Courses

Students will explore encryption/decryption techniques and methods of mathematical modeling through hands-on experience with codes, biological systems, and financial markets. Math areas covered include logic and set theory, number theory, and linear modeling.

At the root of the architecture discipline is the study of design. In this two-week course, students will focus on analog techniques of design utilizing hand drawing, mixed media exploration, and physical model making. The course will allow students to embrace the tactile facets of the creative process as a foundation of Architecture and its allied fields. Students will explore the city of New Orleans with their sketchbook, experiencing the spatial, environmental, and cultural context of New Orleans, while creating beautiful work that will be digitally archived for their professional portfolio.

Explore the realms of digital design, representation, and production using the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) as well as 3d modeling software. In this two-week course, students will focus on visual and spatial communication through digital media and express their design ideas in the digital laboratory using laser cutters, 3d printers, a CNC router, and 3d scanner. They will work with innovative digital tools to compile a portfolio of work that is lively, relevant and professional.

How do we analyze our daily journeys from home and back through architectural landscapes? In this course, students will explore fundamental design principles through the lens of media, film, and cinema. A uniquely modern art form showcasing design at every level on screen, cinematic sequences use the language of architecture to propel people through journeys of space and time. In class we will explore design and storytelling from the point of view of the audience and the creative, engaging in media and consumption from critical perspectives. For their final project, students will craft design projects articulating their own elemental language of architectural design.

What do the director of Hellboy II and Leonardo Da Vinci have in common? Fantastic sketchbooks! Just like you did from the age of two to ten years old [and perhaps further], these creative powerhouses documented their thoughts and their places in sketchbooks, extensions of their appendages. Not just notes and not just sketches, they recorded a collage of words, marks, lines, and washes. For these two weeks, you will be doing the same. Upon completion of this course, you will be the Bob Ross of the Sketchbook. What does Bob Ross have to do with all of this? Bob Ross demystified oil painting, shepherding the medium into the mainstream. You will leave these two weeks with the capacity to articulate space and place through a two-dimensional device. Demystify mark and stroke, you will canonize the power and prowess of the sketch catalog.

This course offers an overview of key biomedical concepts and human body measurements. This 1-week course is designed to pique the interest of high school students exploring diverse career paths from medicine to engineering and beyond. Students will delve into muscles, bones, and other parts of the body and how they all interact. In this class, we’ll cover a wide array of topics in interactive sessions, learn about and make hands-on body measurements, and innovate in biomedical design labs. Students will gain valuable insights into how the human body works and learn more about potential career avenues.

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Students will investigate how engineers apply Newton's third law of motion to studying the causes of traumatic brain injuries and designing solutions to prevent them. Students will collaboratively apply that knowledge to design and test helmets for quidditch players in Harry Potter’s world and undergraduate muggles.

This course will introduce students to basic biomedical concepts and measurements, as well as lay a foundation for understanding and using technical terminology employed by pre-clinical students and medical professionals. We will focus on the anatomy and physiology of the musculoskeletal systems and their interplay with other systems in the human body. In addition to lectures, students will gain hands-on measurement experience utilizing modern techniques while also gaining hands-on biomedical design experience through labs and activities.

In this hands-on course, students will learn how to develop a winning advocacy campaign. Each student will be tasked with identifying a change they would like to see in their community. Through training on social movement theory, power mapping, advocacy tactics, and narrative development, they will develop a plan they can use to campaign for their goal. Drawing on case studies from local and national advocacy organizations, this will be a crash course in advocating for change in 2024.

This course is designed to introduce you to human metabolism from a biochemical perspective. We will explore the composition of human bodies, how our cells utilize various fuel sources, and the relative nutritional value of different types of foods through discussion of the scientific literature, laboratory experiments and environmental explorations.

We are all continually surrounded by chemicals, from drugs to fuel to food additives. Ensuring these materials are free of dangerous contaminants is essential for human health and development. This course will introduce students to the most important techniques for purifying chemicals. We will use what we have learned in the classroom to isolate a number of different molecules in the lab, from ethanol to inorganic materials of eye-catching color.

Can you predict the future? Students will expand their understanding of climate change and the impact that factors such as rising global sea-surface temperatures have on our communities. They will be tasked with proposing solutions on how humans can counteract climate change and develop safeguards for their own future.

Computational tools are a critical part of our everyday lives. Software is the driving force behind cutting edge scientific discovery, blockbuster entertainment, and today’s fast‐paced marketplace ‐ and will continue to become even more important. This course is an introduction to techniques and problem‐solving approaches that are used to develop some of these computational tools. Students will use Python programming language to learn basic programming principles. Upon completion of this course, successful students will be able to design, implement and test computational solutions to problems.

Can you picture yourself solving critical issues along our coastal waterways? As our climate changes and we see the sea levels rise, scientists and engineers must work together to create practical solutions for the future. Students will explore the current issues that impact coastal communities and collaboratively strategize how they can make positive changes for resilience and sustainability now and moving forward.

What do zines, blogs, pussy hats, yarn bombs, and protest signs have in common, and how are they feminist? D.I.Y. feminism is a term used by scholars to describe and define the ways in which feminists communicate and elevate ideas through independent cultural production that resists mainstream representations. D.I.Y. feminist material culture takes many forms, including zines, blogs, protest signs, art installations, craftwork, tarot and oracle decks, posters, collage, etc. The Newcomb Archives and Vorhoff Collection of Tulane University collects, preserves, and makes available resources that document the history of women and gender, including LGBTQ+ activism, second and third wave feminist activist movements, feminist zines, feminist tarot and oracle decks, and women’s political campaigns. Students will engage directly with feminist forms of memory keeping and cultural information production through the collections of the Newcomb Archives and Vorhoff Collection, while thinking critically about the role of creative media in the formation of intersectional feminist identities. The week will culminate with the creation of a class zine as a tangible record of our shared experience, as well as a portfolio of creative D.I.Y. feminist media produced by students throughout the course.

How can digital design help us communicate? This two-week course delves into the power of visual communication as a medium for social engagement. Students will be introduced to Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, as they explore a wide variety of methods for digital illustration, graphic abstraction, and custom typography techniques. If you’ve ever been curious about graphic design, this is your chance—discover new ways to express your creativity through visual communication!

Plants are considered chemical factories on our planet earth and have profoundly influenced human cultures. This course is designed to introduce students to plants and how different plants and plant products have shaped human existence. We will explore plant history, plant domestication, and plant products through lecture, readings, discussions, and field trips. By the end of this course, successful students will be familiar with some of the plants that have influenced human civilization.

We will explore the Solar System in this class. Lecture material will provide both overviews of the bodies in the planetary bodies and more detailed examination of fundamental geologic processes like volcanism, tectonism, and impact cratering. Our bias will be towards the rocky inner planets, but we will not leave asteroids or the outer Solar System out. An emphasis will be placed throughout on how observations of the Solar System are made, and in this context the class will also develop a visible light spectrometer so that we can understand the essential engineering, physics, and data associated with this fundamental observational technique.

From the intricacies of electricity and circuits to the marvels of programmable microcontrollers, students will delve into the heart of electronic devices that power our modern world. The course begins with the fundamentals of electricity and electrical circuits before moving on to the behavior of various electronic components. Students explore the concept of programmable circuits, where a circuit can be designed and then programmed via computer to make measurements or perform specific tasks. Using the Arduino framework, students learn to use basic computer programming to measure and interact with the physical world around us using electronics. Hands-on labs help students transform theoretical concepts into practical skills as students build their own devices.

Unleash your inner innovator in this dynamic engineering course! Dive into the world of the engineering design process, solving real-world problems with a team. Engaging lectures guide you through problem-solving phases, while hands-on experience with Fusion 360 and rapid prototyping tools like 3-D printing and laser cutting elevates your skills. Along the way, you'll also cultivate teamwork and project management abilities. Join us and embark on a journey to unlock your creative potential and shape the future!

Have you ever wondered how neuroscientists learn more about the brain? In this course, students will be exposed to laboratory techniques that are fundamental to the study of neuroscience. These techniques will range from processing brain tissue for microscopy to trying to record electrical activity from living neurons. Students will gain practical experience that will provide them a frame of reference for how research is conducted, as well as gain skills that are translatable to other fields of science.

As a leader in public health for over a century, Tulane University recognizes the importance of community outreach and action. Students will examine the factors leading to outbreaks of disease and the impact that infectious diseases have on our society. Empowered with this information, they will design public health campaigns to mitigate the spread of infectious diseases.

Medical professionals play one of the most critical roles in our society, improving the lives and well-being of those in need - but how do they get to a diagnosis? Students will get firsthand experience with how doctors process information to formulate their next steps, gaining insight into how doctors think. Along the way, students will practice seeing patients to collect history, learn potentially life-saving medical skills, and get a glimpse into what medical training really entails. Students will be challenged to use what they learn to present their own mystery case to their peers.

What comes to mind when you think "nature sounds?" Perhaps bird calls, or rain, or wind during a storm. For musicians, film-makers, podcasters, and more, the sounds of everyday life play a key part in their creative work. This course introduces students to the ways that creators use environmental sound to make art. Students will learn technical skills like recording techniques and audio editing to make original pieces of sonic art, learning about how to hear detail in the sounds around them and listening to exciting artists working today. Topics covered will include field recording, listening exercises, audio editing and creative audio processing, and strategies for producing original art using sound—like music, soundtracks, podcasts, and more.

Do you like playing games with strategy in them? Ever wonder how chess experts figure out winning moves? Then this is the course for you! You will explore a range of games -- many of which will be completely new to you -- and learn how to apply ideas from mathematics to figure out the optimal strategy in the game. In doing so, you will be learning how to think like a mathematician and discover that mathematics is much more interesting than memorizing a bunch of formulas! No mathematical background is required -- all you need is curiosity and a willingness to work hard.

How have television, film, and new media technologies shaped public opinion and policy around reproductive issues? What are the new implications of media portrayals and technologies in the post-Roe world? This course focuses on relationships among reproductive politics, popular media, social media, and movements for reproductive rights and justice in the United States. By analyzing a range of today’s media – from Jane the Virgin and Teen Mom to sex ed and fertility apps – students will gain an understanding of key issues within reproductive politics, including the effects of social inequalities on reproductive freedom and outcomes.

In this course, students work with experienced faculty learning techniques for music and audio production using Digital Audio Workstation software like Ableton, Logic, and Reaper. Students engage in critical listening and work on daily creative projects culminating in a concert of student work at the end of the week. Topics and techniques covered in the class include Sound Synthesis, Sample Manipulation, Songwriting and Arranging, Mixing and Mastering.

In "New Orleans Music and Gender," we will use gender as a lens through which to understand a variety of genres including bounce, brass band, funk, and R&B. How do musicians use music to contest and enforce ideas about gender? And how do these gender expressions intersect with other identity categories such as race and class? Join us for a thought-provoking exploration of the contemporary and historical music scene in New Orleans where gender and sound are intimately intertwined.

Neuroscientists study everything from the electrical activity of individual brain cells to the behavior of animals and people. In the course, students will learn how to measure human brain waves, interpret data through statistical analysis, and read, write and think like a scientist. Activities include learning basic brain anatomy by studying actual human brain specimens, testing the effects of drugs on the behavior of rats, and preparing brain tissue for study under a microscope.

Spend the week diving into the history, mechanics, and ethics of visual journalism with hands-on time dedicated to making a cohesive, sequenced photo story with an award-winning National Geographic photographer. Emphasis will be placed on developing story, strengthening technical ability, and learning how to develop specialized skills like intimate portraiture and compelling narrative. No specialized equipment required — smartphone cameras welcome and encouraged.

The focus of this course is on the field of Materials, an interdisciplinary field applying the properties of matter to various areas of science and engineering. Students will rotate between six materials science research laboratories, combining lectures with hands-on laboratory activities to excite and introduce students to contemporary methods in superconductivity, optics and lasers, biomaterials, nanotechnology, and energy harvesting technologies. Students will be introduced to contemporary methods of biomaterials engineering from stem cells and regenerative medicine to cancer therapy.

This class will examine the intersection of social justice, housing, and photojournalism. Students will study current housing issues in New Orleans, particularly in marginalized communities, and how photographers can use their craft to bring attention to these struggles and advocate for fair and adequate housing. The class will explore the role of social justice organizations in advocating for marginalized communities and their right to safe and affordable housing and how documenting these organizations can amplify their cause and raise awareness of the issue. Through the course, students will gain experience in the ethical and technical aspects of producing photojournalism that addresses issues of social justice and housing.

This course covers topics from the nervous system and the brain, to learning and memory, to disorders and treatment, to social psychology. Through class lectures and a hands-on laboratory component, we will examine real human brain specimens, understand why we sleep and what dreams are for, see childhood development in action, explore how psychological disorders are treated, and examine how prejudice plays out in the courtroom. Students in this course will learn to read, write, and think like a psychologist and understand how psychologists ask their research questions.

This course will explore the science of well-being and what influences happiness. Specifically, science has found that happiness is strongly tied to our social connections and feelings of meaning, and that happiness can be influenced by intentional behaviors. In this course, we will address how psychologists define and measure happiness, identify specific psychological factors related to happiness, and examine research-based interventions that improve happiness. This course will provide opportunities for students to apply this science to their own lives to promote well-being as well as consider how we can more broadly implement the science to better our communities.

Louisiana leads the world historically in incarceration rates and now in criminal justice reform. Learn about the broad social impacts of a justice system rooted in inequalities and the struggles to reverse them. Students meet with formerly incarcerated activists while studying the structures for incarceration through film, video, and reportage and learn interview techniques in producing a profile for ViaNolaVie.

This course introduces an array of tools, techniques and motivations associated with Contemporary Computer Music Composition and Programming. Students will gain familiarity with the Digital Music Studio and Audio Workstation environments as they prepare frequent short composition assignments. Compositional paradigms to be explored in the course include MIDI Arranging, Sampling and Audio Editing, Sound Spatialization, Sonification Techniques and Process Music. We will also explore basic sound synthesis techniques including FM synthesis, ring modulation, granular synthesis, additive and subtractive synthesis.

The internet is all around us and coding for it has never been easier and more accessible thanks to open source and free software. In this introductory course (no prior coding experience necessary), students will learn how to code for the web using p5.js (a JavaScript Library) to create interactive and fun applications. Along with the students' own designs, we will be looking at artists, designers and online communities who have been making experimental works with code over the last 50 years. Students will leave this course with a basic to intermediate understanding of coding structure, logic and syntax in addition to a final project.

Everyone seems to be expressing themselves online, telling their story, and trying to explain their point of view. But rarely is someone’s authentic voice able to come through. In this course, students will develop their unique voices and tell their stories about current socio-political issues. Students will learn how various art forms have been used to shape social change; theories of social change; and marketing, advertising and public relations tactics that can be utilized for promoting certain social issues to become leaders for their community. How will you develop your authentic voice to create messages that are meaningful and surprising, creative, and simply true—your truth?

Should a football team punt on 4th down or go for it? How much money should a team spend on its starting shortstop? Does home-court advantage really matter? These questions were once answered by a coach’s gut-instinct, player’s skill, or perhaps even team tradition. The sports industry is now turning to statistical analysis and number-based reasoning for answers. In this course, students will focus on how analytics is utilized to guide different aspects of sports teams from game strategy to team operations and management. Students will learn basic analytics skills and apply them in a variety of different situations in the sports industry, ranging from in-game play calling to salary negotiations.

How do we know that the Pythagorean Theorem is true or that there are infinitely many prime numbers? It is not based on any measurement or scientific experiment. Instead, mathematical truths are known by constructing logical proofs. In this course, you will solve challenging problems and discover new truths the way mathematicians do. No mathematical background is required – all you need is curiosity and a willingness to work hard.

Students are passionate about social issues in their communities. But how can they get the word out and effect change? In this course, students will learn the tactics of persuasive communications necessary to advocate for causes they believe in. Students will practice these methods, from effective public speaking to strategic social media, to create effective communications. Seminar discussions will focus on contemporary issues of gender, politics, and advocacy work.