Tag: requirements

Brandeis Summer School students walking up the stairs to an academic building on campus.

Still Undecided on your Major/Minor?

May 16, 2019 / / Comments Off on Still Undecided on your Major/Minor?

Do you want to explore your major or minor options but haven’t had the time? Brandeis Summer School provides students with a general overview of many different fields of study by offering several introductory courses over the summer.

Perhaps you want to consider philosophical questions such as: What can we know about the world external to our senses? What can we know about the thoughts and feelings of others? What is the relationship between our minds and our brains? What makes an action right or wrong? The PHIL 1A: Introduction to Philosophy course aims to motivate these questions and introduce students to the methods of contemporary analytic philosophy.

Maybe you want to study the basics of neuroscience from a biological perspective: How does the brain talk to the body? How is visual information transformed from the eye to the brain? How does learning and memory work? The NPSY 11B: Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience course considers cells, circuits of neurons, and regions of the brain, but does not require prior specific biological knowledge.

Or maybe you wonder about “Globalization” and how it touches our lives more each and every day. The IGS 10A: Introduction to International and Global Studies class introduces the historical origins of globalization, then addresses the challenges of globalization to national and international governance, economic success, individual and group identities, cultural diversity, and the environment.

Perhaps you want to join the journey through the bio-cultural transformations of humanity, which highlights the emergence of bipedal locomotion, the increased levels of encephalization, changes in subsistence practices, the control of fire, the appearance of language, and the anthropogenic impacts of the global dispersal of modern humans, in ANTH 5A – Human Origins.

Whatever your interest, the Summer School offers courses from a wide variety of academic disciplines including: Anthropology, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Contemporary Art, Economics, English, Fine Arts, Health Care Policy, History, International and Global Studies, Literature, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Philosophy, Physics, Psychology, Religious Studies, Screenplay Writing, Sociology, and Theater Arts.

Explore all of our summer course offerings and register today!

If you have questions you can always email us at summerschool@brandeis.edu.

We look forward to learning with you this summer!

Helpful Tips for Brandeis Summer School

March 13, 2012 / / Comments Off on Helpful Tips for Brandeis Summer School

As an extension from the “Basic Guide to Courses for Brandeisians,” here are some helpful tips for mastering Brandeis Summer School:

1.  Browse early!  Even though Registration does not open until early April, take the next few weeks to figure out what type of course you are looking for.  Whether, it is to fulfill a major or minor requirement, University requirement, or a you just want to knock out some extra credits over the summer, there are plenty of courses to choose from!

2.  Talk with an advisor!  There is no time like the present to declare a major or minor.  It is not set in stone until a certain point in your undergraduate career.  You might as well see what an advisor or department head has to say about your ideal course sequence.  Perhaps he or she has some suggestions for you to get a better understanding of a major or minor if you are currently on the fence.

3. Remember, there’s no shopping period for Summer Courses.  Since the Summer Calendar is much more compact, this leaves little to no room for experimenting with different courses.  If you enroll in a course, be sure that it is the one you want to take.

4.  Do not fall behind with deadlines.  If you keep pushing back your work, more and more tasks will pile up leaving an overwhelmingly large to-do list.

5.  Talk with students who have taken Summer Courses in the past.  See what they thought about the work environment, work load, professors, and their overall thoughts about Brandeis in the Summer.

6.  Work out the financials.  As college students, we all know that it is great to have a little extra pocket money for our extravagant expenses.  Do you need a paid summer internship?  This could play a huge role when deciding to take summer courses and if so, which module.

7.  Need to do an internship for a major or minor?  Check out the Brandeis Summer Internship opportunities!

8.  Transfer/Midyear/Abroad?  If any of these apply, make sure you will have enough credits to graduate on time.  Credits should not be the reason why anyone does not walk with his or her class.

9.  What about housing?  Brandeis University offers housing for undergraduate students, but if you would prefer to live off campus, there are many rooms that are available for sublets.

10.  If choosing to enroll in Summer Courses, remember to keep things in perspective!  You can still enjoy the Summer weather, beaches, and barbecues, but you decided to come to the University to  learn and satisfy requirements.

All in all, remember to have fun!  College is one of the best times of your life.  Take in all the knowledge that you are receiving and start each day with a breath of fresh air!  At times it may seem tough, but we all got into Brandeis some how.  You can do it and do it well!

The Benefits of the Brandeis Summer Program

March 6, 2012 / / Comments Off on The Benefits of the Brandeis Summer Program

Summer registration is just around the corner, making this weekend the perfect time to think about enrolling in the Summer Program at Brandeis University.  The unique programs that our University has this summer will gladly facilitate the learning experience of your undergraduate career.

Some of you may believe that Summer School is attached with the negative stigma that it had in the 90’s, along with detention and demerits.  This is one of the greatest misconceptions of the Summer Program.  In fact, those who enroll in summer courses are of the most proactive students at this campus.  In order to redesign the phrase “Brandeis Summer School,” I would strongly advise you to read the following:

Major(s)/Minor(s) – As Brandeisian students, we know many individuals who have decided to declare everything more than the single major that we are all required to have.  Since Brandeis students typically have only 7 or 8 semesters at the University, sometimes it is difficult to find the time to take all of the requirements for the various majors and/or minors.  These students should be strongly encouraged by an advisor, parent, or even a peer to enroll in summer courses. 

Midyears – Even though Brandeis makes the Midyear transition extremely easy and manageable for all of these students to graduate with the rest of their class, it could be helpful for a student who arrived as a Midyear to enroll in a summer course or two.  There is no reason why anyone should have anxiety over the number of credits that he or she has. 

Internship Opportunities – There are countless majors and minors that require some sort of internship along with the rest of the required courses.  If you are like me, then it is difficult to imagine putting in an additional 10 hours every week for an internship on top of all of your classes.  Every summer there are different internship opportunities available.  If you know that your major or minor requires some sort of internship, keep posted on the summer course announcements.

Going Abroad – Going abroad is a right of passage that many students choose to take in their college  years.  Although it is not necessarily for everyone, there are some concerns for those who are on the fence.  One of the largest reasons that I believe students do not go abroad is because of academic requirements that need to be finished on the home front.  That being said, the Summer Program is the perfect place to knock a few courses out of the way.  This will free up your schedule and allow you to take interesting courses abroad that are not available here at Brandeis.

Graduating Early – Attention, eager beavers that want to get into the “real” world as quickly as possible, Summer School can, yet again, be used to your advantage.  By taking a few summer courses and maybe one or two extra courses over your years at Brandeis, you will be able to receive enough credits to graduate early!

University Requirements – In order maintain the liberal nature that Brandeis has come to be, we are required to take many courses outside what we are comfortable with an expand our academic horizons.  That being said, sometimes certain University Requirements escape out from under us and are found to be offered during inconvenient times (schedule conflicts, early in the morning, etc.).  In order to receive the proper credits for these courses, Brandeis University allows you to enroll in courses that satisfy many, if not all, of the University Requirements.

Location, Location, Location!! – Last, but not least, we have one of the most positive reasons to be at Brandeis University over the summer, which is being at Brandeis University over the summer.  With incredible weather and its close proximity to Boston, there are countless things to do to enjoy yourself over the summer weeks.

Biology Curriculum Change

February 7, 2012 / / Comments Off on Biology Curriculum Change

Attention Prospective Biology majors:

As many of you know, Biology is of one of the largest majors that is offered at Brandeis University.  The graduate school acceptance rates are so incredible that they attract “biophiliacs” from all over the world, literally.  Upon your arrival at Brandeis, you can immediately spot all of the Bio majors, usually by their heavy textbooks, 100 Carbonless Duplicate Paged Laboratory notebooks, and TI-80+ calculators.  These students came here for an understanding of fundamental and current biological knowledge in various areas, and nothing will stand in their way.

Some of you might be s little intimidated by the General Chemistry prerequisite, but fear not, Brandeis has adapted to the needs of its students and has provided alternatives!  Let’s just to take a few steps backwards, Biology is broken up into two sub sections, a bachelor’s degree of Arts and a bachelor’s degree of Science.  Both appear to require a year of General Chemistry before students decide to enroll in basic Biology courses.  Chemistry provides the foundation of Biology; however, if you have found that Chemistry is really not your forté, then read the following to learn how you can still get that degree in Biology:

1. Before you make any rash decisions, be sure to give Chemistry a chance during the shopping period.  It will definitely be helpful to sit in a Brandeis science class before embarking on more advanced courses.  If you seem to be leaning more towards dropping the course at the end of the shopping period, perhaps shop BIOL 15B Human Implications as well.

2.  If after the shopping period you feel that Chemistry is not for you, then talk to the professor and advisor to a second and third opinion.  The BIOL 15B course that was just mentioned is just one alternative for students that still want to pursue the Biology major.  It still satisfies the BIOL 22A/B prerequisite and you learn a lot on an introductory level.

3.  Perhaps you have taken AP Chemistry and/or AP Biology in high school, or a similar course, and you feel very confident in your science skills, then you should meet with your advisor and see what he or she thinks is the next best move for you.  Although the majority of students that enroll in BIOL 22A/B are sophomores, the course is open to exceptionally well-prepared first-year students.

After one has satisfied the core requirements for this major, students have the opportunity to pursue a specific field of interest or can continue to learn about the different biological courses and concepts that Brandeis has to offer.  In addition to the exceptional courses, these students also reserve the opportunity to participate in laboratory research and attend departmental colloquia.

Upon graduation, these Brandeis biology majors have many doors that open for them.  Depending on the courses that were taken and the individual’s interests, the student could pursue his or her graduate level education in dentistry, medicine, veterinary medicine, and allied health professions.  The student can also elect to join the work force as a biological researcher.   Others may choose to combine their other majors and/or minors to go in a completely different direction post-undergrad like law school, business, or education.  The possibilities are endless.  For more information, please visit the Biology University Bulletin.

IMPORTANT NOTE: For those interested in furthering their education in graduate studies of medicine, dentistry, and/or veterinary medicine, be sure to research their requirements or recommended requirements before you decide to not take General Chemistry.  Many of these schools strongly recommend some sort of chemistry background as it will be helpful in your future studies.

If you want to get a jumpstart on your Biology major requirements, be sure to keep an eye out for Summer 2012 Courses!

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