Italy

This course provides students with a sound basis for communicating effectively and accurately in oral and written Italian. In this course, students continue to practice recognizing and using complex Italian grammatical and syntactic structures, such as verbs in all tenses and moods, connective words, and all uses of the subjunctive mood in hypothetical sentences, conjunctions, or indirect speech. Authentic materials (songs, videos, advertisements, and film clips) are used in a communicative-based approach, and emphasis is placed on the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students participate in several sessions of language exchange with Italian university students, and field trips take them outside the classroom to engage with the city and Romans to reinforce the grammatical skills learned in class. The course is conducted entirely in Italian.

The life of the ancient Romans was guided by two important concepts, otium, or leisure time, and negotium, a more structured use of time that may be associated with work of varying kinds. A good Roman life could, and often did, include both. This course explores Roman daily life and the many activities associated with both otium and negotium. The business of ancient Rome was largely conducted in the central and market areas of the city, and students study the ancient Roman Forum, the ancient river port in Rome and its associated features (wharves, warehouses, and rubbish heaps), as well as the ancient port city of Ostia. The leisure time of the aristocracy was noticeably different than that of the poor. They often spent leisure time in a relaxing environment outside of the city, such as villas, where they could pursue all types of activities deemed beneficial to the mind and body. The poor, instead, tended to stay in Rome, and spend their unstructured time at state-sponsored events and venues such as the games held in the Flavian Amphitheater, or at a monumental bath complex, such as the Baths of Caracalla. Alternatively, they would congregate in small taverns or popinae, or they might just sit on the stairs of a city building and play a game. Students visit and study the places where the Romans spent their leisure time looking closely at the leisure activities. As students get to know the Romans by studying what they have left us in terms of physical and literary remains, they discuss how much of what is "reconstructed" from the evidence can be certain, and how much must remain debatable. This course includes visits to Rome-area museums and sites, and special outings to the Roman cities of Ostia and Pompeii.

This course studies diverse social psychological phenomena that have been examined in the context of neuroscience, with particular attention to decision-making, aggressive behavior, status, dominance, and racial bias/discrimination. In doing so the course (1) studies diverse systems that are involved in the study of social neuroscience (structural/anatomical, neuroendocrinological,); (2) critically considers the methodological approaches used to study the associations between neurological systems and social behaviors/attitudes; and (3) evaluates the theoretical contributions of these approaches and studies. Students are expected to develop critical scientific reasoning skills, in addition to a knowledge base in this area. Students are required to have completed at least one social psychology course, and at least one course in neuroscience and neuroscience methodology, as prerequisites.

This course explores the conceptual and theoretical framework surrounding valuation issues and the practical tools to address such topics in real-life situations. The methodologies for corporate valuation are analyzed and the approaches commonly used by practitioners (financial analysts, investment and merchant banks, consulting firms) are discussed with particular regard to the context and to the purposes of the valuation. Valuation of intangibles assets is analyzed with a focus on brands and copyrights. Students discuss topics including theoretical framework and fundamental skills in company valuation, an overview of valuation methodologies, net asset approach, intangible assets valuation, estimating the cost of capital, relationships between leverage and discount rates, discounted cash flow analysis and APV, comparative valuation: stock market and deal multiples approach, income approach, acquisition value, exchange ratios in mergers, and premiums and discounts in company valuation. Knowledge of basic financial accounting and basic corporate finance is encouraged, but not required, as a prerequisite. 

This course includes an introduction to cognitive neuropsychology and foundations of neuroanatomy, neurology, and neuroradiology; a discussion of cognitive neuropsychology of the agnosias, aphasias, alexias, agraphias, apraxias, and amnesias; and an over view of cognitive neuropsychology of the executive functions. The course covers the normal cognitive architecture, by means of the study of brain-damaged patients. The course requires a basic knowledge of psychobiology and cognitive psychology as a prerequisite.

The course focuses on the philosophy of contemporary language. This course includes an introduction to contemporary philosophy of language and focuses on truth and relativism and logical reasoning and rational argumentation on the topic of post-truth. The course includes lectures, quizzes on the e-learning materials, and peer instruction based on the Kahoot model. Assessment is based on a final research paper on a pre-approved topic and an oral exam on class lectures, required readings, and special materials.