Explore our diverse range of academic offerings designed to inspire, challenge, and expand your intellectual horizons. Whether you're looking to deepen your expertise in a specific field, explore new areas of interest, or engage with world-class instructors, our courses cater to a variety of academic goals. Browse through our list to discover the opportunities awaiting you this summer, and take the next step in your academic journey at Yale.
PHIL S1178 (CRN: 30121) | Learn More
Instructors: Paul Franks
Dates: Session A, May 25 - June 26, 2026
Course Mode: In-Person
Meeting Times: TTh 1.00-4.15
Distributional Requirements: Humanities
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students
In-person Course. A survey of social and political theory, beginning with Plato and continuing through modern philosophers such as Rawls, Nozick, and MacIntyre. Emphasis on tracing the development of political ideas; challenges to political theories. 1 Credit. Session A: May 25 – June 26. Tuition: $5480.
PHIL S1183 (CRN: 30122) | Learn More
Instructors: Joseph Lawal
Dates: Session B, June 29 - July 31, 2026
Course Mode: In-Person
Meeting Times: MWF 1.00-3.15
Distributional Requirements: Humanities
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students
In-person Course. The last few years have witnessed significant improvements in artificial intelligence and virtual reality technologies. Within our lifetimes, it may become possible to spend time in extremely realistic computer simulated worlds, populated by artificially intelligent agents. This prospect forces us to grapple with a host of important questions, including: whether artificially intelligent agents will ever achieve consciousness and moral status; whether we could survive ‘uploading’ our minds into a virtual reality; whether or not this would be good for us; and whether we can know if we are already living inside a simulation. In this class we will discuss all of those questions, as well as several ethical dilemmas posed by present-day technologies like dating apps and self-driving cars. (Is it immoral to ‘swipe left’ on potential romantic partners based on physical appearance? How should self-driving cars handle ethical trade-offs?) The class will not presume any background in philosophy or technology studies, and will use technological developments as a springboard into philosophy. 1 Credit. Session B: June 29 – July 31. Tuition: $5480.
PHIL S3337 (CRN: 30123) | Learn More
Instructors: James Mahon
Dates: Session B, June 29 - July 31, 2026
Course Mode: In-Person
Meeting Times: MWF 1.00-3.15
Distributional Requirements: Social Sciences
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students
Course closed to further enrollment. In-person Course. Introduction to contemporary philosophical debate about the nature of lies and deception. Definitions of lying and deception, including whether all lies necessarily aim to deceive; moral justifications for lying and deceit and their counterarguments; ways in which the moral arguments against deception of others can apply to self-deception. 1 Credit. Session B: June 29 – July 31. Tuition: $5480.
PHYS S1000 (CRN: 30185) | Syllabus | Learn More
Instructors: Daniel Prober
Dates: Session A, May 25 - June 26, 2026
Course Mode: In-Person
Meeting Times: TWTh 9.30-11.45
Distributional Requirements: Quantitative Reasoning, Science
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students
In-person Course. Seminar that covers the technology, use, and impact of energy on the environment, climate, security, and the economy. Emphasis on what drives people's choices and how to transition to renewable energy. Tours of energy facilities on the Yale campus. Prerequisite: completion of high school physics and chemistry. 1 Credit. Session A: May 25 – June 26. Session B: June 29 – July 31. Tuition: $5480.
PHYS S1000 (CRN: 30189) | Syllabus | Learn More
Instructors: Daniel Prober
Dates: Session B, June 29 - July 31, 2026
Course Mode: In-Person
Meeting Times: TWTh 9.30-11.45
Distributional Requirements: Quantitative Reasoning, Science
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students
Session B course closed to further enrollment. In-person Course. Seminar that covers the technology, use, and impact of energy on the environment, climate, security, and the economy. Emphasis on what drives people's choices and how to transition to renewable energy. Tours of energy facilities on the Yale campus. Prerequisite: completion of high school physics and chemistry. 1 Credit. Session A: May 25 – June 26. Session B: June 29 – July 31. Tuition: $5480.
PHYS S1020 (CRN: 30124) | Syllabus | Learn More
Instructors: Frank Robinson
Dates: Session B, June 29 - July 31, 2026
Course Mode: Online
Meeting Times: MW 10.00-11.45
Distributional Requirements: Quantitative Reasoning, Science
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students
Online Course. In this course, students learn how to critically evaluate Hollywood’s representation of aspects of modern physics (relativity, quantum mechanics and modern-day climate change). After being given the background physics and quantitative training required to understand a particular topic, students will typically be shown a movie clip and asked to quantitatively judge the veracity of the physics in the scene. Is it a good or bad representation of what happens according to the laws of physics? Assignments will involve both solving physics word problems and explaining how physics concepts are used in movies. If you claim movies such as “Interstellar” or “The Day after Tomorrow” violate the laws of physics, you need to be able to back up that claim with sound physical reasoning. This is what students learn to do in Hollywood Astrophysics. 1 Credit. Session B: June 29 – July 31. Tuition: $5480. Technology Fee: $85.
PHYS S1800 (CRN: 30125) | Syllabus | Learn More
Instructors: Mehdi Ghiassi-Nejad
Dates: Session A, May 25 - June 26, 2026
Course Mode: Online
Meeting Times: MTThF 9.30-10.45, TTh 11.00-12.00
Distributional Requirements: Quantitative Reasoning, Science
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students
Online Course. A broad introduction to classical and modern physics for students who have some previous preparation in physics and mathematics. Topics include Newtonian mechanics, gravitation, waves, and thermodynamics. May not be taken for credit after PHYS 1700. Prerequisite: MATH 1120 or completed AP AB Calculus with a score of 4 or 5. May be taken concurrently with MATH 1150 or 1200. Enrollment limited to 50 students. 1 Credit. Session A: May 25 – June 26. Tuition: $5480. Technology Fee: $85.
PHYS S1810 (CRN: 30126) | Syllabus | Learn More
Instructors: Mehdi Ghiassi-Nejad
Dates: Session B, June 29 - July 31, 2026
Course Mode: Online
Meeting Times: MTThF 9.30-10.45, TTh 11.00-12.00
Distributional Requirements: Quantitative Reasoning, Science
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students
Online Course. A broad introduction to classical and modern physics for students who have some previous preparation in physics and mathematics. Topics include electromagnetism, special relativity, and quantum physics. Prerequisite: PHYS 1700, 1800, or PHYS 2000 and MATH 1120; may be taken concurrently with MATH 1150 or MATH 1200. Cannot be taken for credit after PHYS 1710. 1 Credit. Session B: June 29 – July 31. Tuition: $5480. Technology Fee: $85.
PLSC S1222 (CRN: 30127) | Learn More
Instructors: Christina Kinane
Dates: Session A, May 25 - June 26, 2026
Course Mode: Online
Meeting Times: TTh 7.15-9.00p
Distributional Requirements: Social Sciences
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students
Online Course. Introduction to American national government. The Constitution, American political culture, civil rights, Congress, the executive, political parties, public opinion, interest groups, the media, social movements, and the policy-making process. 1 Credit. Session A: May 25 – June 26. Tuition: $5480. Technology Fee: $85.
PLSC S2227 (CRN: 30128) | Learn More
Instructors: Amir Fairdosi
Dates: Session B, June 29 - July 31, 2026
Course Mode: Online
Meeting Times: TTh 7.15-9.00p
Distributional Requirements: Social Sciences
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students
Online Course. This is a survey course on the United States Congress. We will explore such questions as: What are the causes and effects of political polarization? How would term limits affect policy outcomes? What is the effect of money on Congress? Where do/should constituents fit in in all this? How does Congress interact with the President and the bureaucracy? How does one run for office? Why is Congress’s approval rating lower than any other institution in the country? The course is divided into two parts. In Part I, we discuss the theoretical and historical foundations of legislative government the United States. In Part II, we move beyond theories of legislating and on to the way Congress operates in practice. 1 Credit. Session B: June 29 – July 31. Tuition: $5480. Technology Fee: $85.
PLSC S2228 (CRN: 30194) | Syllabus | Learn More
Instructors: Karen Goodrow
Dates: Session B, June 29 - July 31, 2026
Course Mode: Online
Meeting Times: MW 10.00-11.45
Distributional Requirements: Social Sciences
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students
Online Course. This course will address the First Amendment and freedom of speech, focusing on the ethical implications of restrictions on free speech, as well as the exercise of free speech and contemporary issues involving free speech. Course topics and discussions will include the "fighting words" doctrine, hate speech, true threats, content regulated speech, freedom of speech and the internet, and the so-called "right to be forgotten". By the end of the course, students will be able to recognize the role free speech plays in American society as analyzed through competing societal interests. Students will be able to analyze how these competing interests are weighed and measured in the United States as compared with other countries. 1 Credit. Session B: June 29 – July 31. Tuition: $5480. Technology Fee: $85.
PLSC S2253 (CRN: 30129) | Syllabus | Learn More
Instructors: Andrea Aldrich
Dates: Session A, May 25 - June 26, 2026
Course Mode: Online
Meeting Times: TTh 10.00-12.15
Distributional Requirements: Social Sciences
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students
Online Course. This course explores theoretical and empirical work in political science to study the relationship between gender and politics in the United States and around the world. In doing so, we will examine women’s access to power over time, women’s descriptive and substantive representation in political institutions, the causes and consequences of women’s underrepresentation, the way gender shapes both policy making, and how government policy impacts the lives of women. 1 Credit. Session A: May 25 – June 26. Tuition: $5480. Technology Fee: $85.
PLSC S2321 (CRN: 30233) | Syllabus | Learn More
Instructors: Julia Adams
Dates: Session B, June 29 - July 31, 2026
Course Mode: Online
Meeting Times: MWF 9.00-11.15
Distributional Requirements: Social Sciences
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students
Online Course. In this concentrated survey course, students explore the writings of the classical Western theorists of social and political life in modernity, as they address problems that still preoccupy us today. Attention to conceptual frameworks, historical contexts, and contributions to contemporary social analysis. Classical theorists include Hobbes, Locke, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Mill, Martineau, Tocqueville, Hegel, Marx, Weber, Du Bois, and Durkheim. 1 Credit. Session B: June 29 – July 31. Tuition: $5480. Technology Fee: $85.
PLSC S2336 (CRN: 30222) | Learn More
Instructors: James Mahon
Dates: Session B, June 29 - July 31, 2026
Course Mode: In-Person
Meeting Times: MWF 1.00-3.15
Distributional Requirements: Social Sciences
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students
Course closed to further enrollment. In-person Course. Introduction to contemporary philosophical debate about the nature of lies and deception. Definitions of lying and deception, including whether all lies necessarily aim to deceive; moral justifications for lying and deceit and their counterarguments; ways in which the moral arguments against deception of others can apply to self-deception. 1 Credit. Session B: June 29 – July 31. Tuition: $5480.
PLSC S2470 (CRN: 30204) | Syllabus | Learn More
Instructors: Asha Rangappa
Dates: Session A, May 25 - June 26, 2026
Course Mode: Online
Meeting Times: MW 9.00-10.45
Distributional Requirements: Social Sciences
Eligibility: Open to college students only
Online Course. This course explores the evolution of information warfare as a national security threat to the United States. Beginning with the KGB’s use of “active measures” during the Cold War, the course looks at how propaganda and disinformation campaigns became central to the Putin regime and how social media has facilitated their expansion and impact. Using Russia’s efforts in the 2016 election as an example, students will examine how the First Amendment places limitations on the U.S.’s ability to counter such operations in the United States and explore how strengthening critical thinking and American social capital might be effective prophylactics against these efforts. For college students and beyond. 1 Credit. Session A: May 25 – June 26. Tuition: $5480. Technology Fee: $85.
PLSC S2600 (CRN: 30288) | Learn More
Instructors: Ian Turner
Dates: Session B, June 29 - July 31, 2026
Course Mode: Online
Meeting Times: MW 1.00-3.00
Distributional Requirements: Quantitative Reasoning, Social Sciences
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students
Online Course. Introduction to game theory—a method by which strategic interactions among individuals and groups in society are mathematically modeled—and its applications to political science. Concepts employed by game theorists, such as Nash equilibrium, subgame perfect equilibrium, and perfect Bayesian equilibrium. Problems of cooperation, time-consistency, signaling, and reputation formation. Political applications include candidate competition, policy making, political bargaining, and international conflict. Prerequisite: high school algebra. 1 Credit. Session B: June 29 – July 31. Tuition: $5480. Technology Fee: $85.
PLSC S3101 (CRN: 30130) | Learn More
Instructors: N/A
Dates: Session A, May 25 - June 26, 2026
Course Mode: In-Person
Meeting Times: N/A
Distributional Requirements: Social Sciences
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students
Course cancelled. In-person Course. Study of the international relations and foreign policy of contemporary China. Topics include war, diplomacy, grand strategy, the military, cyber security, finance, trade, domestic politics, nuclear weapons, and international crises. There are no formal prerequisites, but some basic knowledge of China is assumed, so a background equivalent to having taken one of the introductory courses on China is recommended. 1 Credit. Session A: May 25 – June 26. Tuition: $5480.
PLSC S3250 (CRN: 30131) | Syllabus | Learn More
Instructors: N/A
Dates: Session B, June 29 - July 31, 2026
Course Mode: In-Person
Meeting Times: N/A
Distributional Requirements: Social Sciences
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students
Course cancelled. In-person Course. While Americans’ attention is often focused on events in Washington, D.C. and the activities of the president and the Congress. Arguably, however, the policies enacted in state houses and city councils have a more direct effect on citizens’ everyday lives than the activities in our Nation’s capital. State and local politics includes a myriad of issues that have an important effect on citizens including welfare, elections, healthcare, social policies, education, criminal law, infrastructure, and many others. Understanding how state institutions and behavior shape policy outcomes is not only substantively interesting, but the states also provide political scientists with opportunities to examine larger questions about topics such as power, representation, and responsiveness. This course will address both how the states themselves are substantively interesting, as well as how they are used to understand broader issues in political science and governance. 1 Credit. Session B: June 29 – July 31. Tuition: $5480.
PLSC S3437 (CRN: 30259) | Syllabus | Learn More
Instructors: Maria Jose Hierro
Dates: Session B, June 29 - July 31, 2026
Course Mode: In-Person
Meeting Times: MWF 10.00-12.15
Distributional Requirements: Social Sciences
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students
In-person Course. This seminar explores the complex relationship between these two concepts, from their origins to the present. Through a wide range of readings—from classical thinkers to contemporary authors— we will examine how nationalism has shaped liberal democracy, strengthened states, and liberated peoples from foreign rule, while also considering how authoritarian regimes monopolize the idea of the nation and how democratic erosion unfolds as narrow understandings of the nation gain prevalence. Over the course of five weeks, students will engage with a variety of materials—from political leaders’ speeches to artworks— be introduced to diverse disciplinary perspectives, and travel intellectually from America to other regions of the world to better grasp the nature of this relationship. The course aims to deepen students’ ability to think critically about the interplay between nationalism and democracy—an understanding essential to making sense of the world we live in and to engaging with it thoughtfully as citizens. 1 Credit. Session B: June 29 – July 31. (This course is included in the YSS Program in Politics, which also requires enrollment in ENGL S1021, Writing About Politics. Program Cost: $10,805. Please refer to the program website for more details.)
PLSC S3464 (CRN: 30230) | Syllabus | Learn More
Instructors: N/A
Dates: Session A, May 25 - June 26, 2026
Course Mode: Online
Meeting Times: N/A
Distributional Requirements: Humanities
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students
Course cancelled. Online Course. This seminar explores the history of right-wing political thought from the late eighteenth century to the present, with an emphasis on the role played by religious and pagan traditions. This course seeks to answer the questions: what constitutes the right? What are the central principles and values of those groups associated with this designation? And what are the defining features of what is commonly referred to as the “global right?” It will do so by examining primary tracts written by theologians, political philosophers, and social theorists as well as secondary literature written by scholars interrogating various movements and ideologies associated with the Right in America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Though touching on specific national political parties, institutions, and think tanks, its focus will be on mapping the intellectual similarities and differences between various right-wing ideologies. The “Right” emerged alongside its counterpoint, the "left," as early as 1692 to describe the congregation patterns surrounding the French Monarch, but it was not until the Revolution of 1789 when it gained its current political meaning. As the French Chamber of Deputies debated the rights of man and royal veto powers it was suggested that opponents to these measures sit du côté droit, while supporters place themselves du côté gauche. The division, many complained, was too absolute and left no room for nuance or political idiosyncrasies. Yet the arrangement held, the terms stuck, and by mid-century the right had begun to be a catchall for a host of political groups, including conservatives, traditionalists, authoritarians, royalists, nationalists and papists. By the twentieth century the term would be stretched to include movements ranging from Fascism to Populism and would be used to describe the political position of political parties in the Middle East and Asia. Though primarily associated with European and parliamentary politics, increasingly the designation of the right has been applied to Evangelical and Judeo-Christian groups in the United States. 1 Credit. Session A: May 25 – June 26. Tuition: $5480. Technology Fee: $85.
