The written requirements for this course are a 10-12 page research paper/project (35% of term grade) and a final exam (40% of term grade). Students have the choice of writing a traditional research paper or may devise their own project germane to the subject matter of the course. In the past this has produced some fascinating and highly original research. While the course is predominantly conducted as a lecture, class participation is also a vital aspect and counts for 25% of the term grade.

Graduate students have the option of submitting a more extensive exploration of their chosen topic (20-25 pages) in lieu of the short paper and final exam but if they decide upon this option, participation will make up 1/3 of the final grade to assure mastery of the assigned readings.