Spanish

This course provides a sociological analysis of the evolution and transformation of modern societies, based on various theories and interpretations of social change. It examines both specific and general theories of social change and social action; characteristics of historical sociology and in particular, problems encountered with compared methodologies applied in the study and explanation of social change; and the processes of social change, including concepts of social evolution, social movements and revolutions, the impacts of modernization.

The course offers an introduction to optimal structural design. It discusses conceptual tools and computing resources and also stresses the design of elastic structures. Topics include: classical structural optimization; mathematical preliminaries; geometric optimization; homogenization method; evolutionary optimization.

This course offers an introduction to the design, construction, and efficient use of databases, with a focus on relational databases. Topics include: data models; database modeling using the entity/relationship model; relational model; database design; SQL query language; views; integrity; transaction processing.

This course offers an introduction to the processes that shaped the Old World, the way the first civilizations came into being and their cultures established. Topics include: the origins of agriculture; ceramics and writing, particularly in the Levant, Anatolia, Egypt, and Mesopotamia; the emergence of states, cities, and complex societies; the urban revolution; geographic characteristics, architecture, religion, and social and political structures in Mesopotamia and Egypt.