University College Dublin

In this course, students study exercise science. They learn how an acute bout of exercise alters the structure and function of the human body, and they examine the acute responses to exercise in the neuromuscular system, the cardio-respiratory system, together with the associated metabolic, neuro-endocrine, and thermoregulatory responses.

This course introduces students to the business of biotechnology and to how biotechnology firms capture and create value. The course starts with a case study in which the basic concepts used in the business of biotechnology are introduced. The first lecture is followed by lectures that address theoretical concepts that allow a structured study of the business of biotechnology. Students build a theory of the business (following Donaldson) and discuss theories of innovation (Rogers, Kano, Schumpeter, etc.), and the cognitive theory of the firm (Nooteboom). Students also discuss the products derived from industrial biotechnology research and development with a special focus on biotherapeutics and their development process.

This course offers a very broad introduction to the fundamental concepts and techniques of artificial intelligence, and provides students with the ability to assess and apply some of the basic techniques used in artificial intelligence (AI). Some of the topics include knowledge representation, problem solving & search, game playing, planning, machine learning and classification, genetic algorithms, neural networks, knowledge reasoning, and recommender systems. Please note any student taking this course must have their own laptop.

Historical sociologists study how social order changes through long periods of time. More specifically the focus is on the variety of social processes that have shaped human lives through history. In contrast to the conventional historical interpretations that aim to describe particular historical events (i.e. 1789 French Revolution or the origins of First World War) historical sociologists center on identifying and explaining general patterns of social action through time (why, when, and how revolutions and wars happen). This course introduces students to key concepts in historical sociology including the state, war and organized violence, revolution, nationalism, ideology, genocide, and empire among others.

The incursion of Europeans brought catastrophic change to the First Australians. This course examines how the project of creating colony and nation was affected by this founding injustice. Environmental history, migration history, and the history of Aboriginal Australia provide the conceptual framework for understanding how a modern nation shaped itself on this ancient land.

Planning and urban management systems vary considerably internationally. Differences in history, culture, ideology, law, economy, and society mean that there are significant differences in planning policies, planning law, and ultimately in the outcomes of planning systems. This course gives students an appreciation of how different planning systems operate. Given the number and variety of planning systems, only a selection of examples is examined by some guest speakers. In addition to the analysis of a selection of countries the European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP) is also examined.

This course examines the history of Irish immigrants and their descendants in the United States from that nation's colonial origins to the 21st century as a case study in the history of American immigration and ethnicity. It proceeds chronologically through Irish American history, exploring questions about concepts of assimilation, diaspora, and invented ethnicity. Through this narrative the course discusses several issues: the origins in Ireland of Irish emigrants to America; the causes of Irish migration to America; the processes of that migration; Irish immigrant settlement patterns; gender and family in Irish American life; Irish American adaptations to the American economy; Irish Americans and race; Irish American relations with Ireland; and Irish Americans in American politics and in American popular culture.

This course explores the social and linguistic nature of contemporary English. It examines the social, political, and cultural role(s) of English in different societies and the social, political, and cultural forces that have conditioned and continue to sustain the spread of English around the world. The course also considers the effects that this spread has on the languages and cultures of the world and the structure and use of the English language, including traditional norms and practices. In terms of the linguistic aspects, the course discusses the range of variation that exists in contemporary varieties of English on all levels of grammar (phonology, morphology, syntax, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics) and the linguistic processes that have brought about this diversity. The course focuses on internationally lesser known varieties of English as well as on widely used varieties of English. The social and linguistic explorations function as a basis for critically assessing current models of English and teaching and learning approaches.

This course comprises a sustained philosophical, ethical, and legal examination of the family in modern Western society. The course examines some basic principles of family law (from Irish and other jurisdictions) as expressing societal values about different aspects of family life, and the course discusses the different ways that the state can authorize, monitor, and intrude in marriage and divorce, death and inheritance, and birth and child upbringing. The course asks what parents owe their children (and whether parents should be licensed like drivers and doctors), what adult children owe their elderly parents (and whether to make this a legal requirement), and what spouses owe each other (should the state do more to prevent domestic abuse?). The course compares biological reproduction, adoption, and surrogacy, and how these relate to definitions of the family and of parenthood. The course also examines how power and oppression works within families, and between families and communities, especially in supporting gender discrimination.