This intensive January-Term course focuses on practical skill building and experiential learning related to policy-making. The goals are: (i) familiarize students with public policy institutions and career paths across multiple sectors (e.g., government, non-profit organizations, think-tanks, research institutes, organizations that do international work); (ii) connect students to working professionals for networking and career-building opportunities; (iii) provide opportunities to interact with and question Washington, DC professionals, beginning to socialize students as public policy professionals.

The study of human cognition, its basic concepts, methods, and major findings. Human knowledge acquisition and use. Attention, perception, memory, imagery, language, reading, problem solving, and decision making.

Neurobiological and neurochemical substrates underlying various psychopathologies, using both animal models and human data. Study of disorders from the field of biological psychiatry including aggression, anxiety, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, unipolar depression, bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The effectiveness of current behavioral and pharmacological therapy.

Provides students with an overview of the evolving relationship between wilderness/nature and American society. Examines the philosophy, ethics, and societal values in American society and its relationship to our natural wilderness. Recent issues are used as case studies in order for students to articulate, defend, and critique the ethical issues presented. Students are responsible for understanding and applying philosophical approaches developed by philosophers, writers, and activists associated with the wilderness, sustainability, biodiversity, hunting, suburban sprawl, environmental activism, endangered species, organic foods, and genetic engineering.