Summer Session I 2010 - Course Descriptions
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN COURSES
Architectural Design Studio
This studio will deal with the first preliminary phase of an architectural project: site analysis and design. The subject and site of the project to be developed through the BS program will be chosen and architectural precedents analyzed. Emphasis will be placed on the interactions between architecture and context, i.e., use, location, orientation, and general form of buildings as well as location of outdoor activities in relation to: social conditions, landscape, local climate, energy saving, environmental impact, multi-sensory comfort, transportation, and historical cultural heritage.
Prerequisite: None
DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITIES
ART HISTORY COURSES
Considering the context of the University’s location, its medieval castle campus, and the available local resources, the B.A. in Art History at SJIU focuses on the Western Art tradition with special emphasis on the representation and presentation of the environment. These courses cover a broad range of subjects from Ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque art, as well as art from the Nineteenth and Twentieth-first centuries. This program will offer students the possibility to appreciate both the artists and artists’ works in their historical, political, religious and environmental context.
Through the discussion of art within its social and cultural framework, students will learn to develop their own ideas and explore concepts pertaining to the development of cultural life throughout history. St. John International University’s unique location places students in close proximity to museums, art galleries and architectural sites both in Torino and throughout Italy. Students coming to SJIU will therefore have access to important resources for the study of original material.
DHM-ARH/1020 - Art History Survey II (Renaissance through 21st Century)
A survey of the history of Western art, including the works of Masaccio, Van Eyck, Donatello, Bosch, Michelangelo, and Leonardo; followed by the rise of national styles in the 17th and 18th century in France and England. Nineteenth century neoclassicism, romanticism, realism, impressionism, and post-impressionism, as well as modernism and developments in 20th- and 21st-century art, are also covered. Visits to museums in Torino such as the Galleria Sabauda, the Modern Art Gallery (GAM), and Rivoli Castle will supplement class readings and discussions. Students will be required to write a short formal analysis paper on an object in one of these museums.
Prerequisite: None
DHM-ARH/2300 - Ancient Roman Art and Architecture
A survey of Roman culture and history through material remains. Sculpture, painting, architecture, and the “minor” arts are examined with respect to aesthetic considerations, stylistic developments, and social significance. Topics include: the influence of Greek visual culture on Rome; the “Romanization” of the empire’s far-flung provinces; and the Roman foundations of Christian art and architecture. Visits to Torino’s Antiquities Museum and on-site presentations will supplement class readings and discussions. Students will be required to write a formal analysis paper on an object in the Antiquities Museum.
Prerequisite: None
DHM-ARH/2110 - Arte Povera, Survey of A Contemporary Art Movement
As the historical study of what has been labeled ‘contemporary art’ in the late Twentieth Century progresses, the idea that modern art has had one or two major centers and a wide periphery is challenged and reconsidered. The Italian movement ‘Art Povera’ is a case in point. Once believed to be a marginal and even provincial art movement involving only a handful of mavericks, ‘Art Povera’ is now recognized as a modern classic that rightly deserves to be canonized as one of the most important artistic movements of the second half of the Twentieth Century. The course is designed to survey the rise of this movement banking on the unique advantage SJIU has of being located at the very the heart of the Piedmont area that gave ‘Arte Povera’ its origins. Such centrality will offer students first-hand knowledge of a variety of artworks and documental collections unavailable elsewhere.
Prerequisite: None
ITALIAN LANGUAGE, LITERATURE AND CULTURE COURSES
MLL-ITA/1010 Beginning Italian I
This course provides a thorough foundation in Italian grammar, oral and written communication, and culture. Classes are supplemented by regular assignments using a variety of video, audio, print and Web-based materials to give students oral comprehension and speaking practice as well as to provide an introduction to Italy and Italian culture. This course will be held in Italian.
Prerequisite: None
Credits: 4
MLL-ITA/1020 Beginning Italian II
This course introduces students to short conversations using a limited vocabulary for a variety of basic situations. It includes reading simple Italian prose, and writing brief sentences. It explores the systems of language, culture and civilization of Italian-speaking peoples. This course will be held in Italian.
Prerequisite: MLL-ITA/1010 Beginning Italian I
Credits: 4
INTERDISCIPLINARY CULTURE AND LITERATURE IN TRANSLATION
DHM-ICL/1300 - Contemporary Italian Culture (W)
Students will examine the development of Italian culture through the study of cultural materials such as literature, political texts and theatre. Main themes are the relationship between politics and culture within their historical context. In addition, many aspects of Italian society such as family, education, sports, economics, immigration and politics will be examined. (Designated Writing Intensive Course)
Prerequisite: None
HISTORY COURSES
DHM-HIS/2310 - History of Ancient Rome and Italy (W)
Surveys the history of Italy and ancient Rome with emphasis on the course which Rome took from its archaic foundations to become an Italic-Latinate kingship. Important themes will be: the establishment, conflicts and expansion made during the Republican period, the cultural revolution of the Augustan “principate” and the rise and decline of the Roman Empire. Readings (in translation) of famous writers such as Cicero, Polybius, Virgil, Livy, Suetonius, Marcus Aurelius and Tacitus will be examined and studied along with significant works of Roman art and Architecture. (Designated Writing Intensive Course)
Prerequisite: None
DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC SCIENCES
BUSINESS COURSES
DBE-BUS/2700 - Principles of Marketing
This course surveys the policies, concepts and practices in product marketing and service. An in-depth discussion of the relationship between the decision-making process and marketing will be included.
Prerequisite: None
DBE-BUS/2300 - Introduction to Public Relations
In this course, students will learn about the basic theories/history of the discipline, issues of definition, important scholarly/theoretical debates and the dual nature of the public relations discipline.
Prerequisite: None
DBE-BUS/3600 - International Business
Explores the practices, theories and concepts concerning the multinational corporation and international business. Themes discussed: the global nature of the world economy, regional issues, functional business operations and environmental constraints.
Prerequisite: None
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE COURSES
DSE-ENV/1010 - Introduction to Environmental Science
This course examines various physical, biological and cultural problems relative to the environment. Includes topics such as: landscape planning, energy and other resources, population pressure, air/water pollution and public health.
Prerequisite: None
POLITICAL SCIENCE COURSES
DSE-POL 2000 - Introduction to International Relations
A theoretical and empirical study of contemporary international relations. Includes topics such as: the balance of power, East-West conflicts and the Cold War, colonialism, the Vietnam War, and the emerging new world order.
Prerequisite: None
DEPARTMENT OF FINE ARTS
In the department of Fine Arts students will be challenged throughout the offerings which provide substantial laboratory activities. This hands-on approach to learning trains students in the fundamental skills of art-making while opening up possibilities to engage and interact in the artistic community and establish an important presence in the field. Studios are fully equipped for painting, sculpture, and drawing and students will have access to materials, molds and still-life objects at in order to reach their objectives freely and creatively under qualified and professional guidance from the professors. The end of each course will culminate a public exhibition showcasing the student’s artwork.
FILM STUDIES COURSES
Due to its location in the dynamic urban environment of Torino, the Film Studies program at St. John International University is particularly well-suited to study the rich cultural identity of contemporary cinema. In fact, students will be able to go beyond the academic borders of the university in order to come into contact with film activities within the city such as the Torino Film Festival, the National Museum of Cinema and the Film Commission. To participate in this program means, in short, to learn about the energy and vastness of tomorrow’s film industry.
Only through personal and direct involvement can a student improve the quality of learning Film Studies. The theoretical components are the first step, which represent and indispensable and important basis to understanding Film Studies. At the same time, cinema is a field where the students assimilate and become involved through their own practical and direct experience.
DFA-FLS/2100 - The History of Italian Cinema
This course covers the history of Italian cinema from its beginnings to the present time. Students will study works from the period just after the Second World War and will examine important contemporary works made by some of the most important directors today. During the course, students will watch and discuss films that are characteristic of the different periods from the birth of the film industry (1903-1915), to the year 2000.
Prerequisite: DFA-FLS/1030 Introduction to Screen Analysis
PHOTOGRAPHY COURSES
AHS-SAP/1010 Introduction to Photography
This course will cover the works of pioneer photographers such as Neipce, Daguerre, Talbot and Wedgwood, the beginnings of photography and its acceptance as an independent art form, the humanistic and aesthetic ideals of chosen photographers in their socio-cultural contexts and the contribution that photography has made to painting, sculpture, literature, cinema, music and dance. It will also cover the use of the camera: technical knowledge combined with the aesthetic skills necessary for using photography as a modern means of communication. At the end of the course the students will create their own photographic album.
Prerequisite: None
STUDIO ART COURSES
With a hands-on approach to art-making students will learn the fundamental techniques of drawing and experiment with other media. Students will learn about effective ways of “communicating” through an artistic product.
DFA-SAC/1020 - Techniques of Painting
A survey of the different techniques and media of painting: oil, tempera, water-color, gouache and others, as well as an analysis of the materials used to paint and their history. A direct application of some of these techniques will complete this seminar.
Prerequisite: None
DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS, NATURAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES
PHYSICS COURSES
DNP-PHY/2000 - Building Physics
This course provides the necessary basic knowledge for an analysis of buildings’ behavior with regards to fluid dynamics, thermal and energetic aspects. Through the use of the tools acquired, students will be able to investigate the attainment and maintenance of thermal comfort over time and in various climatic conditions. This applies to various building forms, structures and materials.
Prerequisite: Environmental Architecture majors
