Graduate Courses

This umbrella course examines select topics in critical, cultural, social, and political theory, with special attention to problems of interpretation in the humanities and related social sciences in both historical and theoretical contexts.

Few figures have influenced the modern conception of the subject more than
Sigmund Freud. In this doctoral seminar we explore the writings of Freud, followed by those of one of his most influential interpreters, Jacques Lacan. Seminar themes include: the structure of the psyche; the unconscious; castration and lack; the symbolic order; neurosis; desire; enjoyment; and sex. Additional readings drawn from the work of Joan Copjec, Achille Mbembe, and Alenka Zupančič.

In this doctoral seminar we examine the digital and the analog, not merely by reference to actually existing media technologies, but also, and perhaps more importantly, through encounters with theory and philosophy. Themes in the course include analogicity, digitality, the logical, the illogical, interfaces, cybernetics, psychoanalysis, geometry, and arithmetic. Readings are drawn from the work of Friedrich Kittler, Sarah Kofman, Catherine Malabou, Brian Massumi, Katherine McKittrick, Hito Steyerl, McKenzie Wark, and others.

Not Available.

This course examines specific topics within the fields of cultural studies and visual culture, with the aim of delving into particular theoretical concerns within these overlapping and interrelated fields of study. It is the aim of Special Topics courses to incorporate historical theoretical frameworks and to examine important recent scholarship on these issues.

Not Available.

This advanced graduate seminar offers a survey of important academic monographs documenting the history of computing, introducing students to critical objects, interventions, and authors in and around the field. Readings will be drawn from the history of technology, history of science, media studies, STS, and game studies.

This umbrella course is designed for doctoral students on themes related to the social, cultural, historical, and political economic meanings and effects of communication technologies. Specific themes may include: digital media, social networking, intellectual property and issues of privacy, robotics and artificial intelligence, computer hacking, genetics and biocomputing, the business of new technology.

In this course students will read a set of exemplary ethnographies in the area of
technology and media as a way to explore different strategies and techniques for ethnographic research, writing, and analysis. In addition to close reading and discussion, participants will plan, undertake, and report on mini-ethnographic projects. The course will be of special interest to students who intend to conduct ethnographic research for their dissertation projects (or are considering doing so).

This course provides a graduate-level introduction to the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS). We will survey the ways scholars in STS "whose research methods range from historical epistemology to medical anthropology to the sociology of science" have understood the natural world, technical systems, human perception, and the social order to be co-produced. Following Bruno Latour, throughout the course we will investigate "matters of fact" as always "matters of concern."

This course will explore semiotics & performance theory by comparing the modes of performance used in media (including television, film, radio, advertising, theater, music & visual art) with social performance in general. Readings will draw from classic & contemporary work in semiotics, performance theory & linguistic anthropology, analyzing media & art forms from around the world. Students will engage with the theoretical concepts & analytical models encountered in class by applying them to a media form, performance or piece of art of their own choosing.

This course provides a foundation in the specialized area of medical speech language pathology with focus on communication and swallowing management of infants and children. Infant feeding/swallowing, pediatric swallow studies, tracheostomy, and management of specialized populations will be highlighted. Students develop a fundamental knowledge of the pediatric oropharyngeal swallow mechanism, the aerodigestive tract, tracheostomy, speaking valves, mechanical ventilation, and the importance of team assessment and management.

The objective of this course is to develop a broad understanding of the process by which typically developing children acquire speech skills. Theoretical aspects of speech development will be reviewed & the complexities of normal human communication will be focused upon. This content will lay the foundation for discussing etiologies & characteristics of speech sound disorders that arise across the lifespan. Basic principles of assessment & intervention & the role of the speech language pathologist will be covered.

To make informed decisions about diagnosis and intervention, clinicians must start from a thorough understanding of all aspects of the speech chain: sound production, transmission, and perception by the listener. Students gain knowledge of physiological, aerodynamic, and acoustic properties of typical and clinical speech throughout the lifespan. This course prepares students to use instrumental techniques in the clinical setting to measure and/or treat aspects of articulation, resonance, phonation, and perception.

This course focuses on typical and atypical speech development in children, with an emphasis on the use of evidence-based practice for the assessment and treatment of children with various speech sound disorders.

This class focuses on the biochemical and clinical factors related to energy, nutrient, and fluid requirements of athletes and physically active individuals across diverse populations. Students apply and evaluate sports nutrition concepts to special conditions affecting athletic performance and discuss techniques for counseling athletes.

Theories of light and lighting. The practice of lighting the stage. Experiments with light as a design element. Laboratory experience is required.

This course is an introduction to the analysis and modeling of network data. Network analysis is a key tool in understanding relational data - data describing the relationships between pairs and groups of individuals, as well as the global structure of relationships. We will focus on applications to and building tools for research in the social sciences, but the methodology can be extended to other areas. By the end of the course, you should have a working knowledge of basic network analysis tools and be able to use them to analyze your own data.