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Courses

The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular term. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.

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  • CAS PY 551: Introduction to Particle Physics
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASPY451 & CASPY452) - Graduate Prerequisites: (CASPY451 & CASPY452) - Fundamental particles and their symmetries. Isospin and flavor. Discrete symmetries. Phenomenology of weak and strong interactions. Introduction to detector techniques.
  • CAS PY 555: Cosmological Physics
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASPY 406 & CASPY 408), or consent of instructor. CASPY 410 is recommended but not required. - Early universe cosmology: inflation, thermodynamics in an expanding universe with radiation, matter, vacuum energy. Growth of density perturbations, cosmic microwave background, large scale structure. The cosmological standard model and open questions, dark matter, dark energy, neutrinos.
  • CAS PY 559: Quantitative Microbiology
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASBI108 & CASMA121 & CASPY105) or equivalents; or consent of instructor. - QUANT MICROBIO
  • CAS PY 565: Dynamics of Nonlinear Systems
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor. - Introduces the modern approach to the dynamics of nonlinear systems, which approach is often called "nonlinear science," a term that stresses the interdisciplinary applications of nonlinear dynamics that go well beyond classical mechanics to include examples from all the natural sciences, engineering, and even social sciences and medicine. Organized around three "paradigms" of nonlinear science: (1) chaos and fractals; 2) "solitons" and coherent structures; and 3) patterns and pattern selection and will involve analytical, computational, and experimental studies.
  • CAS PY 571: Introduction to Biological Physics
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASPY410 OR CASCH352) may be taken concurrently as a co-requisite. - Introduction to biomolecular forces, energy flow, information and thermodynamics in biological systems. Nucleic acid, protein, and biomembrane structure. Mechanisms of transport and signaling in biological membranes. Biophysical techniques including spectroscopy. Emphasis on the physical principles underlying biological structure and function.
  • CAS PY 580: Machine Learning for Physicists
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASPY541) or consent of instructor. - Machine learning is one of the most dynamic areas of modern research and application. This class provides an introduction to the core concepts and tools of machine learning in a manner easily understood and intuitive to physicists.
  • CAS PY 581: Advanced Laboratory
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASPY351) First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - Classical experiments in atomic and nuclear physics, development of new experiments, basic research projects. Experiments include magnetic resonance, nuclear-decay studies, Zeeman effect, holography, black-body radiation, X-ray diffraction, Mossbauer studies, and flux quantization, positron annihilation. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Research and Information Literacy.
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Research and Information Literacy
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS RN 100: Introduction to Religion
    Religion matters. It makes meaning and provides structure to life, addressing fundamental questions about the body, spirit, community, and time. But what is it? How does it work in our world? This course explores religion in ritual, philosophical, experiential, and ethical dimensions. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation.
    • Creativity/Innovation
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
  • CAS RN 101: The Bible
    Reading the Bible as literature, students will read the Jewish and Christian scriptures for historical context, genre, and meaning; study ancient and modern methods of interpretation; and create a collaborative piece of biblical “fan-fiction.” Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation, Historical Consciousness.
    • Aesthetic Exploration
    • Creativity/Innovation
    • Historical Consciousness
  • CAS RN 102: Encountering Religion: Topics in Religious Studies
    Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CASWR 100 or WR 120) or equivalent. - Introduces the ways religious ideas, beliefs, themes, practices, and histories shape our world in arenas as varied as popular culture and politics. Through exploration of a specific topic, students learn to think, write, and speak about religion and its effects. May be repeated for credit as topics change. Topic for Spring 2026: Writing Religion. Effective Spring 2026, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Writing-Intensive.
    • Oral and/or Signed Communication
    • Writing-Intensive Course
  • CAS RN 103: Religions of Asia
    Study of Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, and Shinto. Focus on the world view of each tradition and the historical development of that world view. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • Aesthetic Exploration
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
  • CAS RN 104: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
    Islam, Christianity, and Judaism in historical and cultural context, origins to the present. Examines diversity of practices, belief systems, and social structures within these religions. Also addresses debates within and between communities as well as contemporary controversies and concerns. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
    • Aesthetic Exploration
    • Creativity/Innovation
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
  • CAS RN 105: Introduction to the World's Religions
    Explores the symbols, beliefs, stories, and practices of the world's religions with attention to both historical development and contemporary practices. Possible traditions include: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and African/African diaspora religions. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness.
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Historical Consciousness
  • CAS RN 106: Death and Immortality
    Examines a wide range of death practices, traditions, and beliefs from across the globe. Considers notions of (im)mortality and the soul, cremation and burial, and mourning processes. Other topics may include martyrdom, voluntary death, heaven and hell, resurrection, and reincarnation. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Creativity/Innovation, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
    • Creativity/Innovation
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
  • CAS RN 111: Religion in American Culture
    Introduction to American religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, with an emphasis on developments after 1965, when new legislation opened up immigration and dramatically altered the American religious landscape. Exploration of interreligious interactions: conflict, cooperation, and creolization. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, The Individual in Community.
    • The Individual in Community
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS RN 200: Theoretical Approaches to the Study of Religion
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: CAS Religion major, or consent of instructor. - Origins and history of the academic study of religion. Different constructions of religion as an object of study and the methods that arise from them. The role of the humanities and social sciences in understanding religion's place in history and contemporary experience. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
  • CAS RN 201: The Hebrew Bible
    Study of the literature of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and the religious traditions Study of the literature of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and the religious traditions that gave rise to it, from ancient Israelite culture to emergent Judaisms. Essential readings include ancient Canaanite texts, Jewish fiction, and apocalyptic literature. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking, Historical Consciousness.
    • Aesthetic Exploration
    • Critical Thinking
    • Historical Consciousness
  • CAS RN 202: From Jesus to Christ: The Origins of Christianity
    Introduces the texts of the New Testament and other early Christian writings: first, to place Jesus of Nazareth in the religious and social context of Second Temple Judaism and the Roman empire; and second, to explain the origins and growth of Christian beliefs, practices, and social formations up to the second century. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.
    • Critical Thinking
    • Historical Consciousness
    • Social Inquiry I
  • CAS RN 203: Religion and Film
    Religions and films are world-building engines. They create -- and re-create -- a visioning of society as a world of justice, of lived myth, of fantasy, of ideology: a world we may long to live in or a world we wish to avoid at all costs. This course explores such worlds by examining the ways in which religious beliefs, practices and people are portrayed in popular film from the 1960s to the present. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Social Inquiry I, Teamwork/Collaboration.
    • Aesthetic Exploration
    • Social Inquiry I
    • Teamwork/Collaboration
  • CAS RN 206: Scriptures in World Religions
    Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - Introduction to scriptures in world religions, investigating the ways sacred books express, interpret, and make possible religious experience and ethical reflection. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning, Writing-Intensive Course. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
    • Ethical Reasoning
    • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
    • Writing-Intensive Course

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