Registration for summer 2023 courses will open on Monday, February 6, 2023
These challenging courses are designed for students who want to experience university-level academics while building up their resume for college applications. You can take one 3- or 4-credit course* during College Prep.
*To satisfy visa requirements, international students receiving visa assistance from Georgetown will be enrolled in a second credit course. Please refer to the How to Apply page for additional details.
Please Note: Any requests to take a class that is not on this list must be submitted to our Program Director via email to highschool@georgetown.edu for review. See the FAQs page for more details. Please do not contact class instructors directly to request permission to enroll.
About College Prep Courses
College Prep offers a range of credit courses taken alongside current undergraduate students in various subjects such as:
Art
Art History
Computer Science
English
Film & Media Studies
Government
History
Mathematics
Philosophy
Psychology
Public Speaking
Sociology
Theater & Performance Studies
Theology
Writing
Dates
Summer College 2:
Filter Courses
The courses listed below can be filtered by subject, session, day of the week, and time of day. Click the down arrow next to each course listing to see course details.
Each year, thousands of hopefuls try out at high school and college levels for a shot at playing one step closer to the big league – the NFL. Over the decades since football became America’s primary entertainment money-maker, football has reflected changing ideas about race, class, gender, health, and well-being in American society. This course focuses on the social and cultural impact of American football and how it has shaped ideas around success, achievement, race, masculinity, and dreaming big. The course is targeted to teach students the broader context behind a beloved national sport but also to reflect the experiences of those who engage in the work of this dreaming every day.
Photography I: Digital is a basic digital photography studio art course designed to develop the hands-on skills necessary to produce and identify the elements of a good photograph and to acquire a thorough working knowledge of digital equipment. Students will gain an understanding of the aesthetic and technical areas of photography as a fine art. Class lectures, discussions and digital lab assignments will deal with photographic composition, criticism and history, camera and paper types, and printer systems. Fundamental knowledge of computer programs such as Photoshop will be introduced in the semester to develop photographic imagery. Students enrolled in Studio courses must devote a minimum of 4 - 6 hours per week outside of class to develop and complete assignments. These times are flexible and can be rearranged with the instructor.
Fall and Spring.
No prerequisite.
This course is designed for the non-science major students to stimulate their interest in the forensic chemistry and help them appreciate and understand the basic fundamental concepts of chemistry. In each chapter, chemical concepts related to a forensic topic are introduced in addition to a brief description of an analytical instrumentation or methodology used in crime investigation lab and a case study. The main purpose of this course is to deliver the chemistry concepts to students without going into great details.
This course is intended for non-majors seeking an introduction to computer science and Python programming. The course covers the following topics: basic data types in Python, variables and constants, input and output, Python reserved words and built-in functions, operators, conditional control structures, repetition control structures, basic file operations, user-defined functions, value parameters, lists, scope rules, importing packages, elementary data processing and visualization, and elementary software engineering principles. This course may be used to fulfill the math/computer science portion of the Gen Ed Math/Science requirement.
This course first develops simple graphical and mathematical models of decision-making by individual economic agents: consumers, workers, and businesses. We analyze interactions between these agents in product and factor markets using concepts of market demand, supply, and equilibrium. Finally, we demonstrate the efficiency of perfectly competitive markets, describe the conditions under which that efficiency arises, and examine market failures that occur when those conditions are not met.
This course provides an introduction to macroeconomics. The first part of the course explores how GDP, inflation, unemployment, and other macroeconomic aggregates are measured in practice. The second part develops analytical models of macroeconomic performance and growth in the long run. The third part focuses on short-run (business-cycle) fluctuations and fiscal and monetary policies.
Fall and Spring.
How are war and terrorism reimagined and imbricated into popular culture? What are the affects of aestheticizing violence? This course will examine the proliferation of artistic forms, which seek to address the issue of war and the attendant concern about terrorism in America by looking at contemporary conflicts and their impact on texts including literature, film, television, video song lyrics and poetry..
How are war and terrorism reimagined and imbricated into popular culture? What are the affects of aestheticizing violence? This course will examine the proliferation of artistic forms, which seek to address the issue of war and the attendant concern about terrorism in America by looking at contemporary conflicts and their impact on texts including literature, film, television, video song lyrics and poetry.
This course will focus on a history and examination of the set of theories, practices and methodologies that define the field of Cultural Studies. By reading and situating the theory, we can critique the production and consumption of cultural objects, including popular culture and avant-garde art. In order to pursue critical analyses of our own in the class, we will interrogate concepts such as culture, ideology, representation, taste, style and subculture, with attention to the specific tensions between language and visual images. Texts will draw from critical and cultural theory, literature, film, video, music and the graphic novel, with a particular emphasis on contemporary artistic modes of expression.
This course will focus on a history and examination of the set of theories, practices and methodologies which define the field of Cultural Studies. By reading and situating the theory, we can critique the production and consumption of cultural objects, including popular culture and avant garde art. In order to pursue critical analyses of our own in the class, we will interrogate concepts such as culture, ideology, representation, taste, style and subculture, with attention to the specific tensions between language and visual images. Texts will draw from critical and cultural theory, literature, film, video, music and the graphic novel, with a particular emphasis on contemporary artistic modes of expression.
FMST 181-20: This course explores introductory film production techniques and strategies. Students will learn video and audio recording, scriptwriting and non-linear editing using Adobe Premiere Pro software. Visual storytelling concepts and creative post-production editing will be emphasized. In-class exercises and short film projects will allow students to become comfortable working in various film production roles. Additionally, critiques and screenings of student and professional film work will provide students with an understanding of the narrative film genre.
This course explores introductory film production techniques and strategies. Students will learn video and audio recording, scriptwriting and non-linear editing using Adobe Premiere Pro software. Visual storytelling concepts and creative post-production editing will be emphasized. In-class exercises and short film projects will allow students to become comfortable working in various film production roles. Additionally, critiques and screenings of student and professional film work will provide students with an understanding of the narrative film genre. Some seats in this course are reserved.
This course provides an introduction to key theories, concepts, historical events, and contemporary issues in the study of international relations (IR). The course has six learning objectives: Students will come to understand (1) the fundamental concepts unique to the field of international relations; (2) the major theories of international conflict and cooperation, particularly realist, liberal, and constructivist theories; and (3) several watershed conflicts in the last century, including World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. Students will then apply this theoretical and empirical knowledge to make sense of salient contemporary issues in (4) international security (including nuclear weapons and proliferation, ethnic conflict, civil war, and terrorism), (5) political economy (including trade, finance, and globalization), and (6) global governance (including international law, human rights, humanitarian intervention, and the environment). In short, the course is meant to provide students with the tools to analyze contemporary international affairs and debates in a rigorous and sophisticated manner.
Who should rule? Should it be the few or the many? The most virtuous or the most calculating? Or should we decide who rules by lot? This is, in many ways, the fundamental question of politics that has been animating political philosophy to this day. In the course of considering this fundamental question, we will come upon others: How should one live as an individual, as a citizen, as a politician? Is politics a science? Can it be taught? Where does the legitimacy of states and laws come from? What goals should rulers pursue? Is liberal, representative democracy the end of history? In pursuing these thematic questions, we will proceed in chronological order from antiquity to modernity, emphasizing both philosophical and historical approaches to political theory.
The objectives for the course are three-fold. First, and most fundamentally, the course is intended as an introduction to political theory as seen through a close examination of some of the most formative and influential texts and thinkers of the Western political tradition. Second, the course will help you develop your analytical, interpretive, and writing skills by reading and critically engaging the arguments of some of the most interesting minds from the past. Finally, the course aims to prepare you to become an engaged citizen of your respective country and the world by allowing you to think about the foundations of political institutions and their claims to our obedience.
For College students all sections of HIST 106 fulfill the core requirement in History for a broad introductory survey; these students complete the requirement by taking HIST 099. Atlantic World draws together the histories of four continents, Europe, Africa, North America, and South America, to investigate the new Atlantic world created as a consequence of the Columbian encounter in 1492. The class traces the creation of this world from the first European forays in the Atlantic and on the coast of Africa in the fifteenth century to the first wars for colonial independence and the abolition of slavery. Topics include the destruction and reconfiguration of indigenous societies; the crucial labor migrations of Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans; and the various strategies of accommodation, resistance, and rebellion demonstrated by the many different inhabitants of the Americas.
A first course on tools and approaches for making marketing decisions. Marketing is viewed as a broad technology for influencing behavior, beyond functions like selling and advertising. Topics covered include consumer behavior, marketing research, and marketing planning, with emphasis on marketing mix decisions: product strategy, communications, pricing, and distribution.
This course is designed to assist students whose high school mathematics background is insufficient for the standard first-year mathematics courses. It is primarily intended as a preparation for MATH-035. Topics include: algebraic operations, factoring, exponents and logarithms, polynomials, rational functions, trigonometric functions, and the logarithmic and exponential functions. Graphing and word problems will be stressed. This course is not intended to complete the math/science requirement in the College. Fall.
This is the first part of the three-semester calculus sequence (MATH-035, 036, and 137) for mathematics and science majors. Students do not need to have any familiarity with calculus, but do need good algebra/precalculus preparation. Topics include limits, derivatives, techniques of differentiation, applications of the derivative, the Riemann integral, the trigonometric and inverse trigonometric functions, and the logarithmic and exponential functions. Fall and Spring. All students must score a 75 or above on the Calculus Readiness Assessment to enroll in MATH 035.
Need to take the Calculus Readiness Assessment and earn a minimum score of 75.
Philosophy 010 is a general introduction to philosophical ethics. Questions addressed include: What is the nature of morality? How do we know what is right and what is wrong? What sorts of moral obligations do we stand under? What are our duties to others and to ourselves? What is the nature of virtue and vice? How do we assess moral character? Readings are generally drawn from both traditional and contemporary philosophical authors. Reading lists and specific topics addressed vary from semester to semester and from instructor to instructor, as do required work and expectations. Please consult the syllabi posted online by individual instructors for more detail.
An introduction to some of the central questions of philosophy through the writings of both traditional and contemporary authors. Questions addressed may include the relationship between mind and matter; between causation and free will; meaning, truth, and reality; knowledge, perception, belief, and thought. Topics and readings vary from semester to semester and instructor to instructor, as do the course requirements and expectations. Please consult the syllabi of the individual instructors for more detail.
The Problem of God introduces students to the study of religion and theology, broadly
understood. Our aim in the course is not only to introduce students to different religious
traditions and perspectives, but, as the title of the course suggests, to encourage critical
reflection on some of the most challenging questions relating to religious commitment. In
other words, the goal of the course is not only to help students learn about religious
traditions, but to reflect critically on what it means to be a religious person, what it means
to study religion and theology, and what the significance of religious belief is. It is one of
two courses (along with IBL) that fulfill the first Theology course requirement at
Georgetown, and the importance of promoting critical reflection on religious belief through
this requirement has taken on new meaning in a post-9/11 world, in which religious
literacy and understanding are more important than they have ever been. Mirroring the
diversity of our faculty, the course is taught in a diverse number of ways, including a
variety of different primary texts and focusing on a variety of significant questions relating
to religion and theology. Georgetown graduates consistently report that The Problem of
God was one of the most important courses that they took during their time at Georgetown.
This course introduces students to the fundamental principles of acting without working with a formal script. Through structured exercise and games, students study Concentration, Observation, Given Circumstances, and Stage Awareness. Students will create their own performance material, exploring the physical self, space/staging, working with props, and ensemble and interplay with fellow actors. The coursework is very physical and creative. The work is focused on understanding the art of acting through games, exercises, reading, discussions, and evaluations of one’s own work and the work of fellow classmates. No acting experience is required.
