand what has led to our present technological moment and where we can go from here. We cover topics such as climate change, e-waste, big data, algorithmic bias, and automation.
|
| |
-
DCI 295 - Topics in Digital Culture and Information
Credits: 3
Study of a selected topic focusing on digital culture, digital information, or both. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
|
| |
-
DCI 393 - Creating Digital Scholarship Seminar
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: DCI 102, DCI 108, or DCI 110; and at least junior class standing. This seminar provides students with the skills, theoretical background, and methodological support to transform a work of traditional scholarship within an academic discipline into a public-facing work of digital scholarship. Students decide on a digital project in consultation with classmates and the instructor. Students survey and analyze examples of digital scholarship to determine what form each student’s project should take.
|
| |
-
DCI 401 - Directed Individual Study
Credits: 1
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: DCI 102 or DCI 108 or instructor consent; at least junior standing. A course designed for students who wish to undertake a digital scholarship project of their own conception and execution. Applications must be approved by the department and accepted by the student’s proposed director. In consultation with a director, students plan an independent course of study which must culminate in the production of a work of public-facing digital scholarship. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
|
| |
-
DCI 402 - Directed Individual Study
Credits: 2
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: DCI 102 or DCI 108 or instructor consent; at least junior standing. A course designed for students who wish to undertake a digital scholarship project of their own conception and execution. Applications must be approved by the department and accepted by the student’s proposed director. In consultation with a director, students plan an independent course of study which must culminate in the production of a work of public-facing digital scholarship. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
|
| |
-
DCI 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits: 3
Applications must be approved by the department and accepted by the student's proposed director. Prerequisite: DCI 102, DCI 108, or DCI 110; and at least junior class standing. A course designed for students who wish to undertake a digital scholarship project of their own conception and execution. In consultation with a director, students plan an independent course of study which culminates in the production of a work of public-facing digital scholarship. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
|
East Asian Languages and Literatures |
| |
-
EALL 175 - Cool Japan: Manga, Business Etiquette, Language, and Culture
FDR: HU Humanities Distribution
Credits: 3
Taught in English, this course examines a variety of visual artifacts such as manga, anime, and unique social phenomena, observable in current Japan through reading materials and discussions, to understand Japanese culture and society. Students learn the visually beautiful writing system of Japanese and onomatopoeia, which is used extensively in Japanese manga. Through hands-on experiences, students gain a deeper understanding and multicultural perspective of the culture and society of Japan.
|
| |
-
EALL 180 - FS: Multiple Perspective of Japan: Literature, Film, Culture and Language
Credits: 4
Limited to 15 students, these seminars are reading- and discussion-based with an emphasis on papers, projects, studio work, or hands-on field experience rather than exams. Prerequisite: first-year student class standing. Today Japan is known for its vibrant visual culture of anime and manga, exportation of commodities such as J-Horror and J-Pop, exquisite slow-food culture, and reverence for traditional values of beauty and honor. This course is an introductory seminar to understanding Japan from a multiple of perspectives, which include examination of literature, film, culture, and language.
|
| |
-
EALL 215 - East Asian Cinema
FDR: HA Fine Arts Distribution
Credits: 4
This course provides an introduction to and overview of contemporary East Asian cinema, including the Chinese-language cinemas of the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, and those of Japan and Korea. It focuses on the flourishing cinema of East Asia since the 1980s and provides a solid foundation in the successes and dominant tendencies of contemporary East Asian cinema and culture. Among the aims of the course are examining ways in which the contemporary East Asian cinemas and cultures are in dialogue with one another and looking at specific conditions and cultural forces at work in each unique case. The course also explores how the cinemas of East Asia reflect the changing cultural, economic, historical, political and social conditions of each country and how these cinemas and cultures are part of a larger redefinition of the idea of a national culture. Screenings and readings consist of exemplary works from each East Asian culture, organized around specific motifs, such as history, memory, identity, communication, love, and death.
|
| |
-
EALL 399 - Capstone Project
Credits: 1
Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. Prerequisite: instructor consent. A translation project required of all EALL majors typically done during their senior year, preferably while taking Chinese 312/Japanese 312. The appropriate faculty member assigns a literary piece to be translated (not poetry), written in the modern language. The project results in a final translation of at least 2,500 words.
|
| |
-
EALL 493 - Honors Thesis
Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: instructor consent. Honors Thesis.
|
East Asian Studies |
| |
-
EAS 391 - Senior Capstone in East Asian Studies
Credits: 1
Prerequisite: instructor consent. Weekly seminar in East Asian studies that focuses on research tools and methodology. Students develop and present to the group their capstone proposals. Additional presentations by East Asian Studies faculty and guest speakers.
|
| |
-
EAS 393 - Senior Capstone in East Asian Studies
Credits: 3
Capstone project. Prerequisite: EAS 391. Weekly seminar, focusing on the completion of the capstone project, including a formal presentation of the finished project to East Asian Studies faculty and students.
|
| |
-
EAS 401 - Directed Individual Study
Credits: 1
Prerequisite: instructor consent. Directed Individual Study.
|
| |
-
EAS 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: instructor consent. Directed Individual Study.
|
Economics |
| |
-
ECON 100 - Introduction to Economics
FDR: SS1 Social Science - Group 1 Distribution
Credits: 3
Open only to students who have not taken ECON 101 and/or ECON 102. No retakes allowed. Economics is the study of how a society (individuals, firms, and governments) allocates scarce resources. The course includes a survey of the fundamental principles used to approach microeconomic questions of consumer behavior, firm behavior, market outcomes, market structure, and microeconomic policy, and macroeconomic questions of performance of the aggregate economy, including unemployment, inflation, growth, and monetary and fiscal policies.
|
| |
-
ECON 101 - Principles of Microeconomics
FDR: SS1 Social Science - Group 1 Distribution
Credits: 3
(No longer offered. See ECON 100 ). Should be followed by ECON 102. Survey of economic principles and problems with emphasis on analysis of consumer behavior, firm behavior, market outcomes, market structure, and microeconomic policy. The first half of a two-term survey of economics.
|
| |
-
ECON 102 - Principles of Macroeconomics
FDR: SS1 Social Science - Group 1 Distribution
Credits: 3
(No longer offered. See ECON 100) Emphasis on performance of the aggregate economy. Analysis of unemployment, inflation, growth, and monetary and fiscal policies.
|
| |
-
ECON 180 - FS: First-Year Seminar
FDR: SS1 Social Science - Group 1 Distribution
Credits: 3
Topics vary by term and instructor. Prerequisite: first-year student class standing. First-Year Seminar
|
| |
-
ECON 202 - Statistics for Economics
Credits: 3
Not open to students with credit for DCI 202 or INTR 202. Prerequisite: MATH 101. Fundamentals of probability, statistics, estimation, and hypothesis testing and ending with an introduction to regression analysis. The topics are critical for success in upper-level economics electives and are important for careers that rely on empirical research in the social sciences. Students engage in a dialogue between theory and application and learn to think formally about data, uncertainty, and random processes, while learning hands-on methods to organize and analyze real data using modern statistical software.
|
| |
-
ECON 203 - Econometrics
Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: ECON 202. Explorations of regression models that relate a response variable to one or more predictor variables. The course begins with a review of the simple bivariate model used in INTR 202, and moves on to multivariate models. Underlying model assumptions and consequences are discussed. Advanced topics include non-linear regression and forecasting. Examples in each class are drawn from a number of disciplines. The course emphasizes the use of data and student-directed research.
|
| |
-
ECON 210 - Microeconomic Theory
Credits: 3
Recommended for economics majors not later than their junior year. Prerequisite: either ECON 100, 101, 180, or 180A; and MATH 101. Contemporary theory relating to consumer behavior, the firm’s optimizing behavior, the nature of competition in various types of markets and market equilibrium over time.
|
| |
-
ECON 211 - Macroeconomic Theory
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 180, or ECON 180A; or both ECON 101 and ECON 102. This course develops the classical macroeconomic framework and uses this to explore the causes and consequences of economic growth, inflation, output, and employment. This same exercise is conducted using alternative theoretical frameworks, including those associated with Keynes, Monetarists, and New Classical thinkers. Emphasis is placed on investigating the impact and effectiveness of monetary and fiscal policy under each of the theoretical paradigms or schools of thought developed.
|
| |
-
ECON 215 - Money and Banking
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: ECON 100, 180, or ECON 180A; or both ECON 101 and ECON 102; and at least junior class standing. A study of the fundamental principles of money, credit, and banking in the United States. Emphasis is on modern conditions and problems, with particular attention to the validity of monetary and banking theory in the present domestic and international situation.
|
| |
-
ECON 222 - Current Public Policy Debates
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 101, ECON 180, or ECON 180A. The course is an applied public finance and policy course that focuses on current policy debates. While the topics are updated with each offering, students in this course examine options for replacing the Affordable Care Act, analyze whether the country should adopt a universal voucher program for K-12, discuss containing the cost of college, and explore options for securing the long-term financial stability of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. We use economic theory to frame the each of the policy questions. Students conduct additional research on each of the topics, debate topics, and author policy opinion papers.
|
| |
-
ECON 229 - Urban Economics
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 101, ECON 180, or ECON 180A. A study of the economics of cities. Students discuss why cities exist, what determines city growth, and how firms make city location decisions. We then shift our focus to within-city location decisions, and we discuss land-use patterns, housing, and neighborhoods. Our discussion of housing and neighborhoods focus on a number of issues related to urban poverty, including the effects of segregation and housing policies on the poor.
|
| |
-
ECON 230 - Labor Economics
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 180, or ECON 180A; or both ECON 101 and ECON 102. This course addresses how labor markets and institutions allocate labor and determine earnings and the distribution of income in the United States. Economic models are used to explain labor market outcomes generated by our economy. Where such outcomes are deemed less than socially optimal, these models are used to evaluate prospective and current labor market policies intended to address these shortcomings. Some attention is given to comparing American labor market outcomes with those in other developed countries.
|
| |
-
ECON 231 - The Economics of Race
Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 180, or ECON 180A. A critical examination of the causes and consequences of racial disparities in valued life-course outcomes in America. More than 50 years have elapsed since the passage of civil-rights and equal-employment-opportunity legislation in the U.S. Nevertheless, racial gaps persist – with blacks lagging whites – on most socioeconomic indicators. The course is divided into four parts: (1) an introduction to the biological and social construction of race; (2) theories to explain racial disparities; (3) an examination of racial disparity in such realms as education, health, wealth, wages, and unemployment; and (4) policies to address racial disparities. In each section of the course, students explore relevant issues through assigned readings, films, and classroom discussion. We foster the development and use of critical thinking, effective writing, and oral presentation skills. Student evaluation is based on classroom participation, an examination of concepts discussed, film commentaries, and a term paper.
|
| |
-
ECON 234 - Urban Education: Poverty, Ethnicity and Policy
EDUC 369
Credits: 4
Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 101, ECON 180, or ECON 180A. Same as EDUC 369. Students explore the determinants of education achievement and attainment in urban education through three weeks of fieldwork in schools in the Richmond area (Monday through Thursday each week) and seminar meetings in Lexington. Students observe and work to understand critical components of teaching and learning in the urban classroom. The readings and experience challenge students to consider factors including early childhood development, the role of the family, school finance, teachers, and curriculum. The students then evaluate the current policy proposals for school reform in the United States such as teacher merit pay, charter schools, and student accountability. In addition, students develop and present their own policy proposal for improving public schools. Housing is provided through alumni in Richmond.
|
| |
-
ECON 235 - The Economics of Social Issues
Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
Credits: 3
Preference to ECON majors during the first round of registration. Other majors are encouraged to add to the waiting list after registration re-opens for all class years. Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 101, ECON 180, or ECON 180A. This seminar is based on readings that set out hypotheses developed by economists and other social scientists regarding the causes and consequences of a wide range of social problems. Evidence examining the validity of these hypotheses is scrutinized and evaluated. The course is writing intensive and interdisciplinary since readings are drawn from a wide variety of fields. Topics discussed include, but are not limited to, poverty, education, health, crime, race, ethnicity, immigration, and fiscal matters.
|
| |
-
ECON 236 - Economics of Education
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 101, ECON 180, or ECON 180A. Investigation of the role of education on outcomes for both nations and individuals. Understanding of the factors in the education production function. Emphasis on the challenges of pre-K-12 education in the United States; secondary coverage of postsecondary education. Analysis of the effect of existing policies and potential reforms on the achievement and opportunities available to poor and minority students.
|
| |
-
ECON 237 - Health Economics
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 101, ECON 180, or ECON 180A. An overview of the determinants of health using standard microeconomic models to analyze individual behavior, markets, institutions, and policies that influence health and health care. The primary focus of the course is the United States but also includes comparisons to health systems in other developed countries and very limited coverage of developing countries. Particular emphasis is given to challenges faced by disadvantaged groups. The course includes an optional service-learning component with placements involving health issues and/or health care services in Rockbridge County.
|
| |
-
ECON 239 - Exploring Childhood in Scandinavia: Comparing Policies and Practices to the U.S.
EDUC 239
Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
Credits: 4
Study Abroad Course. Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 101, ECON 180, or ECON 180A. Same as EDUC 239. 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.
|
| |
-
ECON 241 - Economics of War and Peace
Credits: 3
Preference to ECON majors during the first round of registration. Other majors are encouraged to add to the waiting list after registration re-opens for all class years. Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 101, ECON 180, or ECON 180A. In this course. we will look at the economic conditions and behaviors during periods of conflict. As such. the focus of the course is to develop a theoretical understanding of how human interaction can be modeled to study both peace and violent outcomes. To do so, we will view individuals’ decision to be engaged in conflict as a rational choice. This viewpoint allows us to use economic principles to study individual behavior, design policies to alter those behaviors, and assess economic losses due to conflict. The topics covered in this class range from civil wars and genocide to international terrorism.
|
| |
-
ECON 246 - Caste at the Intersection of Economy, Religion, and Law
REL 246 FDR: SS4 Social Science - Group 4 Distribution
Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
Credits: 4
ECON 100 or 101 required only for credit as an elective in the Economics major. Prerequisite: instructor consent. Same as REL 246. Social stratification touches every aspect of life, and South Asia’s traditional caste structure is a special case: this highly complex, strictly-adhered-to system has been religiously legitimized and criticized over a 3,000-year history, and is nowadays seen as being at odds with the modern world. Yet it remains a crucial factor in social identity, economic roles, legal status, and religious practice. This course offers a 360-degree survey of caste both historically and in practice today in Nepal. The course addresses four themes, respectively providing for each a combination of historical background, social scientific analysis of the modern situation, and direct field experience for the students.
|
| |
-
ECON 250 - Public Finance and Public Policy
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 180, or ECON 180A; or both ECON 101 and ECON 102. Public choices and the public economy. An inquiry into how the references of individuals and groups are translated into public sector economic activity. The nature of public activity and public choice institutions. The question of social balance. The effects of government expenditures and taxes on the economic behavior of individuals and firms.
|
| |
-
ECON 251 - Women in the Economy
Credits: 3
Preference to ECON majors during the first round of registration. Other majors are encouraged to add to the waiting list after registration re-opens for all class years. Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 101, ECON 180, or ECON 180A. Students explore how economic theory and analysis can be applied to examine the multiple roles that women play in our society. In particular, we examine linkages and changes in women’s human capital, marriage, fertility, family structure, and occupation and labor supply decisions in the post-World War II era. We also investigate the magnitude and causes of the gender wage gap. We assess how much of the gender wage gap can be explained by education and occupational choice, and how much appears to be due to discrimination. We also learn about {and try to explain} the differences in labor-market outcomes for women with and without children. Finally, we access the causes and consequences of teenage pregnancy and single motherhood.
|
| |
-
ECON 255 - Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 101, ECON 180, or ECON 180A. The course serves as an introduction to environmental and natural resource economics. Economic principles are used to evaluate public and private decision making involving the management and use of environmental and natural resources. Aspects pertaining to fisheries, forests, species diversity, agriculture, and various policies to reduce air, water and toxic pollution will be discussed. Lectures, reading assignments, discussions and exams will emphasize the use of microeconomic analysis for managing and dealing with environmental and natural resource problems and issues.
|
| |
-
ECON 257 - Economics of the Chesapeake Bay: Agriculture, Recreation, Fisheries and Urban Sprawl
Credits: 4
Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 101, ECON 180, or ECON 180A. This course examines the causes of, consequences of, and solutions to the environmental problems of the Chesapeake Bay, using economic tools in an interdisciplinary context. The course will spend approximately four days in the Chesapeake Bay area. Students work as a group to develop a plan to recover the Chesapeake Bay to promote its ecological health and the ecological services that it provides for the watershed.
|
| |
-
ECON 259 - Supervised Study Abroad: The Environment and Economic Development in Amazonas
Credits: 4
Spring Term Abroad course. Prerequisite: instructor consent. Amazonas is a huge Brazilian state of 1.5 million sq. kilometers which retains 94 percent of its original forest cover. This course examines the importance of the forest for economic development in both the formal and informal sectors of the economy, and how policies can be develop to promote both environmental protection and an increase in the quality life in both the urban and rural areas of Amazonas. The learning objectives of this course integrate those of the economics and environmental studies majors. Students are asked to use economic tools in an interdisciplinary context to understand the relationships among economic behavior, ecosystems and policy choices. Writing assignments focus on these relationships and look towards the development of executive summary writing skills.
|
| |
-
ECON 270 - International Trade
Credits: 3
Preference to ECON majors during the first round of registration. Other majors are encouraged to add to the waiting list after registration re-opens for all class years. Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 101, ECON 180, or ECON 180A. Specialization of production, the gains from trade, and their distribution, nationally and internationally. Theory of tariffs. Commercial policy from the mercantilist era to the present. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Transnational economic integration: the European Community and other regional blocs.
|
| |
-
ECON 271 - International Finance
Credits: 3
Preference to ECON majors during the first round of registration. Other majors are encouraged to add to the waiting list after registration re-opens for all class years. Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 180, or ECON 180A; or both ECON 101 and ECON 102. International monetary arrangements, balance-of-payments adjustment processes, and the mutual dependence of macroeconomic variables and policies in trading nations. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), international investment, and the World Bank. International cooperation for economic stability.
|
| |
-
ECON 274 - China’s Modern Economy
Credits: 3
Preference to ECON majors during the first round of registration. Other majors are encouraged to add to the waiting list after registration re-opens for all class years. Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 180, or ECON 180A; or both ECON 101 and ECON 102. Economic analysis of the Chinese economy in the 20th century. Comparisons of pre- and post-revolutionary periods. Performance and policies of Taiwan and mainland China. Issues include the population problem, industrialization, provision of public health and education, alleviation of poverty and inequality. Microeconomic emphasis.
|
| |
-
ECON 276 - Health Economics in Developing Countries
Credits: 3
Preference to ECON majors during the first round of registration. Other majors are encouraged to add to the waiting list after registration re-opens for all class years. Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 101, ECON 180, or ECON 180A. A survey of the major issues of health economics. with a focus on developing countries (although the issues are also relevant for developed countries, including the U.S. Economic modeling of health-related issues, supply and demand of health, cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis, health goals, and policy alternatives. Economic epidemiology, including HIV/AIDS. Selected case studies. Group project, where the group selects a developing country for which a policy proposal is then developed for a health-related policy issue of the group’s choice.
|
| |
-
ECON 280 - Development Economics
Credits: 3
Preference to ECON majors during the first round of registration. Other majors are encouraged to add to the waiting list after registration re-opens for all class years. Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 180, or ECON 180A; or both ECON 101 and ECON 102. A survey of the major issues of development economics. Economic structure of low-income countries and primary causes for their limited economic growth. Economic goals and policy alternatives. Role of developed countries in the development of poor countries. Selected case studies.
|
| |
-
ECON 281 - Comparative Institutional Economics
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 101, ECON 180, or ECON 180A. Institutions such as laws, the political system, and cultural norms embed all social activity. They structure economic, political, and social interaction and as such play a central role in facilitating (or hindering) economic development. This course’s objective is to explore from a broad perspective how institutions affect economic performance, what the determinants of institutions are, and how institutions evolve. We study examples from the existing capitalist economies, the developing and transition countries, as well as the more distant history. Because the study of institutions is necessarily an interdisciplinary endeavor, the course combines the approach of economics with the insights from law, political science, history, and sociology.
|
| |
-
ECON 282S - African Economic Development
Credits: 4
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: ECON 100 and instructor consent. Taught by W&L faculty at the University of Cape Coast as part of the W&L in Ghana. This course introduces issues in African economic development, with an emphasis on Ghana as a case study. The course reviews the classic theoretical models of economic development and presents contemporary models of economic development. We discuss the importance of health and education in economic development, especially the importance of educating girls and the potential importance of adult-literacy programs in economic development in Ghana. While some of this addresses historical experiences, a major focus is on the future challenges and opportunities. As an integral part of the course, students work together to produce a public policy proposal for a specific region in Ghana, of their choice. Throughout the course, we emphasize the importance and relevance of readings for public policy.
|
| |
-
ECON 286 - Lakota Land Culture, Economics and History
SOAN 286 FDR: SS4 Social Science - Group 4 Distribution
Credits: 4
Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 101, ECON 180, or ECON 180A. Same as SOAN 286. This class focuses on the cultural, economic, and historical dimensions of the Lakotas’ (Titonwan tawapi ) ties to their lands as expressed in their pre- and post-reservation lifeways. It includes a 10 day field trip to western South Dakota to visit and meet with people in the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservations and the Black Hills.
|
| |
-
ECON 288 - Supervised Study Abroad
Experiential Learning (EXP): Yes
Credits: 4
Emphasis and location changes from year to year and is announced each year, well in advance of registration. This course may not be repeated. Other prerequisites as specified by the instructor(s). Prerequisite: instructor consent. For advanced students, the course covers a topic of current interest for which foreign travel provides a unique opportunity for significantly greater understanding. Likely destinations are Europe, Latin America, Africa, or Asia.
|
| |
-
ECON 295 - Special Topics in Economics
Credits: 3-4
Course emphasis and prerequisites change from term to term and are announced prior to preregistration. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. A maximum of nine credits chosen from all special topics in economics courses may be used, with permission of the department head, toward requirements for the economics major. Prerequisites may vary with topic. Preference to ECON majors during the first round of registration. Other majors are encouraged to add to the waiting list after registration re-opens for all class years. Prerequisite: ECON 100, ECON 180, or ECON 180A; or both ECON 101 and ECON 102. Course emphasis and prerequisites change from term to term and are announced prior to preregistration. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. A maximum of nine credits chosen from all special topics in economics courses may be used, with permission of the department head, toward requirements for the economics major. Prerequisites may vary with topic. Preference to ECON majors during the first round of registration. Other majors are encouraged to add to the waiting list after registration re-opens for all class years.
|
| |
-
ECON 302 - Game Theory
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: ECON 210. This course abandons the assumptions of perfect competition. Buyers and sellers may be few; information may be privately held; property rights may poorly enforced; externalities abound and uncertainty is the rule. Game theory is a general framework for analyzing the messy world of strategic interactions. Standard solution concepts such as Nash Equilibrium, subgame perfection, and Bayesian equilibrium are introduced in the context of a broad array of microeconomic topics. These include auctions, bargaining, oligopoly, labor market signaling, public finance and insurance. Class time combines lectures, problem-solving workshops, and classroom experiments.
|
| |
-
ECON 310 - Advanced Microeconomic and Macroeconomic Theory
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: ECON 210 and ECON 211. An introduction to the scope and tools of modern economic theory, including student applications of these theories. Equal time is spent examining topics, with the focus in microeconomics on examining sources of market failure (externalities, public goods, asymmetric information) and decision-making under uncertainty, and the focus in macroeconomics on constructing models of the demand-side and supply-side of the macroeconomy and on policy-setting in both the closed and open economy settings.
|
| |
-
ECON 320 - Mathematical Methods in Economics
Credits: 3
The course is highly recommended for anyone planning to undertake graduate studies in economics or a closely related field. Should not be taken if completed ECON 220: Mathematical Economics. Preference to ECON majors during the first round of registration. Other majors are encouraged to add to the waiting list after registration re-opens for all class years. Prerequisite: ECON 210 or MATH 221. An introduction to fundamental mathematical methods of economic analysis with a variety of applications from both microeconomics and macroeconomics. Topics covered include theory and applications of linear algebra, multivariable calculus, static optimization, and comparative statics.
|
| |
-
ECON 330 - Advanced Labor Economics
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: either ECON 100, 101, 180 or 180A; and ECON 203. This course is an empirically advanced introduction to fundamental topics in the economic study of labor markets. We focus on labor supply, labor market equilibrium, investments in education, the distribution of labor income, and the effects of discrimination. Each part of the course provides a theoretical treatment of the respective topic followed by coverage of one or more academic research papers on that topic. Compared to most undergraduate labor economics courses, this course adopts a narrower topical focus in order to study, in depth, some primary research from the discipline. Students further develop their own quantitative research skills by writing two empirical papers.
|
| |
-
ECON 344 - Advanced U.S. Economic History
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: ECON 203. This course examines selected topics in the economic development of the U.S. economy. The goals are to review some major themes in U.S. economic history, to study professional research papers to learn how economists develop and interpret historical evidence, and to give students hands-on experience analyzing historical data. Major themes vary, but usually include: agriculture/environment; fertility; health; race; World War II; and urbanization. Students will read, discuss, and present empirical economic research papers, replicate results from select papers, and write original empirical research papers.
|
| |
-
ECON 356 - Economics of the Environment in Developing Countries
Credits: 3
Preference to ECON or ENV majors during the first round of registration. Other majors are encouraged to add to the waiting list after registration re-opens for all class years. Prerequisite: ECON 203 and either ECON 255 or ECON 280. This course focuses on the unique characteristics of the relationship between the environment and the economy in developing nations. Differences in economic structure, political structure, culture, social organization and ecosystem dynamics are emphasized as alternative policies for environmental and resource management are analyzed.
|
| |
-
ECON 376 - Health: A Social Science Exploration
Credits: 4
Prerequisite: ECON 203. Much of the work done by consulting companies, banks, insurance companies, think tanks, non-governmental organizations, government agencies, etc., is based on applied statistical and econometric analysis. This course helps prepare students for careers in these environments using a hands-on approach and emphasizing the use of data and student-directed research in the specific context of health-related issues. Example of these issues include obesity, vaccinations, pre- and post-natal care, contraceptive use, or child mortality; possible determinants include poverty, education, or distance to the nearest health clinic or hospital. An interdisciplinary perspective is highlighted, as is the use and importance of quantitative analysis for public policy.
|
| |
-
ECON 377 - Global Public Health
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: ECON 203. A survey of the major issues of public health, with case studies from across the world. These include water and sanitation, vaccinations, contraceptive use, obesity, child work and health outcomes, quality of medical care and provider choice, and HIV-AIDS. Further explorations of regression models, building on the material from ECON 203, using a hands-on approach. The course emphasizes understanding of the use and analysis of data and student-directed research using policy-relevant applications related to public health.
|
| |
-
ECON 380 - Economics of Culture and Development
Credits: 3
Prerequisite: ECON 203. Economists have long been interested in understanding the sources of (under) development. Topics include labor coercion, corruption, health, education, and many more. As reliable micro-level data has become increasingly available from developing countries, our understanding of the process of development has evolved accordingly. Students gain familiarity with those datasets and the recent empirical papers utilizing them. While our approach is grounded in economic theory and empirical findings, one of our goals is to contextualize economic development. That is, development or under-development does not happen in vacuum. The roots of economic well-being of a country can be traced to its history, culture, and geography. The course, therefore, combines topics from economics of culture as it relates to development economics.
|
| |
-
ECON 395 - Special Topics in Economics
Credits: 3-4
Prerequisite: ECON 203. Course emphasis and prerequisites change from term to term and will be announced prior to preregistration. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. A maximum of nine credits chosen from all special topics in economics courses may be used, with permission of the department head, toward requirements for the economics major. Prerequisite varies with topic. Prerequisite: ECON 203.
|
| |
-
ECON 401 - Directed Individual Study
Credits: 1
May be repeated for degree credit with permission for different topics. Prerequisite: instructor consent. The objective is to permit students to follow a course of directed study in some field of economics not presented in other courses, or to emphasize a particular field of interest.
|
| |
-
ECON 402 - Directed Individual Study
Credits: 2
May be repeated for degree credit with permission for different topics. Prerequisite: instructor consent. The objective is to permit students to follow a course of directed study in some field of economics not presented in other courses, or to emphasize a particular field of interest.
|
| |
-
ECON 403 - Directed Individual Study
Credits: 3
May be repeated for degree credit with permission for different topics. Prerequisite: instructor consent. The objective is to permit students to follow a course of directed study in some field of economics not presented in other courses, or to emphasize a particular field of interest.
|
| |
-
ECON 421 - Directed Individual Research
Credits: 1
May be repeated for degree credit. Prerequisite: instructor consent. Independent research culminating in an honors thesis. See the departmental web site for requirements for honors in the major.
|
| |
-
ECON 422 - Directed Individual Research
Credits: 2
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: ECON 203, 210, and 211; senior major standing, honors candidacy, and instructor consent. Independent research culminating in an honors thesis. See the departmental web site for requirements for honors in the major.
|
| |
-
ECON 423 - Directed Individual Research
Credits: 3
Must be taken in the senior year. Prerequisite: instructor consent. Corequisite: ECON 440 - Honors Thesis Workshop Independent research culminating in an honors thesis. See the departmental website for requirements for honors in the major.
|
| |
Page: 1
| 2
| 3
| 4
| 5
| 6
| 7
| 8
| 9
| 10
| 11
… Forward 10 -> 19 |
|
|
|
Print this Page