Interdisciplinary Studies

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  • MET IS 423: The Experience of Forgiveness: Psychological, Sociological and Spiritual Perspectives
    This seminar explores the psycho/social/spiritual dimensions of the individual's experience of forgiveness. The forgiveness process is investigated through the theoretical work of psychologists such as Carl Jung and Robert Enright and spiritual/political leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr., the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. Individual narratives by forgivers are considered and analyzed in relation to the frames provided by these researchers and political activists. Through readings, journals and group presentations, students will explore both the beneficial and problematic aspects of forgiving. Students will develop a warranted, personal position on forgiveness and its limitations in personal and social life.
  • MET IS 450: Botany without Borders
    Online offering. Introduces students to practical problems in botany with a dual emphasis on plant evolution and plants in human affairs. The course crosses borders in time and geography as we examine the broad sweep of plants and their role on Earth over the past 300 million years. Plant form and function, evolution of seed plants, plant ecology, ethnobotany (human uses of plants), endangered plant communities, and prospects for conserving plant biodiversity are highlighted in this interdisciplinary course designed for undergraduates. While its focus is rigorously scientific, the course incor Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Scientific Inquiry I.
    • Scientific Inquiry I
  • MET IS 460: Romanticism and Its Off-Shoots: Countering the Enlightenment in Philosophical Literature and the Visual Arts
    This course explores various currents, paradoxes, and extensions of Romanticism, especially as this movement took shape in Europe and America, with a special focus on philosophical literature and the visual arts. We will begin with some central ideas and themes of German Romantic thinkers, exploring how these ideas and themes are also evoked by British and American writers as well as by European and American painters. We will identify and analyze Romantic themes and styles in early German expressionist films, in British gothic fantasy movies, and in American motion pictures about western front Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration.
    • Aesthetic Exploration
  • MET IS 470: Mysteries of Archaeology
    From the Egyptian Pyramids to the recently discovered enigma of Gobekli Tepe in Turkey, this course examines archaeological highlights through the ages, focusing on humanity's most enduring ancient mysteries. Beginning with the historical roots of the discipline, and culminating with an analysis of the emergence and spread of civilization in both the Old and New Worlds, this course critically evaluates conventional paradigms and explores how newly discovered or reinterpreted sites fit into, or challenge the current framework. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Social Inquiry I.
    • Social Inquiry I
  • MET IS 480: Physics of Motion: Something in the Way it Moves
    Mechanics is the study of the motion of objects and the forces acting on objects. It is hoped that the student will share some of the excitement felt by great scientists such as Galileo and Newton when they discovered many of the principles on which the physics of motion are based. The course assumes that the student has a working knowledge of algebra, but the emphasis will be on a conceptual understanding of physics rather than on advanced mathematics. Many demonstrations and animations will be presented in the course. Students will become familiar with the physics of everyday situations. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Scientific Inquiry I.
    • Scientific Inquiry I
  • MET IS 491: Directed Study
    Independent study under faculty guidance. Prior approval of program director required.
  • MET IS 492: Directed Study
    Independent study under faculty guidance. Prior approval of program director required.

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