Since the discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) in 1983, modern techniques of molecular biology have revealed much about its structure and life cycle. The intensity of the scientific investigation directed at HIV-1 is unprecedented in history. We now know more about this virus than perhaps any other known pathogen. However, the early optimism concerning the prospects for an effective AIDS vaccine has now waned and HIV strains that are resistant to drug therapies are common. We are now nearly two decades into the AIDS pandemic and the World Health Organization estimates that there are now 59 million HIV-infected persons worldwide. We examine the molecular biology of the HIV virus, the molecular targets of anti-HIV drugs, and the prospects for a cure. We discuss the origin, epidemiology and modes of transmission of HIV-1 and HIV-2, and look at how HIV-1 interacts with the human immune system. We also discuss both old and new methods of vaccine development and the prospects for making an effective AIDS vaccine. This course is designed for the non-science major who does not intend to pursue a career in the natural sciences. Format: lectures, three hours a week. Evaluation is based on problem sets, two hour tests, quizzes, and a final exam. No prerequisites. No enrollment limit (expected: 50).