Carleton College · 2023 – 2027

Coursework

Click any department to expand, then any course for a description.

Physics

PHYS 143Physical Systems: Mechanics and Relativity Win '24An introduction to classical mechanics and special relativity, covering Newton's laws, conservation principles, oscillations, and the foundations of relativistic motion.
PHYS 123What Physicists Do Spr '24A program of five lectures by invited speakers giving perspective on the kinds of work done by people with a physics background, from industry, government, business, and research and educational institutions.
PHYS 228Atomic and Nuclear Physics Fall '24Quantum mechanics of atoms and nuclei, including wave-particle duality, the Schrödinger equation, atomic structure, radioactive decay, and nuclear reactions.
PHYS 231Analytical and Computational Mechanics Win '25Advanced classical mechanics using Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations, with computational modeling in MATLAB applied to complex dynamical systems.
PHYS 235Electricity and Magnetism Spr '25Electrostatics, magnetostatics, and electrodynamics culminating in Maxwell's equations, electromagnetic waves, and the foundations of optics.
PHYS 343Electronics Fall '25Analog and digital circuit design, including resistor networks, capacitors, op-amps, filters, oscillators, and introductory signal processing.
PHYS 346Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics Fall '25Classical thermodynamics, entropy, and equilibrium, unified with statistical mechanics through partition functions, Boltzmann distributions, and phase transitions.
PHYS 342Contemporary and Experimental Physics Spr '26Modern experimental methods and current research areas in physics, including laboratory techniques, data analysis, and exposure to active fields such as condensed matter and astrophysics.

Computer Science

CS 100Ethics of Technology Fall '23Philosophical and social frameworks for analyzing the ethical implications of computing, surveillance, algorithmic decision-making, and the design of technology.
CS 111Introduction to Computer Science Fall '23Fundamentals of programming and computational thinking using Python, covering data types, control flow, functions, recursion, and basic algorithms.
CS 201Data Structures Spr '25Design and analysis of fundamental data structures including linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, heaps, hash tables, and graphs, with attention to time and space complexity.
CS 257Software Design Fall '25Principles of software engineering including modular design, object-oriented programming, design patterns, testing, and the development of larger-scale software systems.
CS 327Introduction to Robotics Spr '26Foundations of robotics including kinematics, sensors, actuators, control systems, and path planning, with hands-on implementation in Python.
CS 348Parallel & Distributed Computing Fall '26Principles and practice of parallel and distributed systems, including concurrency, synchronization, message passing, shared-memory models, and the design of scalable, fault-tolerant computations.

Mathematics

MATH 120Calculus 2 Fall '23Techniques and applications of integration, sequences and series, polar coordinates, and an introduction to differential equations.
MATH 210Calculus 3 Win '24Multivariable calculus covering partial derivatives, multiple integrals, vector fields, line and surface integrals, and the theorems of Green, Stokes, and Gauss.
MATH 232Linear Algebra Spr '24Vector spaces, linear transformations, matrices, determinants, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, and applications to systems of equations and data analysis.
MATH 236Mathematical Structures Fall '24An introduction to abstract mathematics through logic, proof techniques, set theory, relations, functions, and foundational structures in algebra and combinatorics.
MATH 241Ordinary Differential Equations Win '26Analytical and qualitative methods for solving ordinary differential equations, including first- and second-order equations, systems, phase plane analysis, and applications to physics and engineering.

Chemistry

CHEM 123Principles of Chemistry I Spr '24Atomic structure, chemical bonding, stoichiometry, thermochemistry, and the periodic table, with an emphasis on quantitative reasoning and laboratory technique.

Social Sciences

ECON 276Money and Banking Win '25The economics of money, financial institutions, and monetary policy, including commercial banking, central banking, credit markets, and the role of money in macroeconomic fluctuations.
GWSS 110Introduction to Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies Win '24An interdisciplinary introduction to feminist theory, gender analysis, and the study of sexuality, examining how these categories shape social, political, and cultural life.
GWSS 200Gender, Sexuality, and the Pursuit of Knowledge Spr '24Feminist and queer epistemologies examining how gender and sexuality inform the production of knowledge across disciplines, including science, philosophy, and the social sciences.
GWSS 212Foundations of LGBTQ Studies Win '25Historical and theoretical foundations of LGBTQ studies, tracing the emergence of sexual and gender identity categories and the development of queer politics and scholarship.
GWSS 275Latina/x Feminisms Fall '26Latina and Latinx feminist thought, examining the intersections of gender, race, sexuality, and migration through Chicana, decolonial, and transnational feminist scholarship and activism.
SOAN 283Immigration, Citizenship, and Belonging Win '26Sociological and anthropological perspectives on immigration, examining legal frameworks, identity formation, labor, and the social construction of citizenship and belonging.
SOAN 272Sociology of Race and Ethnicity Fall '26Sociological analysis of race and ethnicity, examining how these categories are socially constructed and how they shape inequality, identity, institutions, and social movements.

Humanities

RELG 110Understanding Religion Spr '25Comparative and methodological approaches to the study of religion, examining belief, ritual, sacred texts, and religious institutions across cultural contexts.
PHIL 111Bullshit: How to Spot it and Protect Yourself Spr '26An introduction to critical thinking and informal logic, with a focus on identifying misleading reasoning, propaganda, pseudoscience, and epistemic manipulation in everyday life.
ARTH 245Modern Architecture Win '26A survey of architecture from the late nineteenth century through the twentieth century, exploring modernism, functionalism, urbanism, and the relationship between built form and ideology.

Arts & Language

FREN 204Intermediate French II Fall '24Continued development of French language skills through grammar, composition, and literary and cultural texts, with emphasis on written and oral proficiency.
MUSC 150Piano Spr '24–Win '26Applied piano instruction covering technique, music reading, and repertoire across classical and contemporary styles, developed over multiple terms of individual study.

Interdisciplinary

IDSC 198FOCUS Colloquium Fall '23–Spr '24First-year colloquium for the FOCUS program (Focusing on Cultivating Scientists), building community and academic skills for students in the sciences through faculty talks, peer mentoring, and discussions of research and STEM careers.
IDSC 298FOCUS Colloquium Fall '24–Spr '25Second-year continuation of the FOCUS colloquium, extending mentoring and community-building in the sciences with attention to research opportunities, academic navigation, and professional development.

Athletics

PE 218Cross Country — Intercollegiate, Women Fall '24, '25Varsity intercollegiate cross country: season-long distance training and competition with the college's women's team.
PE 287Track & Field, Indoor — Intercollegiate, Women Win '25, '26Varsity indoor track and field: winter-season training and intercollegiate competition with the college's women's team.
PE 289Track & Field, Outdoor — Intercollegiate, Women Spr '25, '26Varsity outdoor track and field: spring-season training and intercollegiate competition with the college's women's team.