In this course, students become visual storytellers as they learn the craft and theory behind 2D character animation for shows, movies, and video games.

The art of character design will be approached through a step-by-step process, where students serve as storytellers to their own characters, drafting not only their visual design, but their personalities and emotions through the art of facial expression, clothing, and posture. Using shape driven design and construction, poses and character turnarounds, students will gain the technical skills required to build their own figures and work towards creating their own portfolio of work. 

Sharing their work with their peers and instructor, students will receive thoughtful, in-depth feedback, culminating in the creation of their own character model sheets. 

Towards the end of the course, students will gain insight into the animation industry, including portfolio creation, professional design roles, avenues of study for college, and insight on industry design tests for jobs in animation and gaming. 

Designed for students with experience in drama who are interested in developing original theatrical productions, the course emphasizes the working relationship between actor, director, and playwright, and the unique dynamic that exists between them when working on untried material.

Workshops and lectures during the first week introduce students to the demands of play development. Students then elect to specialize in one of three areas: acting, directing, or playwriting. The remainder of the course is given over to the development of short plays to be written, directed, and acted by the students under the supervision of theatrical professionals. In small, autonomous groups of actors, each with its own director and playwright, students create a production to be mounted at the end of the program.

Workshops are interactive, with the evolving pieces of each play periodically shown to the entire group for feedback in a safe, supportive environment. The course affords students a unique opportunity to experience the nuances of professional theatrical collaboration.

In the last two days of each session, several of the completed plays are performed for an audience of peers, friends, and family members. Students present two evening performances and one matinee.

Participants learn all the basics of making a strong, visually-driven short film with an emphasis on narrative storytelling. The course focuses on the fundamentals of video production: essential film grammar, story development, script, music, and sound.

Working in small groups, students shoot three shorter pieces before collaborating to make a final film. The exercises start off simply, adding a new element of filmmaking with each new assignment.

For the final film, students work sequentially through the stages of production: initial concept, synopsis, treatment, script, storyboards, and final shooting and editing. During pre-production participants learn how to work in a group to plan for and realize a short film from concept to shooting script. During production they work together to coordinate and shoot their script. And finally in post-production they edit and polish their projects. The instructor provides guidance throughout the process, emphasizing the students’ responsibility for carrying the project from inception to completion.

The emphasis throughout the three weeks is on collaborative teamwork. Over the course of the various exercises, each student takes on a number of different roles within the production teams (director, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, sound). For the final projects, only a handful of proposals are selected for production, so not every participant directs or writes his or her own film, though everyone plays a crucial role in the production.

On the last day of the program, students screen their completed films at a film festival attended by friends, family members, and other program participants. The completed films can potentially be used for submission to short film festivals and as portfolio pieces for film or art school applications.

Students should plan to be available to work on their final films on the weekend preceding the final week of the program. Laptops are recommended but not required for this class. Cameras and other film production equipment are provided.

Studio arts courses are offered in conjunction with Columbia University's School of the Arts.

This week-long class focuses on preparing the drawing portion of a fine art portfolio application for college submissions. As the week progresses, each student receives an in-depth critique from the instructor of their current work and of their plan for their portfolio. The course is focused on completing several large projects so as to showcase observational drawing skills, ranging from still life to architectural space to self-portraiture, as well as conceptual skills.

The course combines video demonstrations of drawing techniques, individual conferences with the instructor as well as online group critiques, and virtual studio visits with professional artists. Critical issues in art are addressed once a week through group writing prompts and online discussion, so as to generate meaningful debates as a context for studio work. An online demonstration of how to professionally document and edit work in Photoshop for a digital application concludes the week.

Participants are encouraged to contextualize their creative process through language and writing, with assigned creative writing prompts, short presentations, and an ongoing sketchbook practice. A final blog houses a virtual exhibit and work is shared regularly within the community on a social media platform.

Students will need to acquire their own materials, which will cost approximately $100. This course is intended for students ranging from beginners to advanced artists.

Studio arts courses are offered in conjunction with Columbia University's School of the Arts.

This course is aimed at developing a series of foundational drawings for a fine arts college-application portfolio.

Students explore various approaches to drawing from both observation and imagination while focusing on conceptually creative assignments. Each session develops the students’ approach to various materials, composition, and personal narratives into completed works that can be used for a final portfolio. Students have prolonged time to study and sketch the human figure from live nude models in class. Ideas are explored through assigned writings and developed in a sketchbook throughout the course.

A visit to a museum or gallery is scheduled as part of the course so as to facilitate discussion of relevant art historical concepts as well as contemporary approaches to drawing.

Lastly, participants learn how to prepare and digitally document works into a final portfolio for college applications.

Some previous experience with drawing is recommended, and the course is designed for students interested in applying to a visual arts undergraduate program in the future. All materials are provided.

Studio arts courses are offered in conjunction with Columbia University's School of the Arts.

In this beginner-level class, students explore various modes of looking at and interpreting the world through drawing. The course emphasizes drawing from both observation and imagination as ways to learn traditional drawing techniques and foster creativity and personal interpretation. Course assignments stress observation while focusing on experiments with materials so as to find creative approaches to visual problem-solving. Assignments include exercises in composition, use of charcoal and pencil, graphic drawing techniques, wet media, color theory, and optical illusions.

The course combines studio work, including the study of the human figure using live nude models, with outdoor drawing, individual and group critiques, and visits to major museums and art galleries. Critical issues in art are addressed once a week in the form of a short seminar, so as to generate meaningful debates as a context for studio work.

Participants also learn how to prepare a final portfolio for college applications, and the session concludes with a group show to which parents, friends, and other program participants are invited.

In this course, students explore fashion with a particular focus on style and culture in New York City and then develop their own designs.

Participants get a first-hand look at the field through discussions with active figures in the fashion industry such as designers, marketing directors, and stylists. They take field trips to locations such as the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and the costume collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Readings on the history, theory, and culture of fashion include works by icons, artists, writers, editors, philosopher, and activists such as Diana Vreeland, Susan Sontag, Oscar Wilde, Bernard Rudofsky, and Marilyn Bender. As a springboard for inspiration and discussion, students view the works of a variety of designers through film clips and videos. Through explorations into fashion as art, students will encounter individuals who live and enact fashion through performative dress, at times challenging social and gender expectations

Having gained a firm grounding in the field, participants research and formulate their own original fashion concepts. Based on these concepts, they design their own unique collections. Concepts may center on a particular motif (e.g., technology as an extension of the human body), period or style (e.g., British monarchy, Imperial China, Ancient Egypt, imagined future, underwater or deep space), or material inspiration (e.g., mylar, fiber optics, recyclables, etc.). While sharing sources of inspiration and research discoveries, with attention to both craft and theory, in addition to producing individual collections, students engage in a collaborative design project.

This intensive introduction to key concepts in architecture focuses on architectural history and theory combined with dedicated time for independent design. Participants are familiarized with the fundamental vocabulary employed to describe architectural ideas. The course covers how to analyze a building visually and formally, and introduces a spectrum of significant historical and recent designs while instilling an understanding of how the built environment is generated and transformed. Class discussions are supplemented with architectural tours of the Columbia University campus and visits to prominent works of modern architecture in New York City.

Hands-on application introduces participants to the conceptual skills employed by architectural designers. Instructors provide students with training in technical drawing and introduce them to the process of conceptualizing and developing architectural ideas.

Course participants will be required to purchase approximately $250 of basic studio supplies prior to the start of class.

This course introduces students to examine and understand the effects of the physical environment on human experience. The students will learn to see architecture not only as a material and formal practice but also as a social one. How does architecture contribute to community building, social (in)equality, and sustainable consumption of natural resources? Course will emphasize hands-on learning and contemporary architecture of New York City, engaging the city as a living laboratory for learning. In addition to learning through reading, direct observation, and analysis, students also learn to expand their imagination through model- making as a way of thinking with their hands, as well as sketching as a means to observe and analyze buildings.

The class will visit practicing architects and works of architecture in complex urban settings, which may include the Lincoln Center, the Highline, and the Grand Central Station, to look beyond appearance and to study social impacts of architecture. The course is suited for students who may be interested in studying architecture in college, as well as those who want to deepen their understanding of architecture through hands-on experiences.

***Please note this course runs an additional hour in the afternoon to accommodate field trips and model-making. The course will run 9:10am-11am in the morning and 1:10 pm-4pm in the afternoon.

Each moment of a film involves many, many decisions: where to place the camera, where to position the actors, choosing how they will dress, should there be music in the background (or not), the relation of a shot to those that precede it and those that follow it, etc. What are the techniques a filmmaker uses to convey meaning—and create the sense of a world?

In the first three days of this course an introduction to the major avenues of expression in the cinema—cinematography, editing, mise-en-scène, sound and narrative—will be provided. In the final two days all participants will engage in close, detailed readings of two films that will elucidate not only the filmmakers’ technical choices but the reasons behind those choices.

This course introduces students to the major historical styles of architecture in the Western hemisphere, with a consideration of notable examples from the East. Stylistic models from both the recent and ancient past have influenced how buildings look today. Likewise, social changes have shaped the way we inhabit the built environment. Understanding architecture in a historic context can enrich our experience of traveling, or of merely walking down the street where we live. It helps us connect our personal spaces and neighborhoods to places and cultures from different times, geographies, and cultures.

Participants learn to recognize and describe the formal characteristics of architecture broadly described as Classical, Medieval, Victorian, Modernist, and Postmodernist, while recognizing that few buildings are designed in a “pure” or exclusive idiom. We analyze historic and modern images of buildings which exemplify the most recognizable styles of each era, both in the United States and abroad. When possible, we visit New York city sites whose architecture represents or evokes one or more styles under discussion.

Studio arts courses are offered in conjunction with Columbia University's School of the Arts.

This course is aimed at introducing students to basic acrylic painting techniques. Each assignment is complemented by a short art history lecture, which aids the students in thinking about content alongside studio progress. Students receive guidance from the instructor as they work from home on their paintings.

Students present their results to the class; the online platform serves as a virtual group crit. The works are reviewed by the instructor, and each student receives comments as to how to proceed with their work. Participants also learn how to prepare a final portfolio for college applications. The course includes asynchronous work, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

A list of required supplies will be provided prior to the start of the term. Students should also have a workspace with proper ventilation (i.e. an open window) and in which they can comfortably paint while engaging with the class over a laptop or desktop computer.

Making urban areas livable, sustainable, and desirable is a top priority for governmental bodies, economists, business leaders, realtors, and many other key stakeholders. Shaping the way our society operates is a big job, and it’s why urban planning is such a sought-after career. Becoming an urban planner requires a combination of sophisticated skills that includes architecture, engineering, and design. Through this course, students will explore the fundamentals of urban planning, learn how to build effective communities, and discuss the best practices of working with land (including infrastructure, water, and air) to design healthy, happy, and in-demand habitats. Additionally, students will explore how transportation, business districts, and environmental concerns impact development. By the end of the course, students will have an acumen for discussing history, theory, and pressing social issues that impact both real estate and residents’ quality of life. Note: This class will focus on this topic from a United States perspective. 

This practical course equips students with the skills necessary to realize their entrepreneurial visions. Students will learn all about the entrepreneurial process, from the preliminary stages of research to the legalities of setting up, financials and marketing. This includes learning about the different types of enterprises, for profit and nonprofit, as well as social entrepreneurship. Through real examples, the course takes a closer look at some common pitfalls as well as successes in the business world. Class time is divided between interactive lecture and guided hands-on work. During the course of the five-day program, students will continue to develop their business idea and are expected to present and submit their business plan proposal. Each student will receive individual feedback on their proposal.

Participants are required to bring laptops for this class and should have an entrepreneurial idea in mind that they would like to develop during the duration of the course.

Can economic growth be reconciled with sustainability? Can social entrepreneurs find solutions to climate adaptation challenges? How do we incentivize fishermen to conserve the world’s fisheries? Can microfinance loans to the entrepreneurial poor reduce global poverty? What practices can businesses adopt to align their bottom lines with sustainability? How can we do well while doing good – and while embracing principles of equity, access, participation, and human rights?

In the context of policies, course participants are introduced to key concepts and skills associated with social entrepreneurship, finance, and economics and are consequently enabled to think proactively about solving some of the world’s biggest problems – while also probing how profitability and social justice might intersect and at times come into conflict.

Students are introduced to economic concepts such as supply and demand, utility, macro- and microeconomics, the time value of money, and the use of indicators. They also engage with key concepts relating to business formation and management, raising funds using debt or equity, and financial accounting.

Participants begin to see some of the largest social problems we face today as essentially economic challenges – and are then asked to come up with potential solutions. The course includes asynchronous work, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

Intended for students interested in creating new business or social enterprises, this hands-on course focuses on the creation, evaluation, development, and launch-readiness of new business or social ventures. Participants are guided through the new venture creation process as applied to student team-selected venture ideas. Through interactive lectures, short case studies, and structured peer activities, students explore the elements of the new venture planning process in an innovative modular format.

For each student venture, key issues are addressed in a fashion highly consistent with other formal venture-planning processes including: business model development, customer discovery, product-market validation, in-depth industry and market analysis, product or service innovation, brand development and go-to-market strategies, team selection and management, profit models, financing, and legal considerations.

Students work through a series of structured activities and assignments that correspond with each phase of new venture planning. Throughout the class they refine their venture’s hypothesized business model on the basis of instructor and peer feedback. At each stage of venture plan development, they learn critical terms, apply tools that support research and decision making, and develop a deep understanding of how each major planning activity fits into formal venture creation. Additionally, they hone critical professional skills including creative problem-solving, communication and negotiation, project management, financial analysis, and collaborative leadership. By the end of the class, participants have generated robust business models, with supportive venture plan documents, investor pitches, websites, and crowd-funding videos. 

This intensive ten-session course takes an applied, practical approach to the development, testing, and validation of customer or community-driven product solutions. By learning and applying contemporary design-thinking concepts and tools, students generate innovative solutions to important customer or community problems. During the program, students identify and define a major problem to be solved, work with real customers to better understand the problem from their perspective, generate multiple solutions, then choose a solution to test with real customers. Students acquire practical knowledge and tools focusing on the development, testing, and validation of new products that solve real customer problems and needs, from idea to early product development.

Students can expect to learn how to:

• identify and articulate customer problems in an accurate way, reflecting how individuals truly experience the problem and its challenges
• create effective customer surveys to help validate your assumptions on customer problems (pain points), solutions, and benefits (expected outcomes)
• assess current solutions provided in the marketplace in order to build on best practices as well as identify gap areas
• develop a minimal viable product in order to gain additional feedback on specific solution features
• measure and validate customer needs fulfillment or social impact assumptions
• develop a solution (business or social enterprise) model to test your assumptions about customer interests, acceptance, and use

In-Person participants are expected to bring laptops for this class.

Game theory is the science of strategy. Within this ever-evolving field, practitioners are responsible for working through economic concepts that depend on rationality, as well as choice and uncertainty. Specifically, those working in this field help with optimal decision making between an independent agent and competing actors. The result of this work can take many forms, including when (and if) to launch a product and how to price it, or when to be cooperative in a negotiation (or not), or even whether to confess to a crime (or not). Throughout the course, students will study the works of key pioneers in Game Theory, as well as synthesize and triangulate readings to topics in economics, business, political science, and project management. Students will be expected to apply learnings to solving work complex probability sets and analyze decision-maker payoffs. By the end of the course, students will have a new appreciation for how Game Theory directly impacts - and influences - major decisions. Additionally, they will be able to work through choices and outcomes better in their own lives. 

What is the impact of the resurgence of populism, nativism, and geopolitical competition on foreign relations and economic growth? Is China’s push to turn the renminbi into a global currency a threat or an opportunity? What are the implications of an unsustainable levels of public debt (U.S., Europe, Latin America, and Asia) on the future of international monetary and financial architecture? Given questions such as these, this course examines the interplay between globalizing pressures and national interests.

Working from a multilateral perspective, students use case studies to examine the nature of relations between nation-states in a period of increased economic and political integration. Topics include theories of international political economy in relation to foreign aid and sovereign debt, international trade and capital flows, security and non-state actors, rights-based approaches to development and humanitarian emergencies, energy sustainability, and the role of international organizations and financial institutions.

For counterpoint, students also examine the political, ideological, and social determinants of domestic political economies, including that of the United States. The political mechanisms of economic policy-making and the relationship between domestic policy and foreign policy are explored using theoretical, historical, and topical cases; examples include the political economy of income distribution and social welfare, national defense and hegemony, the national debt, and globalization.

Students examine these and other topics through lecture, research, academic and policy dialogue, group projects and presentations, peer critiques, and guest speakers.

This course focuses on the firm’s financial and economic behavior. The firm needs cash to undertake worthy investments, and the firm needs to identify investments worth undertaking. What models does the firm use to identify such investments? What sources of cash can the firm use? How do the financial markets in which this money is raised function? How does the market value the firm, its securities, and its investments? What financial instruments are available to the firm? What are the microeconomic models that best describe a firm’s behavior in such markets?

In answering these questions, the participants discuss stocks, bonds, stock markets, as well as valuation models of investments, firms, and securities. They also work with concepts like optimal investment strategies, what is revealed and what is hidden in published accounting statements, and what are some of the sources of risk. Students also acquire familiarity with the mechanics and history of the financial markets.

The course includes case studies and some sustained independent work by the participants.

Laptops, while not required, are highly recommended for In-Person participants. 

This introductory-level course is intended for students who have an interest in learning more about how corporations make business decisions and fund those decisions. The course provides a brief introduction to the fundamentals of finance, emphasizing their application to a wide variety of real-world situations in corporate decision-making and financial intermediation. Key concepts and applications include the time value of money, risk-return tradeoff, cost of capital, interest rates, discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis, net present value, internal rate of return, hurdle rate, and payback period. Students will leave with an understanding of both sound theoretical principles of finance and practical tools of financial decision-making.

Participants learn the principles of finance and investment management, to include interest rates and compound interest, the time value of money, risk and reward, how stocks and bonds are valued, how the stock market functions, how the international financial market functions, and how to approach stock selection and portfolio management.

We explore the structure of the financial system, to include the role of individual participants, investment banks, asset managers, the Central Bank, and other players in the global economy. The course connects foundations of economics to financial markets. What is the role of risk in investment? How does the environment of the market and the broader world drive return on investments? Why have some investments done well in memorable history? Why have others not done well? How are the winners and losers of past investments explained by financial theory? What is the role of traditional investments, such as mutual funds, and of alternative investments, such as venture capital, private equity and hedge funds?

Students generate their own investment strategies and portfolios. The course includes some asynchronous work, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

There is no denying the significant growth in the focus on Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) Investing that has taken place over the past few years, with trends around climate change leading the charge. What was once deemed a public value focal point has blossomed into a prudent investment strategy as research has indicated that companies demonstrating a commitment to sustainable business practices, in the long-run, outperform those that do not. The result has been a mass migration towards ESG and Impact investing.

This course is an introduction to socially responsible investing and an overview of the differences between ESG and Impact Investing. We investigate the relationships between ESG investing, outperforming market returns, and achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

The materials presented in class as well as class discussions empower students to answer questions such as:

• How can investing be reconciled with sustainability and achieving the sustainable development goals?
• Will ESG investing become the norm rather than the exception?
• What are the links between green finance and ESG investing?

Through a mix of introductory finance and asset management theories, class colloquia, and investment case studies, students gain an understanding of the challenges and opportunities embedded in sustainable investing.

Looking at stocks, bonds, ETFs, cryptocurrency, real estate, futures, and options, this course introduces students to how professional investment managers construct investment portfolios. We look at these different investment opportunities as well as key valuation and risk management techniques. How might investors benefit from diversification? What are the metrics for measuring performance?  What are the common pitfalls made by investors? 

Class time is divided between interactive lecture and guided hands-on work. Participants assume the role of professional money managers as they operate their own diversified investment portfolios in a session-long simulation game. Common theories and practices presented in class, news of current and world events, and discussion around decisions made by the world’s foremost investors are incorporated as students develop a sense of how real-time managers make decisions.

Participants are required to bring laptops for this class and, as this is a quantitative course, should be comfortable with math and prepared for a challenging experience.

Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and other leading investment firms have predicted that the space economy will be worth trillions of dollars within the next few decades. In this course we explore a number of key issues having to do with the space industry and the emerging space economy with the intention of preparing participants to be leaders in those fields.

Potential topics to be covered include:

• How private businesses are changing the new space race
• Why space commercialization will lead to a Fifth Industrial Revolution
• What old and new financial models are enabling the growth of space technology
• The role of NASA, the Space Force, NOAA, and other government agencies
• Should we be investing in space when there are so many challenges facing humanity on Earth?
• How do businesses profit from working within the space economy?
• What does the work of SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin tell us about opportunities in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), the moon, and Mars?
• What steps a business must go through to be part of the new space race
• How new private and national programs will add to the complexity and vibrancy of the economy
• What is the role of space in human rights?
• How does the improvement of communities in space lead to social and technology improvements?
• What environmental problems can be solved using space technology?
• What is the role of traditional financial institutions such as banks and mutual funds, and how does that compare to the role of family private offices, VCs, and hedge funds in disruptive industries like the space economy?

The course draws on fundamental concepts in business, economics, and finance and applies new concepts from ESG (environmental, social, and governance) investing, risk management, and social impact measurements. Participants gain a foundational understanding of business development, the importance of intellectual property, and the value of community building as part of any business strategy - how solving for space is really about solving for problems on Earth. Guest speakers represent the private sector as well as groups such as NASA, the Space Force, and international space organizations.

Students leave with the tools to place an economic lens on the business, technology, and financing of spaceports, the aerospace industry, space adjacent technology, and the space economy as a whole. From launch, to satellites, to private stations, to manufacturing in LEO, to the permanent human settlement of the moon, via the Artemis program, this course gives students insights into the future they will help build and lead.

As the final project for the course, participants generate their own investment strategies and portfolios.

The Columbia Writing Academy is designed for high school students who know that writing is the key to college success and want to develop their own personal voice and expand their writing skills before starting college. Through a combination of workshops and tutorials, exercises and assignments, students will practice the fundamental skills for writing successful college essays—developing a position to argue, persuading readers, anticipating counterarguments, and crafting strong sentences. Students will explore each stage in the writing process—brainstorming, drafting, revising—and will receive in-depth feedback at each stage of the process.  By the end of the course, students will have practiced the major skills of successful college writing and have written a college-level essay.

The Academy will be a lively two-week online course that requires six to eight hours of work each week, including reading, writing, and participating in three synchronous Zoom sessions each week. 

Course Dates: February 5 - February 15, 2024
Synchronous Sessions: Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, 7:00-8:15 pm ET.

Throughout our lives, in every role we play, persuasion plays a critical part. In the fields of sales and marketing, the connection is obvious, but when we apply to schools and interview for jobs our ability to frame our capabilities comes into play. The work of trial lawyers may clearly require the ability to influence judges and juries, but teachers, engineers, managers – people in every line of work – at some point need to convince others of a different way of thinking. Even in our personal lives, there are times when we want to change others’ minds.

In this course, students will – through reading, lecture, discussion, exercises, and activities -- learn the art, science and practical techniques used by the most successful marketers and salespeople. Over the course of the term, we will cover broad themes that inform all communication (e.g., motivators, language, storytelling, etc.), as well as best practices specific to each approach (written communication, phone, meetings, speeches, et al).

In this course students learn how to write effectively about complex topics. They learn to use writing not only as a tool for expressing themselves clearly but also as a way to refine and advance their thinking. They write and revise formal essays in which they analyze college-level texts, and, time permitting, compose personal essays about their own experiences.

Participants identify the strengths and weaknesses in their writing and improve their skills through individual and group work, class discussion, multiple revisions, in-class exercises, and homework. They learn how to formulate a clear and original thesis, identify and explain supporting evidence, organize an essay, and use language that is lucid and precise. We review essential points of grammar and style, paying special attention to common mistakes, and we read and analyze works that exemplify good writing.

By the end of the week, students will have become not only better writers but also more insightful and sophisticated readers and thinkers.

While some leaders are born, most are made. Becoming a great leader takes both training and practice, and today’s most effective leaders are forever honing their skills. The Pre-College Leadership Lab is a unique and meaningful experience for any future leader. Students will begin the highly experiential course by immersing themselves in leadership theory, and identifying their own leadership styles. Applied practice of new-found knowledge will include public speaking, role play activities, team building, and conflict resolution. Additionally, the lab will feature guest speakers from various leadership areas, who will discuss both their challenges and successes. By the end of the course, students will be prepared to articulate their leadership goals, and have an actionable plan to grow and develop into future leaders who will positively impact the world.

Why do dystopian stories keep getting told? Why do we love to read and write these stories? What techniques do writers use to create new worlds? How do these texts allow us to reconsider our own realities?

This course investigates how writers use dystopia and science fiction to not only explore possibilities for the future but to comment on our own present society. Assigned texts will include classic dystopian works like "1984" in addition to more recent contributions to the genre from around the globe. We’ll explore how novels, short stories, and even some films and podcasts comment on topics like the ethics of artificial intelligence, the threat of technological advancement, and the relationship between history and science fiction. We’ll consider where this genre will go in the future and investigate why it appeals to such a vast audience.

Participants will develop their writing skills through essay assignments and short responses. Students will analyze complex texts and practice rhetorical analysis through writing and group activities. Class meetings will focus on collaboration between peers through discussion of both our course texts and student writing. By the end of the course, students will have grown as writers, thinkers, and public speakers.

What creative possibilities do true stories hold? How can truth-telling and storytelling work together? How can we turn ourselves—and other real people—into compelling characters? This class considers the possibilities of creative nonfiction. We will explore sub-genres ranging from magazine writing to memoir and personal essays; from science writing and profiles to humor, food writing, and lyric essays. 

In this rigorous one-week course, students will learn research and reporting skills essential to all forms of nonfiction writing, as well as how to incorporate techniques traditionally associated with fiction writing into nonfiction. We will engage with a range of nonfiction prose and use workshops to develop skills as editors and writers.

Students will share their writing in a workshop setting and receive thoughtful, in-depth feedback, culminating in a carefully revised portfolio of nonfiction works.

This workshop is geared toward students who have an interest in creative writing and would like to develop their skills and writing practice across genres. Students read and write free verse poetry, short prose, drama, fiction, and creative nonfiction with the goal of developing a final portfolio of revised work.

Students are introduced to a range of technical and imaginative concerns through creative exercises and discussions, and exposed to all aspects of the writing process, including generating ideas, writing and revising drafts, and editing. Participants practice their literary craft with an attentive group of peers, under the guidance of an experienced instructor. They write extensively, read and respond to excerpts from outstanding works of literature, and participate in candid, helpful critiques of their own work and that of peers. Students are expected to come to the class with an openness to various approaches toward literature and writing. Classes are supplemented by conferences with the instructor.

Courses in creative writing are offered in conjunction with the Writing Program at Columbia University’s School of the Arts. Overseen by Chair of Creative Writing Lis Harris, Professor Alan Ziegler, and Director of Creative Writing for Pre-College Programs Christina Rumpf, the creative writing courses are designed to challenge and engage students interested in literary creation, providing them with a substantial foundation for further exploration of their creative work.

This workshop is geared toward students who have experience in creative writing or who demonstrate unusual talent. Students read and write fiction in all its forms with the goal of developing a final portfolio of work.

Students are introduced to a range of technical and imaginative concerns through creative exercises and discussions, and exposed to all aspects of the writing process, including generating ideas, writing and revising drafts, and editing. Participants practice their literary craft with an attentive group of their peers, under the guidance of an experienced instructor. They write extensively, read and respond to excerpts from outstanding works of literature, and participate in candid, helpful critiques of their own work and that of peers. Students are expected to come to the class with an openness to various approaches toward literature and writing. Classes are supplemented by conferences with the instructor.

Courses in creative writing are offered in conjunction with the Writing Program at Columbia University’s School of the Arts. Overseen by Chair of Creative Writing Lis Harris, Professor Alan Ziegler, and Director of Creative Writing for Pre-College Programs Christina Rumpf, the creative writing courses are designed to challenge and engage students interested in literary creation, providing them with a substantial foundation for further exploration of their creative work.

Parallel universes and the supernatural have the power to reveal truths often hidden behind the veil of modern life. Situating oneself in realities other than one’s own imparts lessons in empathy, possibility, and advancement in our real world. From Dune to IT to The Hunger Games, both beloved and feared characters in such fiction have united legions of readers-turned-writers over many continents and generations through the art of world-building. 

The course’s aim is to explore and create immersive, exciting fiction that incorporates the unreal—from surreal, ghostly short stories to detailed epic fantasy novels. In this three-week dual seminar-workshop, students will think and write about the futuristic, uncanny, magical, and speculative, and how these elements mesh with our individual writing goals. 

Students will analyze published works of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror from a writer’s standpoint, considering: what effect did this have on the reader, and how did the writer create this effect? What draws us to these genres? How can we create work that is compelling, original, artful, and fun? Through discussion and writing exercises, we’ll focus on topics including world-building, hero/villain relationships, plot, magic, and suspense. 

In this course, students will uncover the power of imaginative fiction by reading selections of cornerstone texts in the genre, both past and present, and use the techniques discussed in the pieces to write their own original works.

To study creative writing at Columbia University is to join a distinguished group of writers who arrived in the nation's literary capital to explore the deep artistic power of language. J.D. Salinger enrolled in a short story course here in 1939. Federico Garcia Lorca wrote Poet in New York while he was a student at Columbia. Carson McCullers worked odd jobs in the city to pay for her Columbia writing courses. 

Eudora Welty, Jack Kerouac, Langston Hughes, Allen Ginsberg, Ursula K. Le Guin, Louise Glück, Tracy K. Smith: These renowned writers and many others have left a legacy of originality and brilliance that charges the atmosphere at Columbia and lends genuine excitement to the prospect of literary creation on campus.

In this dual seminar-workshop course, students will both study the prize-winning writing produced by authors who, much like themselves, once studied on campus and write into a new legacy with us—spanning time, space, and genre.

Working with their peers, students will learn to contribute thoughtful, evidence-based feedback conducive to a supportive community of writers, culminating in a carefully revised portfolio of original writing.

What has made Columbia an artistic haven for countless generations? Here in Morningside Heights, we are thrilled at the opportunity to show you.   

This course is designed for advanced students who seek an intensive experience with the writing of creative nonfiction. Students explore diverse styles of and approaches to nonfiction, and learn essential skills for writing their own short nonfiction, including personal essays, historical accounts, profiles, and pieces that may be developed, following the session, into longer works. The art of telling true stories requires the skills of fact-checking and research, which students can anticipate honing throughout the session. Students participate in rigorous daily discussions on craft and workshops, as well as one-on-one conferences with accomplished teachers.  

The course culminates in a final portfolio composed of carefully revised pieces that implement both instructor and peer feedback.

This course is designed for advanced students who seek an intensive experience in the writing of fiction. Students explore diverse styles of and approaches to fiction, and learn essential skills for writing their own short prose works, including stories, flash fiction, novellas, and pieces that may be developed, following the session, into novels. Students participate in rigorous daily discussions on craft and workshops, as well as one-on-one conferences with their instructor. 

The course culminates in a final portfolio composed of carefully revised pieces that implement instructor and peer feedback.

This course is designed for advanced students who seek an intensive experience in the writing of poetry. Students explore diverse poetic forms and approaches to poetry and learn essential skills for writing their own verses. Students participate in rigorous daily discussions on craft and workshops, as well as one-on-one conferences with their instructor.

The Master Class in Poetry culminates in a final portfolio composed of carefully revised pieces that implement instructor and peer feedback.

This rigorous one-week course is designed to teach students the ins and outs of novel writing, from conception to outlining, to the writing itself. Whether interests lie in literary fiction, young adult, fantasy, or any other genre, students will learn we focus on how to structure and plot a successful novel. Areas of exploration include establishing conflict, world-building, character work, pacing, and how to create an effective scene.

Students will share their writing in a workshop setting and receive thoughtful, in-depth feedback from both their peers and their instructor, culminating in a carefully revised selection of their novel-in-progress. 

Not only does this course impart a greater understanding of what it means to craft a long-form work of fiction, but it will also help students become stronger and more confident in their overall writing skills.

In this intensive course, students are introduced to the key tenets of writing and performing comedy. With the guidance of professional New York City performers and writers, they learn how to generate writing through improvisational comedy. Budding comedians and comedy writers learn how to make people laugh both on and off the page, a skill that can take practitioners down a variety of career paths on stage and in film and television. 

Participants hone their comedic sensibilities with a wide variety of exercises and readings and build confidence by learning the art of “Yes, and…” Areas of exploration include sketch comedy, improvisational comedy, and stand-up. 

Students will share their writing in a workshop setting and receive thoughtful, in-depth feedback, culminating in a carefully revised portfolio of comedic pieces, showcasing the variety of styles covered in the course. 

This rigorous one-week course is designed to teach students the essential techniques of short story writing by contextualizing the form throughout history—from Edgar Allan Poe to James Baldwin, to contemporary practitioners, including Joy Williams and Jhumpa Lahiri. 

By encountering the work of renowned authors from a writer’s perspective, students will utilize the 5 key elements of the short story—plot, character, setting, conflict, and theme—to arrive at what is finally a common goal: to make readers feel through original, compelling, and climactic prose. 

Students will share their writing in a workshop setting and receive thoughtful, in-depth feedback from both their peers and the instructor. Not only does this course impart a greater understanding of what it means to write short stories, but it will also help students become stronger writers through the use of economized and well-crafted language. 

This foundational course, adapted from Columbia's MFA in Writing program, serves as a generative exploration of the creative writing process. Students receive instruction in key genres, idea generation, creation and development of drafts, and basic revision and editing skills. 

Through frequent and diverse readings and writing exercises, students hone elements of craft through the development of voice, imagery, characterization, dialogue, rhythm, and narration. Students work in poetry, prose, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Works produced by acclaimed writers, as well as by students in the class, form the basis of discussion in the workshop process.

A range of technical and imaginative concerns will be introduced through exercises and discussions students will produce their own writing for the critical analysis of the class. Students will begin to develop the critical skills that will allow them to read like writers and understand, on a technical level, how accomplished creative writing is produced.

What makes a personal essay feel so much bigger than the individual? What is the difference between writing that is merely confessional and writing that captivates, questions, and transforms? How do we tell compelling true stories about ourselves while probing the limits of our knowledge, the gaps in our memories, the stories that we don’t yet know how to tell? Writing a personal essay is not only a process of self-discovery—it is also the work of becoming the person capable of writing the essay.

In this course, we learn to write true stories about ourselves, the cultural artifacts and places we care about, the identities we hold in relation to power, and the ways our experiences change us forever. With the goal of producing up to three compelling personal essays, we explore the process of personal writing, from generating ideas to revising drafts. To become captivating narrators, we practice drafting skills essential to all nonfiction writing, drawing from reporting, research, and our personal archives—be it text messages, photos, or journals—to enhance the emotional specificity and intellectual rigor of our personal narratives.

Part seminar and part workshop, this course introduces students to the genre of personal nonfiction and the practice of critiquing writing as a group. Through close examination of their own experiences and engagement with model texts, students develop storytelling skills that will transfer to their future writing in any genre.

In this Introduction to Engineering course, you will gain exposure to one of the fastest growing fields today. From areas ranging from Mechanical Engineering to Biomedical Engineering, students will be exposed to the growing number of disciplines within the field of engineering through guest lectures and group activities. The course will also examine the professional ethics of engineering and evaluate accountability that engineers have to society and the environment. At the conclusion of this course, students will have an overall understanding of the engineering field, the different career paths available, and the ethics involved in the profession.

In this course we explore modern literature from early pioneers such as Dostoyevsky, Dickinson, and Rimbaud through to the full-fledged modernism of Kafka, Woolf, and Hemingway, and beyond to the Harlem Renaissance, the Beats, and magical realism. We focus mainly on short fiction and poetry but may also look at excerpts from some longer works.

We consider not only the meanings of the works but also what it is about how they are written and constructed that gives them their power. While our approach is grounded in close reading and formal analysis, we also consider historical context and pay attention to how literature sounds and makes us feel.

Modern literature has had close ties to trends in visual art, music, theater, and film and so we may look at works from these other art forms and how they reflect back on written texts. The course also includes a field trip to the Museum of Modern Art.

Course participants are expected to contribute actively to class discussion, write a number of informal reaction pieces, engage in a few short creative projects, and deliver oral presentations on works of their own choosing.

Students learn how to read actively, think analytically, present their ideas effectively (both orally and in written form), and collaborate with their peers—all skills that will be invaluable to them in college and in their personal and professional lives. They also gain an understanding of and appreciation for modern literature.

No previous knowledge or course work is required.

This course is designed for students who want to engage in lively debate on a philosopher's ideas, closely read primary texts, and investigate how philosophical concepts are present in our experiences today. In the process of delving into key philosophical texts about love, human excellence, and existential freedom, course participants are familiarized with the basic methodology of philosophical enquiry.

We begin by reading and discussing Plato's Symposium and Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, their respective treatises on love and moral character (virtue ethics). Students debate questions related to the dialogue on love that Plato develops through the voice and character of Socrates. What is love and what does it mean to be a lover of wisdom—a philosopher? In the Ethics, students discuss the topic of human excellence and seek to answer how humans should best live their lives. In a practical sense, what is the purpose of human life and what is the ultimate goal of human endeavor? Why does Aristotle consider friendship a virtue, an excellence one must pursue if one wants a good life, Eudaemonia?  

Having established the classical foundations, we move into the 20th Century and begin a dialogue and exploration of ideas on existential freedom, choice, and responsibility. We begin with readings to explore the ideas of determinism and indeterminism associated with various philosophies of freedom. Specifically, we focus on the foundational works of Jean-Paul Sartre’s concept of existential freedom found in Being and Nothingness and Soren Kierkegaard’s religious freedom from Fear and Trembling, which Donald Palmer introduces in Does the Center Hold? An Introduction to Western Philosophy. This introduction serves as the foundation students need in order to grasp the idea of existential freedom articulated in the essays that make up Albert Camus' seminal work The Myth of Sisyphus. Through this lens students will debate whether it is practical to attempt to live an existential life and how philosophers as diverse as Nietzsche, Camus, and Sartre would define that life.

In addition to the readings, participants will have an opportunity to critique film and other art forms that present interpretations of existential themes. 

How is the mind related to the brain? Are sensations, beliefs, and desires immaterial or physical states? What are the different types of consciousness and how, if at all, are they related? How do we know that beings besides ourselves possess mentality? Can robots possess minds?

We explore these questions via a philosophical analysis of a number of attempts to explain the nature of the mind and mentality. The course begins with dualist attempts to characterize the mind as a non-physical soul that possesses immaterial mental states such as beliefs and hopes, and proceeds to an investigation of recent efforts to understand the mind and mentality as physical phenomena. Some historically influential answers to the question what is a mind and what is mentality? are critically assessed, including (i) substance dualism, (ii) mind-brain identity theory, and (iii) functionalism. In the latter part of the course, issues such as the nature of consciousness as well as how to make sense of the causal efficacy of mentality are discussed.

Course readings include such influential works as René Descartes’s Meditations on First Philosophy, J.J.C. Smart's "Sensations and Brain Processes,” Hilary Putnam’s “The Nature of Mental States,” and Thomas Nagel’s “What is it Like to be a Bat?” Course activities include class debates, group presentations, the designing of thought experiments, critical writing exercises, and close textual analysis.

The broad goal of the course is to sharpen students’ analytical reading and writing skills, while the more specific objectives are to give them a solid understanding of issues in the philosophy of mind as well as an understanding of the methods of philosophy.

This course introduces students to fundamental issues in the theory of knowledge. In this course we will critically address questions such as: (a) "What are the unique kinds of knowledge and what is the relationship between these kinds of knowledge?” (b)"Does knowledge require justification and if so, what does such justification consist in?” and (c) “What propositions can we know in light of powerful skeptical arguments?” We will investigate such questions by looking closely at how a number of epistemologists from a wide range of traditions have answered them. As we progress through issues directly related to epistemology, we will also see that these issues connect up with important issues in other areas of philosophy as well (e.g., metaphysics and moral philosophy).

We engage with such challenging questions by critically reading and writing about them, and in doing so we fine-tune our own positions concerning these issues. The broad objective of the course is to develop and refine students' critical reasoning and writing skills.

Other learning objectives include:

• To acquire a richer understanding of and facility with the methodology that philosophers use to answer fundamental questions.
• To develop an understanding of how issues concerning epistemology are of relevance to not only other areas of philosophy, but disciplines besides philosophy as well.
• To accurately interpret a wide range of historically influential philosophers’ works on fundamental issues in epistemology, and in doing so sharpen our exegetical skills.
• To critically assess, in a careful, charitable, and sophisticated manner, a number of challenging positions and arguments in philosophy of religion, and in doing so develop and refine our critical reasoning skills.

Why do we still read the Odyssey almost three thousand years after it was composed? Why is Shakespeare considered to be so important? What makes great literature great? Is it still being written today? Does literature still matter? Can it be important to our lives?

We explore these questions by looking closely at and thinking deeply about works from a variety of genres and a wide range of historical periods. Some of the authors we may cover include Homer, Sappho, Du Fu, Shakespeare, Kafka, Hemingway, Lorca, Elizabeth Bishop, Ralph Ellison, and Sheila Heti. While our approach is grounded in close reading and formal analysis, we also pay attention to how literature sounds, how it makes us feel, and whether it has personal relevance to us.

Course participants are expected to contribute actively to class discussion, write a number of informal reaction pieces, and deliver oral presentations on works of their own choosing.

Students learn how to read actively, think analytically, present their ideas effectively (both orally and in written form), and collaborate with their peers—all skills that will be invaluable to them in college and in their personal and professional lives.

No previous knowledge or course work is required.

Conflict is a part of life. Most people do not like conflict because they usually do not resolve their conflicts well and so they develop a distaste for it. There are also ways to constructively engage in conflict that lead to better quality outcomes and relationships. In this course, students learn basic concepts about conflict resolution so that they can develop a deeper and broader understanding of conflict dynamics. There are many types of conflicts and in this course the students focus on learning more about their interpersonal conflicts with others. They learn skills so they will be able to more constructively resolve their interpersonal conflicts toward win-win outcomes.

These goals are achieved by students developing more self-awareness as to the types of conflict styles they tend to use as their “default” approach. They become more aware of their “hot buttons” and the types of behaviors and situations that cause them to become embroiled in a conflict situation. In addition to learning more about their own habits, they apply these concepts and skills to better understand others around them. By developing more empathy and understanding of others, students are able to reduce the number, types, and intensity of their interpersonal conflicts.

The course is primarily experiential and interactive so students learn by doing and reinforce their learning through immediate application. There are role-plays, simulations, discussions, presentations, film analyses, and other activities designed to enhance learning of the identified concepts and skills.

This is a course designed for students interested in law, government, and politics. It examines a wide range of contemporary issues subject to constitutional interpretation, introducing students to the constitution, the fundamental concepts of constitutional law, the role of the courts, and the legal limitations on governmental policy making.

Students discuss and analyze topics including separation of powers, federalism, freedom of speech, affirmative action, the death penalty, gun control, civil rights, and abortion. They are exposed to current constitutional challenges and are given the opportunity to explore the relationship between law and society.

Students develop skills that enable them to read and interpret Supreme Court decisions, which serve as the basis for class discussion. Debates and Moot Courts call on students to develop persuasive arguments in defense of their positions, thereby sharpening reasoning and analytical skills.

In this experiential course designed for students considering careers in law, participants acquire a realistic understanding of the legal profession and of the steps and skills necessary for success within it. In the process, they gain insight into whether a career in law would be fulfilling to them.

The course teacher provides substantive instruction related to first-year law school courses, LSAT information, and gives students a clear view of the requirements for law school and attorney licensing in the United States.

Participants will gain public speaking and engage in fundamental legal research and writing assignments, thereby developing skills which are transferable across academic disciplines. Students will also engage in a number of exercises requiring application of the principles and concepts learned throughout the program.

Are human rights still relevant in promoting social justice and freedom in the 21st Century? Human rights law and advocacy have been central to international politics since the end of World War II. However, recent rises in authoritarianism and anti-liberal regimes have raised new questions on whether the human rights framework is still capable of addressing injustices in the modern world. This course introduces students to the law and practice of human rights as well as the challenges of enforcing rights in an international environment that has grown increasingly hostile to principles of human dignity and personal freedom.

Students review the philosophical foundations of human rights and then examine human rights from two perspectives. First, the legal perspective introduces them to basic principles and rules of international law and the main international organizations and mechanisms designed for promoting and enforcing human rights. Second, they adopt the role of social scientist. We debate evidence on the effectiveness of human rights law and discuss challenges of enforcing rights in an international system in which states are not accountable to a higher authority.

Students apply their new knowledge to the problems facing human rights today. Topics may include cultural relativist critiques of human rights as a Western, neo-colonialist institution, challenges from new technologies in state surveillance and autonomous weapons, and existential threats to human populations through climate change and environmental damage. The course includes asynchronous work, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

Is international humanitarian law (IHL) still relevant in regulating warfare in the 21st Century? Trends such as the proliferation of armed conflict between states and transnational insurgent groups and the development of autonomous weapons systems and cyber-warfare capabilities have raised questions about the sufficiency of IHL to regulate warfare today. This course introduces students to the theory and practice of IHL, and central debates about its interpretation and implementation in 21st-Century armed conflict.

In the first part of the course, students are introduced to the moral principles underpinning IHL. They then turn to surveying the texts of the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the two Additional Protocols of 1977, and the role played by the International Committee of the Red Cross in developing and ensuring respect for IHL.

In the second part of the course, we examine major debates about IHL and its implementation today. Topics include the questions raised by the proliferation of transnational terrorism, multiparty civil wars, humanitarian intervention, drones, autonomous weapons systems, and cyber warfare.

Course materials draw widely from political science, international law, psychology, philosophy, literature, and film. Class time is divided between lecture and discussion of the reading assignments, and film screenings, debates, group projects, and student presentations.

This course is designed to give students an opportunity to explore substantive criminal law and its attendant legal issues. The course provides students with a foundation to examine the structure, policies, interpretation, and application of criminal law. Students evaluate the fairness and morality of punishments, analyze and apply legal defenses and contemplate basic elements of crimes such as homicide, robbery, and assault, to inchoate crimes like attempt and conspiracy, to crimes against property. Participants also learn to recognize the primary sources of criminal law in the US, and probe the boundaries of statutory law as imposed by state and federal constitutions.

Knowledge of law and legal process can be used as a tool to address issues of social justice. Whether a lawyer or a layperson, there is opportunity for individuals to engage in advocacy, whether on behalf of a single battered woman or in support of displaced refugees. In this course, which focuses primarily on the legal system in the United States, we:

• Survey the fundamentals of substantive law, such as criminal law, constitutional law, property law, contract law, and torts.
• Explore legal procedure as a means to enhance – or frustrate – justice.
• Look closely at successful litigation and political movements as means of bringing about social change.
• Meet legal practitioners in a variety of advocacy areas who share how they use the law to achieve the ends of justice.
• Visit pertinent sites such as the New York County Criminal Court and District Attorney’s Office (inspiration for Law and Order) and the United Nations Headquarters.

Case studies come from areas such as civil rights, environmental protection, criminal justice, immigration policy, international human rights, family law, and animal rights.

Participants should be willing to dedicate several hours per week on case law readings, drafting of briefs, and related mock trial/moot court preparation.

At the conclusion of the course, students, working in groups, produce a strategic advocacy project for addressing an issue of interest to them from among the subjects addressed in the course.

Familiarity with the fundamentals of American government is recommended. Students should have “business casual” outfits for field trips.

This class explores the application of legal principles to advancements in technology, including social media, drones, video games, cryptocurrency, and smartphone apps. In learning about these topics, students gain a more general understanding of some of the most important concepts underlying much of U.S. laws.

We analyze the law of nuisance and trespass through the lens of Pokémon Go, and we look at the legal concept of negligence by examining product liability issues arising from injuries related to autonomous vehicles and SnapChat filters. The class then explores how the right to privacy is impacted in the physical world by drone technology, and how privacy interests are impacted in the digital world by data gathering platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, SnapChat and the new kid on the block “ChatGPT”. We look at legal issues having to do with the future of money, gaining a basic understanding of blockchain and its role in cryptocurrency and fractional asset ownership through tokenization. Finally, through a study of “influencer” marketing, we explore advertising, marketing, and contract law through a case study of the infamous Fyre Festival.

Students learn through a combination of lecture, discussion, debate, and group work. Content and learning examples are presented in various forms, including PowerPoints, short videos, images, in-class demonstrations, mock trial, board-room presentations, and a guest speaker. Students complete a culminating project involving an oral small group presentation.

Through this immersive learning experience, participants gain a broad understanding of the law as well as enhanced analytical and problem-solving skills. They learn how to approach complex, dynamic legal problems and methodically analyze all relevant factors to arrive at logical, evidence-based results. Further, they practice collaborative co-creation and public speaking as they work in small groups on their culminating oral presentations in alignment with the course’s topics.

This course focuses on reading case law and interpreting the underlying laws, the research and reasoning that underlie solid legal arguments, and legal writing, while also giving students an inside look at the practice of law today. The course is structured like a traditional introductory first-year law school class.

Students learn first to use the methods and tools of legal reasoning and research, which they marshal to create effective, persuasive, and sophisticated written legal arguments. Once they have a foundation in legal research, reasoning, and writing, they are given an in-depth look at various types of law through interactive sessions with practicing lawyers, via guest speakers and field trips to law firms. They learn about the trial process and the inner workings of the court system by taking a tour of a New York City court and viewing a criminal trial. They learn how to problem solve using the lawyer’s toolbox and how to analyze legal sources and develop legal arguments based on and supported by the law and cases we research.

In-class drafting and public speaking exercises strengthen participants’ reasoning, argumentation, and writing skills while introducing them to various types of legal work, including written memoranda and arguments for oral delivery.

This course examines the United States Supreme Court and several of the major social and legal issues over which it has jurisdiction. Beginning with a brief introduction on how cases are heard by the Supreme Court, we proceed to a wide-ranging look inside America's most hotly debated cases and the issues that shape them. Covering both the substantive and the procedural law, students learn how to identify legitimate arguments for and against each topic and gain an understanding of constitutional challenges and limitations.

Topics under consideration may include privacy rights, freedom of speech, LGBTQ rights and the determination of sex and gender, the death penalty, legalization of marijuana, voting rights, gun control, and coronavirus-related issues. The course includes asynchronous work, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

Designed for students with a strong interest in law, oral argument, and mock trial, this course immerses participants in the adversarial world of the trial court.

Following an introduction to the United States legal system, students acquire a solid understanding of the trial process, including jury selection, opening statements, direct and cross examination of witnesses and experts, introduction of exhibits, closing arguments, and theory building. Students have the opportunity to observe court proceedings; meet with judges, local law enforcement, and defense counsel; and hear from experts in the field.

Participants learn to validate and analyze evidence while working in teams of prosecutors and defense attorneys to develop a trial strategy, argue to preclude evidence, and prepare witnesses for trial testimony.

The course pays particular attention to the Federal Rules of Evidence (with distinctions made for New York state-specific rules) that govern the introduction of evidence at trial. The rules of conduct that govern the U.S. trial system are explored, as are the various strategies of trial practice.

Students attend lectures and demonstrations and are afforded the opportunity to practice the skills learned through daily classroom exercises. Participants should be prepared to orally argue their positions and will be called upon to make presentations frequently. At the heart of the program are daily exercises, designed to hone students' trial skills, that are rooted in a hypothetical legal case.

The program culminates in a mock trial session held at the U.S. District Courthouse in downtown Manhattan, where students are divided into teams of prosecutors and defense attorneys to present their case, prepared over the course of the program, through jury verdict.

Participants should bring business attire for the final trial. Please be aware that the class has extended hours (9am to 4:30pm) during the two days of the trial (Wednesday and Thursday of the third week).

The fascinating field of forensic psychology is at the intersection between criminal justice and science. Working as a forensic psychologist takes advanced training in understanding the criminal mind and the motivations behind behavior. Through this introductory course, students will explore the psychological principles, research methods, legal decision making, and behaviorism behind criminal investigations. Throughout the session, students will work through case studies and news stories illuminating key concepts and will become well versed in key vocabulary, theories, and frameworks that practitioners use every day in their roles. With a focus on foundational concepts, this course will be a strong entry point into psychology, legal studies, social work, or criminal justice majors and professions.

Throughout our lives, in every role we play, persuasion plays a critical part. In the fields of sales and marketing, the connection is obvious, but when we apply to schools and interview for jobs our ability to frame our capabilities comes into play. The work of trial lawyers may clearly require the ability to influence judges and juries, but teachers, engineers, managers – people in every line of work – at some point need to convince others of a different way of thinking. Even in our personal lives, there are times when we want to change others’ minds.

In this course, students will – through reading, lecture, discussion, exercises, and activities -- learn the art, science and practical techniques used by the most successful marketers and salespeople. Over the course of the term, we will cover broad themes that inform all communication (e.g., motivators, language, storytelling, etc.), as well as best practices specific to each approach (written communication, phone, meetings, speeches, et al).

Have you ever wondered how companies make commercials, how many thousands of ads you see in a single day, why Procter & Gamble sells 12 brands of detergent, or why you buy what you buy?

This course answers these questions and many more as students explore the various strategies used by companies to communicate with the consumer. Through selected readings including marketing texts, case studies, and current news articles, students acquire a general background in marketing, advertising, and public relations. The course includes asynchronous work, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

Digital media has surpassed television to become the most important way for marketers to reach and influence consumers. While television advertising represents just one method of affecting consumer sentiment (video ads), digital is far more complex, offering video, search, social, email, and more.

In this introductory course, students will learn how marketers leverage digital media to promote and sell products. Students will come to understand the inner workings of multiple digital media platforms (e.g., search, video, display, gaming, et al.) and the strategies and tactics marketers employ to influence consumers. In addition, students will explore the ethics of big data and privacy, as well as develop an understanding of how marketers use digital media to influence consumers.

The course culminates with a final project presentation which allow students to put into practice topics and theories about digital media and advertising covered during the course.

This course has no prerequisites and is appropriate for anyone interested in the fields of marketing and media, as well as those interested in the topic of persuasion and how corporations influence consumer behavior.

In an era where media plays an increasingly pivotal role in shaping public opinion, and as global issues demand more collective action, this course will examine the dynamic relationship between media, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and the cultivation of global citizenship. Through a multidisciplinary lens, we will explore how these forces intersect, influence, and contribute meaningfully to positive change on a global scale. Together, the course is designed to enhance student competency in three interrelated areas. First, students will learn how NGOs are increasingly indispensable in addressing complex and interconnected global challenges, with a focus on the roles, funcCons, and strategies NGOs employ as they work collaboratively with communities, governments, and other relevant organizations. Second, students will gain an understanding of how NGOs contribute to the development of global citizenship by promoting civic engagement and thinking beyond national borders. Third, since public support is critical for NGO funding and advocacy, the course will equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to implement an effective NGO media campaign, including how to develop a persuasive message, and how to utilize social media and other web-related tools to reach key constituencies and target audiences. Over the course of the semester, students will apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios through class discussions, case studies, and hands-on teamwork in crafting effective Mission Statements for hypothetical NGOs. By the end, students will not only acquire a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of media, NGOs, and global citizenship, but also develop enhanced proficiency in navigating the intersection of communication, collaboration, and global awareness.

You and other Gen Z “zoomers” stand out for your climate change activism. This course aims to help you take your ideas further, developing new ways of being a force for good in the world.

You’ll gain tools and strategies for making change, starting with an overview of communications campaign planning, from defining objectives and identifying audiences through crafting effective messages to measuring results. You’ll also deepen your knowledge of ideas in the climate-change conversation.

Each student will end the course with a creative brief and strategic outline for a communications initiative. It could be a plan to put to work immediately in your school or town—or featured in a college application portfolio. No special competencies or prerequisite knowledge are required.

Because climate change is vast and our time limited, we focus on one key component of sustainability: the circular economy. In this updated economic model, goods are made with greater attention to what happens when products no longer serve their initial purpose, manufacturers waste less and do more to salvage post-consumer material for re-use, while consumers buy (and throw away) with greater care.

How far can you shift long-held views about consumption? How can you inspire new more environmentally sound habits? This course will start to answer those questions. How far you take it is up to you.

In this course, students will explore the mysteries of a familiar concept: Infinity! Is Infinity even a number? Who thought of it first? What can we do with it, and why is it useful? We will look at Infinity from the perspective of Logic, Set Theory, Algebra, and Geometry, leading us into the study of Limits and basic Calculus. Plus, we answer a truly interesting question: are there different kinds of infinity? If you've ever wondered about the infinite, this is the course for you!

Students learn a great deal of math in high school, but they often don’t learn how the math is used to make decisions in fields like business, social science, and public policy. This course is designed to teach students how professionals in business, government, and social science use math to make decisions. During the first part of this course, students are taught the basics of statistics. This includes mean, variance, standard deviation, Z-scores, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing and p-values. The students are asked to analyze data from different fields and draw a conclusion. Does a government program decrease the poverty rate? Did a business’s ad campaign increase sales? Did a medication work better than a placebo? The second part of this course is math modeling. Students will be able to find the best fit equations that relate two or more quantities to each other. What should the price be of a product based on a multiple set of factors? What is the effect of poverty, and unemployment on the crime rate? A course like this is often taught to people who are getting degrees in business, public policy, economics, and social science. Thanks to online software, students can now quickly do the calculations and spend more time analyzing data, drawing conclusions - and making decisions.

In this course intended for students who enjoy mathematics and logical reasoning, participants explore innovative ways in which math is used in the real world, in fields such as economics, computer science, media, and the physical sciences. By engaging with challenging practical problems, students hone their independent thinking and problem-solving skills.

Areas covered include the following:

• Graph theory, a topic heavily developed by both mathematicians and computer scientists. We explore algorithmic ways to compute, for example, the optimal path between two points on a map (minimizing cost, time, or another parameter). Another application is minimizing the cost of an electrical network which has to provide power to all residents in a new neighborhood.
• Probability and its numerous applications. We look at how probabilities are applied in economics and in popular media, and examine how they can sometimes be counter-intuitive or even deceptive.
• Various counting methods, combinatorics, and examples of Nash equilibria. We study applications of these techniques in economics (the prisoner's dilemma), computer science (assessing the complexity of an algorithm), finance (loans and investments), and biology (population growth).

Students work individually and in groups to find creative solutions to given problems. Each student also works on a project of his or her own choosing, on a topic about which he or she is passionate.

This course is designed for students interested in the science of the brain, including its evolutionary origins, early development, and role in generating behavior. We explore theories of the brain as the seat of the self from ancient Greece to modern times, and investigate systems that make up the brain from the individual neuron to the entire central nervous system. We also look into how sensation, perception, and decision making work at the physiological level. The course blends historical trends in neuroscience with modern experiments and findings, and touches on major areas of research including animal studies, recording and imaging techniques, computational neuroscience, and neuropharmacology.

In-class small-group exercises, in addition to lectures, allow students to tangibly explore the ideas presented in class. Participants construct various models of the brain, critique professional neuroscientific papers as “peer-reviewers,” and visualize actual neural data with instructor guidance. The course includes asynchronous work, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

Learning and memory are the processes by which we store information about our experiences, which is crucial for our survival. Without learning and memory, we would be unable to acquire basic motor or communication skills, the ability to perform complex reasoning, or social dynamics. Modern neuroscience has made great strides toward understanding how our experiences shape our brains, and how changes in our brains impact behavior.

In this course we explore how our experiences shape who we are, what kinds of changes in the brain are thought to underlie learning and memory, and how learning and memory can contribute to the development of mental health problems such as addiction, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Topics to be covered include types of learning and memory, disorders such as amnesias and dementias, an introduction to the cellular and molecular basis of memory formation, and an in-depth examination about how these processes can contribute to mental health problems. We conclude the course with an overview of innovative treatments under development for various disorders, and how learning and memory might play a role in their therapeutic effects. Topics are approached through lecture, group discussion, short videos, interactive web-based activities, and readings.

Students exit the course with a basic understanding of how modern neuroscientists conceptualize and study the processes of learning and memory, and how this research impacts modern mental healthcare.

Neuroscience is the study of the neural processes and mechanisms underlying human function and behavior. It is an interdisciplinary field that combines the ideas explored in the field of psychology with the science that governs the brain and body. In order to understand the etiology of disorders such as addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia, it is crucial to understand how molecular, cellular, and endocrine changes contribute to disease progression.

In this course, students learn about how the laws of neurons and neurotransmitters direct brain processes. Classes include interactive lectures, discussions, and assignments designed to help students understand the neuroscience of addiction, major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia. Outside of class, students explore case studies of neuropsychiatric disorders so as to fully understand the extent of debilitation and possibilities for recovery. The course includes asynchronous work, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

This course traces knowledge of the universe from astronomy’s ancient roots to the modern study of extrasolar planetary systems, cosmology, and black holes. Topics include Newton’s laws of motion and universal gravitation, Kepler’s laws, orbital dynamics, and space travel. Additionally, students will contemplate the nature of light, the nature of matter, and nuclear physics. This knowledge to will be used to explore the properties of our sun, solar system, further galaxies, the creation of chemical elements, and the expansion of the universe. By the end of the course, students will be prepared to explore dark energy and the fate of the universe as we know it.

This course offers an intensive exploration of one of the fundamental principle of physics –relativity. Both Galilean and special relativity will inform the class's practical application of algebra and space-time diagrams to work through examples, exercises, and problems. Participants will discover how special relativity changes our conceptions of time and length measurements. Students will examine general relativity as a lens to understand concepts such as black holes, gravitational waves, and the evolution of the universe. In the process of exploring these challenging topics, course participants expand their capacity for creative problem solving and their ability to think critically and independently.

This course covers the fundamentals of Quantum Physics, from experimental basics to the introduction to the theoretical framework. The course focuses on developing students’ knowledge and skills in modern quantum science with its numerous applications. The course will include lectures with an emphasis on derivation and problem sets, essays, and group projects.

Topics include:

• Quantum mechanics (ideas of quantum state, its evolution, and application to simple quantum systems, such as atoms)
• Quantum optics (quantum theory of light and its interaction with other quantum systems, such as atoms)
• Quantum solid state physics (basics of band theory, magnetism, and crystal dynamics), and
• Quantum computing (qubits, and their state manipulation).

This course is designed for motivated high school students who want to expand their knowledge of modern physics. Students are expected to have a strong background in algebra and classical mechanics. The knowledge of other physics fields (e.g., optics, electricity, and magnetism) is beneficial, but not essential.

Chemistry, the central science, is the science of molecules and bonds. Its signature is change in all its manifestations, from events that happen on a geological time scale to those that happen instantaneously, from the cosmological to the subatomic scale. Chemistry provides powerful scientific tools that extend our ability to sense the magnitudes of change by stretching the limits of what we know of our universe.

Intensive Seminars in Modern Chemistry is designed for highly motivated students who want to strengthen their understanding of chemistry and current research methods. The daily program follows a seminar format, beginning with a presentation by senior faculty members and researchers that is expanded upon through small group discussions and laboratory experiences.

Topics have been selected because they stand out as essential themes of current research, illustrate the methods of science, lend themselves to historical development, and highlight the role of chemistry as the central science. Through integrative experiments and collaborative projects, students discover the synthetic and analytic dimensions of chemistry in forensic, environmental, and materials problems. Experiments emphasize the development of problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Formal training includes instrumental methods in spectroscopy, chromatography, magnetic resonance, and computer simulations with state-of-the-art equipment in the department’s modern laboratories. Guest lecturers and field trips to area research facilities round out the program. Students are expected to complete a small research project, prepare a scientific paper, and participate regularly in class discussions.

The progress of civilization is inscribed in the history of humans and their materials—the Stone Age, the Iron Age, and today’s Age of Plastics. Materials determine the technologies that provide protection, communication, information, construction, mechanization, agriculture, and health. Knowing why glass shatters, wood splinters, steel is tough, rubber stretches (and recovers), nylon can be drawn, and tin flattens makes possible the selection of materials for enormously different applications. Engineers are mostly successful at designing and manufacturing objects and devices, but on occasion there are catastrophic failures—bridges collapse, airplanes fall from the sky, containers leak, pipes burst, and the electrical grid goes down, leaving us cold and in the dark. And there are the annoying little failures—light bulbs burn out, clothes become permanently stained, foods spoil, and batteries die.

In this challenging course, participants experience a hands-on introduction to materials science, engineering, and technology, from the bulk properties of the solid state to the nanoscale properties of large and small molecules and single atoms. Special attention is given to nanoscale materials and devices because of their potential for defining the next generation of important materials and machines. It has been said that the nanoscale is the new frontier of science and technology.

Students investigate these worlds in a discovery-based environment, working under the guidance of an experienced instructor and a team of assistants, research scientists, and technologists from Columbia’s Department of Chemistry and from industry and national laboratories. The studio classroom format integrates laboratory and lecture and encourages teaching and learning especially useful to those considering undergraduate studies in engineering and science.

Organic Chemistry is one of the foundational subjects for students who want to be biology, chemistry, or pre-medical majors in college. This course will introduce students to many of the very interesting and useful concepts found in a typical college organic chemistry curriculum but at a level that is accessible to most high school students. The course covers the properties, reactions, structural shape, and synthesis of various “classic” organic compounds like alcohols. The course also includes the basic organic reaction types and mechanisms like elimination, substitution, and addition. Students will learn how to use data to determine the reaction mechanism for a synthesis and the structural formula of an organic compound. There is an emphasis on three types of spectroscopies: infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectroscopy and on the three- dimensional aspect (isomers) of organic molecules. Biochemical pathways like the Kreb’s Cycle and the synthesis of a nucleotide are analyzed in detail to show students that all life - including their own - is a series of organic chemistry reactions.

Quantum mechanics is the science of the “small”; understanding how matter and light behave. An exciting application of modern physics, the field focuses on computing objects such as expectation values, vector evolution, and decoherence times through linear algebraic frameworks. The result of this work includes advancements in cybersecurity, electronics, aviation, communications, and engineering (to name a few). Through this course, students will explore the basics of theoretical foundations, equations, computations, and principles that impact the way we live today, and our future. Beginning with an exploration of topical ideas from  popular physicists, students will work through probability theory that will lead to sophisticated explanations of the world, as well as computations that will provide an elevated level of awareness for how humans work and play. By the end of the course, students will look at the world differently, and be prepared for more sophisticated study in this area.

The course begins by introducing international relations theory and practice, evolves into the evolution of the international order and concludes by discussing great power competition and economic statecraft.

The first half of the course presents theoretical and practical frameworks for understanding international politics and the policy decisions that shape global outcomes. It considers major international trends, such as the rise and fall of great powers, cooperation and conflict between states, and the influence of non-state actors on security, economics, and politics. With an emphasis on contemporary world affairs, it also explores the institutions, interests, ideas, and personalities behind international events. Foundational knowledge will be conveyed by looking at key historical events and the evolution of theoretical concepts that frame our understanding of international relations and informs policy. Each class meeting will use illustrative historical/contemporary cases to link theory to real world policy formation and execution.

The second half of the course, which builds on the material covered in part I, examines challenges to the current global order in a world of growing political, economic and military competition. We will examine the rise of great power competition among the United States, China and Russia and use of economic statecraft as a principle tool to advance each country’s interest. This part of the course examines each of these actors from an economic viewpoint, proceeding from the premise that a national economic base provides the resources from which these nations provide for domestic living standards while at the same time resourcing their national security objectives. The course provides an overview of each nation in context to its regional and the world economy. The course will examine contemporary and projected trends for each nation and relate these to security and strategy.

This is designed as an economics course for those who are interested in international relations but who do not have a deep knowledge of macro-economics. The instructor will familiarize students with basic macroeconomic concepts and provide a framework for inquiry which the course will apply to each of the actors. The course will then draw conclusions for strategy and decision makers.

This course provides an introduction to central debates about terrorism and how it can and should be combatted. We begin with a general overview of debates about terrorism and its definition. We then explore four major debates about terrorism and counterterrorism policy, namely:

• Root causes and effectiveness: What are the root causes of terrorism? When, if ever, is terrorism an effective strategy?
   
• War and crime: Is counterterrorism generally best approached on the model of law enforcement? When, if ever, is counterterrorism best approached on the model of war? What are the pros and cons of each approach? This unit will focus on the debate about targeted killings in the United States and Israel.
   
• Torture: Is the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” ever justified? Do the exigencies of counterterrorism require that certain techniques be brought within the bounds of the law? This unit will focus on debates in the United States and more recently in Israel.
   
• Surveillance: How should counterterrorism policy strike a balance between security and privacy? This unit will focus on recent debates about surveillance programs in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Course materials draw widely from political science, law, political philosophy, declassified documents, journalism, and film. Class time is divided between lectures in the morning session and discussions and activities, including debates, in the afternoon session.

This course explores the central political, economic, and social ideologies of the modern world, including capitalism, socialism, communism, liberalism, populism, and nationalism. We ask what principles define these ideologies, how these ideologies intersect with democracy, and how they produce and require different meanings and understandings of key concepts such as freedom, equality, justice, and citizenship.

Starting with an extended focus on capitalism and liberal democracy, students investigate the origins and key beliefs of each ideology and think about the pros and cons of various systems of governance and social control. Our goal is not to proclaim any one ideology as superior, but to more deeply understand different ways of thinking about politics and society that have shaped the past and present, and that offer us possibilities for the future. In the process, class participants become more reflective about and aware of their own convictions, and better able to articulate and defend such convictions in speech and writing with thoughtfulness, precision, insight, and persuasive force.

Course materials include excerpts from classic and contemporary political theory texts, as well as newspaper and magazine articles and film clips. Students draft and revise personal ideology statements and participate in debates in which they marshal ideas from the sources studied to justify and defend their positions.

The course also includes guest speakers representing various ideological positions. Students are encouraged to engage in serious dialogue with and pose difficult questions of these guests, probing what they believe and why.

The morning sessions are generally devoted to helping students achieve a firm grasp of the theoretical and factual arguments found in the readings, through a combination of presentations by the instructor and class discussion. The afternoon sessions allow students to put these theories and facts to work in written and oral form, working both individually and in small groups to develop arguments and debate controversial political questions.

By the end of the three weeks, students are equipped with not only a deeper understanding of the competing political and economic ideologies that shape the modern world, but also with the tools to make, understand, and critically evaluate claims of all kinds—tools which should serve them well both in their future studies and as future citizens and leaders.

This course considers the relationship between wealth and democracy, in theory, in history, and in practice today. Topics investigated include the following: political and legal debates about campaign finance reform from the late 20th century to the present, including whether money is speech and whether campaigns should be publicly financed; the role of the wealthy in American politics as candidates and as donors/funders; and the nature and problem of political corruption.

Readings are drawn from philosophers and political theorists, contemporary studies of the impact of wealth on American democracy, and key Supreme Court decisions including Citizens United. Other sources include film excerpts and press accounts. Students also benefit from several guest speakers working on issues pertaining to campaign finance and related issues of money and politics on the local, state, and/or national level.

Morning sessions are generally devoted to helping students achieve a firm grasp of the theoretical and factual arguments found in the readings, through a combination of presentations by the instructor and class discussion. Afternoon sessions allow students to put these theories and facts to work in written and oral form, working both individually and in small groups.

In addition to completing and discussing reading assignments, students write position papers and participate in debates in which they marshal ideas from the sources studied to justify and defend their positions.

Our ultimate goal is not to establish the proper role of money in politics, but to more deeply understand different ways of thinking about wealth and democracy that have shaped the past and present, and that offer us possibilities for the future.

At the core of most modern medical treatments is an understanding of how cells and biological molecules work. In this course we examine the functioning of medications such as antibiotics, antiviral drugs, chemotherapy, and psychiatric drugs. We also look at the molecular biology and treatment of conditions such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and auto-immune disorders such as lupus.

Classes include interactive lectures and in-class assignments designed to help students understand the connections between science and medical treatments. Outside of class, participants are expected to write a number of short essays exploring how various modern medical treatments work on a cellular and molecular level. The course includes asynchronous work, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

Ever dream of climbing Everest? You'll need to hike up in some of the most challenging conditions on earth. The further you climb, the less oxygen you will have to fuel your efforts. Make it to the summit? You can't stay for long. The top is known as "death zone" -- an area so oxygen-poor it can't sustain life.

Human organ systems are remarkable. Together, they can respond to a myriad of extreme challenges to homeostasis to keep us alive. In this course, students explore how the body responds to stressors that challenge homeostasis including extreme environmental conditions, severe infection, and serious challenges that are part of the life cycle. Students will be introduced to how the organ system functions under normal conditions and then delve into how the system responds to a stressor.

Classes include interactive lectures and in-class assignments designed to help students understand the connections between stressors and human responses and related treatments. Outside of class, participants are expected to produce a project focusing on a challenge to homeostasis of their choosing to explain how human organ systems work to reestablish homeostasis. The course also includes small amounts of asynchronous work in addition to the project, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

This course provides an overview of the multidisciplinary world of medical diagnostic device engineering. Medical diagnosis is the process of determining which disease or condition explains a person's symptoms. Diagnosis is used in improving treatment regimens and outcomes in everyone from the critically ill to the very healthy. Diagnostic device engineering ties in concepts from essentially every discipline in engineering (electrical, mechanical, materials, chemical, and of course biomedical engineering) and science (biology, chemistry, physics, and computer science).

We will explore how principles of chemistry and physics can be used to facilitate the detection of important biomedical information. We will then examine how mechanical, electrical, and materials engineering approaches can be used to create the "next generation" of devices for improved diagnosis. After a segway on electronic miniaturization, we will discuss improved computational analysis strategies in medical diagnosis, with a discussion of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning techniques. We will then cover wearables, point of care diagnostics and recent progress at the cutting edge of the field. Finally, we examine how these technologies will impact the future of the field and herald in a new age of personalized medicine. We will also discuss how to address the ethics and problems of this tech. Already, we have wearable devices that record our every move, law enforcement agencies with access to our genome sequences, and personal health data in clouds. How can we ensure a future of responsible medical technology use? Students are encouraged to think about the impact of these technologies on society and how they might become leaders and shapers in these fields.

Participants acquire an understanding and appreciation of these technologies so that they can explore further on their own and identify disciplines of interest for future study.

Becoming a physician—mastering the intricacies of the human body and working to heal when illness occurs—has long been considered a noble pursuit, but it’s not all guts and glory. It takes a particular kind of mind; one that can focus on the smallest details while keeping the big picture in sight. A doctor must see the forest and the trees.

This course is an investigation into how different types of physicians think within their discipline and what it means to be a doctor in today’s society. The course includes asynchronous work, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

Potential topics to be discussed include the following:

• Logic and reasoning
• Evidence-based medicine
• Human psychology and its influence
• The crossroads of media, myth, and medicine
• Ethics
• Malpractice
• Medicine's history and future
• Medical School and Residency

Participants gain a deeper knowledge of the medical world as well as what it takes to think like a doctor—and acquire mental tools that can be utilized in any aspect of life. Please note that the field of medicine is far reaching and each class will vary depending on the instructor and their scope of knowledge and work within this vast field.

The field of biology has expanded rapidly over the past fifty years. New discoveries are happening almost every day. In this course we explore the basic elements of molecular biology, genetics, and evolution and how these sciences affect modern medicine, agriculture, and ecology.

The course begins with a full description of the structure, function, and synthesis of DNA, RNA, and proteins. Students then apply this information to a wide range of topics such as modern biological research techniques, data interpretation, genetic engineering, immunology, cancer, and virology. The course also includes mini-units on bioethics and the biology of global warming, and we connect modern biology to fields such as anthropology, history, and economics. A variety of group activities, online labs, and videos supplement the student experience.

Please note: Approximately a third of the material covered in this course will already be familiar to students who have taken AP Biology.

Designed for students with a background in biology, this program investigates some of the exciting recent developments in conservation biology. Topics include: what is biodiversity, why is it threatened, and why is it important?; habitat alteration and species loss; captive breeding as a conservation tool; conservation genetics; protected areas; the effects of exotic species in local ecosystems; conservation medicine; and the impact of global warming on ecosystems and wildlife. The course uses real case studies from conservation research to take an in-depth look at the challenges in conserving life on earth, and the unique ways scientists and ordinary citizens can make a difference.

Class lectures and activities are supplemented with several field trips to sites in the New York area. Students will visit area institutions that address conservation—the American Museum of Natural History, the Bronx Zoo, and the Hudson River Trust—to see behind-the-scenes research and talk with professionals in the field of conservation biology.

The course culminates with a 4-day (3-night) trip to Black Rock Forest, where students will participate in hands-on conservation and restoration projects in the reserve.

Please note: Though this course is intended primarily for older students, it is also open to highly qualified rising freshmen and sophomores.

Socializing is a key part of being human. And, while being social may sound simple, the complexities behind interaction directly impact the world in which we live. Sociology, by definition, is the study of social change, life, and causes of human behavior, and a career in this field can be both challenging and fulfilling. Through this introductory course, students explore foundational concepts in sociology, including literature on socialization, cultural phenomena, urbanization, and inequity. Specifically, students will explore sociological institutions (family, government, etc.), growing concerns of social inequality, and popular theories that impact the world in which we live. By the end of the course, students will be able to appreciate human interaction in a new way, and become empowered to be agents of change themselves. 

Climate change is one of the world’s most critical challenges, and though quite prominent in today’s news it remains a complex and multifaceted issue. What is the current understanding of the anthropogenic impacts on global climate, ecosystems, and biodiversity? How are different economic sectors, geographic regions, and countries contributing to this? How are these impacts predicted to affect future global economic growth prospects, agricultural productivity, poverty, and society at large? Who bears the potential costs and benefits? What can be done?

Using climate change as a unifying focus, this course examines the role of public policy in managing human impacts on the environment. Students are introduced to the theories and concepts of environmental economics, and using these they explore, discuss, and analyze current national and global environmental challenges. They learn the public policy approaches being used to address these challenges, and how these policies influence and interact with the role of the private sector and international frameworks such as the Paris Agreement.

Through coursework and case studies from both the developing and developed world, students gain an understanding of the complex nature of global environmental change and the importance of human-based activities in driving it. Case studies lead to the introduction of sector-based issues (e.g. promoting renewable energy and organic agriculture), innovative policy approaches (e.g. environmental trading schemes, mitigation banking, carbon taxes), and key terms used by the global conservation community to frame and promote discussion of these issues (e.g. ecosystem services, natural capital, water-energy-food nexus).

Coursework includes lectures, required reading, multimedia presentations, online research, and guest speakers. Students are expected and encouraged to participate in class discussions, raise questions, and contribute to small group exercises and presentations.

How has the US–China trade war affected the growth of world economies? Why has Latin America, a region rich in natural resources, not been able to attain economic growth levels similar to those in Asia? What implications does a potential global water crisis pose to how nations interact with one another? How has the mix of traditional and renewable energy sources made an impact on the United States? Is it unethical to apply economic principles to natural resources?

This course examines these type of questions as it dives into the fundamentals of natural resources, their pivotal role in the development of OECD (Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development) and non-OECD economies, and the monetization impact from Wall Street to the end consumer on Main Street.

Through case study analyses of current events, students develop an understanding of global reserves and yields of natural resources, identify world consumers and producers – i.e. export (supply/origin) and import (demand/destination) hubs – along with transportation channels, and conduct deep dive analyses in group settings on the financial life of these resources and their contribution to the pace of global growth.

Complementary to these topics, participants debate the basis for responsible business procurement of natural resources – including those that are sustainable – and their effect in the global landscape.

Students gain an understanding of – and think critically about – various natural resources (agricultural, energy, mineral, and livestock) and the key challenges of international trade in an interconnected world. They also learn about the social impact of exploration and production of these raw materials. Topics explored include the relevance of geopolitical analysis, how shipping markets and freight rates/chartering are crucial to world trade, and the growing presence of private capital in shoring up global imbalances.

This course provides a history of hate and extreme movements in the United States. What different movements of extremism exist today? Should they be silenced, and how? Where is the line drawn between free speech and hate speech? What are the different factors at play in these movements and the people who subscribe to them? Have they gained popularity in recent times or have they just been more exposed? What is the role of media? What is the psychology behind these movements and those involved? Due to the nature of the content in this course, it is recommended for mature students who are willing to examine these questions with an open and reflective approach that requires a respectful attitude towards different opinions and their instructor and classmates.

This course offers an overview of the field of linguistics, the scientific study of human communication. It will cover the major components of language, including phonology (sound patterns), morphology (word formation), semantics (meaning), and syntax (sentence formation).

Students will examine the essential role communication plays in daily life, and the ways languages can vary by culture and evolve over time. They will explore topics such as dialects, slang, stereotypes associated with different accents, MRI research on language processing in the brain, differences between human and animal communication, taboo words, figurative statements, and the Internet’s impact on “proper” English. The course will also include talks by guest speakers, professionals in their fields who will share their valuable expertise.

Students will act as language scientists for the week, analyzing linguistic phenomena and working with texts, lectures, fieldwork, and videos that demonstrate how language permeates life. Participants in this course gain a deeper understanding of the relevance of linguistics to all career and academic paths, as well as the fascinating insights it can offer into the human experience.

Do rats laugh? Do dogs pretend? Can birds use tools? While it has traditionally been assumed that animals are not capable of thoughts, emotions, or anything comparable to human intelligence, researchers working with animals from rats and bats to wolves and whales now have an impressive and growing body of evidence, both scientific and anecdotal, that strongly challenges those earlier suppositions.

This course surveys the fascinating field of cognitive ethology—the study of animal minds—and explores questions of what animals think and feel, the complexity of their thought, and the depth of their emotions. Students examine cutting-edge research from fields such as cognitive neuroscience, psychology, endocrinology, and ethology that support the theoretical ideas first proposed by Darwin, who is often credited as the first scientist to seriously study the emotional lives of animals. Darwin’s ideas were later advanced by Donald Griffen, the “father of cognitive ethology,” whose big questions about animal consciousness laid the groundwork for the explosion of research we see today. What we are learning about animal sentience is transforming our understanding of non-human animals, creating impetus for new research into how they experience the world, each other, and possibly themselves.

In this seminar-style class, students read and discuss the research of ethologists such as Marc Bekoff, Konrad Lorenz, James Gould, Jane Goodall, Franz De Waal, and E.O Wilson. These pioneering researchers fundamentally changed our understanding of the animal mind, shedding new light on the extraordinary and diverse abilities of our fellow species to learn, problem-solve, use tools, express emotions, and even mourn their dead. What’s more, we are learning that animals communicate complex information in ways we could never have imagined.

Field excursions to locations such as the Central Park Zoo, the Wild Bird Fund, and the Wolf Conservation Center offer participants an opportunity to observe animal behaviors up close, emulate observation techniques used by scientists in the field, and speak to experts about their research. These first-hand experiences provide context for the material covered in class, and give rise to important questions and rich, stimulating discussions. Students also have an opportunity to explore the broad array of academic and career paths that relate to cognitive ethology, including evolutionary biology, animal behavior, conservation biology, psychology, philosophy and ethics, cognitive neuroscience, science writing, and animal law.

Course requirement include assigned readings of scientific literature and excerpts from books on animal cognition, daily participation in class and small-group discussions, and a final project that demonstrates students’ understanding of the course concepts and content.

Laptops are recommended but not required for this course.

In this course students examine language as a vital part of culture and social structure while discovering how it reflects and shapes our lives. We first tackle assumptions and myths we hold about language. For example, can animals learn to use language? Do Eskimo languages really have 17 separate words for snow? Is English the hardest language to learn? Then we explore the components of language (phonemes, morphemes, words, and sentences) and how each plays a role in what we hear as an “accent” or dialect. Thus, students investigate both the structural and cultural functions of human language.

The course employs a multi-disciplinary approach to investigating language behavior and variation in different cultures. This occurs mainly through the term project, which provides each student with the opportunity to conduct fieldwork as a means to research a culture and its use of language. Participants come to better understand themselves as members of their own cultures and language as a shaper of our self-identities in human society.

In the morning sessions we examine material in a seminar format. Afternoons are devoted to research, analysis of case studies, and other hands-on applications including probing popular culture, literature, and film for evidence of language used as a way to define cultural and social identities.

Students develop the skills of data collection and cross-linguistic and cross-cultural analysis and come away with a perspective of multiple viewpoints related to language correctness and relativity.

Though this course is intended primarily for older students, it is open to highly qualified rising freshmen and sophomores.

This course introduces students to major psychological theories and research on human social behavior. We look at why humans often help each other but also why they hurt each other. Topics covered include empathy, prejudice, helping, compliance, bullying, conformity, and the development of personality. A variety of psychological methods for predicting and preventing anti-social behavior are discussed.

The course establishes a strong grounding in scientific principles and methodology. Students are encouraged to think about how empirical methods can be used to measure complex social phenomena, to recognize and appreciate experimental rigor, and ultimately to question common assumptions about human behavior found in ordinary discourse and the popular press. The course includes asynchronous work, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts and theories of psychology, the science of the mind and behavior. The course provides an in-depth excursion into psychological research, including biological bases of behavior, learning and memory, sensation and perception, cognitive development, language acquisition, personality, and social influences on behavior.

The exponential advance of data, cloud computing, and machine learning have transformed every industry from retail and banking to healthcare and education. This introductory-level course enables participants to navigate the new reality of the “data economy,” in which data is the “the new oil”—a ubiquitous and invaluable asset. Students will focus on the strategic use of data and innovative technologies to derive actionable business insights. Participants develop a strong foundation in data-driven thinking for solving real-world problems. They are introduced to a variety of popular technologies for data analytics and gain a familiarity with programming technology. Students will learn how to import, export, manipulate, transform, and visualize data; use statistical summaries; and run and evaluate machine learning models. Participants will learn and implement common machine-learning techniques and develop and evaluate analytical solutions.

The course includes asynchronous work, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

This course is designed for students who have an interest in the future of finance, technology, blockchain, cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, and work. Beginning with an exploration of Fintech (financial technology), we explore technology’s impact on everything from banking to real estate to Wall Street. Additionally, we look at how artificial intelligence (AI) will automate and reduce the need for human workers, as AI, Fintech, and other technologies are combined to automate many tasks.

After gaining a solid understanding of the real-world use cases of Fintech and the everyday ways it impacts the economy, social justice, and our lives, students take a journey of discovery into the world of AI, the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, Bitcoin, and cryptocurrency. Since Bitcoin’s launch in 2009, cryptocurrency and decentralized ledger technology, aka blockchain, have emerged as an economic force majeure, disrupting the fundamentals of how people interact and how they perceive money. In addition to pushing the evolution of money, blockchain technology is now poised to disrupt how we organize businesses and the future of work. Course participants explore the organizational impacts and transformations caused by blockchain and cryptocurrencies and examine what this will mean to them as future CEOs and global business and thought leaders.

The course concludes by exploring the perspective of entrepreneurs and innovators, further examining how technologies come together to form the businesses, disruptions, and methodologies of the 21st Century. Participants walk away with a fundamental understanding of what tokens and cryptocurrencies are; how businesses leverage blockchain technology, AI, and other Fintech applications; and how digital transformation impacts social interactions and the future of work.

Please note: This course is not a computer programming course and requires no prior knowledge or experience, but rather looks at these emerging technologies more broadly from business, social, political, and cultural perspectives.

Each year cybercriminals steal hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of information from major companies and vital national security secrets from governments, while terrorist organizations leverage cyber-networks for distributing their media and recruiting. It is imperative to nurture the next generation of intelligence professionals to understand the cyber-threat landscape given its ubiquitous impact on our daily lives.

In this course participants are exposed to cyber-threat intelligence as a discipline and its function in providing decision-makers with the support they need to stay abreast of evolving security challenges. Case studies on advanced persistent threat (APT) groups and large cybercrime networks are examined so as to better understand their tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs); their successes; and their shortcomings. Further, we look at technology’s evolution and how it is integrated into our lives along with the likely future threat landscape that accompanies these technologies.

Threat intelligence encompasses more than the government, considering all private companies are reliant on technology and have their own threat intelligence teams, so this course focuses on both the public and private sectors.

Course readings cover the topics of intelligence, analysis, advanced persistent threat groups, cybercriminals, terrorist organizations, and the different methods these actors use to conduct their attacks and operations. We discuss these topics in greater depth in class lectures and with guest speakers. Students produce short white papers and work on group presentations in which they represent threat intel teams focusing on particular entities.

Please note, this is not a computer science class and no technical expertise is required.

Data science and machine learning are exciting and popular disciplines. While different fields, they work best in sync to help change the way humans think, behave, and interact. In fact, some of the most popular data science methods stem from machine learning. Through this course, students will be introduced to the foundations of both science areas and explore available career opportunities. Beginning with an overview of the landscape and real-world applications, students will learn how data science and machine learning impact the world in which we live, every day. Further, students will gain hands-on experience with introductory coding using Python and become versed in popular machine learning algorithms. By the end of the course, students will use their benchmark knowledge to analyze and present data ethically and effectively. Finally, students will leave the course prepared for more advanced practice in data science and machine learning. 

Note: This course is for students with little-to-no previous experience with coding/programming. Students with more advanced knowledge should consider Data Science and Machine Learning II. 

The power of data science and machine learning can change the world. From voice activation to video game programming to advancements in medical science - the possibilities for activation are endless. Through this advanced course, students will leverage their foundational knowledge of Python to develop a more sophisticated programming skill set. Further, students will use a variety of mathematical techniques (statistics, linear algebra, and probability) to analyze data and create impactful visualizations. By course completion, students will become well-versed in a range of strategies and techniques in both data science and machine learning and become data-driven decision makers. Further, students will be able to apply communication skills and fairness frameworks to identified solutions, making them invaluable assets to any future data science/machine learning classroom, or future employer. 

Note: This course is for students with prior programming experience (in particular, Python) and/or previous coursework in Data Science and Machine Learning. Further, some background in statistics and linear algebra is helpful. Students with little-to-no prior experience in these areas should explore our Data Science and Machine Learning I course. 

This is an introductory course designed to develop logical reasoning and computer programming skills through immersion in the fundamentals of Java. Programming projects will challenge students to develop their logical reasoning, systematic thinking, and problem-solving skills. Students will become familiar with fundamental object-oriented programming concepts, algorithms, and techniques. This course covers an overview of introductory material through hands-on labs and individual and collaborative projects. Labs are carried out in the cross-platform Java environment, which will be set up on students' personal laptop computers.

Participants are expected to bring laptops for this class. Laptops can either be a PC or a Mac, but should have 8GB – 10GB of free space.

Students who are already familiar with Java might consider taking Introduction to Coding in Python.

This course provides an intensive introduction to coding with the language of Python, one of the most widely used and intuitive programming languages. Python is an interpreted language that, while syntactically simple, is equipped with a powerful set of libraries. Data analysis, machine learning, AI, data visualization, and web development can all be done quickly and efficiently with Python, making it the ideal language for beginners. Participants learn the fundamentals of programming with Python; they are introduced to best programming practices, data representation and storage, data structures, functions and scripts, and more. By the end of the course, they have an understanding of the programming fundamentals required to approach novel and interesting problems with Python.

The course alternates between classic instruction, group work, and individual programming challenges. While learning to code in Python, students also develop logical thinking and problem solving skills that will be helpful to them in learning other programming languages as well as in college and beyond.

Student computers can be either PC or a Mac and should have Internet connections and 8 to 10 GB of free space.

Students who are already familiar with Python might consider taking Introduction to Coding in Java.

An introductory course designed to develop logical reasoning and computer programming skills through immersion in the fundamentals of Java. Programming projects involving mathematical problems and logic games challenge students to develop their logical reasoning, systematic thinking, and problem-solving skills. Students become familiar with fundamental object-oriented programming concepts, algorithms, and techniques. This course covers an overview of introductory material through hands-on labs and individual and collaborative projects. Labs are carried out in the cross-platform Java environment, which will be set up on students' personal computers.

Student computers can either be a PC or a Mac, but should have 8GB – 10GB of free space.

This course, intended for students with little or no programming experience, provides an introduction to Python, one of the most popular and user-friendly programming languages, and to programming in general.

Participants become familiar with fundamental computer science concepts and are challenged through the use of logic games, programming problems, and hands-on assignments to develop logical reasoning and problem-solving skills. The course includes asynchronous work, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

By the end of this course, students should have a solid understanding of variables and user interaction, control flow statements, and using library functions. This knowledge will support them in future ventures in computer science and engineering.

Student computers can either be a PC or a Mac, but should have 8GB – 10GB of free space.

This course, intended for students have completed the Introduction to Programming with Python course or have the prerequisite knowledge of the course topics discussed in that class. Entry level programming experience is required. The course provides a further look at the Python programming, Participants become familiar with intermediate and advanced programming concepts and are challenged through the use of logic games, programming problems, and hands-on assignments to develop logical reasoning and problem-solving skills. The course includes asynchronous work, which students are expected to complete between class sessions.

By the end of this course, students should have a solid understanding of program classes, objects, iterators, inheritance, lambda functions, try/except, regex, file handling, database modules, graphical modules, numerical analysis modules. This knowledge will support them in future ventures in computer science programming.

This course serves as an overview of the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency. Students take a deeper look into what blockchain is, how it has evolved, and where it is headed, including Bitcoin, cryptocurrency, NFTs, and Decentralized Finance (DeFi). We examine how these technologies will impact the future of work. Students are encouraged to think about the impact of these technologies on society and how they might become leaders and shapers in these fields.

Please note: This course is not a computer programming course and requires no prior knowledge or experience, but rather looks at these emerging technologies more broadly from business, social, political, and cultural perspectives. There is no coding in this class.