Course Announcements

Course Enrollment Available online

The Tri-College Course Guide contains current enrollment information for all courses it lists. After you've found a course in the Guide, click on the specific course link to see a detail box including "CUR ENR" (current enrollment) listed under "Additional Course Info". Note: the Instructor decides whether a course is actually open or closed; current enrollment is provided only as a guide in assessing that potential.

A - B - C - D- E - F - G - H - I - J - L - M - P - R - S - T - W

If no information appears under the department or program heading below, please see the departmental office.

First come-first serve courses and courses with closed enrollment for web-registration--FOR Fall 2022 are listed below:

ASTR 001- Limited to first come first served-fall and spring
CHEM 010-Limited to first come first served-fall
CHEM 010 Labs- Limited to first come first served - fall
CHEM 022 Labs- Limited to first come first served -- spring
CHEM 032- Two sections limited to 35 each, first come first served--fall
CHEM 032 Labs – Limited to 16 upperclassman per section – fall
CHEM 038 Labs- Limited to first come first served--spring
ECON 001-View policy below
ECON 011 Conferences-Limited to first come first served -- fall
ECON 021 Conferences-Limited to first come first served-spring
All ECON seminars- Not available for web-registration
EDUC 001C- Not available for web-registration
ENGL 001C- Not available for web-registration
ENGL 070K- Not available for web-registration
ENVS 089A- Not available for web-registration
PHED- Limited to first come first served--fall and spring
PHYS 003 and 003L- Limited to first come first served -- fall
PHYS 004 and 004L- Limited to first come first served -- spring
PSYC 018- Limited to first come first served -- fall

Directed Reading, Independent Study, Research, Thesis, Special Projects, etc. are not available for web-registration- see Dept Administrative Asst/Coordinator to register

Anthropology & Sociology:

Arabic: see Modern Languages and Literatures

ARAB 001 Intensive Elementary Modern Standard Arabic

This course is designed for beginners, with no prior knowledge of Arabic.

We strongly advise that students interested in taking Arabic begin with the first year. If you have any questions about the Arabic program, language and cultural courses, placement exams, or study abroad options, please contact Khaled Al-Masri at kalmasr1@swarthmore.edu.

Art (Studio Arts):

Please visit https://www.swarthmore.edu/art to learn more about the Art program and the program’s academic requirements.

Art History: 

ARTH 001N FYS: Indigenous Art, Land, and Environment
ARTH 002 The Western Tradition
ARTH 005 Modern Art in Europe and the United States

Asian Studies:

See https://www.swarthmore.edu/asian-studies

CLST 023 Intro to Sanskrit 
CLST 030 Caste and Power
MUSI 049A Balinese Gamelan
MUSI 042 Chinese Music Ensemble
DANC057 Taiko I
DANC049D Swarthmore Taiko Ensemble

Astronomy - see Physics and Astronomy

Biology:

BIOL 001 NSEP, W Cellular & Molecular Biology (Fall)
BIOL 005 FYS: Exploring Regeneration & Cancer Biology Through Authentic Research (Fall)
BIOL 009 Our Food (Fall) 
BIOL 002 NSEP, W Organismal & Population Biology (Spring - can be taken out of sequence with BIOL 001)

We offer the Scholar's Program (SP) as an attachment to the introductory courses (001 and 002) in which a faculty member meets with up to 12 students, giving them an opportunity to more deeply engage with course material and to develop tools for success in their STEM courses at Swarthmore. It is a 0.5 credit course and requires enrollment in Bio 001 (Fall) or Bio 002 (Spring) along with submission of an application form (link). Please see the catalog listing for more information.

Bio 005 is a new first year seminar that will focus on having students participate in independent, publishable research projects. This course will be designed to engage students at all levels of preparation in the natural sciences. There is no need for Bio 005 students to enroll in Bio 001 and students are welcome to enroll in this course if they are lotteried out of Bio 001.

Black Studies:

https://www.swarthmore.edu/black-studies-program
 

BLST 015. Introduction to Black Studies
HIST 008A 
LING 025
SOCI 020C

Chemistry:

CHEM 010
CHEM 010HN

All students interested in taking Chem 010HN need to take the Chemistry Honors Placement Exam. Student placement into Chem 010HN will be indicated on mySwarthmore and/or at the conclusion of the Honors placement exam. Any questions regarding student placement can be directed to Professor Chris Graves (cgraves1@swarthmore.edu).

Chinese - see Modern Languages and Literatures

CHIN 001 First Year Chinese
CHIN 091 Special Topics in English: Representing Colonial Taiwan: Public Space in Print

We highly recommend students with an interest in Chinese language to begin their language study from their first year. Be sure to sign up for both a "lecture" (T/Th) and "drill" (MWF) section for First Year Chinese.

Classics:
https://www.swarthmore.edu/classics

Beginning ancient languages:
CLST 023: Introduction to Sanskrit
GREK 001: Intensive First-year Greek
LATN 001: Intensive First-year Latin
Entry-level courses in ancient history and cultures:
ANCH 022: Greek Art and Archaeology
CLST 010: FYS: Identities in the Ancient World: race, Gender, and Ethnicity
CLST 030: Caste and Power

Cognitive Science:

See https://www.swarthmore.edu/cognitive-science/courses

Comparative Literature:

https://www.swarthmore.edu/comparative-literature

CPLT 21. Performance in Early Modern Europe
RUSS 14. The Russian Novel: Revolution, Terror and Resistance
SPAN 015. First Year Seminar: Introduction to Latinx Literature and Culture
LITR 017FC / FREN 017C 
Contemporary Graphic Novels French

The basic requirement for the major is work in two literatures in the original language. Of courses in the Classics and Modern Languages and Literatures departments, only courses numbered 011 or above are counted as constituents of the comparative literature major.

Please have students with questions email osabee1@swarthmore.edu

Computer Science:
https://www.swarthmore.edu/computer-science

CPSC 021 Introduction to Computer Science

For more details about the placement exam see
https://www.swarthmore.edu/computer-science/computer-science-placement-exam
or contact Professors Lila Fontes (lfontes1@swarthmore.edu) or Lisa Meeden (lmeeden1@swarthmore.edu).

Dance:

DANC 011. Dance Lab I: Making Dance (This course fulfills a requirement for the Dance major or minor)
DANC 017. Dancing Chineseness (This course fulfills a requirement for the Dance major or minor)
DANC 021. Performance in Early Modern Europe (This course fulfills a requirement for the Dance major or minor)
Additionally, first year students may register for any introductory level studio course or course for which they have placement.

No prior experience in dance is required for DANC 11, DANC 17, and DANC 21. 
Students considering a major should take either DANC 11, DANC 17, or DANC 21 in the first semester.
Placement classes will be held for Level II and III courses in Ballet, Contemporary Modern Dance, and Hip Hop. All other courses are open enrollment.

Economics:​

ECON 001: Introduction to Economics. This course is a one-semester survey of microeconomics and macroeconomics, for both majors and non-majors. It is a prerequisite for all other courses in economics. ECON 001 is offered during both the fall and spring semesters.

Some students may be able to waive ECON 001 based on their AP, IB, or A-levels scores. For important details, see https://www.swarthmore.edu/economics/econ-001-waiver. Fall 2022 courses available to students with a waiver are:

ECON 082. Political Economy of Africa
ECON 084. Latin American Economies
ECON 013. Economic Efficiency, Markets and Distributive Justice
ECON 031. Introduction to Econometrics
All other Fall 2022 courses (ECON 011, ECON 022, ECON 033, ECON 035, ECON 073, ECON 102, and ECON 122) are closed to first-year students.

*ECON 001 Enrollment Policy*

ECON 001 sections are capped on a first-come, first-served basis during online enrollment, and then at 30 during Add/Drop. Students who wish to add a section of ECON 001 during Add/Drop should submit an add request online. These requests will be handled by Megan Salladino (msallad1@swarthmore.edu), who will allow students to add the least-enrolled section that fits their academic schedule, up to the overall cap of 30.

Educational Studies:

EDUC 014. Pedagogy and Power: Introduction to Education
EDUC 014F. First-Year Seminar. Pedagogy and Power: Introduction to Education
EDUC 014 is the entry course for Majors, Minors, Special Majors, and teacher certification in Educational Studies. The First-Year Seminar EDUC 14F is restricted to first year students; the non-FYS has a cap of 30 and includes students from any year. Lotteries are possible.

EDUC 014 is the normal entry point for majors, minors, special majors and teacher certification in the Department of Educational Studies. The 2 FYS are limited to first year students. Lotteries are possible.

​English Literature:
Academic Writing Courses: https://www.swarthmore.edu/writing/writing-and-rhetoric-courses

ENGL 009F. FYS Intro to Latinx Literature and Culture
ENGL 009H. FYS Portraits of the Artist
ENGL 009R. FYS Grendel's Workshop
ENGL 009Y. FYS Metropolitan Forms and Fictions
ENGL 010. Monsters, Marvels, and Mysteries: Beowulf to Paradise Lost
ENGL 020. Shakespeare
ENGL 035. The Rise of the Novel
ENGL 064C. Black Protest and Possibility
ENGL 071D. The Short Story in the US
ENGL 074A. Global South Literature
ENGL 079P. Sanctuary

ENGL 001F. FYS:Transitions to College Writing (4 sections). Students in this course develop their ability to write effectively for academic and public audiences, build rhetorical knowledge for a variety of disciplines, and strengthen their writing processes to aid in their transition from high school to college writing.

Engineering:

ENGR 15 and ENGR 11 for students interested in the ENGR major

We recommend ENGR 015 - Fundamentals of Digital and Embedded Systems for all prospective Engineering majors. Students placed into Math 25 or above are eligible to take ENGR 011 - Electrical Circuit Analysis instead. Please encourage any first-year students interested in Engineering to attend our info session and consult with an advisor in the department!

Environmental Studies:

Film and Media Studies:
 

FMST 001 Intro to FMST
T/Th 9:55-11:10am Singer 033
Screening T 7-10pm LPAC 101

FMST 09 FYS (W): Women and Popular Culture*
Course T Th 2:40-3:55 KOHL 116
Screening W 7-10pm LPAC 101

*This FYS, writing course was ADDED over the summer

We offer courses in critical media studies and media production. Please contact ssimon1@swarthmore.edu with any questions.

French and Francophone Studies:

French 1 Elementary French; French 2 Elementary French 2; French 3 Intermediate French 
French 14 & French 15W - Contemporary French and Francophone studies I & II.

FYS: Litr 017FC "Contemporary Graphic Novels in French" (taught in English)

Students are encouraged to begin new language study as soon as possible. Students are invited to begin with elementary language courses (French 001) in the Fall and continue with French 002 in the Spring. French 002 offered in the Fall is for false beginners. French 003 is for students with intermediate French skills who have had some French and are placed into this level by placement test. French 14: This introductory course offers advanced language study along with the study of French and Francophone issues through popular media, films, and a novel. French 15 W: This course gives students the opportunity to further develop French language skills through the study of articles, essays, and images. It is a writing course highly recommended for anyone wishing to study abroad. Placement is required.

French courses have been revamped in 2021 and are now taught 3 days a week for 1 credit. Language students who wish to work specifically on their oral communication skills can complement their coursework with a new conversation course French 06 (0.5cr, open to students who have had or are currently enrolled in FREN 001, 002, 003, or 014).

Gender and Sexuality Studies:

https://www.swarthmore.edu/gender-sexuality-studies

Gender and Sexuality Studies: GSST 001. Perspectives on Gender and Sexuality;
*FMST 009. First-Year Seminar, Writing Course: Women and Popular Culture 
*this course was ADDED over the summer!

German Studies:

FALL
GMST 1 - Intensive Elementary German - For students with no or up to one year of high school German

GMST 3 - Intensive Intermediate German - For students who have taken two or more years of high school German or are bi-lingual heritage speakers. Please take the German placement test accessible through MySwarthmore to make sure this is the right course for you.

GMST 91 (Special Topics in GMST II) - German Voices - 6th's semester German course - For students with the proficiency to process authentic literary and cultural texts and write about them on an analytically elevated level in German. You need to take the German placement test accessible through MySwarthmore to make sure this is the right course for you.

SPRING
GMST 2 - Intensive Elementary German (2nd semester) - For students who have successfully passed GMST1 in the fall semester or have placed into this course through their placement test scores accessible through MySwarthmore.

GMST 8 - Texts in Context - Advanced intermediate German course for students who have successfully passed GMST3 in the fall semester or placed into this course through their placement test scores accessible through MySwarthmore.

Each semester a 0.5 credit conversation course (GMST 5 and 6) accompanies our regular curriculum for students seeking to maintain and advance their speaking and listening skills. And please, no matter your level, join us for Sharples Deutschtisch during lunchtime on Wednesdays!

For anyone with advanced knowledge of the German language or native speakers, please talk to Hansjakob Werlen, GMST Section Head, during orientation week.

Global Studies:

Introduction to Global Studies is open to all students interested in exploring global issues, phenomena, and processes that impact all our lives. The program has recently announced its Special Majors (click on the Special Majors tab on the website).

https://www.swarthmore.edu/global-studies

Greek-see Classics

History:
HIST 001V. FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR: HISTORY IN THE MAKING: AUTOCRATS, ACTIVISTS, AND ARTISTS IN A CHANGING MIDDLE EAST
HIST 002X. BRITISH HISTORY, 1066-1720: FROM THE CRUSADES TO THE SOUTH SEA BUBBLE
HIST 005A. EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY
HIST 008A. WEST AFRICA IN THE ERA OF THE SLAVE TRADE, 1500 TO 1850

We will have updated slideshows and information available on our homepage

For Fall 2022, the following courses have a prerequisite of an intro level (01-10), AP credit, or professor permission:

• 25: Colonialism and Nationalism in the Middle East
• 31: France in Algeria, France and Algerians: 1830-present
• 66: Making Sense of Being Sick: The Social Construction of Diseases in the Modern World
• 84: Gender, Science, and Technology
• 90r: History Wars: Contests Over Memory and History in the United States

For 24b: Witchcraft, Heresy, and Demonic Possession in Seventeenth Century Europe, the prerequisite is any course in the humanities, an intro level history course, AP credit, or professor permission

Interpretation Theory:

See https://www.swarthmore.edu/interpretation-theory

Islamic Studies:
For information on the Islamic Studies Program, please visit https://www.swarthmore.edu/islamic-studies

Japanese- see Modern Languages and Literatures

JPNS 001 First Year Japanese
We highly recommend students with an interest in Japanese language to begin their language study from their first year at Swarthmore.
Be sure to sign up for both a "lecture" (T/Th) and "drill" (MWF) section for First Year Japanese.

Students who are interested in placing into higher levels of Japanese language should contact the Japanese Section Head, Will Gardner, at wgardne1@swarthmore.edu for information on placement.

If you have any questions about our Japanese program, including language and culture classes, study abroad, and majors and minors, please contact Prof. Gardner at wgardne1@swarthmore.edu.

Lang Center Engaged Scholarship: 

What is Engaged Scholarship?
List of Engaged Scholarship courses

​Latin-see Classics

Latin American and Latino Studies:

See https://www.swarthmore.edu/latin-american-and-latino-studies

SPAN 012. Imágenes y contextos hispánicos
LALS 015/SPAN 015. First Year Seminar: Introduction to Latinx Literature and Culture

Linguistics:
See Linguistics

LING 001 – Introduction to Linguistics
LING 003 - Multilingualism and Language Contact (First Year Seminar)
LING 011 - American Sign Language I
LING 025 - Sociolinguistics: Language, Culture & Society
LING 040 - Semantics
LING 045 - Phonetics & Phonology
LING 050 - Syntax

Literature - see Modern Languages and Literatures

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Mathematics and Statistics:

Modern Languages and Literature:

Arabic: For information on Arabic courses, please see https://www.swarthmore.edu/arabic/courses

Chinese: For information on Chinese courses, please see https://www.swarthmore.edu/chinese/courses

French and Francophone Studies:  For information on French and Francophone Studies  courses, please see https://www.swarthmore.edu/french-francophone-studies/courses

German:

GMST 083 - New course for Fall '22: Crime Drama
Cross-listed with FMST 083 and LITR 083
Please contact Prof. Sunka Simon for more details, ssimon1@swarthmore.edu
 

Japanese:

Literature: For information on courses taught in English, please see https://www.swarthmore.edu/modern-languages-literatures/courses-taught-english-0

Russian:

For information on Russian courses, please see https://www.swarthmore.edu/russian/courses

Music:

MUSI 002B. Reading And Making Music: The Basics Of Notation - Hauze
MUSI 005A. Music And Dance Cultures Of The World - Stewart
Eligible for GLBL Core credit

MUSI 006B. Music And War - Milewski
Eligible for PEAC credit

MUSI 009. Native American Culture & Contemporary Music [ANTH 034C.] - Two-Bears
MUSI 011. Harmony, Counterpoint & Form 1 - Kochavi
MUSI 040A Elements of Musicianship I   - Hauze
Qualified students may enroll for academic credit in MUSI 047 (Chamber Music), MUSI 048 (Individual Instruction), as well as in Department Ensembles (Chorus, Jazz Ensemble, Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Gamelan, Garnet Singers, and Chinese Music.)

For students interested in Music, please join us on August 24th at 3 PM in the Lang Music concert hall for an orientation. We will review the requirements for our private lessons course, MUSI 048, and introduce our other academic courses and ensembles. You can also learn about paths to becoming a major or minor.

Join us in MUSI 049A. Balinese Gamelan Ensemble with Prof. Tom Whitman

​

Neuroscience:

The study of Neuroscience involves advanced coursework with the following prerequisites:

BIOL 001: Cellular and Molecular Biology
BIOL 002: Organismal and Population Biology
CHEM 010: General Chemistry
CHEM 022: Organic Chemistry I
MATH 015: Elementary Single-VariableCalculus
STAT 011: Statistical Methods
PSYC 001: Introduction to Psychology
PSYC 025: Research Design and Analysis

Peace Studies:

See https://www.swarthmore.edu/peace-conflict-studies

PEAC 015. Intro to Peace and Conflict Studies
PEAC 030. War in Lived Experience
PEAC 045.  Peace and Conflict in Latin America

Learn more about the program at https://bit.ly/pcsblog and follow us at @swarthmorepeace on social media (fb, twitter, instagram). 
Learn more about new courses this fall 2022 semester at https://blogs.swarthmore.edu/academics/pcs/2022/07/29/prof-wilson-becerril-brings-new-courses-in-fall-2022/

Philosophy: https://www.swarthmore.edu/philosophy/phil-course-information-s22.

PHIL 001D. Introduction to Philosophy: Knowledge and the World (W)
PHIL 001H. Introduction to Philosophy: Personal Identity and the Self
PHIL 003. First-Year Seminar: The Meaning of Life(W)
PHIL 005. First-Year Seminar: Human Nature(W)
PHIL 008. First-Year Seminar: Aesthetics & Political Resistance
PHIL 010. First-Year Seminar: Questions of Inquiry(W)

An introductory level course is required to take any intermediate level course in Philosophy.

Physical Education:
Physical Education courses are offered on a first come first served basis and enrollment is capped depending on the course. Check the course schedule for class limits. 
Students should take at least one physical education course during the fall semester and spring semester of their first year at Swarthmore.
Physics and Astronomy:

PHYS 005. Spacetime and Quanta introduces and explores in some depth special relativity and quantum mechanics - two key theories of modern physics and astronomy. This course is intended as an entry point to the major track for both physics and astronomy, regardless of the degree of high school physics and math preparation a first-year student has had. Students interested in majoring in astronomy/astrophysics should take PHYS 5 and consider taking ASTR 016 in the fall of their sophomore year.

PHYS 003. General Physics I: Motion, Forces, and Energy is calculus-based and has a weekly lab component and is the entry point for a two-course physics sequence required of engineering majors.

Note: Although most prospective majors start in Physics 005, if after taking Phys 003 you wish to consider a major in our department, please speak to your instructor or to the department chair and we will be glad to discuss pathways for doing so.

PHYS 003L. General Physics I: Motion, Forces, and Energy with Biological and Medical Applications is calculus-based and has a weekly lab and is the entry point for a two-course physics sequence intended for biology, pre-med, and chemistry students. It covers the same basic physical ideas as Physics 003 but applies those ideas to systems of interest to those studying biology, medicine, or chemistry.

ASTR 001. Introductory Astronomy: The scientific investigation of the universe by observation and theory, including the basic notions of physics as needed in astronomical applications. Topics may include the appearance and motions of the sky; history of astronomy; astronomical instruments and radiation; the sun and planets; properties, structure, and evolution of stars; the galaxy and extragalactic systems; the origin and evolution of the universe; and prospects for life beyond Earth. Astronomy 1 is not part of the astronomy/astrophysics major; students interested in those majors should take Physics 5 followed by Astronomy 14 or 16.

Registration for PHYS 003/003L labs will be "first-come, first-served" basis, you are advised to register early. Web-registration assignments are tentative, students who will need to resolve conflicts with their lab assignment should contact the Physics/Astronomy dept during add/drop.

Note that in general, majors cannot replace Physics 005 (or most other major requirements) with AP credit or college courses taken during high school. However, students who need to take Physics 003 or Phys 003L to meet other departments' requirements can get Swarthmore credit for work done prior to college if they scored a 5 on the physics AP exam *and* they achieve a good score on the department's placement test, which is given the week before classes start in the fall (but in certain cases may be taken at other times throughout the year; Prof. Ben Geller is the placement test contact person).

Political Science:

Statistics -  see Mathematics and Statistics

Theater: