Academics

Wales Study Group

Cardiff University
Director Spring 2011: Professor Aaron Robertson, Department of Mathematics

Course descriptions | Extra costs | Deadlines | Further information | Helpful links

Purpose

The Wales Study Group is intended for concentrators in the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics who wish to live and study abroad. The science and mathematics courses available will generally be taught at the junior level. Although the program is designed primarily for students who will be juniors during the spring term of 2011, qualified sophomores may also be considered.

The program is hosted at Cardiff University during that college’s spring semester. The Colgate study group’s courses will begin on Monday, 24 2011. The last final exam day is Friday, 10 June. Students must be aware that variations from the official exam schedule are never permitted by Cardiff University. Exam schedules are usually available in late March. The study group is normally limited to sixteen students.

Site

The study group will be based at Cardiff University, which, with its student body of 8000 students, is the largest of the six colleges that comprise the University of Wales.  Colgate students will register as non-matriculated students of the University of Wales and have access to all of the University’s academic and athletic facilities, including libraries, gymnasiums, and the student union. 

Wales is part of the United Kingdom and only in 1998 formed its own National Assembly. Its people consider Wales to be a separate and distinct nation; they are passionately conscious of their cultural heritage. While the dominant language of southern Wales is English, Wales is a bilingual nation. The Welsh Language, a Celtic tongue, is alive and well as a second language and is strongly promoted in the Welsh educational system. Cardiff is an ideal locale for exploring this fascinating culture, serving as a center for the renaissance of Welsh language, literature, and national pride.

The city of Cardiff, the capital of Wales, has a population of approximately 300,000. The Welsh are justifiably proud of their artistic and musical accomplishments, as exemplified by city theaters for opera, drama, and ballet — the Welsh National Opera and the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra are located in Cardiff — and by the Welsh National Museum. In addition, Cardiff University, which is located near the center of Cardiff in Cathays Park, maintains a number of musical and drama theaters. The principal sport of Wales is rugby, and Millenium Stadium, an internationally known rugby ground, is within walking distance of the University’s campus.  

Courses

All students will enroll in two elective courses (at least one normally must be in the student’s concentration) and in two required courses, which are designed specifically to reflect the study group’s unique location. 

Welsh Culture (required Cardiff course)
This course examines Welsh literature, language, and culture, and in so doing, augments the cross-cultural experience that is an integral part of any study abroad program. The specific course content varies with the instructors, all of whom are Cardiff University faculty. Before the semester begins, a member of the Welsh Department provides an introduction to the Welsh language. This course has a number of required field trips, which include the Welsh National History Museum, Dylan Thomas homesite, and National Assembly.

CORE 131: The Art of Problem Solving
(Prof. Robertson) The central theme of this required course - the ways and means of invention and discovery - will be pursued using mathematics as its main tool.  Exploration of basic mathematical structures, formulating conjectures based on our observations, and nullifying or verifying our conjectures will be our approach. Mathematics is only the language of investigation; this course emphasizes process over content. By the end of the course, the student will have a good foundation in the art of problem solving that should prove invaluable in all scientific fields.   [There are no course pre-requisites.]

Elective courses
Of the two electives, at least one must be in the student’s concentration. The following list shows some (but not all) Colgate courses for which students have received credit. Other courses are possible with Colgate approval.

Biology
Animal Physiology.....BIOL381
Advanced Molecular Analysis.....BIOL391
Plant Biology.....BIOL215
Molecular Analysis.....BIOL321

Chemistry 
Biological Chemistry.....CHEM 353
Organic Chemistry II.....CHEM264
Physical Chemistry II.....CHEM334

Computer Science 
Object Oriented Methods.....COSC303
Artificial Intelligence.....COCS430
Distributed Systems.....COSC455

English
Charlotte Bronte.....ENGL315
Introduction to Old Norse.....ENGL304
Women’s Fiction 1780-1830.....ENGL305 

Environmental Studies
Earth Science and Society.....ENST391

Geology 
Plate Techtonics.....GEOL418
Sediments and Stratigraphy......GEOL302

Mathematics
Functions of a Complex Variable.....MATH313
Linear Algebra.....MATH214
Methods of Applied Math.....MATH311
Topology.....MATH342

Neuroscience 
Neuropharmacology.....NEUR377
Cellular Messengers.....NEUR391
Special Senses.....NEUR291

Peace Studies 
New Social Movements.....PEAC314

Physics
Fundamental Physics II.....PHYS112
Electricity and Magnetiism.....PHYS303
Mechanics.....PHYS302

Psychology 
Human Mind, Animal Mind.....PSYC257
Cognitive Neuropsychology.....PSYC375
Cognitive Psychology.....PSYC255
Language and Thought.....PSYC252

Sociology and Anthropology
Children and Childhood.....SOAN391
Key Issues in Criminology.....SOAN200
 
Students must have satisfied the prerequisites for the courses in Wales before departure. Colgate departmental approval is required to transfer any course that will count towards a concentration.

Field trips

Students are required to participate in all of the study group trips. There will be several day trips for the Welsh Culture course and a weekend trip to the western Welsh coastal region. In addition, day trips among south-eastern Wales and to the Science Museum in London, and an overnight trip to the Centre for Alternative Technologies are required components of the director's course.

Estimated extra costs

Costs above Colgate’s tuition include room and board, airfare, and necessary out-of-pocket expenses. On the average, students can expect to spend $3,000-$4,000 more than a semester on campus. These increased costs are used in calculating aid packages for students who receive financial aid, provided this is their first study group experience. Students who are planning extensive personal travel will need to increase their budget accordingly.

Estimate of Student Expenses

Deadlines 

Applications are due in the Math Department Office (202 McGregory Hall) no later than Friday, 20 November 2009.  Applications are available in the Off-Campus Study Office (201 McGregory Hall).

Further information

For more information about this study group, contact Professor Robertson (arobertson@colgate.edu).  Information sessions were held in November.  Finalists will be interviewed before the end of the fall semester and notified of decisions by Monday, Jan. 18, 2010.  Students must accept or decline the invitation by Friday, Jan. 22, 2010. 

Additional information

For more information about Cardiff University, please see its website at www.cf.ac.uk. To learn more about the city of Cardiff and the surrounding area, go to www.visitcardiff.com or www.south-wales.org.uk