Cluster Programs: Evolution
“Evolution” will have three main purposes. First, the core courses will introduce students to the theory of evolution, basic evolutionary mechanisms, and continuing applications of evolutionary theory in science today. Second, the cluster will consider the varying disciplinary applications of, perspectives on, and appropriations of evolution as a theory, interpretive tool, and concept. Third, the cluster will enable students to confront and analyze intelligently differing points of view about evolution—both its science-specific meanings and its broader resonance in cultural and political debate. For example, many of the courses in the cluster will address, either directly or indirectly, some of the issues raised by the College’s Difficult Dialogues Initiative (including freedom of academic inquiry, the role of religious faith in the classroom, the nature of evidence and truth claims, etc.) Students who complete the cluster will have a deeper, wider, and more informed appreciation of the powerful impact that the theory of evolution has had on human knowledge since the 19th century. Because discussion of evolution requires familiarity with basic biological principles, and because Biology majors and non-Biology majors are likely to have had widely divergent levels of preparation for such discussion, the cluster actually includes two tracks—one for Biology majors, with an appropriate “core” course pitched at a level suitable for those with an advanced understanding of biology, and another for non-Biology majors, with a “core” course broader in nature but designed for non-specialists and ideal as an introduction to evolutionary science. The remaining courses in the cluster come from a variety of disciplines across three divisions of the College of Arts and Sciences.
BIOL 213, Evolution and Life or GEOL 159/L, Prehistoric Life (Core course for non-Biology majors) [NS]
BIOL 201, Ecology and Evolution (Core course for Biology majors) [NS]
BIOL 276, Structure and Evolution of Vertebrates [NS]
BIOL 277, Vertebrate Field Zoology [NS]
HIST 516, Historical Time [SS]
LING 333, Human Language and Animal Communication Systems [HM]
PHIL 352, Philosophy of Biology [HM]
PSYC 602, Evolutionary Psychology [NS]
RELI 421, Religion and Science [HM]
The four Divisions of the College of Arts and Sciences, with their abbreviations:
[HM]: Humanities
[FA]: Fine Arts
[SS]: Social and Behavioral Sciences
[NS]: Natural Sciences and Mathematics