Learning Perspective course descriptions, 2026-27 spring semester

ART-101 Drawing (4 Credits) (PA) Fundamentals of drawing such as value, line, form, space and composition, exploring abstraction as well as traditional subject matters through observational studies. Theory and practice through a variety of drawing media including use of color. $60.00 lab fees.

ART-123 Design: Two Dimensional (4 Credits) (PA) Theories of basic design, with emphasis on both formalism and expression in art. Design fundamentals of color, texture, shape, line, value and principles of balance, repetition, variety, harmony and unity explored. A variety of media will be investigated. $60.00 lab fee

ART-261 Relief Print Making (4 Credits) (PA) Introduction to basic monotype and relief printmaking methods including linoleum and woodcut techniques. Methods of registering multi-colored prints will be employed. Students will work collectively on a print portfolio with a common theme of their choosing. $80.00 lab fee

CHST-260 Introduction to Chinese Films (4 Credits) (PA)  An introduction to the Chinese cinema and culture produced in the Chinese-speaking world including People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, as well as Chinese immigrant societies in the USA. Students will examine what kind of contextual differences exist in the Chinese-speaking world and how they are represented and negotiated in cinematic productions. Taught in English.

ENCW-202 Writing Fiction (4 Credits) (PA) Practice in writing with an introduction to the various forms the genre assumes (memoir, profile, literary journalism, nature writing, spiritual autobiography) and emphasis on techniques writers use to translate personal and researched experience into artful nonfiction. The class stresses drafting, workshopping, and revising.

ENCW-203 Writing Creative Nonfiction (4 Credits) (PA) Practice in writing with an introduction to the various forms the genre assumes (memoir, profile, literary journalism, nature writing, spiritual autobiography) and emphasis on techniques writers use to translate personal and researched experience into artful nonfiction. The class stresses drafting, workshopping, and revising.

FRST-248 World Cinema in French (4 Credits) (PA, G) Intensive study of a variety of films from the French-speaking world (France, Quebec, Haiti, Senegal, Morocco, Belgium, etc.). Course situates the films in their historical and cultural contexts, and explores questions of globalization, migration, multiculturalism, and reception. Students acquire skills in film analysis and comparative cinema. Course taught in English and open to the general public. Can be taken for credit towards French major.

GRD-222 Typography (4 Credits) (PA) This studio-based course focuses on typographic design while encouraging experimentation with form-making and concept development. Methodically advancing technical skills while developing a process of working that is unique to the individual encouraged. $40.00 lab fee

MUSC-101 Introduction to Music (4 Credits) (PA) Exploration of the fundamental elements, various forms, and styles of music. Through listening, discussion, and live concert experiences, students will learn about music in various cultural and historical contexts. This course is not a part of the music major and no experience in music is required.

MUSC-107 Music in Worldwide Perspective (4 Credits) (PA,G) Introduction to ethnomusicology and survey of indigenous music of the various regions of the world. Does not apply to major in music.

MUSC-133 Video Game Music (4 Credits) (PA) An introduction to the history and function of musical sound in video games.

THEA-100 Intro to Theatre (4 Credits) (PA) Introduction to Theatre. Theatre as a collaborative, vital and multi-faceted art form that reflects and impacts culture and society. Through study of theatre practice and various dramatic texts from Ancient Greece to contemporary times, this course will examine how the written word is translated into action and images on stage.

THEA-240 Acting I (4 Credits) (PA) Introduction to the acting process through study of its basic principles and development of fundamental performance skills. Studio work includes improvisational exercises, scene study and various performance projects. Emphasis on the use of creative imagination in the context of performance.

AMST-101 Intro Amer Studies (4 Credits) (PH,D) This course is designed to introduce you to the interdisciplinary field of American Studies, for which the object of study is the complex and changing concept of "American culture." The idea of America - as a place, identity, set of values, and as a political ideal - both unifies and divides, and has meaning at local and global scales. Its meaning is also expressed in an almost infinite variety of forms and locations, from the Senate floor to the sports field, from the Constitution to comic books.

ASIA-200 Intro to Asian Studies (4 Credits) (PH, G) An introduction to Asia as a world region of great diversity, dynamism, and contemporary significance. Students will encounter interdisciplinary approaches to the study of Asia and attend to the lived experiences and perspectives of Asian peoples and individuals.

CHST-240 Intro Chinese Culture (4 Credits) (PH) (G) An overview of Chinese culture, with emphasis on various aspects within Chinese society, including religions, literature, art, language and philosophy. Readings are supplemented by audiovisual material, discussion and projects. Taught in English. May not take CHST-240 if CHST-340 has already been taken.

COMM-260 Communication and Culture (4 Credits) (PH) (G) Examines how communication helps create culture and how culture constrains communication, reasoning, and morality; introduces similarities and differences in understanding self and other in cultural contexts.

MJMC-215 News Literacy (4 Credits) (PH) Examines forces that shape news today and how the news media have changed. Prepares students to understand journalism and critically evaluate news sources as well as analyze their own roles as news consumers and communicators using current events as a backdrop. Assignments and discussion focus on topics such as: news values, detecting bias, source credibility, journalistic constraints, and media economics.

PHIL-101 Knowing & Being (4 Credits) (PH) Introduction to central topics in philosophy, such as ethical theory, metaethics, knowledge and skepticism, theology, free will, personal identity, and the nature of meaning. Attention is paid to the careful formation and critical evaluation of arguments.

PHIL-105 Life and Death (4 Credits) (PH) An introduction to ethics, approached through an examination of the ethics of living, letting die, and killing. The course will introduce students to major theories of morality, such as utilitarianism and Kantian ethics, and apply these theories to issues that may include euthanasia, abortion, capital punishment, and just war.

RELG-285 Islam: An Intro (4 Credits) (PH, G) A scholarly critical examination of global Islam through history. Students first learn how to study religion from an academic perspective. Course content focuses on the origins of Islam, the Qur'an, the historical Muhammad, Islamic sects, Sunni schools of thought, Twelver and Ismaili Shi'ism, Muslim debates about God's existence and attributes, Islamic law (sharia) and rituals, Islamic Mysticism (Sufism), sexuality and gender, and Muslim views of war and peace. No prior knowledge of Islam or religious studies is required.

CLAS-258 Greek Warrior Myths (4 Credits) (PS, G) In antiquity, much of the literature about war was composed and performed by veterans who had experienced battle firsthand and knew the difficulties of long separation from home and family. Other myths dealt with chronic illness, suicide, the death of a child, and other difficult topics. In recent years, these texts have been used to help people in our own society who have suffered from war, suicide, racial violence, incarceration, and more process their trauma and communalize their grief. This class will explore these uses through selections from ancient epic and tragedy, supplemented by scholarly commentary. Usually offered every other year. Content Advisory: this course includes consideration of topics that may be difficult for some students.

COMM-220 Communication & Social Relationships (4 Credits) (PS, D) Examines how family, peer and cultural socialization influences communication in close relationships. Consideration of race, class, gender and sexual orientation as they relate to communication in diverse relationships.

COMM-240 Advert & Consumer (4 Credits) (PS) Traces the evolution of the persuasive strategies, effects and messages in commercial discourse, from its origins in colonial America to today, with special emphasis on portrayals of race, class, family and gender in contemporary America. Course assignments will incorporate instruction on media content analysis and textual analysis as research methods.

POLS-101 Intro to American Politics (4 Credits) (PS) A study of constitutional principles and their implementation to create a functioning national government. Development of basic institutions--presidency, Congress, courts, bureaucracy. Analysis of Political Behavior -- political parties, campaigns, and interest groups. Examples from public policy are used to show the institutions and groups in action.

PSYC-100 Intro to Psychology (4 Credits) (PS) A survey course of the major areas of interest within the field of Psychology (physiological, cognitive, clinical, and social), including fundamental principles and theories about human behavior as well as the scientific methods used by psychologists to draw these conclusions.

PUBH-100 Introduction to Public Health (4 Credits) (PS) This course introduces the interdisciplinary field and application of public health. Students will explore the social, political, and environmental determinants of health, and will be introduced to the institutions that shape health outcomes at the local, national, and global levels. This course will also help students understand how public health impacts the health of populations on a daily basis. Course activities will examine a diverse range of topics such as community health organizations, ethics in public health practice, maternal and child health, control of chronic and infectious disease, health through the lifespan, mental health, nutrition, and more.

SOAN-101 Intro to Sociology (4 Credits) (PS, D) A general introduction to society and culture, socially learned patterns of human behavior, formal and informal organization, collective behavior and social change.

SOAN-102 Intro to Anthropology (4 Credits) (PS, G) A general introduction to society and culture, diverse cultural systems and groups of people from around the globe, and a holistic examination of the many parts of culture. Students will learn the tools, methods and key concepts anthropologists use to study humanity.

WGSS-230 Gender, Power (4 Credits) (PS,G) Interdisciplinary and cross-cultural study of girls' and women's experiences of family, education, religion, work, political culture, gender and sexuality. The social, economic and legal statuses of the female are examined globally along with systems that link women around the world, such as media. The parallels and intersections of sex, race, social class and sexual orientation as given statuses within hierarchical societies are addressed as creators of both privilege and discrimination. This class will introduce intersectional theory and transnational intersectional theory.

ARHI-166 Survey of World Art II (4 Credits) (PP, G) A chronological survey of the art and architecture from around the world from the Renaissance in Europe to the contemporary global art market. Students learn to analyze the formal elements of works of art and architecture, examine works within the original cultural and historical contexts, and compare art across cultures and from different time periods.

ENGL-265 History of American Literature (4 Credits) (PP) American literature and social history from 1620 to the present. This course will introduce students to the study of literature by emphasizing the aims, methods, and tools of the discipline. Students will become familiar with critical vocabulary, with selected authors, and with genre and historical context in a way that will carry over to more advanced classes.

HIST-116 Europe 1800-Present (4 Credits) (PP,G) This course will address central moments in modern Europe, including the Industrial Revolution, WWI, fascism, WWII, the Holocaust, the birth and death of Soviet Communism, the Cold War, and the foundation of the European Union. Special emphasis will be placed on developing students' ability to write their own historical interpretations through a critical use of eyewitness accounts.

HIST-130 Rethinking American History, to 1877 (4 Credits) (PP) Rethinking American History, to 1877 Almost everything most people know about American history is at worst, wrong, and at best, oversimplified. This course examines enduring problems, powerful stories, and common misconceptions about the American past. Students will learn a set of problem-solving skills that historians use to make sense of the past, so that they can reach their own conclusions and recognize sense from nonsense.

HIST-170 World History Since 1500 (4 Credits) (PP, G)  Rethinking American History, to 1877 Almost everything most people know about American history is at worst, wrong, and at best, oversimplified. This course examines enduring problems, powerful stories, and common misconceptions about the American past. Students will learn a set of problem-solving skills that historians use to make sense of the past, so that they can reach their own conclusions and recognize sense from nonsense.

RELG-273 Jesus of Nazareth (4 Credits) (PP) An historical critical examination of the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth focusing primarily on the New Testament gospels and other early Christian texts, including examination of key ideas about/reconstructions of Jesus in scholarship and popular culture.

COMM-230 Communication, Politics, & Citizens (4 Credits) (PL) Addresses issues of communication effects and ethics as they impinge on citizens of a free society, with a focus on political discourse in the public sphere. Features rhetorical tactics, communication strategies and argument patterns in political campaigns, public policy, and the media.

ENGL-235 Sci Fi & Fantasy (4 Credits) (PL) An introduction to the alternative worlds of myth, fantasy, utopia and dystopia. Students will develop the close-reading skills and vocabulary of the discipline as they explore deeper meaning, ambiguity, and complexity in classic and contemporary works of fantasy and science fiction.

ENGL-255 Women in Literature (4 Credits) (PL, D) This course examines representations of women in literature and introduces students to women's literary traditions.

ENGL-275 Intro to African-American Lit (4 Credits) (PL,D) Principal works by African Americans representing literary forms and significant currents of thought from the era of slavery to the present.

ENGL-276 Afrofuturism (4 Credits) (PL, D) This course is an introduction to the foundations, aesthetics, and literary perspectives of Afrofuturism. A key component of this course is defining and understanding the distinct innovativeness of the Black science fiction voice and how it has enhanced culture and society. Students will use the literature to explore the intersections of culture, technology, history, race, and identity in Black science fiction and fantasy.

ENGL-283 Intro Irish Lit (4 Credits) (PL) Irish Literature has long been considered both a sub-field of British literature and a national literature of its own. This course is designed to illustrate the long development of Irish literature in Gaelic and in English over the centuries, as well as to highlight some of the most celebrated individual Irish works and authors.

GRST-251 Outsiders in German Literature (4 Credits) (PL) Taught in English and open to all students. Students will read and watch fiction that depicts people outside the social mainstream and will learn to analyze and critically evaluate ideas, themes, and techniques in short stories, novels, and feature films.

JPST-220 Japanese Masterpieces (4 Credits) (PL,G) This course provides a broad overview of the representative literary works produced in Japan during the classical, medieval, early modern, and modern periods. While reading selected literature, we will discuss the historical and socio-cultural backgrounds in which the works were created. Our readings will cover various genres such as tales, diaries, poetry, drama, autobiographical writing, and fiction. The goal of this class is to cultivate familiarity and appreciation of the cultures, aesthetics, and social values of Japan that spawned the variety of literary works we will read in class.

SPST-251 Latino/a Culture in US (4 Credits) (PL) Exploration of major themes and issues around Latino/a cultural production including fiction, memoirs, essays, films, and music. This course will consider interaction between individuals and social groups as they reflect on and give meaning to the concept of Latinidad in the United States. No knowledge of Spanish is required. All texts will be read in English translation. Does not count toward the major/minor in Spanish.

ASTR-145 Stars and Galaxies (4 Credits) (PN) A non-calculus course intended for all majors on stars, galaxies and the universe. Topics include the formation and evolution of stars, basic stellar astrophysics, the interstellar medium, galaxy evolution and cosmology. Observational techniques and scientific methodology will be discussed. Evening observing sessions in the Carl Gamble observatory will be required. Suggested prerequisite: A math-index score of 840 or higher is recommended (pre-calc ready).

ESGE-100 Cont. Environ. Issues (4 Credits) (PN) This course provides an in-depth examination of the structure and dynamics of complex environmental issues at both local and global scales. We pay particular attention to the ways that place, people, and ecosystems interact to both cause and address these issues. Particular topics may include: natural hazards and disasters, consumerism, wildlife conflicts, food systems, and/or monoculture lawns.

GEOL-101 Phys & Environ Geol (4 Credits) (PN) Introduction to the science of the Earth and our environment through topics of Earth materials and cycles, natural resources, tectonic processes, hydrologic systems, volcanic systems, earthquakes, paleoclimatology, and geologic time. Additional themes include anthropogenic impacts on our environment, environmental hazards, natural resources, and environmental justice. Includes a weekly 2-hour lab that integrates experiential exercises, technology applications, collections of the Fryxell Geology Museum, and local field trips. Gateway course to the Geology major.