Course List

Explore the Summer 2025 Course Offerings

[Note] This page currently shows the courses offered during Summer 2025. This list will be updated in December to reflect our 2026 offerings.

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.

2025 Course Search

Displaying 161-180 of 214 courses

Introduction to Philosophy

PHIL S110 (CRN: 30084) | Syllabus | Learn More

Instructors: Daniel Greco
Dates: Session B, June 30 - August 1, 2025
Course Mode: In-Person
Meeting Times: TTh 9.00-12.15
Distributional Requirements: Humanities
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students

In-person Course. Introduction to the history and methods of philosophical reflection and inquiry. Exploration of several perennial philosophical issues and the distinctive ways of addressing these issues through a close reading of historical texts and group discussion. Readings include selections from the works of Plato, Aristotle, Hume, Kant, Mill, and twentieth-century philosophers. 1 Credit. Session B: June 30 – August 1. Tuition: $5270.

Moralities of Everyday Life

PHIL S152E (CRN: 30157) | Syllabus | Learn More

Instructors: Paul Bloom
Dates: Session A, May 26 - June 27, 2025
Course Mode: Online
Meeting Times: TTh 4.00-6.00p
Distributional Requirements: Social Sciences
Eligibility: Open to college students only

Online Course. The modern science of moral thought and moral action explored through disciplines such as cognitive science, social and developmental psychology, neuroscience, behavioral economics, and analytic philosophy. Empathy and compassion in babies and young children; emotional reactions to family, friends, and strangers; the origins of prejudice and bigotry; sexuality, disgust, and purity; punishment, revenge, and forgiveness; the relationship between morality and religion. Enrollment limited to 20 students. For college students and beyond. 1 Credit. Session A: May 26 – June 27. Tuition: $5270. Technology Fee: $85.

Free Will and Moral Responsibility

PHIL S160 (CRN: 30228) | Syllabus | Learn More

Instructors: Lawrence Vogel
Dates: Session A, May 26 - June 27, 2025
Course Mode: In-Person
Meeting Times: MWF 9.00-11.15
Distributional Requirements: Humanities
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students

Course closed to further enrollment. In-person Course. The question of free will matters because it seems fair to hold people morally responsible for what they do only if they act of their own free will.  But do human beings have free will? If so, what is it, and how is it related to moral and legal responsibility?  If we don’t have free will, how can we justify our ordinary moral responses: judgments of praise and blame, morally laden emotions like pride, indignation, shame and guilt, and practices of reward and punishment?  Even if much of our behavior is freely chosen, there are times when people are excused for wrongful acts or even exempted from moral responsibility altogether.  How do excuses and exemptions function?  Are we becoming a society that diminishes the value of personal responsibility by accepting too many excuses?  Or are we more enlightened and humane when we appreciate how limited personal responsibility is in the face of biological and environmental “givens” and historical and social circumstances that move people to behave as they do?  We shall pay special attention to the phenomenon of complicity in the wake of social pressure to comply with wrongdoing. Enrollment limited to 20 students. 1 Credit. Session A: May 26 – June 27. Tuition: $5270.

Introduction to Political Philosophy

PHIL S178 (CRN: 30085) | Syllabus | Learn More

Instructors: Paul Franks
Dates: Session B, June 30 - August 1, 2025
Course Mode: In-Person
Meeting Times: MW 9.00-12.15
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. Enrollment limited to 40 students. 1 Credit. Session B: June 30 – August 1. Tuition: $5270.

Philosophy and Technology

PHIL S183E (CRN: 30129) | Syllabus | Learn More

Instructors: Marshall Forrester
Dates: Session A, May 26 - June 27, 2025
Course Mode: Online
Meeting Times: MW 9.00-12.15
Distributional Requirements: Humanities
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students

Online 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 A: May 26 – June 27. Tuition: $5270. Technology Fee: $85.

Ancient Chinese Thought

PHIL S203 (CRN: 30074) | Syllabus | Learn More

Instructors: Mick Hunter
Dates: Session B, June 30 - August 1, 2025
Course Mode: In-Person
Meeting Times: MWF 9.00-11.15
Distributional Requirements: Humanities
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students

In-person course. An introduction to the foundational works of ancient Chinese thought from the ruling ideologies of the earliest historical dynasties, through the Warring States masters, to the Qin and Han empires. Topics include Confucianism and Daoism, the role of the intellectual in ancient Chinese society, and the nature and performance of wisdom. 1 Credit. Session B: June 30 – August 1. Tuition: $5270.

Lies and Deception

PHIL S337 (CRN: 30086) | Learn More

Instructors: N/A
Dates: Session B, June 30 - August 1, 2025
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. 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. Enrollment limited to 21 students. 1 Credit. Session B: June 30 – August 1. Tuition: $5270.

Animal Ethics Today

PHIL S417 (CRN: 30231) | Syllabus | Learn More

Instructors: N/A
Dates: Session A, May 26 - June 27, 2025
Course Mode: In-Person
Meeting Times: N/A
Distributional Requirements: Humanities, Writing
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students

Course cancelled. In-person Course. This course is designed to encourage grappling with some of the central questions in today's animal ethics literature and several prominent approaches to them. Among these questions are more fundamental ones concerning how to even approach questions surrounding the moral status of the animals and our treatment of them, as well as more derivative questions concerning particular practices. Included among these questions are: What moral status do animals have (indeed, is this even an illuminating question to ask)? In virtue of what do they have that status (e.g. is it in virtue of their intrinsic properties, or something else entirely)? Supposing animals do count morally, do humans still count more? What role, if any, should considerations of human happiness, virtue, and relationships play in our moral theorizing about animals? So (some of) the other animals have a right to life? A right to flourish? Is it morally permissible to keep pets, or should we work toward a future without domesticated animals? And what, if anything, does addressing the situation of non-human animals have to do with addressing other social justice issues? We explore these questions through a variety of ethical frameworks, including utilitarian, deontological, virtue-ethical, and feminist ones. Enrollment limited to 20 students. 1 Credit. Session A: May 26 – June 27. Tuition: $5270.

Movie Physics

PHYS S101E (CRN: 30130) | Syllabus | Learn More

Instructors: Francis Robinson
Dates: Session A, May 26 - June 27, 2025
Course Mode: Online
Meeting Times: MW 10.00-11.30
Distributional Requirements: Quantitative Reasoning, Science
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students

Online Course. A critical evaluation of Hollywood action movies, using the laws of physics and Fermi-type estimation techniques to distinguish between fictional and real movie physics. Enrollment limited to 20 students. 1 Credit. Session A: May 26 – June 27. Tuition: $5270. Technology Fee: $85.

Hollywood Astrophysics

PHYS S102E (CRN: 30237) | Syllabus | Learn More

Instructors: Francis Robinson
Dates: Session B, June 30 - August 1, 2025
Course Mode: Online
Meeting Times: MW 10.00-11.30
Distributional Requirements: Quantitative Reasoning, Science
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students

Course closed to further enrollment. 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. Enrollment limited to 20 students. 1 Credit. Session B: June 30 – August 1. Tuition: $5270. Technology Fee: $85.

Energy, Environment, and Public Policy

PHYS S120 (CRN: 30061) | Syllabus | Learn More

Instructors: Daniel Prober
Dates: Session B, June 30 - August 1, 2025
Course Mode: In-Person
Meeting Times: TTh 9.00-12.15
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. Enrollment limited to 30 students. 1 Credit. Session B: June 30 – August 1. Tuition: $5270.

Energy, Environment, and Public Policy

PHYS S120E (CRN: 30098) | Syllabus | Learn More

Instructors: Daniel Prober
Dates: Session A, May 26 - June 27, 2025
Course Mode: Online
Meeting Times: TTh 9.00-12.15
Distributional Requirements: Quantitative Reasoning, Science
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students

Online 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. Enrollment limited to 30 students. 1 Credit. Session A: May 26 – June 27. Tuition: $5270. Technology Fee: $85.

General Physics Laboratory

PHYS S165L (CRN: 30049) | Syllabus | Learn More

Instructors: N/A
Dates: Session A, May 26 - June 27, 2025
Course Mode: In-Person
Meeting Times: N/A
Distributional Requirements: Science
Eligibility: Open to college students only

Course cancelled. In-person Course. A large variety of laboratory experiments, coordinated with the lecture course PHYS S180, and designed to illustrate the physical principles developed in the lectures. Enrollment limited to 20 students. For college students and beyond. 1/2 Credit. Session A: May 26 – June 27. Tuition: $2635.

University Physics

PHYS S180E (CRN: 30131) | Syllabus | Learn More

Instructors: Mehdi Ghiassi-Nejad
Dates: Session A, May 26 - June 27, 2025
Course Mode: Online
Meeting Times: TTh 11.00-12.00, MTThF 9.30-10.45
Distributional Requirements: Quantitative Reasoning, Science
Eligibility: Open to college students only

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. Prerequisite: one term of Calculus of Functions of One Variable (MATH 112 or completed AP AB Calculus with a score of a 4 or 5). May be taken concurrently with MATH 115 and 120 or equivalents.  May not be taken for credit after PHYS 170. Enrollment limited to 50 students. For college students and beyond. 1 Credit. Session A: May 26 – June 27. Tuition: $5270. Technology Fee: $85.

University Physics

PHYS S181E (CRN: 30160) | Syllabus | Learn More

Instructors: Mehdi Ghiassi-Nejad
Dates: Session B, June 30 - August 1, 2025
Course Mode: Online
Meeting Times: TTh 11.30-12.30, MTThF 10.00-11.15
Distributional Requirements: Quantitative Reasoning, Science
Eligibility: Open to college students only

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. May be taken concurrently with MATH 115 and 120 or equivalents. May not be taken for credit after PHYS 171. Prerequisite: PHYS 170, 180 or PHYS 200 and MATH 112. Enrollment limited to 50 students. For college students and beyond. 1 Credit. Session B: June 30 – August 1. Tuition: $5270. Technology Fee: $85.

Introduction to International Relations

PLSC S111 (CRN: 30175) | Syllabus | Learn More

Instructors: Tyler Bowen
Dates: Session A, May 26 - June 27, 2025
Course Mode: In-Person
Meeting Times: MW 9.00-12.15
Distributional Requirements: Social Sciences
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students

In-person Course. The course provides a grounding for other courses in international relations by introducing students to the study of conflict and cooperation among states through an examination of the major issues, methods, questions, and theories of world politics. Students should leave the course proficient in four key areas, able to: discuss the crucial events of contemporary world politics (WWI – Present); argue the main schools of international relations theory and their approaches; evaluate a social science theory through qualitative or quantitative research; and assess competing explanations for international conflict and cooperation. 1 Credit. Session A: May 26 – June 27. Tuition: $5270.

Introduction to American Politics

PLSC S113E (CRN: 30161) | Syllabus | Learn More

Instructors: Christina Kinane
Dates: Session B, June 30 - August 1, 2025
Course Mode: Online
Meeting Times: TTh 10.00-11.30
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 B: June 30 – August 1. Tuition: $5270. Technology Fee: $85.

International Human Rights and Politics

PLSC S167 (CRN: 30090) | Syllabus | Learn More

Instructors: Luis Zavala De Alba
Dates: Session B, June 30 - August 1, 2025
Course Mode: In-Person
Meeting Times: MWF 9.00-11.15
Distributional Requirements: Social Sciences
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students

Course closed to further enrollment. In-person Course. International human rights organizations and their implications for international politics. The role of human rights institutions in affording remedies to victims of state abuse. The emergence and exercise of international human rights law, including its nature, mechanisms, and logic. Enrollment limited to 15 students. 1 Credit. Session B: June 30 – August 1. Tuition: $5270.

The United States Congress

PLSC S227E (CRN: 30162) | Syllabus | Learn More

Instructors: Amir Fairdosi
Dates: Session B, June 30 - August 1, 2025
Course Mode: Online
Meeting Times: TTh 7.00-8.30p
Distributional Requirements: Social Sciences
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students

Course closed to further enrollment. 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. Enrollment limited to 21 students. 1 Credit. Session B: June 30 – August 1. Tuition: $5270. Technology Fee: $85.

U.S. State and Local Politics

PLSC S240 (CRN: 30218) | Syllabus | Learn More

Instructors: Eleanor Schiff
Dates: Session B, June 30 - August 1, 2025
Course Mode: In-Person
Meeting Times: TTh 1.00-4.15
Distributional Requirements: Social Sciences
Eligibility: Open to pre-college and college students

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 30 – August 1. Tuition: $5270.

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