2023 Early College Scholars Program Courses: Summer Semester

Students can visit the Campus Bookstore (Early College Scholars courses are Section 21) to view and purchase books online. Textbook information is typically posted 2 weeks before the class start date. Don’t be alarmed if a textbook isn’t listed for a course. Some instructors don’t use textbooks or will wait to share textbook information with students until the first day of classes. Instructors will also share course materials via Canvas, WashU's learning management system. 

This course provides an overview of the politics of the American system of government. Among the topics to be covered are the historical developments of American politics, federalism, political participation (voting, interest groups, parties), institutions (congress, the courts, the president), and public opinion. A theme underlying our examination of these and other topics will be the fact that political actors are purposive in their strategic pursuit of various objectives. We will explore the many ways in which this aspect of political behavior impacts institutions and the interactions between political actors throughout the American political system. Copy of the 2021 syllabus is available here.

Time: MTWThF, 9:00-10:45am

This course is for students who wish to learn about the biology of the nervous system, and the scientific process of understanding how it works. Biology of the Brain will include lecture, discussion, and analysis of cutting edge research, so active participation will be important. We will discuss the gross anatomy and cellular composition of the brain. We will analyze how the brain develops, changes with experience to create memories, and recovers from injury. Along the way, we will discuss nervous system dysfunction a range of contexts such as Addiction, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. Prerequisites: biology. Copy of 2022 syllabus is available here.

Times: MTWThF, 1:00-2:45pm

A critical examination, in light of contemporary moral disagreements and traditional ethical theories, of some of the moral issues arising out of medical practice and experimentation in our society. May include euthanasia, genetic engineering, abortion, medical malpractice, the allocation of medical resources, and the rights of the patient. Prerequisites: None. Copy of the 2022 syllabus is available here.

Time: MTWThF, 11:00am-12:45pm

Intro to ordinary differential equations: first-order equations, linear equations, systems of equations, series solutions, and Laplace transform methods. Computer-aided study of numerical solutions and graphics phase planes. Prerequisites: Calculus III. Copy of 2022 syllabus available here.

Time: MTWThF, 1:00-2:45pm

An elementary introduction to statistical concepts, reasoning and data analysis. Topics include statistical summaries and graphical presentations of data, discrete and continuous random variables, the logic of statistical inference, design of research studies, point and interval estimation, hypothesis testing, and linear regression. Students will learn a critical approach to reading statistical analyses reported in the media, and how to correctly interpret the outputs of common statistical routines for fitting models to data and testing hypotheses. A major objective of the course is to gain familiarity with basic R commands to implement common data analysis procedures. Prerequisite: Calculus I. Copy of 2022 syllabus is available here.

Time: MTWThF, 1:00-2:45pm

Topics from discrete mathematics will be explored with an emphasis on problem-solving and methods of proofs. Modules on counting; combinatorial tools; binomial coefficients and Pascal's triangle; Fibonacci numbers; combinatorial probability; integers, divisors and primes; and graphs will be covered as well as additional topics as time permits. Addressed mainly to college freshmen and sophomores; it would also be suitable to advanced high school students with an interest in mathematics. Prerequisites: A good understanding of high school mathematics. Copy of 2022 syllabus is available here.

Time: MTWThF, 11:00am-12:45pm

A history of the visual arts, including architecture, sculpture, painting, and design, from the ancient world to the present with emphasis on the relationship of art to society and to political and cultural events. Prerequisite: None. Copy of 2022 syllabus is available here.

Time: MTWThF, 11:00am-12:45pm

New for 2023! This is a history of Christianity as a world religion. This course begins in ancient Israel in the time of Jesus and ends in Algonquin-Mohawk territory in North America in the 1700s. In this course we will examine the rise of Christianity as a new religion, watch it flourish in all of its diversity, transform under the power of Islam, struggle against heresy, and produce Inquisition and schism, all while providing stability and a truth for the faithful. Our question is simple: what has it meant to be a Christian? In answering this question we will travel to the deserts of ancient Egypt to visit a devout hermit, to Xian Christian communities of the eighth century in China, and to the sixteenth-century court of King João I of Kongo. The religion that emerges from this investigation is not the monolithic entity most commonly associated with modern Christianity, but rather a fluid religion that was able to provide meaning for many different lives, from a young woman in ancient Carthage about to meet death, to a teenager in an eighteenth-century French Jesuit mission community in Kahnawake, Canada. In the course you will learn what it has meant to be a practitioner of this world religion, and how the modern world was shaped by these global communities. The course structure will rotate topics (intelligence, war, world orders, etc.) each time it is taught. Prerequisite: None

Time: MTWTHF, 9:00-10:45am

This course covers the basic concepts and theoretical principles of sociocultural anthropology. Course material is presented from Asia, Africa, Melanesia, Latin America, and North America. Prerequisites: None. Copy of the 2022 syllabus is available here.

Time: MTWThF, 11:00am-12:45pm

Business fluctuations: inflation, recession; monetary and fiscal policy; economic development. Prerequisites: None. Copy of the 2022 syllabus is available here.

Time: MTWThF, 1:00-2:45pm

Determination of prices; distribution of national income; theory of production. Prerequisites: None. Copy of the 2022 syllabus is available here.

Time: MTWThF, 9:00-10:45am

Survey and analysis of concepts, research, and theory covering the areas of learning, memory, motivation, personality, social, abnormal, clinical, and biological psychology. Introduces the diversity of questions, areas, approaches, research, and theories that compose the study of mind and behavior. Prerequisites: None. Copy of 2022 syllabus is available here.

Times: MTWThF, 1:00-2:45pm

Data collection: sampling and designing experiments. Data organization: data, tables, graphs, frequency distributions, numerical summarization of data, and consumer price index. Inference: elementary probability and hypothesis testing. Prerequisites: None. Copy of 2021 syllabus is available here.

Times: MTWThF, 1:00-2:45pm

This course will provide an introduction examination of major topics and concepts in the interdisciplinary field of women, gender and sexuality. We will examine the meanings attached to terms such as "man," "woman," "gay," and "sex." Topics discussed may include the history of feminist movements, masculinity, biological frameworks for understanding gender, intimate violence, sexual identities, and intersectionality. Prerequisites: None. 

Times: MTWThF, 11:00am-12:45pm

This course is an introduction to first-order logic. Logic is the study of the formal properties of arguments. In this course, we learn how to make arguments precise by formalizing sentences and applying methods of deductive reasoning to prove conclusions. We also discuss the relations between logical reasoning and informal reasoning, and logic and rationality. Why study logic? Logic gives you principles and techniques to distinguish good forms of reasoning, helps you to construct correct arguments, and (to some extent) think orderly. Additionally, logic is essential in other fields that you might also be interested in studying (e.g., mathematics, computer science, linguistics, and analytic philosophy). And of course, logic is a fun and interesting subject in its own right. The course presumes no background in philosophy or logic. Prerequisites: None. Copy of the 2022 syllabus is available here.

Time: MTWThF, 1:00-2:45pm

An introductory course in linear algebra that focuses on Euclidean n-space, matrices and related computations.  Topics include: systems of linear equations, row reduction, matrix operations, determinants, linear independence, dimension, rank, change of basis, diagonalization, eigenvalues, eigenvectors, orthogonality, symmetric matrices, least square approximation, quadratic forms.  Introduction to abstract vector spaces. Prerequisite: Calculus II. Copy of 2022 syllabus is available here.

Time: MTWThF, 11:00am-12:45pm

This course explores and analyzes contemporary American social problems and social issues using sociological tools. The sociological perspective provides the overarching framework for analyses of social issues, along with the application of sociological theory and research. Topics include aging, alcoholism, drug abuse, crime, violence, poverty, discrimination, health care, family, globalization, and environmental degradation. Prerequisites: None. 

Times: MTWThF, 9:00-10:45am

In this course we will read a number of Young Adult novels that have been banned and examine what leads to the banning of a book. Why are YA novels particular targets of censorship, and why does society attempt to sanitize narratives about adolescence? The novels we will cover, by Toni Morrison, Stephen Chbosky, William Golding, and Lois Lowry, among others, have been banned in the United States on political, religious, sexual, or social grounds. We will gain insight into the controversies these novels started and also consider the themes and questions raised by the texts and their moral implications. In written assignments and class discussion, we will explore what, if anything, these novels have in common and what they may contribute to the study of literature. Students will be asked to engage critically with the texts they encounter and to hone their close reading skills while also considering historical and cultural contexts of the novels. Readings: "The Lord of the Flies," William Golding; "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," Stephen Chbosky; "The Bluest Eye," Toni Morrison; "The Giver," Lois Lowry; "The House on Mango Street," Sandra Cisneros. Prerequisites: None. Copy of 2021 syllabus is available here.

Times: MTWThF, 1:00-2:45pm