Advanced Studies at Masters

List of 7 items.

• English

  Literature Seminars

  Students engage in close reading and theoretical analysis, attending carefully to authorial craft and purpose. They read challenging works of literature at an accelerated pace and use writing as a tool for inquiry through analytic essays, genre experimentation, and iterative revision. 
  
  

  Rhetoric Seminars

  Students analyze speeches, art, and varied media as persuasive arguments, considering the interplay between audience, speaker, and purpose. They synthesize multiple fiction and non-fiction sources to write analytic and argumentative essays centered on themes like justice, identity, and the American Dream.
  
  

  Interdisciplinary American Literature and History 

  Students bridge English and history in a team-taught class exploring American culture, politics, and society past and present through a thematic rather than a chronological orientation. They pursue a year-long project exploring an issue of their choice to write their research-driven AmSearch paper.

• History and Religion

  Interdisciplinary American History and Literature 
  Students bridge English and history in a team-taught class exploring American culture, politics, and society past and present through a thematic rather than a chronological orientation. They pursue a year-long project exploring an issue of their choice to write their research-driven AmSearch paper.
  
  

  United States History 
  In this fast-paced, chronological survey of the major events in United States history, students analyze primary documents, build historical arguments, and develop critical thinking skills through regular, timed, in-class written assessments. They practice the craft of history through the production of a major research paper. 
  
  

  Modern World History 
  Students examine complex themes in world history from 1500 to the present by analyzing scholarly works including textbooks, monographs, and journal articles. They engage in experiential research and are challenged to link historic trends with current world issues.
  
  

  Historiography 
  Students will focus on a set of complicated historical moments to understand the work historians do and the debates in which they engage. The course provides experiential opportunities for students to engage with working historians and join academic controversies through the production of original work.

• Innovation, Engineering, and Computer Science

  Computer Science 
  Students integrate AI tools into advanced programming projects, with a special focus on startup environments and real-world digital innovation. The course emphasizes building a portfolio of AI-assisted projects that demonstrate high-level programming expertise.
  
  

  Entrepreneurship
  Students will explore early-stage development of the mindset, habits, character ethic and capabilities of leading an entrepreneurial venture. Students will grapple with the pragmatic and philosophical dynamics related to consequential problems, customer segments, personas, value propositions, key resources, and costs and revenue models.

• Mathematics

  Calculus I
  Comparable to a semester-long, college-level calculus I course, this class will give students an appreciation of the two principal divisions of calculus - differential calculus, connecting slope and rate, and integral calculus, connecting area and accumulation.
  
  

  Calculus I and II
  This course covers the material typically presented over two semesters of college-level calculus through a spiraled, problem-based methodology. Students develop a deep understanding of the core principles of differential and integral calculus, along with their broad applications in science and engineering.
  
  

  Statistical Reasoning
  Statistical Reasoning invites juniors and seniors to explore how data can be used to understand complex questions, model uncertainty, and make evidence-based decisions. Through inquiry-driven lessons and simulations, students learn to analyze data, build statistical models, and communicate their reasoning with clarity and precision.
  
  

  Probability and Random Variables
  Students engage in a proof-based study of the mathematical theory behind random variables, including set theory and combinatorics. They calculate expected values, variance, and moment generating functions for both discrete and continuous variables.
  
  

  Semester Courses (each will be offered in either the Fall or Spring semester):
  
  

  Calculus II
  This advanced course serves as an opportunity for students who have completed AS Calculus I to continue their study of calculus. 
  
  

  Multivariable Calculus
  Students explore multiple coordinate systems and examine the graphs of surfaces in three dimensions, applying the tools of calculus to these functions. Students investigate how derivatives and integrals extend to higher dimensions.
  
  

  Linear Algebra
  Students solve systems of linear equations using matrices and explore vector spaces, eigenvalues, and orthogonality. They practice the art of writing clear, analytical, and deductive proofs to support the theorems of linear algebra.
  
  

  Statistical Modeling
  This advanced, fast-paced course introduces statistics through a computational lens, using R to emphasize data exploration, modeling and modern approaches to statistical thinking. Emphasizing simulation-based inference, randomization and bootstrapping, the course is designed for students with strong mathematical backgrounds and develops fluency in applying statistics to real-world data across disciplines.

• Modern and Classical Languages  

  French
  Conducted entirely in French, this course immerses students in advanced linguistic and cultural study.  Students analyze contemporary global issues through film, literature and news programs while developing advanced proficiency in spoken and written French through discussions, analytical research, formal presentations, and independent projects.
  
  

  Latin 
  Students engage in close analysis of authentic Latin prose and poetry, emphasizing fluent reading without reliance on translation. Advanced language proficiency is developed through Latin composition and creative, research-informed projects that examine enduring  themes such as "The Good Life."
  
  

  Mandarin
  Students develop high-level presentational and interpersonal communication skills through projects based on contemporary literature, news, and social media. They use Mandarin for meaningful self-expression and analyze nuanced connections between global events and their own lives.
  
  

  Spanish Language & Culture
  Conducted entirely in Spanish, this class uses Harkness discussions and immersive field experiences to explore how culture shapes identity in the Spanish-speaking world. Key assessments include in-depth cultural research projects, formal oral presentations, and the development of reflective portfolios.
  
  

  Spanish Literature
  Students take a deep dive into major literary movements such as Magic Realism and facilitate seminar-style discussions examining readings from different periods and genres. They engage in critical analysis of texts and their film adaptations, and write and share original short fiction in Spanish.

• Science

  Biology
  Students learn to locate and evaluate scientific information, pose testable hypotheses, and construct complex evidence-based explanations about the natural world. The course emphasizes experimental design and laboratory confidence through the study of molecular genetics, physiology, and evolution.
   
  Chemistry
  Students apply concepts like thermodynamics, kinetics, and equilibrium in the laboratory to gain hands-on wet chemistry experience. The course requires strong problem-solving skills to navigate an accelerated study of inorganic chemistry.
   
  Environmental Science
  Students examine ecological interactions and energy transformations through fieldwork, laboratory investigations, and data analysis. They design and conduct an independent, yearlong research project that applies scientific inquiry to a real-world environmental question.
   
  Physics
  Students apply calculus-based mathematical models to analyze physical phenomena, focusing on self-discovery through hands-on laboratory investigations and problem-solving. They practice predicting and testing the behavior of complex systems, including rotational motion, circuits, and electromagnetic fields.

• Visual Arts

  Visual Arts  
  Students will create thematic bodies of work built around central thesis ideas that guide the synthesis of student art, and their work will be displayed in culminating gallery exhibitions. With an emphasis on practice, experimentation, and revision, students will be challenged to build a process that is informed through the development of their work throughout the year and documented to show how each piece is connected to their central concepts.