Spring 2025 Honors Program Course Information
Eligibility
Continuing students(Students who have been at CU for at least one year): As long as you have a GPA of3.3 or higher, you can enroll yourself in one Honors course per semester without our permission.
Incoming first-year fall students: If you were invited into the Honors Program for this academic year, your BuffPortal will let you enroll. The process is the same as registering for the rest of your courses, and you don't need our permission to take an Honors class. Please only sign up for one Honors course per semester, and be sure to select the proper Honors section when choosing your class.
Auditors: Auditors are not allowed in our courses due to pedagogical concerns.
Finding Our Courses
How can I tell which courses are Honors Program courses? Honors Program courses have a section number between 880-888and are alwayslisted on our website. We encourage you to use this webpage to learn about this semester's course offerings before going to classes.colorado.edu to register, as we provide more detail about each classon our webpage.
How do I find Honors Program courses?
- Go to
- In the "Search Classes" section on the left side, look in the "Advanced Search" section for the last option labeled, "Other Attributes"
- Click the down arrown next to "Other Attributes" and in the drop-down menu select "Arts & Sciences Honors Course (HONR)"
- Click on the "Search Classes" button
- You will see a list of classes pop out. Not all of these courses are offered by the Honors Program; this search option also shows honors courses offered by departments within the College of Arts and Sciences. Please be sure to check the section number to confirm it is an Honors Program course; you are looking for sections 880-888.
Courses taught in the Honors RAP have a section number between 888R-889R; please contact hrap@colorado.edu if you are enrolled in a course with this section number and have a question about the class.
babyֱapp Our Courses
Honors Seminars: Our courses are limited to 17 students and provide a different kind of learning environment through small discussion-based classes, with one exception. Some of our Classics (CLAS) offerings are in a larger setting for the main course, and the associated recitation is taught by the professor instead of a Teaching Assistant. The recitations are limited to 17 students.
Honors Recitations: For courses that are designated as "honors recitation", you'll attend a regular full-sized lecture as well as a small group session (the Honors recitation), which is led by the professor. Honors recitations offer time to discuss course material more in-depth. Courses with recitations that do not specify "honors" are normal Honors courses (capped at 17) that also have recitations with the same group of students.
Registering for our courses: In the fall, lower-division fall classes may appear to be full before registration windows start to open up. We release available spots forour fall classes incrementally to ensure that all students have the opportunity to enroll regardless of their registration window.
As you research our classes, please have several choices in mind in case your top choice does not work with your schedule or is not available when you register. Give yourself enough time to consult with your academic advisor regarding your choices. If you've been batch-enrolled into a class that you want to replace with an Honors section, we recommend that you request the assistance of your advisor rather than trying to drop and add it on your own. Please only enroll in one Honors class each semester. We encourage transfer students who are coming in as sophomores, juniors, and seniors to consider our 3000 and 4000-level classes! Please note that there is NO extra cost associated with taking an honors course.
Spring 2025 Honors Program Courses
We provide course descriptions written by our instructors whenever possible. Click on linked course titles, scroll down, or click here to see the course descriptions. For . Right-click on the link and choose "Open link in a new tab" if you'd like to keep this window open and also look at the University Catalog.
Classes that are full are marked with asymbol.
Subject | Class # | Section # | Course Title | Meeting Pattern | Time | Class Style | Instructor | Class Location | Core | GenEd |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ANTH | 2100 | 880 | Intro to Cultural Anthropology | MWF | 11:15-12:05 | In person | Kate Fischer | LIBR M300D | HD | SS/Global Div |
ANTH | 3110 | 880 | Ethnography of Mexico and Central America New offering | TTH | 9:30-10:45 | In person | Kate Fischer | LIBR N424A | SS | |
CLAS | 1100 | 880 | Greek and Roman Mythology (large lecture*) | MW | 10:10-11:00 | In person | Lauri Reitzammer | HUMN 1B50 | LA | AH |
881 | Honors recitation* | W | 1:25-2:15 | In person | Lauri Reitzammer | LIBR N424A | ||||
CLAS | 4040 | 880 | The Historian as Exile (ancient Greek and Roman Historians) | MW | 3:35-4:50 | In person | Peter Hunt | HUMN 370 | ||
EBIO | 1220 | 880 | General Biology 2 | TTH | 9:30-10:45 | In person | Rob Buchwald | LIBR M300D | NS | NS |
EBIO | 1220 | 881 | General Biology 2 | TTH | 11:00-12:15 | In person | Rob Buchwald | LIBR M300D | NS | NS |
EBIO | 2070 | 880 | Genetics: Molecules to Populations | MWF; F | 12:20-1:10; 1:25-2:15 | In person | Rob Buchwald | LIBR M300D; LIBR N424A | NS | NS |
ECON | 3818 | 880 | Introduction to Statistics with Computer Applications | MWF; F | 1:25-2:15; 2:30-3:20 | In person | Kremena Platikanova-Gross | LIBR M300D; MUEN E114 | SS | |
ENGL | 1240 | 880 | Planetarity | MWF | 10:10-11:00 | In person | Jason Gladstone | LIBR M300D | AH | |
GEOG | 3742 | 880 | Place, Power, and Contemporary Culture | TTH | 11:00-12:15 | In person | Abby Hickcox | LIBR N424A | CS | AH/SS/US & Global Div |
HIST | 1012 | 880 | Empire, Revolution, and Global War: European History Since 1600 | MWF | 1:25-2:15 | In person | John Hatch | HUMN 245 | HC | AH |
HIST | 2166 | 880 | The Vietnam Wars | MWF | 2:30-3:20 | In person | Steve Dike | LIBR M300D | HC/CS | AH/Global Div |
HONR | 1810 | 880 | Honors Diversity Seminar | MWF | 9:05-9:55 | In person | Steve Dike | LIBR M300D | HD | SS/US Div |
HONR | 3220 | 880 | Advanced Honors Writing Workshop - Honors Thesis | TTH | 3:30-4:45 | In person | Stephanie Couey | LIBR M300D | WC | WC-Upper division |
HONR | 3220 | 881 | Advanced Honors Writing Workshop - Honors Journal | TTH | 3:30-4:45 | In person | Abby Hickcox | LIBR N424A | WC | WC-Upper division |
HONR | 3900 | 880 | Honors Internship class | M | 1:25-2:15 | In person | Ali Hatch | LIBR N424A | ||
HONR | 4490 | 880 | Honors Capstone Seminar CANCELLED | TTH | 9:30-10:45 | In person | Kate Fischer | LIBR N424A | ||
IPHY | 2420 | 880 | Introduction to Nutrition | TTH | 2:00-3:15 | In person | Sewan Kim | KCEN S163 | NS | NS |
MATH | 2510 | 880 | Introduction to Statistics | MWF | 9:05-9:55 | In person | Braden Balentine | LIBR N424A | QRMS | QRM |
MCDB | 2150 | 880 | Principles of Genetics | TTH | 12:30-1:45 | In person | Maureen Bjerke | BKER W205 | NS | |
PHIL | 1200 | 880 | Contemporary Social Problems | TTH | 2:00-3:15 | In person | David Boonin | LIBR N424A | US/IV | AH |
PHIL | 1400 | 880 | Philosophy and the Sciences | TTH | 12:30-1:45 | In person | Carol Cleland | LIBR M300D | NS | AH/NS |
PSCI | 3172 | 880 | Democracy and its Citizens in the US and EU | MWF | 2:30-3:20 | In person | Jeffrey Nonnemacher | LBB 143 | CS | SS |
PSCI | 4241 | 880 | Constitutional Law | MW | 3:35-4:50 | In person | Allie Palmer | LIBR M300D | SS | |
PSYC | 1001 | 880 | General Psychology | MWF | 2:30-3:20 | In person | Jenny Schwartz | LIBR N424A | MAPS | NS |
PSYC | 3303 | 880 | Clinical Psychology: Psychological Disorders | MW | 3:35-4:50 | In person | Jenny Schwartz | LIBR N424A | NS | |
REES | 3705 | 880 | Crimes of Passion: Gender and Sexual Politics in Tolstoy's Russia New offering | TTH | 11:00-12:15 | In person | Laura Osterman | LBB 330 | AH/Global Div | |
SOCY | 1016 | 880 | Sex, Gender and Society | MWF | 10:10-11:00 | In person | Ali Hatch | LIBR N424A | SS/US Div | |
SOCY | 3314 | 880 | Violence Against Women and Girls | MWF | 11:15-12:05 | In person | Ali Hatch | LIBR N424A | SS | |
SOCY | 3314 | 881 | Violence Against Women and Girls | MWF | 12:20-1:10 | In person | Ali Hatch | LIBR N424A | SS | |
SPAN | 3010 | 880 | Spanish: Advanced Rhetoric and Composition | MWF | 3:35-4:25 | In person | Emmy Herland | LBB 153 | WC | AH/WC-Upper div |
WGST | 2600 | 880 | Introduction to Global Gender, Race and Sexuality Studies | TTH | 12:30-1:45 | In person | Kate Fischer | LIBR N424A | SS/Global Div |
Instructor Course Descriptions
ANTH 2100-880: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Kate Fischer
This course is an introduction to the discipline of cultural anthropology and the substantive issues, methods, and concepts of the discipline. Cultural anthropology is the study of how human beings organize their lives as members of society, and the ways in which they make their lives meaningful as cultural individuals. This field of study involves encountering, interpreting, and communicating about the human situation in all its variety. Cultural anthropology is a vast discipline with far reaching objectives. Cultural anthropologists study and apply their expertise to many problems worldwide. While we cannot possibly cover the breadth and depth of the discipline during one semester, this course will offer an appreciation and understanding of culture and different ways of thinking about the diversity we encounter in our everyday lives. Therefore, the primary goal of this course is to provide you with the ability to apply an anthropological perspective to understanding how people are influenced by andare part of the historical, social, babyֱapp, ecological, and political processes that occur across the globe. It is my hope that this course will instill in you a sense of curiosity about people and cultures around the world, provide you with a set of tools for understanding difference, and offer you a deeper insight into your own experience as a cultural being.
ANTH 3110-880: Ethnography of Mexico and Central America
Kate Fischer
This course provides an ethnographic survey of Mexico and Central America, from the pre-Conquest period to the present day. We will highlight the diversity of cultures in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, and El Salvador through an examination of ethnographic examples and texts and will discuss historical contexts influencing the region. We will explore the intersection of contemporary issues on the macro-level (e.g., neoliberalism, U.S. foreign policy, migration, revolution, gender and sexuality, class, and race) and the micro-level (i.e., everyday experiences of peoples of the region) by reading a number of books and some scholarly articles. In addition to gaining a better understanding of the region, you will learn how to read, interpret, and critique ethnographies and ethnographic methods.
CLAS 1100-880 & 881: Greek and Roman Mythology (+ honors recitation)
Lauri Reitzammer
This class provides an introduction to ancient Greek and Roman mythology. We will explore traditional tales associated with figures important to the ancient Greeks and Romans (gods and goddesses, nymphs, heroes and heroines, and fearful monsters), as well as modern attempts at theorizing and interpreting these myths (e.g., psychoanalytic, feminist, and structuralist). Because Greek and Roman religion is fundamentally bound up with Greek and Roman mythology, we will spend a good deal of time considering the significance of the divinities to each culture’s thought, imagination, and ritual. Each time a traditional tale was (and is) told, it was (and is) modified in some way. For this reason, as we study mythology this semester, we will frequently ask ourselves 1. who is telling the story and 2. for what purposes is the story being told. This class will thus introduce you to the political and cultural contexts that produced these traditional tales (e.g., the emphasis on autochthony at the height of the Athenian empire). This class will also serve as an introduction to ancient literary genres, like epic, lyric, and tragedy. Our investigation will center mostly on primary sources (e.g., Homer, Sophocles, Euripides, ancient vase painting, Virgil’s Aeneid) but will also include modern movie adaptations of these myths (e.g., Troy and O Brother Where Art Thou) as we consider how these ancient myths live today and what purposes they serve in our world. *Please note: This class in a larger lecture setting for the main course (CLAS 1100-880), and the recitation is taught by the Professor instead of a Teaching Assistant (CLAS 1100-881). The recitations are limited to 17 honors students in the traditional discussion-based Honors class style.
CLAS 4040-880: The Historian as Exile (ancient Greek and Roman Historians)
Peter Hunt
Each of the three major historians from classical Greece was an exile from his city-state. This striking fact provides the impetus and theme of this course on ancient Greek and Roman historiography. We’ll start with a focus on how outsider status can shape the writing of history. More broadly, we’ll investigate ancient historians’ relationships to political power and their stated commitments (whether successful or not) to provide unbiased accounts. We’ll get to read extensively in four of the most brilliant ancient historians (Herodotus, Thucydides, Sallust, and Tacitus) and the biographer Plutarch and to learn about two key periods of classical history: the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars of fifth-century BCE Greece and the fall of the Roman Republic and establishment of the Principate. PLEASE NOTE: Although the catalog lists prerequisites, there are actually NO prerequisites for this class! No prerequisites; no Greek or Latin required; no prior knowledge expected. Sign up today! See the CLAS 4040 flyer.
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
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EBIO 1220: General Biology 2 (sections 880 & 881)
Robert Buchwald
Are humans currently evolving? Should you be concerned about eating genetically modified plants? What, exactly, is a cephalopod? We will answer all these questions and more in EBIO 1220 – a concentrated introduction to evolution, the diversity of life, and ecology & conservation biology. As an honors class, we will also incorporate several outside readings, critical thinking exercises and presentations, such as “Biology in the News,” “Nutrition Myths, Truths & Quackery,” and “Natural Selection Misconceptions.” This course is intended for EBIO (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) majors, other science majors (such as Psychology, Kinesiology, Biochemistry, etc.), as well as other majors for which biology is a requirement. EBIO 1240 (laboratory) is a co-requirement for potential EBIO majors and as specified by your particular major (please see your departmental advisor if you have questions). Students who simply need to satisfy the Natural Sciences core requirement should consider taking EBIO 1030, 1040, & 1050, “Biology—a Human Approach,” which are lecture/lab courses for non-Biology majors. If you have questions about this, please see me or your departmental advisor. Although it is not a pre-requisite, this course assumes that you have taken EBIO 1210 or its equivalent, since lectures in EBIO 1220 often rely on knowledge gained from EBIO 1210. If you have not taken EBIO 1210 or the equivalent or are concerned about your background, please see me.
EBIO 2070-880: Genetics: Molecules to Populations
Robert Buchwald
Is my personality dictated by my DNA? How does DNA code for our anatomy and physiology? What is CRISPR and how scared should I be about a future with DNA editing? We will answer all these questions and more in EBIO 2070 – Genetics: Molecules to Populations. This four-hour course comprises both a lecture and recitation. As an honors class, we will also incorporate several outside readings, podcasts and videos, critical thinking exercises, clicker-style assessments, and multiple in-class presentations. We will cover principles of genetics and developmental biology at levels of molecules, cellular organelles, individuals and populations; asexual and sexual life cycles; and heredity. Recitations allow for discussion of genetics problems and implications of genetic principles and provide demonstrations and simulations of genetic processes.
ECON 3818-880: Introduction to Statistics with Computer Applications
Kremena Platikanova-Gross
The course introduces the principles of statistical reasoning and inference. It explores the following concepts: describing data with graphs and numerical measures, probability theory, probability distributions, sampling distributions, properties of estimators, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, statistical inference, and bivariate regression analysis. The software used for applied statistical analysis in the course is R. This is an essential course for the understanding and further study of quantitative babyֱapp analysis. View the ECON 3818 flyer here.
ENGL 1240-880: Planetarity
Jason Gladstone
Focuses on post-WWII American writing and thought about the planet and humanity. We explore how postwar efforts to transform the terrestrial environmental and conquer outer space raise questions about humanity, technology, and nature. We also study how earth and space serve novelists, artists, and film-makers as environments to confront large-scale questions about culture, identity, and power. Equivalent - Duplicate Degree Credit Not Granted:AHUM1240. Check out the ENGL 1240 flyer.
GEOG 3742-880: Place, Power, and Contemporary Culture
Abby Hickcox
This course takes a geographic approach to place, power, and culture, examining different ways to understand each and how the three relate to each other to shape our society and ourselves. By the end of course, you will be able to discuss the complexity of culture as a “way of life” and as a lens through which to understand the way we live in our world. You will see the role of culture in creating a “sense of place,” even while dynamics of globalization move through places, and people move from place to place. You will develop the tools to analyze spatial inclusion and exclusion as cultural operations of power. The first part of the course introduces key terms such as culture, place, and globalization. Part 2 focuses on material culture, the study of how objects shape our lives. Part 3 introduces space, landscape, and power and explores their relationship with one another. The final part of the course is devoted to students developing their own case study analyses of culture, place, and power.
John Hatch
This course examines the history of Europe from 1600 to the 2000's. What was the West? What accounts for its rise to global dominance? How did the West respond to internal and external challenges to its rise to dominance? To answer these questions, we will examine the effects of religious conflict in the aftermath of the Protestant Reformation; the emergence and nature of political absolutism and its revolutionary challengers in 17th Century England and 18th Century France; the rise (and fall) of European global empires; the intellectual, political and babyֱapp revolutions of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries; the rise (and fall) of Communism in the 20th; the role of nationalism and the rise of European Fascism in the era of the World Wars; and the consequences of extremism in the perpetration of the Holocaust and other 20th Century ethnic atrocities. Click here to see the HIST 1012 class flyer
Steve Dike
We will study a series of conflicts that occurred in Vietnam from about 1930 to 1975. These struggles involved Vietnamese nationalists, Vietnamese communists, French colonialists, Japanese occupiers, and Americans, along with others. You will leave this class with a deep knowledge of the issues, people, and conflicts that shaped Vietnam and the other nations that fought there. We will examine the American experience in their war, as well as the American home front. Check out the HIST 2166 class flyer here
HONR 1810-880:Honors Diversity
Steve Dike
This introductory course examines diversity, broadly construed, in the contemporary U.S. context. This course applies an interdisciplinary perspective to identify how history, politics, culture, babyֱapps, and social life converge with and shape the way diverse experiences in terms of gender, race, class, sexuality, neurodiversity, and the physical body, among others, are lived and understood. The goals of this course are to encourage and develop curiosity, openness, and empathy alongside a critical academic understanding of the broad range of experiences and inequities in the current moment. By the end of the course you will develop a critical understanding of how forms of privilege and exclusion are written about, comprehended, and contended with.
HONR 3220‐880: Advanced Honors Writing Workshop: Honors Thesis
Stephanie Couey
Section 880 introduces honors students to an analysis and argumentation as they are rendered in longer prose forms. As such, the course provides excellent preparation for writing an honors thesis. With the collaboration and thoughtful feedback of your colleagues in class, you will have the opportunity to engage in independent scholarship in your area of expertise. Our informal theme for the semester will be cultural rhetoric. In responding to texts that represent cultural diversity, students will evaluate issues and relate them to their own experiences. Through these readings as well as class discussion of written assignments, students will learn to make reasoned arguments in defense of their own opinions. By examining diverse voices, this course helps students meet the challenges of academic writing. This course will extend your ability to adapt rhetorical strategies and arguments on cultural issues and diversity to address the needs of a range of different audiences and stakeholders. Writing Process and the Workshop Format: The course offers an opportunity to understand writing from the audience or reader perspective by focusing on the peer review of work in progress. Through this approach, you will discover how revision is central to the writing process. Your own writing will be the principal text; we will all work together as a team to improve each paper. We will adopt the attitude that any paper can be improved, and give constructive criticism to everyone. Your job will be to provide oral and written commentary on other students' papers when assigned to do so. Approved for Arts and Sciences Core Curriculum: Written Communication. Restricted to students with 57-180 credits (Juniors or Seniors). Must be taken for credit. No P/F.
HONR 3220‐881: Advanced Honors Writing Workshop: Honors Journal
Abby Hickcox
Section 881 provides practical learning and development of writing skills through the creation of this academic year's Honors Journal publication.Students will read and select the best undergraduate scholarly and creative work for publication from academic fields including: art, creative non-fiction, fiction, gender & ethnic studies, humanities, open media, natural science, poetry, and social science.The course includes extensive practice in reading for, summarizing, and evaluating arguments and in structuring cogent arguments for diverse audiences. Development of basic skills in graphic layout using Adobe InDesign will be included in the course. Students will reflect on effective writing in different disciplines. Restricted to students with 57-180 credits OR consent of instructor. See the flyer for HONR 3220-881-Honors Journal class here.
HONR 3900‐880: Honors Internship Class
Ali Hatch
Engage in hands-on work in the community and gain practical knowledge and real-world experience. The course is designed to help students combine professional experiences with an academic component that involves critical thinking and interdisciplinary approaches to problem-solving. Benefits of the course include acquiring professional skills and knowledge, building a network of connections, developing insights on possible career options, and applying classroom material to real-world experiences. Final letter grades are based on the evaluation of the student’s internship supervisor and on class performance. Class assignments will include journal reflections on internship experience and the completion of a career portfolio. We will meet every other Monday on the following dates:
- Monday, January 13, 1:25-2:15
- Monday, January 27, 1:25-2:15
- Monday, February 10, 1:25-2:15
- Monday, February 24, 1:25-2:15
- Monday, March 10, 1:25-2:15
- Monday, March 31, 1:25-2:15
- Monday, April 14, 1:25-2:15
- Monday, April 28, 1:25-2:15
To take the course, you must be Honors eligible (cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher) and be of sophomore, junior, or senior standing at the time of the internship. Enrollment preference will be given to students enrolled in the Honors Certificate Program. However, it is not a requirement to be a certificate student to take the internship course. You must submit an application before you can be enrolled. It's a pretty simple application; it's just a way for us to understand what your goals are and what you are thinking about doing. It will take you about 3-5 minutes to fill out. December 1 is the deadline to apply for Spring 2025 enrollment.
- Click here to read more about the internship
- Click here to see the HONR 3900-880 class flyer
- Email Dr. Hatch with any questions about the internship
IPHY 2420-880: Introduction to Nutrition
Sewan Kim
Please stay tuned for the professor's description. In the meantime, visit the University Catalog for details.
Mathematics
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MATH 2510-880: Introduction to Statistics
Braden Balentine
This is an introductory course in statistics. We will cover some of the fundamental ideas and tools used in statistics. Topics that we will cover include elementary statistical measures, statistical distributions, statistical inference, hypothesis testing and linear regression. We will also go over some of the basics of probability as they are necessary for our understanding of statistics.
Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology
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MCDB 2150-880: Principles of Genetics
Maureen Bjerke
Principles of Genetics is the second course in the required sequence for Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology majors and is also applicable for other majors related to the biological sciences. We will begin with a review of molecular genetics (recommended pre-requisites are MCDB 1150 or EBIO 1210 or CHEN 2810 with minimum grade C-), then explore types of mutations, patterns of inheritance, population genetics, mechanisms of evolution, genomics, and several applications of genetics in science and medicine. Along the way, we will discuss experimental evidence for the principles laid out in the course and will highlight the contributions of current and historical scientists working on the topics about which we are learning.
This class uses a partially “flipped” structure, meaning that students are expected to acquire knowledge from readings and videos before coming to class. Class sessions include active learning elements such as clicker questions, peer-peer instruction, and both individual and group problem solving exercises. Your active involvement in the class will help you learn the material more effectively and is a required (graded) element of the course.
PHIL 1200-880: Contemporary Social Problems
David Boonin
Everyone, at some point or other in life, will have to face questions of right and wrong, fairness and injustice, and challenges to one's sense of purpose and meaning. Sometimes these questions are general and abstract: When should the power of the state be used to restrict an individual's voluntary decisions? Are there any reasons to restrict actions and relationships, such as drug use or polyamory, that might appear to be victimless or consensual? At other times, those questions are deeply personal and concrete: Is there any good reason for me to be honest if there's little chance of my getting caught? Is there any reason not to use ChatGPT to write my essay? How should I counsel a friend or family member with an unplanned pregnancy or a terminal disease? While people often rely on religious traditions or secular norms to guide their conduct when such questions arise, it can be helpful to approach such issues in a more systematic way. In this class, we will approach these and other controversial issues through the lens of philosophy, which seeks to answer these questions by critically examining different possible positions on those issues. We will focus on competing positions in debates over these and similar inescapable controversial issues that keep on hovering over your head including the fundamental questions of right, wrong and the meaning of life.
PHIL 1400-880: Philosophy and the Sciences
Carol Cleland
The subject of this course is science. Its purpose is to introduce students to philosophical thought about the nature of science. We begin with questions such as the following: What is the scientific method? How does it differ from other methods for obtaining knowledge? What does the objectivity (unbiased observation?) and rationality (logic?) of science consist of? In what sense can science be said to make progress? Is historical science (paleontology, etc.) inferior to experimental science? Do theoretical entities such as electrons and DNA really exist or are they merely useful fictions for organizing observations into powerful theoretical systems for purposes of prediction and explanation? To bring these difficult philosophical issues to life, we will discuss a number of exciting scientific discoveries, puzzles, and debates including the nature of space and time in Einstein’s general theory of relativity, the problem of making good sense of quantum mechanics within the framework of classical physics, the empirical status of string theory (which supposedly provides the long awaited “unified field theory” in physics), the debate over the cause of the end-Cretaceous mass extinction (66 million years ago) and end-Permian mass extinction (250 million years ago), and contemporary thought about the origin and evolution of life on Earth. We will end with a critical discussion of the history and current status of scientific thinking about climate change (aka global warming). Click here to see the flyer for PHIL 1400
Political Science
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PSCI 3172-880:Democracy and its Citizens in the US and EU
Jeffrey Nonnemacher
Despite the many differences between the U.S. and the European Union, studying the two in comparison tells us much about democratic processes, elections, and how citizens are connected to and participate within their democracies. This class focuses on how democracy works in both the United States and the European Union through a critical comparative analysis of elections. How are elections structured? What are political parties and what is their role as conduits for democracy? How do voters respond to parties and engage in the political process? To answer these questions, we will discuss and analyze key theories of electoral politics, party behavior, and voter behavior in a comparative perspective.
PSCI 4241-880:Constitutional Law
Allie Palmer
Please stay tuned for the professor's description. In the meantime, visit the University Catalog for details.
PSYC 1001-880:General Psychology
Jennifer Schwartz
How are we able to perceive the world around us? Why do we dream? How does alcohol impact the brain? What makes each individual’s personality unique? Do young children think differently than adults? How do we learn? Are people with psychological disorders dangerous? How do psychologists help people lead richer more fulfilling lives? This course is designed to address these and other questions by giving you an introduction to the content and methodology of the field of psychology. It will give you an overview of some of the major sub-disciplines within psychology. It will also expose you to both seminal and cutting-edge research studies within these domains, as well as encourage critical interpretation of research findings. To guide and integrate our exploration, we will focus on several theoretical frameworks and ongoing debates that cut across specific sub-fields and define the study of psychology as a whole. You will be connecting these ideas to your own life by applying class content to the reading, listening, watching, interacting, and experiencing you do every day. The goals of this course are to stimulate you to further explore the field of psychology and to provide a foundation of knowledge and critical thinking skills that will benefit your academic, career, and personal paths, whatever they may be.
PSYC 3303-880:Clinical Psychology: Psychological Disorders
Jennifer Schwartz
This course introduces students to the field of clinical psychology and the scientific study of mental health conditions. The class will provide a survey of psychological disorders, including clinical presentation, major etiological theories (biological, psychological, and psychosocial approaches), and the most widely used and evidence-based approaches to treatment. We will also discuss relevant research. You will be encouraged to think about not only what we know about mental health conditions, but also what we do not know. We will tackle some of the major controversial issues and unresolved questions that clinical psychologists face as they seek to better understand, prevent, and treat psychological disorders. While the course emphasizes a critical thinking and scientific approach, it also aims to provide students with a rich understanding of the lived experience of those with mental health conditions, enabling greater empathy and inclusiveness for all whose lives are touched by psychological disorders. Requires a prerequisite course of PSYC 1001 (minimum grade of C-)
Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies
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REES 3705-880: Crimes of Passion: Gender and Sexual Politics in Tolstoy's Russia
Laura Osterman
Examines the historical evolution of gender and sexual politics and the status of women in the late Imperial Russian culture, with particular attention to the writings of Leo Tolstoy and his masterpiece Anna Karenina. Topics-based survey considers debates around marriage, sexuality and gender equality through analysis of primary text by Tolstoy and his contemporaries, as well as secondary materials in gender studies, literary criticism and intellectual history. Taught in English. Formerly RUSS 3705.
SOCY 1016-880:Sex, Gender and Society
Ali Hatch
This course is an introduction to the sociological study of gender. Course material will focus on the integral role gender plays in the structure of society and will provide an overview of the many ways in which gender plays a vital role in our lives. This class is taught from the perspective that gender and gender roles are learned behaviors (not biological) that are socially-constructed by culture (not innate) and contextually specific and malleable (not universal or fixed). From the Course Catalog: Examines status and power differences between the sexes at individual and societal levels. Emphasizes historical context of gender roles and status, reviews major theories of gender stratification.
SOCY 3314: Violence Against Women and Girls (sections 880 & 881)
Ali Hatch
This course is an overview of gender-based violence. We will analyze the political and cultural structures that perpetuate gendered violence, and explore how gendered violence intersects with race, class, and sexuality. This course focuses on violence against women and girls, and the relationship between gender inequality and violence. Specifically, utilizing a feminist sociological lens, this course will cover various manifestations of gender violence, including (but not limited to): hate crimes motivated by trans and homophobia, rape and sexual assault, domestic violence, trafficking, pornography, and femicide.
SPAN 3010-880:Spanish: Advanced Rhetoric and Composition
Emmy Herland
This class is designed to refine your writing skills in Spanish, with all your written work focused around one central theme. For this honors section, that theme will be health & wellness in the Hispanic world. Students will outline, draft, review and revise three essays over the course of the semester: one expository (exploring an aspect of the healthcare system in a Spanish-speaking country), one argumentative (advocating for a change to US healthcare policy), and one analytical (examining a Spanish-language novel with disability as a central theme). With our class time, we’ll practice close reading to break down written texts and study their conventions, learn complex sentence structures to alter voice and tone, play with AI-generated writing and learn to use AI critically, and engage in a variety of other writing games and workshops.
Women & Gender Studies
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WGST 2600-880:Introduction to Global Gender, Race and Sexuality Studies
Kate Fischer
This introductory course examines how constructions of gender, race, and class are structurally determined and lived through in today’s global society. It applies an interdisciplinary perspective to identify how history, politics, culture, babyֱapps, and social life converge with and shape the way gender, race, and class are understood. While the course primarily focuses on women, it is impossible to ignore how race and class articulate with ideas about gender and how these socially determined characteristics form a triad for identity construction and subjectivities. The goal of this class is to create awareness of the contemporary inequities that plague our global society and develop a critical understanding of how forms of privilege and exclusion based on gender, race, and class are written about, comprehended, and contended with. To that end, we will read a novel, a graphic novel, and two academic books as well as a number of scholarly articles during the course.