Academic Catalog

Special Study Programs

To meet the needs of individual students, Carleton offers a wide variety of special programs including opportunities for independent and interdisciplinary work and off-campus studies. Students expecting credit for participation in an off-campus program, whether in the United States or abroad, during the academic year or the summer, should check with the Off-Campus Studies Office, Leighton 119, for procedures, required forms, applications, and deadlines.

Off-Campus Study

70% of the class of 2009 participated in off-campus study during their years at Carleton. Carleton offers a changing selection of seminars and winter break programs every year, conducted by Carleton faculty in the United States and abroad. In addition, the College co-sponsors 32 other programs and approves participation of students in other non-Carleton institution-led programs. Students who plan to participate in a non-Carleton program must complete an OCS petition and receive approval from the OCS office prior to participation.

Other Programs for Off-Campus Study

In addition to the programs above, which Carleton sponsors or co-sponsors, students can select from over 80 additional non-Carleton programs, which the student and her/his academic adviser believe will further the student’s educational goals. Students who plan to participate in a non-Carleton program must complete an OCS petition and receive approval from the OCS office prior to participation. Students who are approved for off-campus study by the College may earn up to 54 credits (one year’s worth) to be applied to their Carleton degree. Students are encouraged to learn more about off-campus study opportunities and information about specific programs by visiting the Off-Campus Studies office in Leighton 119 and by visiting its website: go.carleton.edu/ocs.

Carleton Off-Campus Seminars

Carleton seminars offer a related group of courses conducted by Carleton faculty for Carleton students, using the resources of a site other than the Northfield campus. Students are selected by application two to three terms preceding the actual program. Students pay the Carleton comprehensive fee, which covers room, board, tuition, plus excursions and social events at the program site. Transportation to the site, books, and personal expenses are the responsibility of each student. Financial aid applies to these and one non-Carleton off-campus study program approved by the College. During the 2010-2011 academic year, the following programs will be part of the Carleton curriculum. A brochure is available for each program in Leighton 119.

Economics Seminar in Cambridge, England, summer term, 16 credits

Residing at Hughes Hall of Cambridge University, students will study British Economics, past and present. Numerous excursions, including the Midlands, London, sites near Cambridge in East Anglia, and a trip to the Continent, will expand the classroom study.

Director: Lauren Feiler, Assistant Professor of Economics

Courses:

• ECON 221 Contemporary British Economy, 4 credits
• ECON 222 The Industrial Revolution in Britain, 6 credits
• ECON 223 The Life of J.M. Keynes, 4 credits, S/CR/NC
• ECON 224 British Cultural Exports, 4 credits

Spanish Seminar in Madrid, fall term, 18 credits

Spanish language program for advanced students, based in Madrid’s Universidad Complutense. Course work focuses on providing a comprehensive view of Spanish literature, history and art. Home stays, group excursions, and participation in lecture series, theater programs, music and art seminars.

Director: Humberto Huergo, Professor of Spanish

Courses:

• SPAN 290 Independent Reading, 2 credits, S/CR/NC
• SPAN 209 Current News, 6 credits
• SPAN 247 Spanish Art from El Greco to Picasso, 4 credits
• SPAN 349 Madrid: Theory and Practice of Urban Life, 6 credits

Cross-Cultural Psychology Seminar in Prague, fall term, 18 credits

Students live and study in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.  The course of study includes cross-cultural psychopathology, modern Central European history, and elementary Czech language or modern Czech art. To help experience the culture and history of the region firsthand, students will participate in lectures, discussions, cultural events, walking tours, and out-of-town trips, including Krakow and the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, Poprad and the High Tatra mountains in Slovakia, and the medieval towns of Kutna Hora and Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic.

Director: Ken Abrams, Assistant Professor of Psychology

Courses:

• PSYC 358 Cross-Cultural Psychopathology, 6 credits
• EUST 278 Politics and Culture in Central Europe in the Twentieth Century, 6 credits
• PSYC 290 Directed Reading, 2 credits, S/CR/NC

Electives:

• LCST 101 Communicating in the Czech Republic, 4 credits, S/CR/NC, or
• ARTH 215 Modern Art in the Czech Lands: Nineteenth-Twenty-First Centuries, 4 credits, S/CR/NC

 

Chinese Studies Seminar in Tianjin, China, fall term, 18 credits

Chinese language and culture program at Nankai University located in Tianjin, the third largest city in China.  Language study, Chinese civilization, society, and culture including art, Taichi, and/or other martial arts.  Modern accommodations in an international dormitory will provide ample opportunity to speak Chinese and experience Chinese culture.

Director: Qiguang Zhao, Professor of Chinese

Courses:

• CHIN 207/307 Chinese Language, 9 credits
• CHIN 212 Chinese Culture, 3 credits, S/CR/NC
• CHIN 282 Chinese Civilization, 6 credits

 

Studio Art Seminar in the South Pacific, winter term, 18 credits

The goal of this program is to bring together studio art practice with the challenges and advantages of off-campus study—drawing from nature in a new environment, studying social issues in the context of a foreign setting, and producing narrative work in response to travel.  In the first half of the seminar students will study Polynesian culture, the Coromandel Peninsula, and the Tongariro National Park. The second half of the seminar will include a few weeks in Sydney, Australia, a trip to the rain forest of Lamington, and a visit to the Great Barrier Reef.

Director: Fred Hagstrom, Professor of Studio Art

Courses:

• ARTS 212 Mixed Media Drawing, 6 credits
• ARTS 274 Printmaking, 6 credits
• ARTS 275 The Physical and Cultural Environment of Australia and New Zealand, 6 credits, S/CR/NC, RAD, SS
• PE 136 Independent Activity—Snorkeling, Diving, and Hiking, Optional PE Credit

Comparative Welfare Systems and Social Safety Nets in Australia, winter term, 18 credits

Based at the Australian National University in Canberra, the program engages students in the study of comparative welfare systems, community needs assessment and program evaluation, and offers a 10-week internship placement. To help experience the nearest beach region firsthand, students will travel to Kialoa, ANU’s coastal retreat for a weekend of lectures, discussions, and recreation. Short excursions to Tasmania and Wellington, New Zealand are also planned to learn more about comparative welfare systems for a State within Australia and for its closest culturally alike neighbor. 

Director: Peter Brandon, Professor of Sociology

Courses:

• SOAN 276 Comparative Welfare Systems: Three Case Studies, 6 credits
• SOAN 275 Community Needs Assessment Evaluation, 6 credits
• SOAN 393 Policy Internship, 4 credits, S/CR/NC
• SOAN 290 Directed Reading, 2 credits, S/CR/NC

Conservation and Development in Tanzania and Ethiopia, winter term, 18 credits

The program focuses on the study of conflict between conservation and development. Students will travel throughout the northern Tanzania, the highlands of Ethiopia, as well as to the birthplace of coffee in Ethiopia. The academic program centers on directed learning modules and independent fieldwork with an emphasis on teamwork. Visits to cultural sites and interactions with Tanzanian and Ethiopian scientists are important aspects of the program.

Director: Tsegaye Nega, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies

Courses:

• ENTS 244 Biodiversity Conservation and Development, 6 credits
• ENTS 200 Food and Agriculture, 6 credits
• ENTS 280 Research Projects on Conservation and Development, 4 credits
• ENTS 284 Cultural Studies,

English Theater and Literature Seminar in London, spring term, 16 credits

The goal of the London program is to immerse the students in the best and most varied performance the city has to offer, and to make use of local museums and other cultural sites to enhance the study of British literature.  The group will attend productions of classical and contemporary plays in London and may travel to Stratford-on-Avon to see Royal Shakespeare Company productions.

Director: Constance Walker, Professor of English

Courses:

• ENGL 281 Regency London, 6 credits
• ENGL 282 London Theater, 6 credits
• ENGL 290 Directed Reading, 4 credits, S/CR/NC

French Studies Seminar in Paris, spring term, 18 credits

The program will make extensive use of local resources, both in Paris and Geneva, providing students with a unique opportunity for language immersion, cultural analysis, and personal growth. In addition to classes and excursions, students may pursue activities such as sports, dance, music lessons, etc.

Director: Éva Pósfay, Professor of French

Courses:

• FREN 208 Conversation and Composition, 6 credits
• FREN 246 City of Wonders: Paris in the Arts, 6 credits
• FREN 249/349 European Identities: Paris & Geneva, 6 credits

New Media Seminar in Europe, spring term, 16 credits

Discover the cutting edge of new media (Digital Arts) by visiting museums, exhibitions, and artists in New York and Europe.  In addition to reading in history and theory, students create projects in photography, video, or Web-based applications that reflect their encounters.

Director: John Schott, James W. Strong Professor of Liberal Arts

Courses:

• CAMS 291 Directed Reading-Cultural and Technological Perspectives on Place and Location, 4 credits, S/CR/NC
• CAMS 269 Understanding New Media, 6 credits
• CAMS 289 Special Projects, 6 credits

European Political Economy Seminar in Madrid and Maastricht, spring term, 18 credits

This program is designed for students interested in European politics and political economy, particularly the development of the European Union and regional issues. Students examine the formation, development institutions, laws, and major policies of the European Union. They work in research groups and conduct fieldwork in two sub national regions during the term. There are several excursions, including Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, and France.

Director: Alfred Montero, Associate Professor of Political Science

Courses:

• POSC 383 Politics of the European Union, 6 credits
• POSC 388 Spanish Politics and Political Economy, 6 credits
• POSC 392 Comparative Field Research Methods, 6 credits, S/CR/NC

Winter Break Programs

Carleton offers three changing winter break programs. Students register for a fall term course, spend two weeks on site during winter break, and return to campus winter term for a follow-up course. These programs are made possible by the Peter G. Thurnauer Memorial Winter Break Programs Fund.

Tropical Rainforest Ecology, Costa Rica

The goal of the fall course is to survey the most contemporary and influential published work in rainforest ecology. Topics to be emphasized include the latitudinal gradient in species diversity, evolutionary ecology, and interactions between species. During the two-week field investigation students perform extensive field experiments planned during Biology 361 and will present their findings winter term.

Director: Mark McKone, Professor of Biology

Fall term course: BIOL 361 Tropical Rainforest Ecology, 6 credits,

Winter Break field work and Winter term course: BIOL 362 Field Investigation in Tropical Rainforest Ecology, 6 credits

History, Memory, And The Atlantic World, Ghana and the United States

Students study the Atlantic slave trade, European colonialism, and national independence in Ghana. During the winter break students conduct field research, and the winter term course enables students to complete and give oral or visual presentations on topics developed during the program.

Director: Harry M. Williams, Professor of History

Fall term course: HIST 381  History, Memory, and the Atlantic World: Ghana and the United States, 6 credits

Winter Break field work and Winter term course: HIST 382  History, Memory, and the Atlantic World: On Site and Revisited, 6 credits

Ruins And Romantics: English Gothic And Gothic-Revival Art And Architecture, England

These two courses explore interpretation of medieval English culture by anti-modernists such as the Pre-Raphaelites, Arts & Crafts workers, and others.

Director: Baird Jarman, Associate Professor of Art History

Fall term course: ARTH 251 Ruins & Romantics: English Gothic and Gothic-Revival Art and Architecture, 6 credits

Winter Break field work and Winter term course: ARTH 351 English Art and Architecture On Site, 6 credits

Seminar Cancellation Policy: Carleton College shall have the right, at its option and without liability, to make cancellations, changes, or substitutions in cases of emergency or changed conditions or in the interest of the program.

Programs Co-Sponsored By Carleton

For specialized areas of study, Carleton has combined with other colleges to develop off-campus study programs. For each of these programs, Carleton representatives participate in the management, Carleton faculty often serve as instructors and directors, and Carleton students participate along with others from the member colleges and universities.

ASSOCIATE KYOTO PROGRAM (AKP), IN KYOTO, JAPAN, academic year only

Students with background in Japanese live with Kyoto families and enroll at Doshisha University in intensive language classes plus two courses each term conducted by visiting professors from AKP member colleges or Doshisha faculty.

HIGHER EDUCATION CONSORTIUM FOR URBAN AFFAIRS (HECUA), fall and spring semesters

These 15-week programs provide the opportunity to learn from local and international faculty who integrate theory with real-life urban issues. Home stays, interviews, community immersion activities and field research are used throughout the programs, which are open to all majors. Brochures on individual programs are available in the Off-Campus Studies Office, Leighton 119.

COMMUNITY INTERNSHIPS IN LATIN AMERICA (CILA) in Quito, Ecuador, fall and spring semester

SCANDINAVIAN URBAN STUDIES (SUST), in Oslo, Norway, fall semester only

DIVIDED STATES OF EUROPE, in Oslo, Norway and Poland, spring semester only

METRO URBAN STUDIES (MUST), in Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN, fall or spring semester

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY: SCIENCE, POLITICS AND PUBLIC POLICY, AND COMMUNITY ACTION Minnesota, fall semester only

NORTHERN IRELAND, DEMOCRACY AND SOCIAL CHANGE, in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, spring semester only

CITY ARTS, in Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN, spring semester only

WRITING FOR SOCIAL CHANGE, in Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN, fall semester only

INTER-COLLEGIATE SRI LANKA PROGRAM (ISLE), fall semester only

This 15-week program enrolls 15-20 students from eight consortium colleges to study the culture, history, religion and political structure of Sri Lanka. In-depth studies include Buddhist thought and practice, conversational Sinhala, and an independent research project. Students live with host families in Kandy.

Associated Colleges of the Midwest Programs (ACM)

Thirteen programs in the United States and abroad are sponsored by the 13 consortium members of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest. A resident director for each program is recruited from member colleges. Courses are conducted by the ACM director and by staff at the program site. Brochures about each program are available in the OCS Office and applications from the faculty advisers.

ACM Brazil Exchange, spring semester, advisers: Tsegaye Nega and Alfred Montero

ACM Business and Society in Chicago, fall or spring semester, adviser: Michael Hemesath

ACM Chicago Arts Program, fall or spring semester, adviser: Nicole Melville

ACM Studies in Latin American Culture and Society, fall semester only, adviser: Andrew Fisher

ACM Tropical Field Research, Natural and Social Science, in Costa Rica, spring semester only, adviser: Andrew Fisher

ACM Florence, Italy, fall semester only, adviser: Alison Kettering

ACM India Studies, fall semester, adviser: Arnab Chakladar

ACM Japan Studies, fall semester or academic year, advisers: Kathleen Sparling (fall), Noboru Tomonari (winter and spring)

ACM London and Florence Arts in Context, February-May spring semester, January option for Italian language, adviser: Alison Kettering

ACM Newberry Library Program in the Humanities, in Chicago, fall semester and other short-term seminars and tutorials, adviser: Jessica Leiman

ACM Oak Ridge Science Semester Natural Sciences in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, fall semester only, adviser: Will Hollingsworth

ACM Tanzania in Human Evolution and Ecology, July-December semester adviser: Bereket Haileab

ACM Botswana: Culture and Society in Africa, spring semester, adviser: Bereket Haileab

ACM Urban Studies, in Chicago, fall or spring semester, adviser: Adrienne Falcón

Other Programs for Off-Campus Study

In addition to the programs above, which Carleton sponsors or co-sponsors, students can select from over 80 additional non-Carleton programs, which the student and her/his academic adviser believe will further the student’s educational goals. Students who plan to participate in a non-Carleton program must complete an OCS petition and receive approval from the OCS office prior to participation. Students who are approved for off-campus study by the College may earn up to 54 credits (one year’s worth) to be applied to their Carleton degree. Students are encouraged to learn more about off-campus study opportunities and information about specific programs by visiting the Off-Campus Studies office in Leighton 119 and by visiting its website: go.carleton.edu/ocs.