Category Archives: Undergraduate

Courses for All IMA Students

Autonomous and Social Robots (CADT-UH 1038)

Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue,Thu

How do we feel about robots? With technological developments in capability, performance, autonomy, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness, robots have arrived in everyday life. This course considers the history and ethics of human-robot interaction and explores unsolved hurdles we face as robots assume a ubiquitous presence in our lives. How are robots currently integrating into human-centered, civic industries such as education, heath, and smart cities? What roles might robots play in the future of these industries? What are the economic and labor implications associated with robotic integration? How will consumers respond to the increased use of robots in daily life? How have popular media representations over the last century influenced the way we experience these changes? Topics will also include the miniaturization of robots and their use in situations such as focused drug delivery within the human body, save-and-rescue missions, or military combat. Students will assemble and program several Lego Mindstorm robots capable of carrying prefabricated objects and will also assemble a small house.

Core: Arts, Design and Technology (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Physical Computing & Experimental Interfaces) Spring 2026 Undergraduate

Designing Health (CADT-UH 1053)

What constitutes innovation in medical technology? Is it always necessary? How is its value determined? How would we know if innovation has peaked, or reached a point of diminishing returns? What do global perspectives reveal about medical devices and healthcare in general? In what ways are cultural contexts important to consider? How can the med-tech innovation process address issues of diversity, inclusion, and accessibility? This course takes up the above questions through several case studies and examples, including bioprinting and COVID-19 vaccines — two topics with current relevance — as well as two of the most important historical med-tech innovations that have gone wrong in the past: The Malaria Project and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. How can current design and innovation avoid repeating past mistakes? Working in cross-disciplinary teams, students will engage in design projects that will apply what we have learned from this course and address some of the paradoxes present in our ongoing quest to design healthier bodies and societies.

Core: Arts, Design and Technology (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2025)

CADT-UH 1053-000 (13185)08/25/2025 – 12/10/2025 Mon,Wed9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Morning)at Abu DhabiInstructed by Sanjairaj, Vijayavenkataraman

Fall 2025 IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Art & Design) Undergraduate
Fall 2022 Fall 2023

Re-Design (CADT-UH 1025)

Giorgio Vasari defined Mannerism in terms still used today in Art History: in the wake of the Renaissance masters, copying became the standard way to learn. But what do we really learn by copying? Would a contemporary mannerism fit in today’s world, dominated by visual information? How then does creativity work? How does change happen? Why did we wait half a century before having personal computers in colors other than beige? Why do we seem oblivious to the manufactured filters mediating our observation of nature itself? What are the trade-offs when we delegate creative choices to Google’s algorithms? What separates the artists of the past and the brand consultants of today? This course addresses the role and limits of copying as students explore many facets of graphic design, visual communication, and artistic value. The vibrant visual culture-in-the-making of Abu Dhabi and the UAE provide an ideal background for such explorations. Students will elaborate on the tension (real or perceived) among today’s artists, designers, and scientists, while discussing why a multidisciplinary mind is fundamental for contemporary attempts to re-design the world around us.

Core: Arts, Design and Technology (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

CADT-UH 1025-000 (17329)

Expressive Culture IMA Electives Liberal Arts & Sciences - Electives Undergraduate

Memoir and Anti-Memoir: Experiments in Text and Image (CADT-UH 1027)

Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates:

How does one attempt to write or portray the self? If we associate that practice with traditional memoir and self-portraiture forms, what happens when subjectivity is fundamentally unstable or under attack? Is the genre also simultaneously deconstructed? How is subjectivity literally made and remade through the exploration of new forms? In this course we will look at text and image projects across cultures, eras, locations, and across art forms that raise questions about the self and the collective, representation and memory, and about the remarkable as well as the everyday. Sometimes the doubt about attempts at portrayals is philosophical, but it may also be cultural-historical and context-dependent. To explore this question, and to develop skills in art, to experiment with the studio habits of artists, and to generate our own poetics of memoir/anti-memoir we will generate text and image experiments that both create and investigate an anti-memoir body of work.

Core: Arts, Design and Technology (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Seminar/Studies) Spring 2026 Undergraduate
Summer 2022

Material World (CADT-UH 1049J)

How has our relationship with building materials shaped human civilization, and in return, how does our use of materials actively reshape the planet we live on? Materials have played a major role throughout human history, from providing basic clothing and shelter in prehistoric times, to fueling the industrial revolution, and enabling today’s global consumer culture. In the process, material use and discovery have given rise to many branches of science and commerce, resulting in even greater demand for more material. The consequences on society and the environment haven’t always been positive. This course explores our relationship with material as engineers, scientists, consumers, and traders. Basic laboratory sessions on material characterization will explore material processing techniques ranging from simple resin casting to advanced 3D printing.

Core: Arts, Design and Technology (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 2 Weeks

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Physical Computing & Experimental Interfaces) Undergraduate
Fall 2023 Fall 2024 Spring 2022

Silence (CADT-UH 1052)

How does “silence” help to define our sense of being and existence? Across different cultures, various philosophies of art, science, and society have viewed and thought about silence differently. This course invites students to think about and experience silence by asking three fundamental questions: 1) What does it mean to be silent? (Literally and metaphorically); 2) Does silence shape our lives? And if so, how? 3) Can we have an active relationship and recognition with silence just as we do with sound or action? Drawing on multi-disciplinary sources from around the world to explore the philosophical frameworks and thought systems that have engaged in the study and observation of silence, the syllabus will include works of art, literature, theater, films, architecture, and music, which students will engage via a mix of seminar, lecture, and studio methods of teaching, to enable the creations of their own artistic responses to their experience of silence and the material presented in class.

Core: Arts, Design and Technology (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2024)

CADT-UH 1052-000 (19965)08/26/2024 – 12/10/2024 Tue,Thu12:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Abu DhabiInstructed by Özhabeş, Özlem

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Seminar/Studies) Undergraduate

Machines in Islamic Civilization (CADT-UH 1037X)

Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Mon,Wed
Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Mon,Wed,Tue,Thu

Is automation a science or a tool? Muslim contributions in automation, overlooked in the history of science, were long regarded as means for caliphs and the rich to impress the masses. But Muslim engineers excelled in creating complex automated systems, using them as gifts to foreign leaders, as public attractions, or to augment religious ceremony such as daily calls to prayer. Mainly powered by kinetic energy, these automata drew on scholars’ deep knowledge of hydraulics and complex levers and included musical instruments, horologia, automated drinking fountains, and clocks that told time using complex audiovisual tools. This course draws on historical sources and foundational science to explore Muslim advancements in automation. What roles did translation play as Muslim scientists encountered and documented the work of previous scholars? What were the basic automatic systems they developed and how do they compare to current technologies? How did they draw on environmental resources to develop automated systems without the need for non-renewable energy? Students will address such questions as they explore implications for their own projects in design and engineering.

Core: Arts, Design and Technology (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Physical Computing & Experimental Interfaces) Spring 2026 Undergraduate
Fall 2023 Spring 2023

Utilitas, Venustas, Firmitas (CADT-UH 1016)

Design seems to be omnipresent, but what is it? This course (whose title is Latin for usage, beauty, and stability) explores how design influences our life and investigates the fundamentals of “good design.” It takes a look at the status quo of the use of design in media, objects, and architecture, and observe its influence on art and technology from past to present. Design tools and processes will be highlighted. Based on the fusion of readings, study, discussion, and experiences, over the course of the semester students will develop an understanding of how mutually reinforcing and beneficiary a mix of Arts, Design, and Technology can be. Lecture and discussion will help develop the design of a bricolage: Every student will realize a product prototype to be displayed in an exhibition and a personal philosophy of about Arts, Design, and Technology.

Core: Arts, Design and Technology (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

CADT-UH 1016-000 (17217)08/29/2023 – 12/15/2023 Tue2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Abu DhabiInstructed by Alawadi, Khulood

CADT-UH 1016-000 (17243)08/29/2023 – 12/15/2023 Thu2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Abu DhabiInstructed by Alawadi, Khulood

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Art & Design) Undergraduate

Bioinspiration (CADT-UH 1033)

Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Mon,Wed

In the 3.8 billion years since life began on Earth, nature has evolved. Inspired by this process, humans have replicated key design features to develop novel materials, devices, and structures in fields such as the arts, design, engineering, and the social sciences by replicating key design principles and features. This course asks how biology has inspired human design and thinking across different cultures and fields. Students will examine various examples in engineering, art, architecture, music, and social science to discuss how the human capacity for analogical reasoning has enabled the transfer of properties, mechanisms, and ideas from biology to design principles such as shape, surface, structure, making, information-processing, and social behavior. Using bio-inspired products such as gecko tape, Velcro, self-cleaning surfaces, and neuromorphic chips for inspiration, students will develop their own designs to address some of the 21st century’s most pressing issues, such as energy, water, environment, food, and health.

Core: Arts, Design and Technology (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Fall 2025 IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Art & Design) Spring 2026 Undergraduate

Creativity and Innovation (CADT-UH 1005)

Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue,Thu

Is creativity a gift or a skill? Can creativity be learned? Because creativity is deeply personal, this course will address these questions through individual and collective experiences. The heart of this course is the Personal Creativity Project – an opportunity for students to practice creativity by designing and executing a project of their choice. The project may be on any topic, from art and music to computer programs and business model development. The project will be complemented by reading assignments (completed prior to class), class discussions, and one-on-one meetings with the instructor. Students will leave the course with a completed project and a personal philosophy of creativity, based on the fusion of readings, study, discussion, and experience. The course provides a great deal of freedom for learning and does not provide step-by-step instructions. As a result, the successful completion of this course will require a significant amount of self-motivation.

Core: Arts, Design and Technology (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Fall 2025 IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Art & Design) IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Seminar/Studies) Spring 2026 Undergraduate
Spring 2022 Spring 2023

Projects in Programming and Data Sciences (TECH-UB 24)

This course is the follow-on course to Introduction to Programming and Data Science, which is offered in the Fall. It is recommended for undergraduate students who 1) are interested in jobs in the rapidly growing fields of data science and data analytics or 2) who are interested in acquiring the technical and data analysis skills that are becoming increasingly relevant in all disciplines. Intro to Programming and Data Science forms the basis for this course, but it is not a pre-requisite. Students with basic knowledge of programming in Python and SQL are welcome to join. This course covers select topics that build on the prior course work and is largely project based. Much of the course will be project-based work, with students working on projects that utilize the skills used in this and the prior Programming and Data Science course.

Computing and Data Science (Undergraduate)
3 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2023)

TECH-UB 24-000 (19343)at Washington SquareInstructed by

TECH-UB 24-000 (19344)at Washington SquareInstructed by

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Programming & Data) Undergraduate
Spring 2022 Spring 2023

Social Media & Digital Marketing (TECH-UB 38)

This course examines the major trends in digital marketing using tools from business analytics and data science. While there will be sufficient attention given to top level strategy used by companies adopting digital marketing, the focus of the course is also on business analytics: how to make firms more intelligent in how they conduct business in the digital age. Measurement plays a big role in this space. The course is complemented by cutting-edge projects and various business consulting assignments that the Professor has been involved in with various companies over the last few years. Prof Ghose has consulted in various capacities for Apple, AMD, Berkeley Corporation, Bank of Khartoum, CBS, Dataxu, Facebook, Intel, NBC Universal, Samsung, Showtime, 3TI China, and collaborated with Alibaba, China Mobile, Google, IBM, Indiegogo, Microsoft, Recobell, Travelocity and many other leading Fortune 500 firms on realizing business value from IT investments, internet marketing, business analytics, mobile marketing, digital analytics and other topics.We will learn about statistical issues in data analyses such as selection problem, omitted variables problem, endogeneity, and simultaneity problems, autocorrelation, multi-collinearity, assessing the predictive power of a regression and interpreting various numbers from the output of a statistical package, various econometrics-based tools such as simple and multivariate regressions, linear and non-linear probability models (Logit and Probit), estimating discrete and continuous dependent variables, count data models (Poisson and Negative Binomial), cross-sectional models vs. panel data models (Fixed Effects and Random Effects), and various experimental techniques that help can tease out correlation from causality such as randomized field experiments.

Computing and Data Science (Undergraduate)
3 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2023)

TECH-UB 38-000 (19338)01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Thu6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Evening)at Washington SquareInstructed by

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Programming & Data) IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Seminar/Studies) Undergraduate
Spring 2022 Spring 2023

Introduction to Programming and Data Science (TECH-UB 23)

This course is recommended for undergraduate students without programming experience who are interested in building capabilities in the rapidly growing fields of data science and data analytics. This hands-on coding course does not have any prerequisites and is meant to help students acquire programming and data analysis skills that are becoming increasingly relevant for entrepreneurial, corporate, and research jobs. The course offers an introduction to programming (using Python) and databases (using SQL). We will cover topics related to collection, storage, organization, management, and analysis of data. There is a strong focus on live coding in the classroom, with discussion of examples.

Computing and Data Science (Undergraduate)
3 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2023)

TECH-UB 23-000 (19340)at Washington SquareInstructed by

TECH-UB 23-000 (19342)at Washington SquareInstructed by

TECH-UB 23-000 (19345)at Washington SquareInstructed by

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Programming & Data) Undergraduate
Spring 2022 Spring 2023

Info Tech in Bus & Society (TECH-UB 1)

Provides the background necessary to make decisions about computer-based information systems and to be an “end-user”. Two major parts of the course are hands-on experience with personal computers and information systems management. Group and individual computer assignments expose students to electronic spreadsheet analysis and database management on a personal computer. Management aspects focus on understanding computer technology, systems analysis and design, and control of information processing by managers.

Computing and Data Science (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2023)

TECH-UB 1-000 (19329)at Washington SquareInstructed by

TECH-UB 1-000 (19330)at Washington SquareInstructed by

TECH-UB 1-000 (19331)at Washington SquareInstructed by

TECH-UB 1-000 (19336)at Washington SquareInstructed by

TECH-UB 1-000 (19337)at Washington SquareInstructed by

TECH-UB 1-000 (19339)at Washington SquareInstructed by

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Seminar/Studies) Undergraduate
Fall 2022

Introduction to Cryptography (CSCI-SHU 378)

The study of modern cryptography investigates mathematical techniques for securing information, systems and distributed computations against adversarial attacks. We introduce fundamental concepts of this study. Emphasis will be placed on rigorous proofs of security based on precise definitions and assumptions. Topics include: one-way functions, encryption, signatures, pseudorandom number generators and zero-knowledge proofs. Prerequisite: Algorithms, theory of probability, or permission of the instructor. Fulfillment: Mathematics Additional Electives; Honors Mathematics Electives; CS Electives.

Computer Science (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2022)

CSCI-SHU 378-000 (18506)09/05/2022 – 12/16/2022 Mon,Tue3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Late afternoon)at ShanghaiInstructed by Guo, Siyao

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Programming & Data) Undergraduate
Spring 2022

Computer Science Senior Project (CSCI-SHU 420)

The purpose of the Senior Project is for the students to apply the theoretical knowledge they acquired during the Computer Science program to a concrete project in a realistic setting. During the semester, students engage in the entire process of solving a real-world computer science project. It requires students to pursue a long-term, mentored learning experience that culminates in a piece of original work. At the end of the semester, the proposed work comes to fruition in the form of a working software prototype, a written technical report, and an oral presentation at a capstone project symposium. Prerequisite: senior standing. Fulfillment: CS Required.

Computer Science (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Programming & Data) Undergraduate
Fall 2021 Spring 2022

Introduction to Computer Programming (CSCI-SHU 11)

An introduction to the fundamentals of computer programming. Students design, write, and debug computer programs. No prior knowledge of programming is assumed. Students will learn programming using Python, a general purpose, cross-platform programming language with a clear, readable syntax. Most class periods will be part lecture, part lab as you explore ideas and put them into practice. This course is suitable for students not intending in majoring in computer science as well as for students intending to major in computer science but having no programming experience. Students with previous programming experience should instead take Introduction to Computer Science. Prerequisite: Either placed into Calculus or at least a C in Pre-Calculus Fulfillment: Core Curriculum Requirement Algorithmic Thinking; EE Required Major Courses. Note: Students who have taken ICS in NY, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai cannot take ICP.

Computer Science (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2022)

CSCI-SHU 11-000 (17503)02/07/2022 – 05/13/2022 Mon8:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)at ShanghaiInstructed by Simon, Daniel

CSCI-SHU 11-000 (17504)02/07/2022 – 05/13/2022 Tue3:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Late afternoon)at ShanghaiInstructed by Simon, Daniel

CSCI-SHU 11-000 (23632)02/07/2022 – 05/13/2022 Wed8:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)at ShanghaiInstructed by Simon, Daniel

CSCI-SHU 11-000 (23633)02/07/2022 – 05/13/2022 Wed8:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)at ShanghaiInstructed by Liu, Yijian

CSCI-SHU 11-000 (23634)02/07/2022 – 05/13/2022 Thu3:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Late afternoon)at ShanghaiInstructed by Simon, Daniel

CSCI-SHU 11-000 (23767)02/07/2022 – 05/13/2022 Thu3:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Late afternoon)at ShanghaiInstructed by Liu, Yijian

CSCI-SHU 11-000 (26252)02/07/2022 – 05/13/2022 Tue9:00 PM – 10:00 PM (Evening)at ShanghaiInstructed by Spathis, Promethee

CSCI-SHU 11-000 (26253)02/07/2022 – 05/13/2022 Thu9:00 PM – 10:00 PM (Evening)at ShanghaiInstructed by Spathis, Promethee

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Programming & Data) Liberal Arts & Sciences - Electives Quantitative Reasoning Undergraduate
Spring 2022

Introduction to Computer and Data Science (CSCI-SHU 101)

This course has three goals. First, the mastering of a modern object-oriented programming language, enough to allow students to tackle real-world problems of important significance. Second, gaining an appreciation of computational thinking, a process that provides the foundations for solving real-world problems. Finally, providing an overview of the very diverse and exciting field of computer science – a field which, arguably more than any other, impacts how we work, live, and play today. Prerequisite: Introduction to Computer Programming or placement exam. Equivalency: This course counts for CSCI-UA 101. Fulfillment: Core Curriculum Requirement Algorithmic Thinking; Computer Science Major Required Courses; Computer Systems Engineering Major Required Courses; Data Science Major Foundational Courses; Electrical and Systems Engineering Major Required Major Courses.

Computer Science (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2022)

CSCI-SHU 101-000 (17449)02/07/2022 – 05/13/2022 Tue8:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)at ShanghaiInstructed by Gu, Xianbin

CSCI-SHU 101-000 (17509)02/07/2022 – 05/13/2022 Thu8:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)at ShanghaiInstructed by Yin, Wen

CSCI-SHU 101-000 (17572)02/07/2022 – 05/13/2022 Thu8:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Evening)at ShanghaiInstructed by Yin, Wen

CSCI-SHU 101-000 (17596)02/07/2022 – 05/13/2022 Wed9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Morning)at ShanghaiInstructed by Gu, Xianbin

CSCI-SHU 101-000 (17751)02/07/2022 – 05/13/2022 Fri9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Morning)at ShanghaiInstructed by Yin, Wen

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Programming & Data) Undergraduate
Fall 2022 Fall 2024 Spring 2024

Natural Language Processing (CS-UH 2216)

The field of natural language processing (NLP), also known as computational linguistics, is interested in the modeling and processing of human (i.e., natural) languages. This course covers foundational NLP concepts and ideas, such as finite state methods, n-gram modeling, hidden Markov models, part-of-speech tagging, context free grammars, syntactic parsing and semantic representations. The course surveys a range of NLP applications such as information retrieval, summarization and machine translation. Concepts taught in class are reinforced in practice by hands-on assignments.

Computer Science (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 7 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2024)

CS-UH 2216-000 (9051)08/26/2024 – 10/11/2024 Mon,Wed2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Abu DhabiInstructed by Habash, Nizar

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Programming & Data) Undergraduate

Computational Social Science (CS-UH 2219E)

Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Mon,Wed

This course introduces students to various techniques and concepts that are essential for data scientists. It also provides an in-depth survey of the latest research methodology and topics that prepare the students to produce high quality research in Data Science. This seminar-based course will cover applications from different fields, such as sociology, psychology, network analysis, and artificial intelligence. In this context, the course will cover the use of computational techniques to model and predict various phenomena using real data. Students will be required to complete a course project, and to write up the results in a short article.

Computer Science (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Societies & the Social Sciences Spring 2026 Undergraduate