274 courses
Writing for Art & Design Practice
HMS-696A | 1 CR This course is a one credit, gradu-
ate-level writing workshop designed to teach artist how
to write through and about artistic practice. Through a
series of readings and exercises, students are provided
with creative approaches to meet writing required of
them in school and more generally. Students will read
and write about visual art, design, dance, money, news
and politics, science, and poetry. They will also write
first person essays and collaborative texts about their
own practice of making. Students will complete weekly
assignments and cooperatively review work in class.
For a final assignment, students will prepare a writing
portfolio that includes a revised artists statement, read-
ing journals, and essay that makes textual citation to the
course reader and outside texts. Students will be given
the opportunity and support to publish their writing
portfolios as an artist’s book.
Graduate Thesis Writing
HMS-697A | 1 CR This course explores the writ-
ing and critical skills necessary for the successful
completion of a graduate thesis. In a workshop setting,
students will engage in free writing followed by critical
and structural evaluation, revision, and final editing,
with a focus on introductory paragraphs and thesis
statements. Students will also examine techniques
for structuring a complex discussion; develop an
understanding of what assertions and claims need
evidentiary support; and consider the elements of a
successful and insightful conclusion.
LAS/Liberal Arts and Sciences
Independent Study
LAS-698 | 1–6 CR In this graduate course, work is
assigned on an individual basis under advisement by
a faculty member, and in consultation with the depart-
ment’s chairperson. This course provides graduate
students with the opportunity to pursue a project that
goes beyond the existing curriculum or facilities.
MSCI/Math and Science
Science of Light
MSCI-520P | 3 CR This introduction to light and
optical phenomena in nature, technology, and art
will acquaint students with all aspects of light. Topics
include natural and artificial sources of light, how light
travels in natural settings and lenses, and how light is
captured by film, video chips (CCDs), and our retinas.
Some simple algebra will be used.Toxics in the Environment
MSCI-536 | 1 CR This course focuses on toxic and
hazardous substances in the environment, with particu-
lar emphasis on trace metals and organic compounds
associated with construction materials and the urban/
industrial environment. It examines issues such as
urban air quality and indoor air pollution, the persis-
tence of toxic chemicals in the environment, and the
regulation and cleanup of toxic substances. Case study
discussion focuses on sources and exposure to toxic
substances in the built environment in general, and the
New York City urban environment in particular.Special Studies in Science
MSCI-590 | 1–3 CR Special studies courses cover
a variety of new or experimental topics for graduate
students. The subject matter changes from semester-to-
semester, depending on student and faculty interests.Science of Sustainability
MSCI-610 | 3 CR The Brundtland Commission in
1987 defined “sustainability” as “meeting the needs
of the present generation without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
The Science of Sustainability course explores some of
the major scientific issues behind our understanding of
sustainability. Through lectures, readings, and discus-
sions, the class will explore such issues as biodiversity,
population, food and water resources, climate change,
energy, public health, and the overall forecast for the
environment and the human condition for the next sev-
eral decades. Students will gain a greater appreciation
of how science can inform the policies and practices
that will shape a more sustainable future.The Evolution of Cooperation
MSCI-663P | 3 CR When we describe what propels
evolution, “competition” and “exploitation” are the
processes that first come to mind; however, coopera-
tion within and between organisms has also played a
prominent role in the evolution of the earth’s organisms.
In this course, we will consider the various level at
which cooperation has emerged as the result of natural
selection, starting with single-celled organisms and
building up to human cultural systems. While the course
has no prerequisites, the readings and assignments will
be aimed at highly-motivated students; students will be
expected to conduct significant independent inquiry.Special Studies in Science
SCI-590 | 1–3 CR Special studies courses cover
a variety of new or experimental topics for graduate
students. The subject matter changes from semester-
to-semester, depending on student and faculty
interests.PHIL/Philosophy
Aesthetics
PHIL-604 | 3 CR Presents the main studies in the
philosophy of art and criticism through both a historical
and analytic lens. It looks at the classical arguments
of Plato, Kant, Hegel, and Dewey, as well as current
conceptual frameworks for identifying what makes for
a work of art. Emphasis is placed on the significance of
these theories to the art of the twentieth century.Philosophy and Culture
PHIL-605P | 3 CR Students in this course will
undertake a specifically philosophical analysis of
some of the many constituent elements of culture: art,
language, music, experience, religion, and politics. In
addition, the course will address the questions of how
philosophy, as itself a cultural practice, is related to the
art, language, and so on. Readings will be drawn from
classic texts of Western philosophy as well as contem-
porary theories of culture.SPAN/Spanish
Conversational Spanish I
SPAN-501 | 3 CR This is a conversational Spanish
course designed to prepare Art and Design Education
majors (undergraduate and graduate) for the practicum
in New York City schools. Conversational exercises
will be oriented to classroom interactions. This is a
two-semester course for which credit is achieved only
on the successful completion of both semesters. (Open
only to students in Art and Design Education.) Prerequi-
sites: take 3 credits; minimum grade C, CR; from courses
ENGL-103 ENGL-102 WR-110.