Courses of Study

Science & Tech

The Science of Silence

Meditation and mindfulness meet neuroscience in a young academic concentration.
Science & Tech
Illustration of robot and human hands

Control Issues

Coursework and research look at how to build better robots—and how to make sure they don’t take over.
Education
A student rests on the grass

Applied Academics

Engaged scholars put what they’re learning into immediate action
Medicine & Health
Professors and students simulate a neonatal blood draw

Figure It Out!

A biomedical engineering class addresses real-world problems
Service & Advocacy
Image of journalism students

Student Journalists, Statewide Impact

An undergrad-reported series on elder abuse may influence Rhode Island policy.
Humanities & Culture
Danny Lyon chats on stage with Allison Pappas ’08

The Art of Display

Brown’s extensive collections give an art history PhD student the opportunity to put curation theory into practice.
Humanities & Culture
Illustration of a colorful dragon

Toilet Papers

A course on the history and science of human excrement is not a “gut.”
Service & Advocacy
portrait of Joshua and Sophie

Classmates Behind Bars

What happened when students at Brown and at a nearby prison took the same course—together.
Medicine & Health
portrait of Bella Roberts

The Stigma Slayer

A student-founded arts organization combats silence around mental illness.
Education
Illustration of Toni Morrison

Radical Vision

Life, death, love, and humanity through the eyes of Toni Morrison.
Politics & Law
Jennah Gosciak ’19 and Oscar d'Angeac ’17 on the steps of the RI State House

From Scholarship to Shelter

Student research bolstered legislation to stop housing discrimination in R.I.
Education
Boatbuilding students take a test ride

Floating Ideas

A new course combines the history of boat building with hands-on construction.
Education
Illustration by Scott Bakal

Epidemics 101

Students taking BIOL 0940A could never have dreamed how personally relevant the course would soon become.
Education
Marie-Anne Barron ’22

Remote Reimagined

Thrown onto Zoom last spring, professors prep for whatever “back to school” might mean.
Humanities & Culture
Illustration of two lovers (after Chagall)

Love, Actually

A lit class examines love and desire through academic, intellectual, and deeply personal lenses.
Politics & Law
photo of Professor Seth Rockman on campus

Capitalism on the Couch

A history course analyzes the social, political, and cultural underpinnings of our economic system.
Education
Image of Dzidzienyo's office

Archiving the African Diaspora

Anani Dzidzienyo’s presence was healing; his scholarship, groundbreaking. You could say the same about the class created in his memory.
Education
Illustration by Pola Maneli

Bird by Bird

An environmental studies course on birding looks at what separates us from one another and from nature, and what might bring us together.
Education
Image of Professor Marianna Kessimian and Clara Pritchett

Separating Fat from Fiction

A student-driven course on “fatphobia” examines both science and stigma.
Science & Tech
Illustration of various brains in people

Frontal Lobes and Fun

Neuroscience 10 continues to tickle the grey matter of future scientists—and everyone else.
The Arts
Image from above of Derrick Pennix playing the piano

Storytelling through Song

In music theory class, students learn classical rules—and how to break them.
History
Illustration by James Heimer of broken Roman and Grecian statues and columns

Classics: Dead or Alive?

A new course examines ancient Greece and Rome with a 21st-century lens.
The Arts
An illustration of a professor teaching students and everyone is standing on oversized books with letters sitting among them

A New Language, in a Hurry

Intensive, double-credit language courses mean fast learning and instant community
Humanities & Culture
Illustration by Celia Jacobs of a dining table with a book open, flowers and bowls of condiments and a cup.

Food for Thought

Palate meets pedagogy in courses like “Food, Religion, and Politics in South Asia”
Science & Tech
Illustration by Andy Martin of robots dancing

Making Robots Dance

At the intersection of choreography and engineering, a course looks at how robots move—and whether we’re programming them toward good or evil.
History
Illustration by Tatyana Alanis of a home from the early 1900s and artifacts buried under the house.

Unearthing Rhode Island History

A dig at a 19th-century College Hill home unveils stories about the textile industry, the European immigrant experience, and life in the Gilded Age.
Education
Image of Jim Marone teaching City Politics with his arms up and a chalkboard at his back in a classroom at Brown.

“The Guy Who Teaches City Politics”

Professor James Morone on 40 years of teaching a course that’s become a Brown classic.
Science & Tech
An image of Suresh Venkatasubramanian in front of a white board with hands wide

Artificial Intelligence Is as Unfair as We Are.

A new course asks how we can harness AI without teaching it all of our biases and automating oppression.
Medicine & Health
An Illustration by Lorenzo Gritti of students in chairs with laptops and large talk bubbles above in the shape of Covid spikes.

“Coping with Covid” 101

A new course on the psychology of pandemics offers a scientific take on Covid-related mental health issues and a place for students to process.
The Arts
Illustration by Luke Best of a teacher teaching a class holding a book while riding a lion.

Beyond Narnia

A popular course on C.S. Lewis is taught by a trio of deep-thinking MDs.
Education
Image of Irene Glasser standing outside the Mathewson Street United Methodist Church in Providence.

The Anthropology of Homelessness

In ANTH 1301, future doctors and policymakers get immersed in research and realities.
The Arts
Image of Rory MacLeod and Sandol Astrausky playing the guitar and fiddle in a green field by trees.

High and Lonesome

Old-Time String Band students learn Appalachian music the traditional way—by ear.
Science & Tech
Illustration by Pat Thomas of two individuals in suits running with paper in their hands and money flying around.

Capitalism to the Rescue?

A popular class looks at how to leverage economics to save the environment.
Humanities & Culture
Image of Myles Ringel leading his head against a brick wall.

Why—and How—Should We Care?

Pre-med senior Myles Ringel does a deep dive into empathy.
The Arts
An image of Sammus on stage with a microphone

‘Shift the Vibrations’

In Intro to Rap Songwriting, students learn to listen deeply, engage with a complex art form, and share their hearts.
Issues

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