This is an introductory course, and is taught in English. In this course, students are introduced to the two Japanese alphabets, hiragana and katakana, and begin memorizing simple kanji. Students are also required to memorize beginner vocabulary. This course’s focused topics are daily conversations, greetings, personal interests, and general Japanese culture.
This is the second introductory-level course, taught mainly in English, however Japanese is used more regularly by the professor. Students will continue to learn simple kanji and more vocabulary, alongside some more complicated phrases and grammar. Students are expected to be able to ask questions, not only answer them.
This is an intermediate level course, taught in equal measures Japanese and English. This course is where students begin to read more complicated stories in Japanese, and study more complicated grammar. Students are also expected to be able to hold conversations entirely in Japanese. More complicated kanji are memorized as well.
This is an intermediate level course, taught primarily in Japanese. In this course, students begin practicing more polite and humble speech patterns, speech patterns that appear in Japanese business settings. Students finish learning regular grammar, and continue kanji memorization.
This is an advanced course, taught entirely in Japanese. Students begin learning how to apply learned grammar in more complicated situations. Students also begin reading more complex stories in Japanese, and begin writing longer papers entirely in Japanese. More complicated kanji is taught in this course.
This is an advanced course, taught entirely in Japanese. Students continue applying grammar in complex scenarios. This course also has a focus on debating, being able to both make a point in Japanese and defend it, with minimal preparation. More presentations are also given, and students continue to write essays entirely in Japanese. Kanji continues to be memorized.
This course was a study-abroad experience, in which students accompanied their professors on a guided tour of Japan. Students kept a detailed diary with daily entries, on the places they visited each day. Students then had a presentation on a specific topic pertaining to the places that had been visited on the tour.
A continuation of the study-abroad experience. Students attended classes through Kansai University, taught entirely in Japanese. These classes included a regular lecture section, and a section that consisted of conversation with Kansai University students. It concluded with students interviewing Kansai University students on an aspect of Japanese culture, and presenting their findings.
This is an advanced course, taught entirely in Japanese. Students are exposed to the more intricate parts of Japanese business culture. This includes proper business etiquette, language, and attire. Students also work on refining a Japanese resume throughout the semester.
A culture course, taught entirely in English. Students are exposed to Japanese film history, and learn how to analyze and critique films by their construction, rather than narrative. The course ranges from silent films by directors such as Ozu Yasujiro to modern anime by directors such as Shinkai Makoto.
A culture course, taught entirely in English. Students study literature from various eras of Japanese culture, beginning with contemporary literature and going backwards. Students discuss themes that are both universal and unique to Japanese literature, and write essays on their interpretations of Japanese literature.
A culture course, in which students study various pieces of art and architecture from throughout history. Cultures studied include Asian cultures, African cultures, North American cultures, South American cultures, and European cultures. Taken as an honors course, students studied modern monuments as well, and had to create a monument of their own commemorating some historical event.
A beginners English course, in which students practice writing expository and argumentative essays. Students study a variety of topics, make claims, and argue for these claims in essay format. Taken as an Honors course, students wrote an additional essay on a topic of their choosing.
An honors seminar, in which students analyze the idea and theory behind imaginary friends. This includes imaginary friends in the sense of children’s creations, and more nuanced analysis such as parasocial relationships online. Students read a variety of literature pertaining to these topics. Students also had a semester-long project, in which they were given total freedom to do anything as long as it was associated with imaginary friends. Project ideas ranged from baked goods that were associated with each of our readings, to Choose-Your-Own-Adventure stories.
A history course, in which students study Chinese history from the 1800s to contemporary China. This course includes both fictional and nonfictional literature, pertaining to Chinese history. Through this literature, students look at geography, religion, international and intranational politics, and how all of these factors led to contemporary China. Students write multiple essays analyzing Chinese history, and the various literary works.
An English course, in which students learn basic writing practices for professional business settings. Students write a variety of business texts, such as letters, reports, and proposals. As a final presentation, students chose a relative topic of their choice, and presented their findings.
An English course, in which students analyze various works of poetry and learn to write their own. Students participate in workshops throughout the course, writing their own poetry and critiquing their peers. Students applied these skills to critiquing published works.
A computer science course, in which students study the algorithms and data structures fundamental to computer science. These include run-time complexity, abstract data types, and designing algorithms. Students are expected to be able to apply these concepts to programs, and recognize these concepts in programs that already exist.
A computer science course, in which students learn discrete structure techniques and ideas. Students learn argumentative principles, and the application of these structures to computer science. These structures include mathematical principles, such as proofs.
An advanced computer science course, and a continuation of CPSC 2120. Students learn more advanced algorithms, and are expected to apply these concepts to more advanced programs. Topics also include advanced data structures and graphs. Students should be able to read these structures and graphs, and deduce which algorithms are contained within them. Students should also be able to determine the appropriate algorithms for specific scenarios, that reduce run-time and remove unnecessary applications.
An advanced computer science course, in which students are introduced to the structure of computer systems. This includes both hardware and software configurations, and students are expected to understand how these configurations interact with one another. Students also learn about digital logic, computer arithmetic, multiprocessors, and input/output systems.
An advanced computer science course, in which students are introduced to more advanced versions of software engineering. Students go through each phase of software development, from conceptualization to deployment. Students go in-depth on APIs in particular, and take part in a semester-long project of designing an API for a class-wide web application.
An honors seminar, in which students study pseudoscience practices from throughout history. Students learn to recognize techniques used by peddlers of pseudoscience, and the impact that pseudoscience has had on modern medicine. Students have a variety of projects throughout the semester, choosing their own examples of pseudoscience, and presenting their findings.
An honors seminar, in which students learn about secret societies from throughout history. Topics include various religions, cults, conspiracy theories, and secret societies. Students learn about common practices within each, and how they relate to each other. Students are challenged to scrutinize modern institutions, and challenge their understanding of common industries. Students have two semester-long projects, the analysis of a secret society of their choosing, and an essay on a relevant work of literature.
A theater course, in which students learn the basics of stage lighting. Taken online, students used the computer applications that professional stage technicians use to design their own stage lighting configurations. Students learn basic stage lighting theory, such as lighting configurations, shadow manipulation, and color theory. As a final project, students choose a song of their choice, and create a moving light show for the song, including moving 3d models.