Ireland

Using literary sources as well as material evidence (archaeological finds, artwork, inscriptions), this course explores customs, beliefs, institutions, and identities of the early Christians within the social, political, religious, and cultural context of the Roman Empire in Late Antiquity. The course helps students to think about central questions in the study of early Christianity such as: who were the early Christians? How did they articulate their identities across different languages and in different areas of the late antique world? How and where did they eat, pray, and live? How did they understand their beliefs and interact with the cultures around them? What did their Roman, Greek, or Syrian neighbors think about them? Students reflect on different models of cross-fertilization between emerging early Christian identities and the cultures and religious phenomena which characterized the later stages of the life of the Roman Empire.

The course provides a wide-ranging introduction to fundamental principles of chemical structure and reactivity for students who intend to major in Science or Engineering disciplines. The topics covered will include the electronic structure of atoms and and how that relates to the properties of the elements; ways in which the properties of substances are determined by their composition and bonding; nature of the interactions, and reactions, between substances; importance of energy, and energy flows, in understanding chemical and physical processes; and importance of chemistry in understanding ourselves, in our society, and in our environment.

This course explores materials used in tissue replacement including metallic, ceramic, and natural/synthetic polymeric materials. Implant applications and design considerations for these materials as well as the associated problems with long term survival are described so that the mechanical, chemical, and physiological interactions between in vivo host environment and the implanted biomaterial can be better understood. Integration of biomaterial structure and function are emphasized throughout the course. Advanced manufacturing and fabrication technologies to generate biomaterials with specialized structural and interfacial properties are introduced. Students obtain a detailed understanding of the composition and properties of the major classes of biomaterial used in medical devices. The required functionality for a range of synthetic implantable biomaterials and how this relates to material choice for specific applications are also covered. Associated failure modes are introduced through a series of real-life case studies. Sterilization techniques, regulatory aspects, and standards with relation to quality and safety are introduced. 

This course introduces students to Earth Science, the multi-disciplinary study of the past, present, and future of planet Earth and other planets in our solar system. The course is in 3 parts. The first part considers the origin of the solid Earth, its atmosphere and oceans and how these have evolved over the past 4,600 million years. The second part examines how surface processes and burial generate the sedimentary rocks that record Earth’s history. The final part reviews the history of life on Earth as recorded in the fossil record, and emphasizes the coupled evolution of the geosphere and biosphere.

This course introduces students to the political system of the People’s Republic of China and the politics of its ruling entity, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The course first provides a historical foundation for understanding CCP rule, covering major events in the 20th Century. It then examines the party’s relationship to the state and policymaking, China’s foreign relations and foreign policy, as well as the politics of Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong. The politics of Taiwan are covered. 

This course introduces students to theoretical approaches to studying international relations, including scholarly debates old and new. This course is an introduction to the positive, descriptive study of international relations. Why do states make war? What are the conditions for the growth of cross-border trade and finance? What is the impact of international organizations on relations between states? This course considers these questions by looking at differing theoretical approaches to international relations and a selection of topics in historical and contemporary politics. 

The course covers contemporary monetary economics and its application to the conduct of monetary policy. As well as reviewing the relevant academic literature, the course deals with the experience of the main central banks, with a particular focus on the European Central Bank. The course first analyses the nature of money and the long-run relation between money and prices and economic activity. It then examines a number of key issues in regard to contemporary monetary policy: monetary policy rules, the role of expectations and the transmission mechanism. For this purpose, the course presents the New Keynesian model which is now widely used for the purpose of analyzing monetary policies. The course then looks at the monetary policy strategies of the major central banks as well as the operational frameworks by which they steer interest rates. The course concludes by looking at the conduct of monetary policy during the financial crisis, covering issues such as non-standard measures, the implications of the zero bound on nominal interest rates and the role of monetary policy in contributing to financial stability.

This course is an introduction to political philosophy with a special focus on modern society. Students look at how various political theories of democracy have emerged since the 17th century, and how they are now modified and/or challenged by some contemporary authors. 

What is childhood? Was it invented? How has the concept of childhood differed in different historical, geographical, and socio-economic contexts? These are the questions that will preoccupy students in this course. Focusing on the 19th and 20th centuries, but with reference to earlier periods, and covering Ireland, Britain, Europe, and the wider world – including colonial settings and China – the class explores how the experience and perception of childhood changed. Students examine the hypothesis that childhood as a time of innocence, development, and play was not a natural category but had to be "invented," and they consider different periods and locations as possible candidates for its invention or adaptation. From child labor and children in war to the children of elites and youth culture, students construct a nuanced picture of male and female childhood. 

This course provides beginners with the foundations of Latin, an ancient and influential European language. Students will learn fundamental aspects of Latin grammar (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics) and read simple original Latin texts that will enable students to acquire a substantial vocabulary. Students will start to consider approaches to analysis and translation, and receive a taste of how Latin was used in different literary and non-literary contexts and genres. Latin is famous for its literature (Cicero, Virgil, and others), and this course is the first step towards being able to read that literature in its original form; but Latin was also for many centuries an everyday language spoken by ordinary people, and the students will uncover some of that Latin too.