Non-Departmental Courses for 2012-13

Non-departmental courses are courses from other departments that allow students to explore topics of interest from the perspective of a related discipline and/or that contain relevant psychological or neuroscience content. (Note that there is a separate list of courses offered in other departments that are considered departmental courses because their content is largely psychological.)

Psychology secondary field students may no longer count any non-departmental courses toward the secondary field requirements as of the 2011-12 academic year. See the list of former Affiliate Courses for information on counting a non-departmental course taken before 2011-12.

Psychology concentrators may choose to count one or two non-departmental courses (depending on your track) from a variety of courses not listed in the psychology section of the course catalog.

Non-departmental courses are broken down into two groups:

Expedited Courses (former Affiliate Courses have been moved to this list)
Petitioned Courses

All courses listed in the sections below count against the established limits on non-departmental courses for concentrators detailed here.

1. Expedited Courses are non-departmental courses that include significant psychological content and could be a useful component of one's concentration in psychology. These courses will be approved without a full petition, but:

require you to notify the Undergraduate Office, AND cc your Concentration Adviser in the same e-mail, saying that you wish to count them for your concentration by e-mailing psychology at wjh dot harvard dot edu.
You must e-mail by November 16th for fall term courses, and by May 3rd for spring term courses (or January 31st if you are a senior).
In every case, you and your adviser should receive an e-mail of confirmation back within a week, which will serve as your "receipt" for the concentration credit, and which you should save. If you do not receive one, please e-mail psychology at wjh dot harvard dot edu.
Expedited courses in Education or the Kennedy School require cross-registration with instructor and concentration signatures. See Laura Chivers in the Psychology Undergraduate Office for a signature by the Psychology departmental deadline for cross-registration on September 17, 2012 in the fall and February 8, 2013 for spring.

This list contains expedited courses for concentrators listed in the 2012-13 Courses of Instruction. Consult the department if you have a question about counting a course that is no longer offered. **None of these courses can count for Secondary Field Students!**

African and African American Studies 16, Sociology of the Black Community
African and African American Studies 197, Poverty, Race, and Health
Anthropology 1640, Language and Culture
Anthropology 1795, The Politics of Language and Identity in Latin America
Anthropology 1975, Culture and Social Relations
Anthropology 2740, Culture, Mental Illness and the Body
Anthropology 2750, Local Biologies: Perspectives on the Interaction between Culture and Biology
Anthropology 2855, Deep China: What Medical Anthropology and Psychiatry Contribute to the Study of China Today
Computer Sciences 50, Introduction to Computer Science
Computer Science 96. System Design Projects
Computer Science 105 (formerly Computer Science 199r), Privacy and Technology
Computer Science 171, Visualization
Computer Science 179, Design of Usable Interactive Systems
Computer Science 181, Intelligent Machines: Perception, Learning, and Uncertainty
Computer Science 182, Intelligent Machines: Reasoning, Actions, and Plans
Computer Science 186, Economics and Computation
Culture and Belief 34 (formerly Historical Study A-87), Madness and Medicine
Economics 980q. Economics Design Lab
Economics 1011a, Microeconomic Theory
Economics 1018, Cultural Economics
Economics 1030, Psychology and Economics
Economics 1032, The Packing Problem: The Behavioral Economics of Scarcity
Economics 1051, Introduction to Game Theory
Economics 1059, Decision Theory
Economics 1816, Race in America
Education H-382, The Problems Kids Have: Developmental, Cultural, and Contextual Perspectives on Risk and Resilience
Education H-392, Childhood Trauma: Dynamics, Interventions, and Cross-Cultural Perspectives
Education T-006, Adult Development
Education T-560, Universal Design for Learning: Meeting the Challenges of Individual Differences
Empirical and Mathematical Reasoning 11, Making Sense: Language, Thought, and Logic
Engineering Sciences 21, The Innovator’s Practice: Finding, building and leading good ideas with others
Engineering Sciences 201, Decision Theory
Environmental Science and Public Policy 90t, Environmental Health: Your World and Your Life at Risk
French 90m. Performing Madness in French Literature
Global Health and Health Policy 60. Negotiation and Conflict Management: From the Interpersonal to the International
Government 94dn (formerly Government 98dn), Mapping Social and Environmental Space
Government 94qa (formerly Government 98qa), Community in America
Government 94za, Power
Government 1008, Introduction to Geographical Information Systems
Government 1372, Political Psychology
History 70c, Topics in Natural History
History 74c, Bodily Functions: Histories of Bare Life and Bio-Power
History 1345, The Human Sciences in the Modern West
History 1702 (formerly History 1923), Violence, Substances and Mental Illness: African Perspectives: Conference Course
History of Science 108, Bodies, Sexualities, and Medicine in the Medieval Middle East
History of Science 125, "Moneyball" Nation: Science and the Making of Modern America
History of Science 127, The Making of a Scientist
History of Science 135, From Darwin to Dolly: A History of the Modern Life Sciences
History of Science 138, Sex, Gender, and Evolution
History of Science 142, History and Politics of the American Obesity Epidemic
History of Science 146. Introduction to Women’s Bodies in Medicine
History of Science 150, History of Social Science
History of Science 157, Sociology of Science
History of Science 174, Critical Experiments in the Human Sciences: Conference Course
History of Science 176. Brainwashing and Modern Techniques of Mind Control
History of Science 185 (formerly History of Science 282), Communicating Science: From Print Culture to Cybersocieties
Human Evolutionary Biology 1310, Hormones and Behavior
Human Evolutionary Biology 1312, Human Sexuality: Research and Presentation Seminar
Human Evolutionary Biology 1313, Stress: Research and Presentation Seminar
Human Evolutionary Biology 1329, Sex, Love and War: The Evolution of Human Behavior
Human Evolutionary Biology 1330, Primate Social Behavior
Human Evolutionary Biology 1342, Evolutionary Origins of Human Cognition
Human Evolutionary Biology 1352, The Evolution of Human Development
Human Evolutionary Biology 1366, Mating Strategies
Human Evolutionary Biology 1388, Adolescence
Human Evolutionary Biology 1416. The Neurobiology of Sociality: Seminar
Human Evolutionary Biology 1500. Building Babies: Developmental Trajectories from Conception to Weaning
Human Evolutionary Biology 1565, Theories of Sexual Coercion
Kennedy School MLD-304 (formerly API-304), Judgment and Decision-Making
Life Sciences 1a, Integrated Introduction to the Life Sciences: Chemistry, Molecular Biology, and Cell Biology
Life Sciences 1b , Integrated Introduction to the Life Sciences: Genetics, Genomics, and Evolution
Linguistics 83, Language, Structure, and Culture
Linguistics 101 (formerly Linguistics 110). The Science of Language: An Introduction
Molecular and Cellular Biology 105, Systems Neuroscience
Molecular and Cellular Biology 115, Cellular Basis of Neuronal Function
Molecular and Cellular Biology 129, The Brain: Development, Plasticity and Decline
Molecular and Cellular Biology 141, Molecular and Developmental Neurobiology
Molecular and Cellular Biology 145 (formerly *Neurobiology 95hfb), Neurobiology of Perception and Decision-Making
Molecular and Cellular Biology 146 (formerly *Neurobiology 95c), Experience-Based Brain Development: Causes and Consequences
Molecular and Cellular Biology 186, Circadian Biology: From Cellular Oscillators to Sleep Regulation
Neuro 95hfd (formerly *Biology 95hfd), Novel Therapeutics in the Central Nervous System
Neuro 95hfh, Dopamine
Neuro 95hfj (formerly *Biology 95hfj), The Sleeping Brain
Neuro 95hfp. Designer Neurons: How Cell Types are Generated in the Nervous System and the Lab
Neuro 95hfs, Sensation and Perception: Mapping the Touch, Sight, and Sound of Things
Neuro 95hfu, Building a Brain
Neuro 95hfv. The Visual Sense - Illusions and Reality
Neuro 95hfw. The Neural Basis of Working Memory
Neuro 95hfx, The Neurobiology of Sex and Aggression
Neuro 95hfy. Seeing Time in the Brain
Organismic and Evolutionary Biology 53, Evolutionary Biology
Organismic and Evolutionary Biology 57, Animal Behavior
Organismic and Evolutionary Biology 105 (formerly OEB 205). Neurobiology of Motor Control
Organismic and Evolutionary Biology 145, Genes and Behavior
Organismic and Evolutionary Biology 223, Topics in Neurogenetics
Philosophy 147. Philosophy of Language
Philosophy 156, Philosophy of Mind
Philosophy 158. Self, Body, and Other: Proseminar
Philosophy 159, Epistemology
Philosophy 161. Personal Identity and Self-Consciousness: Proseminar
Philosophy 179, Race and Social Justice
Science of Living Systems 24, From Neurons to Nations: The Science of Early Childhood Development and the Foundations of a Successful Society - NO LONGER OFFERED
Science of the Physical Universe 13 (formerly Science A-49). Why You Hear What You Hear: The Science of Music and Sound
Science of the Physical Universe 20, What is Life? From Quarks to Consciousness
Science of the Physical Universe 24, Introduction to Technology and Society
Social Studies 40, Philosophy and Methods of Social Science
Societies of the World 24, Global Health Challenges: Complexities of Evidence-based Policy
Societies of the World 25 (formerly Anthropology 1825), Health, Culture, and Community: Case Studies in Global Health
Sociology 25, Introduction to the Sociology of Organizations
Sociology 43, Social Interaction
Sociology 107 (formerly United States in the World 21). The American Family
Sociology 108. Inequality at Work
Sociology 114. Organizational Failures and Disasters: Leadership in Crisis
Sociology 129, Education and Society
Sociology 143. Building Just Institutions
Sociology 145, Urban Social Problems
Sociology 148, Social Movements
Sociology 155, Class and Culture
Sociology 157. Mapping and Analyzing Social Patterns in Greater Boston
Sociology 170. Culture and Networks
Sociology 178. Social Network Analysis: Theory, Methods and Applications
Sociology 183, Race and Ethnic Relations
Statistics 110, Introduction to Probability
Statistics 139, Statistical Sleuthing Through Linear Models
Statistics 140, Design of Experiments
Statistics 160, Design and Analysis of Sample Surveys
Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology 180, Repair and Regeneration in the Mammalian Brain
United States in the World 13 (formerly Historical Study A-34). Medicine and Society in America
Visual and Environmental Studies 163t, The Art of Forgetting
From the Harvard Summer School Abroad in Summer 2012 (each course counts as one half course for psychology even if an 8 credit course) Summer 2013 Courses will be listed in Spring 2013:
--Cambridge, England: HSCI S-120 Science, Medicine, and Religion in the Age of Skepticism
--Kisumu, Kenya: AAAS S-181s, Innovation Health Transformations in Africa
--Oxford, England: BIOL S-113, Darwin and Contemporary Evolutionary Biology
--Shanghai, China: BIOL S-103, Biological and Statistical Perspectives on Human Disease
--Tokyo, Japan (RIKEN): BIOL S-141c, The Collective Brain

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2. Petitioned Courses are other non-departmental FAS courses, non-FAS Harvard courses, MIT courses not already on the departmental course list, or courses taken in other departments while studying out of residence that you believe will contribute significantly to your study of psychology. These courses must include significant psychology content and relate directly to your own concentration program. Introductory courses in other departments, independent reading or research courses in other departments, non-departmental independent study courses, tutorial courses in other departments, and Freshman Seminar and Core courses not taught by psychology department faculty are not usually approved as Advanced Courses. You must complete a petition form for these courses, attaching a statement and syllabus. The form must have your concentration advisor's signature; this signature does not mean that your advisor approves your petition but rather that s/he believes you have made the strongest case for the course.

You must submit a petition form for these courses, attaching a statement. Petitions must be submitted the semester you are taking a course; deadlines for 2012-2013 are November 16th for fall term courses, and by May 3rd for spring term courses (or January 31st for graduating seniors). Courses taken out of residence have different deadlines. Courses taken outside of FAS require cross-registration with instructor and concentration signatures; because you can only get a concentration signature after your petition has been reviewed, you should submit petitions for non-FAS courses as soon as you can get a syllabus. (The Undergraduate cross-registration form is available in the Undergraduate Office, the Registrar's Office, and your House/Resident Dean's Office. Come to the Psychology Undergraduate Office for a signature by the Psychology departmental deadline for cross-registration on September 17, 2012 in the fall and February 8, 2013 for spring. Petitions are evaluated usually by the Head Tutor or occasionally the Committee on Undergraduate Instruction.

Approved courses will meet the following criteria:

Course is relevant to psychology: The course material bears directly upon areas of psychology in that (1) the readings report or consider relevant empirical psychological research; (2) the phenomena studied are amenable to analysis from multiple levels; and (3) the course actually gives some attention to multiple perspectives and interactions among levels. An emphasis on theory is sometimes acceptable if multiple and testable theories are considered.
Course is relevant to your program: Your statement relates the course to your interests in psychology, to coursework you have taken, and/or to thesis plans you have.
Course is rigorously evaluated: Courses evaluate students at least in part on their knowledge of the research literature, indicated by course examinations or papers.

When thinking about petitioning the department for a non-departmental course, it is important to keep in mind this concentration's approach to psychology. We want you to learn to draw conclusions about humans or animals based upon empirical data. This is, of course, only one way of looking at the world, and other disciplines employ other approaches. Thus, although you may identify a course in another section of the catalog that addresses topics of psychological importance, it may do so in a non-empirical way. We do appreciate that such a course and its approach can be valid and rigorous, and that it deserves to be part of your undergraduate education, but it would not be appropriate as a psychology Advanced Course. It may rather provide you with an interesting linkage between your concentration and non-concentration courses, and students often find making such intellectual connections gratifying.

The category Affiliate Courses no longer exists. Below are the list of courses that were previously listed under Affiliate Courses. For concentrators, these have been moved to the Expedited Course list and require an email notification. Secondary Field students may count ONE of the following non-departmental courses ONLY IF taken in 2010-11 or earlier:

Historical Study A-87, Madness and Medicine: Theories in the History of Psychology (Culture and Belief 34 cannot count)
History of Science 171, Narrative and Neurology
History of Science 177, Stories under the Skin: The Mind-Body Connection in Modern Medicine (no longer offered)
Life Sciences 1a, Integrated Introduction to the Life Sciences: Chemistry, Molecular Biology, and Cell Biology
Life Sciences 1b, Integrated Introduction to the Life Sciences: Genetics, Genomics, and Evolution
Neurobiology 130 (formerly Psychology 1205), Drugs and the Brain: From Neurobiology to Ethics
Organismic and Evolutionary Biology 53, Evolutionary Biology

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	© by the President and Fellows of Harvard College Last updated 24 January, 2013