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Brown University
42 Charlesfield St. Box T
Providence, RI 02912
Phone: (401) 863-7900
2009 Course Catalog
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Currently Displaying: 2-Week Courses (56)
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Leadership and Conflict Resolution (SO904-2EL)
Program: Leadership Institute
Conflict is ubiquitous. We encounter it in our daily lives with friends, family-members, and colleagues; in our communities between different interest or identity groups; and... (more »)
Leadership and Global Engagement S1 (SO905-2FL)
Program: Leadership Institute
World leaders have the same styles, skills, and setbacks as leaders in any walk of life. However, the challenges they face are often much more visible, and the impact of their... (more »)
Brown Environmental Leadership Lab: Sustainable Development (ES900-2AL)
Program: Leadership Institute
BELL is a unique outdoor learning laboratory. The courses draw their curricula from many different disciplines: biology, chemistry, geology, environmental studies, leadership theory... (more »)
Brown Environmental Leadership Lab: Field Ecology (ES900-2CL)
Program: Leadership Institute
BELL is a unique outdoor learning laboratory. The courses draw their curricula from many different disciplines: biology, chemistry, geology, environmental studies, leadership theory... (more »)
Brown Environmental Leadership Lab: Sustainable Development (ES900-2BL)
Program: Leadership Institute
BELL is a unique outdoor learning laboratory. The courses draw their curricula from many different disciplines: biology, chemistry, geology, environmental studies, leadership theory... (more »)
Leadership and Global Engagement S2 (SO905-2GL)
Program: Leadership Institute
World leaders have the same styles, skills, and setbacks as leaders in any walk of life. However, the challenges they face are often much more visible, and the impact of their... (more »)
An Introduction to Electricity and Electronics for Engineering Design (EN902-2B)
Program: Pre-College
One of the great joys of engineering is to be creative – to design and implement solutions to improve the world around us. For many students learning how to design things... (more »)
Women and Leadership (SO906-2FL)
Program: Leadership Institute
Despite a hundred years of political and social gains, women in the 21st century still face unique challenges to becoming effective leaders. In this course, students will explore... (more »)
To Be Human: Minds, Robots, Clones and Zombies (PL905-2A)
Program: Pre-College
What it is that makes us characteristically human has been a crucial question for a long time. In ancient Greece, 'featherless biped' was tried out as a definition, but a plucked... (more »)
Introduction to Egyptian Hieroglyphics (EG907-2A)
Program: Pre-College
The hieroglyphic writing system of Ancient Egypt was one of the earliest writing systems in the world. Decoding its meanings has allowed us to understand the culture, religion,... (more »)
The U.S. In World Politics (PS902-2A)
Program: Pre-College
Globalization is transforming the relationship between world events and U.S. politics. After 9/11 and Iraq, foreign affairs are no longer distant affairs, yet confusion abounds.... (more »)
Introduction to Clinical Psychology (PY907-2B)
Program: Pre-College
Can you find out your IQ from an Internet test? Is Dr. Phil a good therapist? Is there an addictive personality? For most people, their exposure to psychology comes mostly from... (more »)
So You Want to be a Scientist? (SI600-2EA)
Program: SPARK - Science for Middle School
Doctors work to treat diseases but scientists work to understand them. Have you ever wondered about the work that goes on behind the scenes in medicine? Do you want to find out... (more »)
Skepticism (PL903-2C)
Program: Pre-College
Things are not always what they seem. Take it with a grain of salt. Don't judge a book by its cover. Skepticism is not some esoteric intellectual enterprise, but rather it's... (more »)
Economic Growth and Development (EC913-2A)
Program: Pre-College
Why are some countries so much richer than others? Why is the standard of living in developed countries like the United States so much higher today than it was 100 years ago?... (more »)
The Art of Reading/Writing: Contemporary Literature from the Inside Out (EL918-2B)
Program: Pre-College
A story happens, a poem occurs, an essay unfolds: literature is an event. In this introductory "art appreciation" course for contemporary literature, we will approach the literary... (more »)
Leadership and the Civil Rights Movement: A Case Study in Social Activism (SO910-2EL)
Program: Leadership Institute
The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s put young people in a uniquely powerful position to become activists for political and social change. Through effective leadership... (more »)
Where Rivers Meet the Sea: Ecology of Narragansett Bay (BI601-2EA)
Program: SPARK - Science for Middle School
Did you know that for many decades coastal estuaries were thought of as unproductive swamps that were best filled and developed? Today, scientists know estuaries to be some of... (more »)
Discovering the Past: Introduction to Prehistory and Archaeology (AN907-2B)
Program: Pre-College
What is archaeology? How has it contributed to the study of past human history and present-day human behavior? This course offers an introduction to the basic principles and methods... (more »)
Global Development (AN905-2B)
Program: Pre-College
Addressing global issues like poverty, hunger, and disease often seems overwhelming. Long-established institutions like governments, the United Nations, and the World Bank, have... (more »)
Leadership and Global Health (SO907-2GL)
Program: Leadership Institute
Despite world-wide advances in technology and development, providing basic health care to people in resource-poor settings continues to pose enormous challenges. Now more than... (more »)
Leadership for Social Change (SO912-2EL)
Program: Leadership Institute
Leadership for Social Change is a course designed to provide engaged students and young activists with the tools and theory needed to become successful community organizers. This... (more »)
Ancient Egyptian Religion and Magic (EG902-2C)
Program: Pre-College
This course will provide a comprehensive overview of ancient Egyptian religion and magic. We will carefully investigate the Egyptian pantheon as well as the cosmology, cosmogony,... (more »)
Writing Speculative Fiction (EL903-2B)
Program: Pre-College
Science fiction, fantasy, magical realism, slipstream, alternate history, New Weird, cyberpunk, steampunk, Infernokrusher: we lump together under the term "speculative fiction"... (more »)
Adventures in Narrative Through Contemporary Short Stories (EL914-2C)
Program: Pre-College
What does it mean to categorize fiction: realist, minimalist, lyrical, postmodern? In this reading and writing intensive class, we will examine contemporary short stories, gaining... (more »)
The War On Terror: A Case Study for Theories of International Relations (PS903-2C)
Program: Pre-College
Since it began in 2001, the War on Terror has divided our country and the world at large. We continue to debate the U.S. government’s reaction to the terrorist attacks on... (more »)
Freedom and Responsibility (PL901-2B)
Program: Pre-College
If the course's title interests you, it is very likely that you have considered the following sort of story and wondered how it ought to be evaluated: A young man is raised in... (more »)
Word Etymologies: The Greek and Latin Roots of English (CL903-2A)
Program: Pre-College
Over 60 percent of English words derive from Greek or Latin, and in fields such as science and technology, over 90 percent. This course is designed to increase English vocabulary... (more »)
Medicine and Society (AN906-2C)
Program: Pre-College
This course challenges students to explore the relationships between medicine and its social, cultural, and political dimensions. Students will be introduced to the ideas and... (more »)
Nazi Germany and the Holocaust (HI901-2B)
Program: Pre-College
The history of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust are crucial for understanding the development and outlook of the 20th century. This two-week course provides an introduction into... (more »)
Health Psychology/Behavioral Medicine (PY912-2C)
Program: Pre-College
Did you know that approximately 50% of the fatalities resulting from the ten leading causes of death are preventable? Psychological interventions are increasingly being used along... (more »)
Sex, Drugs, and Rock ‘n’ Roll?: Understanding the 1960s (HI915-2B)
Program: Pre-College
The 1960s was a watershed decade in modern American history. The United States that emerged in its aftermath was very different from the United States that existed before it. The... (more »)
Special Topics in Developmental Psychology: Socio-emotional Development in Children and Adolescents (PY914-2B)
Program: Pre-College
This course covers normative and pathological aspects of socio-emotional development from infancy through adolescence. This seminar will provide the students with opportunities... (more »)
Classic Fairy Tales Reconsidered (EL901-2A)
Program: Pre-College
Originally, fairy tales were not intended for children but throughout much of their history were told among adult audiences for entertainment and instruction. During Romanticism,... (more »)
Writing Flash Fiction (EL927-2B)
Program: Pre-College
In this course we’ll take a look at flash fiction and how to write it. Flash fiction is a catch-all for narrative in miniature – instead of a novel, or even a short... (more »)
Alternative Energy Engineering - An Introduction (EN904-2C)
Program: Pre-College
One of the most pressing issues of modern times is how we will satisfy our future energy needs and what influence this might have on global warming. Energy research should receive... (more »)
American Consumer Culture, 1870-present (AC907-2C)
Program: Pre-College
The modern era in the United States has long been described by both critics and adherents as a “culture of consumption.” Beginning with the advent of mass production,... (more »)
The Human Body: Anthropological and Archaeological Perspectives (AN904-2C)
Program: Pre-College
Henna art. Bleached skin. Foot binding. Medical tattooing. Each of these bodily practices represents a socially-constructed understanding of how the human body is treated and experienced... (more »)
Bioethics and Religion (RS902-2A)
Program: Pre-College
This course will explore interactions between contemporary issues in bioethics and religious beliefs and practices. We will consider how religious traditions, both east and west,... (more »)
Documentary Film for Social Change: Production & Theory (SO911-2GL)
Program: Leadership Institute
Documentary has long been associated as a vehicle for social change. How and why did this come to be an ideal? What techniques do filmmakers employ to tell their stories of social... (more »)
From Mad Cow Disease to Alzheimer’s: The Biological Basis of Disease (BN902-2B)
Program: Pre-College
The primary focus of this course will be on key diseases that are caused by protein misfolding, including symptoms, cellular physiology, and current methods of treatment for these... (more »)
When the Brain Has a Mind of its Own (BN905-2A)
Program: Pre-College
In this course we shall explore the world of neuroscience from first hand accounts written by patients, physicians, and scientists. Beyond the ever valuable and traditional large... (more »)
Snapshots and Snap Judgments: A History of Photographic Portraiture (HA903-2A)
Program: Pre-College
What does your Facebook picture say about you? We are bombarded by portraits on-line and in magazines, keep them to remember loved ones, and are required to carry them for identification,... (more »)
Work in the Global Economy (SO908-2A)
Program: Pre-College
How does manufacturing in China affect jobs in the U.S.? Why do Filipino women represent the largest share of domestic workers in Japan? How does the widespread migration of young... (more »)
The Tiniest Bits of Reality (PH903-2B)
Program: Pre-College
This course will take you on a journey back in time, to the universe as it was when it was forming. Along the way we will make several stops in order to meet physicists and philosophers... (more »)
Modern & Contemporary International Short Fiction (EL911-2B)
Program: Pre-College
In 2008 the head of the Nobel committee for literature declared that the Nobel Prize would not be awarded to an American author because, “The U.S. is too isolated, too insular.... (more »)
Introduction to Surrealism (EL917-2A)
Program: Pre-College
Can you write a poem or piece of prose without carefully choosing your words, without ordering them in a coherent fashion? Would you consider the flea market to be a site of inspiration... (more »)
Exploring Infectious Disease: The Exotic Misconception (BI907-2A)
Program: Pre-College
What is Yellow fever? How has it impacted the United States? Why are so many parasites common only in developing countries? This course explores these questions and more while... (more »)
Writing for Performance: Sketch Comedy (TA902-2A)
Program: Pre-College
This two-week course offers a unique workshop experience for young writers and performers interested in the special challenges of writing sketch comedy for performance. Students... (more »)
The History of Sexuality (EL928-2C)
Program: Pre-College
In high school, “History” and “Sexuality” probably are not taught together. In this course, students will learn that these two subjects are so connected... (more »)
Changing Business: Becoming a Social Entrepreneur (SO914-2FL)
Program: Leadership Institute
In this course, students will grapple with how organization innovation can help solve societal problems in areas such as education, job creation, the arts, the environment, poverty,... (more »)
Tales of Love and Horror, Monsters and Beauties: How to Write about Literature by Reading Beneath the Surface (EL930-2C)
Program: Pre-College
The goal of this two-week course is to introduce students to the practice of college-level critical reading and writing. This class works under the assumption that there is not... (more »)
Politics, Poetry and Music (MU903-2A)
Program: Pre-College
To introduce high school students to the practices of reading and writing at the college-level, and to expose them to cutting edge debates about globalization and politics, this... (more »)
Unlocking the Writer’s Voice: Personal History and Solo Performance (EL909-2B)
Program: Pre-College
Solo performance is a popular and distinctly contemporary theatrical form; variations of the solo can be found on Broadway, in stand-up comedy clubs, on TV, and in the experimental... (more »)
ESL-English as a Second Language (EL814-2A)
Program: Intensive English Program (IEP)
Develop higher-level English language skills in this intensive course. Fine-tune your English grammar, experiment with rhetorical styles, dream, argue, persuade. With your instructor,... (more »)
ESL-English as a Second Language (EL814-2B)
Program: Intensive English Program (IEP)
Develop higher-level English language skills in this intensive course. Fine-tune your English grammar, experiment with rhetorical styles, dream, argue, persuade. With your instructor,... (more »)