AMCD 200, American Culture:Power/Identity: (This course was originally titled ACST 200: Introduction to American Culture and Difference; the name change has been submitted as an information item to the UCC). In AMCD 200, students learn about the historical and theoretical foundations of Cultural Studies as an academic discipline and use cultural theory to analyze a variety of cultural products and representations. In this course, students look specifically at dominant and subversive constructions of gender, race, ethnicity, national and sexual identities, and how these constructions are deployed through cultural practices and productions such as sports, film and television, folklore and popular culture, youth subcultures, music, and so on. For example, the course may contain units on "nation" and the creation of American mythologies; the process of hero-making in American history; stereotypes and the representation of race and ethnicity in television and film; representations of gender and sexuality in advertising; as well as a section on American music from jazz, blues, folk and roots music, to rock and roll, punk, and hip-hop.

Street art—including graffiti, murals, and other installations in public space—provides expressive avenues for marginalized voices, shapes urban space, and promotes competing visions of community development. In contrast to art that is created for museums or the commercial art market, street art is uniquely positioned to engage with social issues from a critical perspective. This class will involve an analysis of street art projects from the United States, situated in comparison with projects from around the world. Topics to explored include the history of street art over time (from its origins in graffiti to contemporary mural festivals); the impetus for street art in communities in the USA and globally; models for creating, preserving, and presenting street art; the institutionalization of street art; street art as it relates to diversity and inclusion; and, ultimately, the potential for street art to play a role in social change.

Street art—including graffiti, murals, and other installations in public space—provides expressive avenues for marginalized voices, shapes urban space, and promotes competing visions of community development. In contrast to art that is created for museums or the commercial art market, street art is uniquely positioned to engage with social issues from a critical perspective. This class will involve an analysis of street art projects from the United States, situated in comparison with projects from around the world. Topics to explored include the history of street art over time (from its origins in graffiti to contemporary mural festivals); the impetus for street art in communities in the USA and globally; models for creating, preserving, and presenting street art; the institutionalization of street art; street art as it relates to diversity and inclusion; and, ultimately, the potential for street art to play a role in social change.

This course provides an investigation of the critical issues facing museums in the 21st century. Museum missions, practices, and resources will be interwoven with a discussion of audience, communication, and collaboration. This course will provide an opportunity for discussions with museum professionals. Partnerships with regional museums will provide hands-on project opportunities during the semester.

This course surveys historical and contemporary art forms of Oceania, a region that includes Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Sculpture, painting, architecture, and body arts will be explored in relation to gender roles, identity, repatriation, and Western influence. Students will learn how material culture, along with the concepts of mana and tapu, sustained highly stratified cultures in places such as Hawaii and New Zealand. We will also study egalitarian societies in which a balanced relationship is maintained with natural environments through daily practices and spiritual beliefs. Students will work with objects from the American Museum of Asmat Art at the University of St. Thomas (AMAA@UST). Films and other digital resources will be used to illustrate how Pacific cultures have changed over time.

A survey of high style and vernacular architecture in the United States from the Native Americans to the present day. Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: identify the major themes and styles in American architecture; recognize major monuments and their designers; and understand how an American identity was projected in architecture. This includes understanding American architecture and its relationship to corresponding developments in art, landscape, and the urban fabric. Emphasis will be placed on structures in Minnesota and the upper Midwest.

A survey of high style and vernacular architecture in the United States from the Native Americans to the present day. Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: identify the major themes and styles in American architecture; recognize major monuments and their designers; and understand how an American identity was projected in architecture. This includes understanding American architecture and its relationship to corresponding developments in art, landscape, and the urban fabric. Emphasis will be placed on structures in Minnesota and the upper Midwest.

ARTH 301 is a signature work course in art history.  Topics vary from section to section, but all art history Signature Work courses focus on interdisciplinary perspectives in the field of art history, the integration of learning, and the relevance of our work as art historians to the university’s mission. The various sections focus on an gaining an understanding of art through a careful exploration of the historical, social, and cultural context of its production. This course calls upon students to reflect on knowledge they have built throughout their academic careers and to explore and integrate their learning in an interdisciplinary fashion. Prerequisites: 4 credits in ARTH coursework and at least 80 credits completed by the start of the course

This course focuses on the process of creating a digital typeface design. Students will invent a design brief—a description of the need that their font will serve—and then, letter by letter, create a typeface. Along the way, students will investigate the history of type design, reflect on both the functional and expressive aspects of type designs, and receive feedback on their work in progress. No previous experience is required.

A survey of the art and architecture of ancient Greece from the fall of the Bronze Age civilizations to the end of the Hellenistic period. Particular attention will be given to sculpture, vase painting, and the relationship of art to the broader culture, to the art of the ancient Near East and Egypt, and to gender relations in ancient Greece.

This course explores whether or not traditional concepts associated with the human person, business, and law are capable of addressing changes introduced by technology and its rapid evolution.  In particular, students will be asked to consider whether concepts associated with property, privacy, rights, justice, and the good can accommodate technological innovations such as automation, decision-making by algorithms, big data, and the "de-skilling" of work.  What might this mean for "meaningful work" in the future?  What might it mean for education and culture?  Will technology create an electronic Panopticon, substituting a world governed by big data and a lack of privacy for Weber’s “iron cage?"  In the process, students should ask whether or not technological innovation is outpacing the ability of traditional concepts in business, the law, and philosophy to properly address deeper questions associated with promoting the human good.

This course explores from an interdisciplinary perspective the history of the Catholic Church as it interacts with the secular world and is shaped by its dominant personalities and events. No other institution in history has survived, and flourished, for so long and in the face of so many challenges. This course will critically reflect upon the history of the Church, from its origins in the Apostolic Age to the modern period, as a series of cycles with a common pattern of creativity, achievement, and retreat. Students may expect to complete the course with an awareness and understanding of the major personalities and events, secular and ecclesial, that have shaped the life of the Church.

This course explores from an interdisciplinary perspective the history of the Catholic Church as it interacts with the secular world and is shaped by its dominant personalities and events. No other institution in history has survived, and flourished, for so long and in the face of so many challenges. This course will critically reflect upon the history of the Church, from its origins in the Apostolic Age to the modern period, as a series of cycles with a common pattern of creativity, achievement, and retreat. Students may expect to complete the course with an awareness and understanding of the major personalities and events, secular and ecclesial, that have shaped the life of the Church.

At the center of the Catholic vision are the two great works of divine love: creation and redemption. This course considers the implications of these divine works for a radical reconsideration of the world and the human person. Students will examine characteristic Catholic approaches to and emphases concerning creation, redemption and ecclesiology, and discuss how Catholic understandings of creation and redemption inform, respond to, and critique Catholic practices in various cultural settings. In addition, the course will compare and contrast contemporary Catholic cultural monuments with that produced in earlier eras, and compare and contrast Catholic Christianity with other forms of Christian and non-Christian belief and practices. In illustrating its themes, the course draws upon sources in art, literature, history, philosophy, and theology with special attention given to the intellectual, spiritual, and cultural consequences of Catholic doctrine. Prerequisites: CATH 101

At the center of the Catholic vision are the two great works of divine love: creation and redemption. This course considers the implications of these divine works for a radical reconsideration of the world and the human person. Students will examine characteristic Catholic approaches to and emphases concerning creation, redemption and ecclesiology, and discuss how Catholic understandings of creation and redemption inform, respond to, and critique Catholic practices in various cultural settings. In addition, the course will compare and contrast contemporary Catholic cultural monuments with that produced in earlier eras, and compare and contrast Catholic Christianity with other forms of Christian and non-Christian belief and practices. In illustrating its themes, the course draws upon sources in art, literature, history, philosophy, and theology with special attention given to the intellectual, spiritual, and cultural consequences of Catholic doctrine. Prerequisites: CATH 101

At the center of the Catholic vision are the two great works of divine love: creation and redemption. This course considers the implications of these divine works for a radical reconsideration of the world and the human person. Students will examine characteristic Catholic approaches to and emphases concerning creation, redemption and ecclesiology, and discuss how Catholic understandings of creation and redemption inform, respond to, and critique Catholic practices in various cultural settings. In addition, the course will compare and contrast contemporary Catholic cultural monuments with that produced in earlier eras, and compare and contrast Catholic Christianity with other forms of Christian and non-Christian belief and practices. In illustrating its themes, the course draws upon sources in art, literature, history, philosophy, and theology with special attention given to the intellectual, spiritual, and cultural consequences of Catholic doctrine. Prerequisites: CATH 101

At the center of the Catholic vision are the two great works of divine love: creation and redemption. This course considers the implications of these divine works for a radical reconsideration of the world and the human person. Students will examine characteristic Catholic approaches to and emphases concerning creation, redemption and ecclesiology, and discuss how Catholic understandings of creation and redemption inform, respond to, and critique Catholic practices in various cultural settings. In addition, the course will compare and contrast contemporary Catholic cultural monuments with that produced in earlier eras, and compare and contrast Catholic Christianity with other forms of Christian and non-Christian belief and practices. In illustrating its themes, the course draws upon sources in art, literature, history, philosophy, and theology with special attention given to the intellectual, spiritual, and cultural consequences of Catholic doctrine. Prerequisites: CATH 101

This course provides an investigation into the ways in which Catholicism is inherently social and ecclesial. Its specific focus is on the Christian engagement with the world. The course's framework will be taken from the analysis of society into three spheres of action (culture, politics, and economics) as described in Centesimus annus. We will examine the ways that Revelation, the sacramental life, and the teachings of the Church call Catholics to seek holiness and to witness to their faith in the world. Specific topics may include social and economic justice, politics and public policy, lay and religious apostolates, education, and marriage and family. Course materials may include resources from philosophy, theology, history, economics, and political science.

This Course focuses on analyzing and understanding Classical epic poetry, the ancient presentation of heroic figures and heroic exploits, and recognizing the influence of epic/heroic literature on the modern storytelling device of film. While the genre of epic is central to the course, other genres (both literary and cinematic) which present he-roic figures, e.g., tragedy, history, comedy, action, fantasy, will also be explored. Analyzing the works read or viewed via writing and class discussion will constitute the primary course activities; students will engage in reading, viewing and writing outside of class, while class time will include some writing, viewing and discussion. In order to allow am-ple time for discussion and analysis, the majority of films in their entirety will be viewed outside of class. The course grade will be based substantially on written analysis (i.e., essays, papers) of the texts and films studied. ENGL 203 may also be substituted for this course.

Mythology is the embodiment and encoding of the beliefs, principles, and aspirations of ancient cultures. This course provides an interdisciplinary introduction to mythology as an introduction and foundation to Classical civilization. Both Greek and Roman myths will be examined from a variety of theoretical perspectives, including aetioligical, structuralist, and psychological theories. Consideration will also be given to the study of literature in translation, art history, religion, and history. The course grade will be principally based on writing assignments and class discussions. ENGL 203 may also be substituted for this course.

Through lenses both ancient and modern, this course will examine how the ancient Greeks and Romans imagined, sought to understand, appreciated and utilized the earth and its natural resources. Focal points will include ancient concepts of and attitudes toward the environment, the interconnection and interdependency between natural elements as well as between humans and the earth, appreciation for the landscape, and awareness of environmental issues and sustainability.  Material remains will include representations of the earth, animals and nature in myth, art, literature & currency.  Every module and assignment will include both ancient and modern sources to examine. Prerequisites: Senior, Junior or Sophomore Standing.

This course examines the influence of culture on our own and others’ communication. Students will be introduced to different aspects and levels of culture, including basic principles and theories that explain cultural differences on the group level, and challenges in intercultural communication, such as stereotypes, ethnocentrism, conflicting ethical standards, and racial disparities. Through lectures, discussions and first-hand practice, students are expected to form global perspectives and become more competent in intercultural communication. Students are advised to take the course either during or after the sophomore year.

Dinosaurs, aliens, and invisible monsters invade literature for the first time, trailing new ideas and fresh techniques. We’ll learn what science fiction really is and why it swept like a death ray across the Victorian world. Authors include Edgar Allan Poe, H. G. Wells, and H. P. Lovecraft. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies both the WAC Writing Intensive requirement and an Integrations in the Humanities requirement. Please note that ENGL 201 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 202, 203, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

Dinosaurs, aliens, and invisible monsters invade literature for the first time, trailing new ideas and fresh techniques. We’ll learn what science fiction really is and why it swept like a death ray across the Victorian world. Authors include Edgar Allan Poe, H. G. Wells, and H. P. Lovecraft. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies both the WAC Writing Intensive requirement and an Integrations in the Humanities requirement. Please note that ENGL 201 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 202, 203, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

Increasingly, education for nurses, physicians, and other healthcare professionals includes the practices of reading literature, writing reflectively, and engaging in role-play to learn how to care for patients (and for themselves). This is sometimes called narrative medicine. By focusing on stories (of the patient, the healthcare professional, and the cultures and systems in which both live) and therefore humanizing the often-impersonal world of the healthcare system, it improves the quality of care for patients and reduces burnout among healthcare professionals. In this course we will read and write about literature as a means of understanding ourselves and others. The texts we'll read illuminate questions about pain and illness, empathy and the training of healthcare professionals, the health implications of racial and economic injustice, and the need for reformation of the healthcare system. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies an Integrations in the Humanities requirement, a requirement for the English minor in Narrative Medicine, and a WAC Writing Intensive requirement. Please note that ENGL 202 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 203, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

This course will examine literary texts which feature the connection between the world of business and American culture. Work has always been an integral part of American society, and individuals often identify themselves with the work that they do. Students will closely read a handful of texts--Willa Cather's A LOST LADY, Solomon Northup’s 12 YEARS A SLAVE, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s THE GREAT GATSBY, Mario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER, Arthur Miller’s DEATH OF A SALESMAN, and Colson Whitehead’s APEX HIDES THE HURT--to explore how the dominant cultural narratives behind common perceptions of American business (such as the American Dream and the self-made person) shift from the pre-Civil War era through the early twenty-first century. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies the Writing Across the Curriculum Writing Intensive requirement; an Integrations in the Humanities requirement; and the Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice requirement. Please note that ENGL 202 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 203, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

This course, team-taught by a historian and a literary scholar, focuses on the long struggle of African Americans for justice and equality in the U.S. Analyzing literary and historical texts, students in this course will learn about and engage in research on African American history and culture. Utilizing historical, literary, and cultural approaches, this interdisciplinary course will immerse students into an exploration of the African American experience from multiple perspectives using dual disciplinary frameworks. For example, students may study Richard Wright’s NATIVE SON, but would read the text within the historical and cultural framework of the Great Migration, connecting Wright’s text not just to other literary texts, but situating it within an historical and cultural context vital to the novel’s creation and essential for its interpretation. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies an Integrations in the Humanities requirement; a Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice requirement, and a WAC Writing Intensive requirement. Please note that ENGL 202 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 203, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

This course will examine literary texts which feature the connection between the world of business and American culture. Work has always been an integral part of American society, and individuals often identify themselves with the work that they do. Students will closely read a handful of texts--Willa Cather's A LOST LADY, Solomon Northup’s 12 YEARS A SLAVE, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s THE GREAT GATSBY, Mario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER, Arthur Miller’s DEATH OF A SALESMAN, and Colson Whitehead’s APEX HIDES THE HURT--to explore how the dominant cultural narratives behind common perceptions of American business (such as the American Dream and the self-made person) shift from the pre-Civil War era through the early twenty-first century. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies the Writing Across the Curriculum Writing Intensive requirement; an Integrations in the Humanities requirement; and the Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice requirement. Please note that ENGL 203 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 202, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

The difficult contradictions in our criminal legal system – which purportedly aims to reduce violence, addictions, and crime, to keep us safe, and promote justice – hide in plain sight. Thus we simultaneously recognize and do not recognize these contradictory realities: the violence and injustices that often occur in our jails and prisons, profound disparities in legal representation and sentencing bound up with race, class, and nationality, and a host of tangled methods and aims often in conflict with one another. While "crime" news reports, movies, and series keep certain stories ever present in our societal imagination, they tend to obscure deeper stories. In this class, we'll attempt to enter into and understand those deeper stories using both media and texts; writers may include Michelle Alexander, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Brittany Barnett, Johann Hari, Martin Luther King, and Bryan Stevenson. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies the WAC Writing Intensive requirement, an Integration in the Humanities requirement, and the Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice requirement. Please note that ENGL 203 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 202, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190..

When readers think about narratives featuring elves, wizards, dragons, and magical objects, they immediately think of J.R.R. Tolkien and his well-known works THE HOBBIT and THE LORD OF THE RINGS. Tolkien’s literary work is foundational to the genre of fantasy, and it continues to be successfully adapted for film and television. But where did this Oxford scholar get his ideas? Why have these texts had such lasting power? And why, today, is Tolkien’s work still a site of both connection and controversy? In this course, we will examine a variety of influences and sources for Tolkien’s work, considering how he drew on and adapted older traditions to develop spellbinding tales of Middle Earth. We’ll also discuss Tolkien’s influence on the genre of fantasy, and examine how recent adaptations and works within this genre, especially by writers of color, have responded to his legacy. NOTE: THIS IS NOT A COURSE FOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE NEVER READ TOLKIEN OR WHO HAVE ONLY WATCHED THE FILMS. Course texts may include BEOWULF, SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT, selections from mythology, and recent works by Marlon James, N.K. Jemisin, and Nalo Hopkinson. This course satisfies both the WAC Writing Intensive requirement and an Integrations in the Humanities requirement. Please note that ENGL 203 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 202, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

This fully online asynchronous course explores the genre of noir in both film and literature, looking back at detective fiction of the 1930s, German Expressionist film in pre-war Berlin, America during World War II, and blacklisting in Hollywood during the Cold War. Also investigated will be “neo-noir” films and literary texts, noting how the genre has transformed over time, as well as how stories and screenplays are adapted for the screen. We will read works by Raymond Chandler, Dorothy Hughes, Janet Fitch, Naomi Hirahara, Marcie Rendon and Walter Mosley. In addition, films will be screened by directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, John Huston, Billy Wilder, and Joel and Ethan Coen. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies both a WAC Writing Intensive requirement and an Integrations in the Humanities requirement. It also satisfies a History and Analysis requirement for the Film Studies major and minor. Please note that ENGL 203 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 202, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190. NOTE: This is a cross-listed class, with 12 seats on the FILM 297-W01 side and eight seats on the ENGL 203-W04 side.

How did the modern warfare of World War I change those who fought and those who stayed at home? Why did so many of the best American artists flee to Paris? How did the traditionalism and stability of the 1950s lead to the radicalism and rebellion of the 60s? How has technology, from the typewriter to the internet, reshaped literature? Such questions will be explored in a chronological framework though extensive readings in American literature from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present. Threaded throughout the literature are themes such as progress and innovation, war, the “lost generation,” the New Woman, race, and conformity and individuality This course fulfills the Historical Perspectives requirement in the English with Literature & Writing major and the English with Creative Writing major. It also satisfies a literature requirement for the English with Professional Writing major and is one of two required options for English with Secondary Education majors (ENGL 214 being the other). Finally, this course also satisfies an Integrations in the Humanities requirement and a WAC Writing to Learn requirement. Prerequisites: ENGL 121 or 190. 

What might it mean to speak of “the classical tradition?” What does that include and exclude? And how does it matter to us today? From the ancient Greek gods in their serenity to the howls of the damned in Dante’s vision of the afterlife, whether mythological or theological, the works to be studied engage us in the most fundamental questions about what it means to be human. Such questions will be explored in a chronological framework through extensive readings of representative texts of Western literature in translation from ancient Greece to the Renaissance, including some interactions of the European traditions with ancient or medieval Asian, Mesopotamian, or Middle Eastern literatures. Authors may include Homer, Aeschylus, Sappho, Virgil, Dante, Rumi, Marie de France, and Christine de Pizan. This course fulfills the Historical Perspectives requirement in the English with Literature & Writing major and the English with Creative Writing major. It also satisfies a literature requirement for the English with Professional Writing major and is one of two required options for English with Secondary Education majors (ENGL 221 being the other). In addition, it also satisfies a requirement for the Classical Culture program. Finally, this course also satisfies both an Integrations in the Humanities and Global Perspectives core requirements as well as the WAC Writing to Learn requirement. Prerequisites: ENGL 121 or 190. 

This course examines usability studies and user experience (UX) design in connection with the field of professional and technical writing. Students will be introduced to core concepts within usability and user experience, including audience theories, human-centered design, design thinking, and design justice. To apply these core concepts, students will produce deliverables common in usability and user experience roles, such as use cases, personas, wireframes, journey maps, and reports. The course also tasks students with designing and implementing a usability study of a user interface or other professional document. This course satisfies a Theory and Practice requirement for English with a Literature and Writing majors as well as a Professional Writing distribution requirement for English with a Professional Writing majors. This course also satisfies an Integration in the Humanities requirement and a WAC Writing Intensive requirement. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

This course surveys literature by women across the long twentieth century—from early-century writers like Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Virginia Woolf to contemporary writers such as Tracy K. Smith, Sarah Howe, and Ada Limón. Along the way, we will discuss social, cultural, and historical context, including contemporary issues. We will also read, analyze, and emulate the recent work of essayists such as Leslie Jamison and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie—writers who have forged new conversations about women, feminism, and gender studies. The course requires community involvement (event attendance and excursions), regular reading and writing assignments, and enthusiastic participation in class discussion. This course satisfies both an Integrations in the Humanities and the Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice requirements, as well as a WAC Writing to Learn requirement. In addition, this course satisfies a major/minor requirement for Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies students; it also satisfies the Human Diversity and Context and Convergences requirements for English with Literature & Writing majors, a Human Diversity requirement for English with Professional Writing majors, and a literature requirement for English with Creative Writing majors. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

Medieval authors see knights in a double-sided way: as an honorable force for good or as a destructive, warmongering force for evil. As the idea of knighthood has come down to us, it continues to carry multiple meanings. This course will explore the idea of "knighthood," past and present through literature and film. Possible titles include SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT; THE GREEN KNIGHT (film; dir. David Lowery); Geoffrey Chaucer's CANTERBURY TALES, Thomas Mallory's LE MORTE D'ARTHUR; excerpts from J.R.R. Tolkien's THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy; THE LORD OF THE RINGS (films; dir. Peter Jackson); portions of MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL, STAR WARS, THE MANDALORIAN, MULAN, and GAME OF THRONES. This course satisfies an Integrations in the Humanities requirement and the Global Perspectives requirement, a FILM History/Analysis requirement, and a WAC Writing to Learn requirement. It also satisfies an Early British requirement and Context and Convergences requirement for English with Literature and Writing majors, as well as a literature requirement for English with Creative Writing and English with Professional Writing majors. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190. NOTE: This is a cross-listed course, with 10 seats on this ENGL 360-L01 side and 10 seats on the FILM 298-L01 side.

The subject matter of these courses will vary from year to year, but will not duplicate existing courses. Descriptions of these courses are available in the Searchable Class Schedule on Murphy Online, View Searchable Class Schedule

This fully online asynchronous course explores the genre of noir in both film and literature, looking back at detective fiction of the 1930s, German Expressionist film in pre-war Berlin, America during World War II, and blacklisting in Hollywood during the Cold War. Also investigated will be “neo-noir” films and literary texts, noting how the genre has transformed over time, as well as how stories and screenplays are adapted for the screen. We will read works by Raymond Chandler, Dorothy Hughes, Janet Fitch, Naomi Hirahara, Marcie Rendon and Walter Mosley. In addition, films will be screened by directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, John Huston, Billy Wilder, and Joel and Ethan Coen. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies both a WAC Writing Intensive requirement and an Integrations in the Humanities requirement. It also satisfies a History and Analysis requirement for the Film Studies major and minor. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190. NOTE: This is a cross-listed class, with 12 seats on the FILM 297-W01 side and eight seats on the ENGL 203-W04 side.

Medieval authors see knights in a double-sided way: as an honorable force for good or as a destructive, warmongering force for evil. As the idea of knighthood has come down to us, it continues to carry multiple meanings. This course will explore the idea of "knighthood," past and present through literature and film. Possible titles include SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT; THE GREEN KNIGHT (film; dir. David Lowery); Geoffrey Chaucer's CANTERBURY TALES, Thomas Mallory's LE MORTE D'ARTHUR; excerpts from J.R.R. Tolkien's THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy; THE LORD OF THE RINGS (films; dir. Peter Jackson); portions of MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL, STAR WARS, THE MANDALORIAN, MULAN, and GAME OF THRONES. This course satisfies an Integrations in the Humanities requirement and the Global Perspectives requirement, a FILM History/Analysis requirement, and a WAC Writing to Learn requirement. It also satisfies an Early British requirement and Context and Convergences requirement for English with Literature and Writing majors, as well as a literature requirement for English with Creative Writing and English with Professional Writing majors. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190. NOTE: This is a cross-listed course, with 10 seats on this FILM 298-L01 side and 10 seats on the ENGL 360-L01 side.

In this course, students will view, discuss, and read and write about feature-length films from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and possibly India and/or the Middle East. Following critical viewing of films both in and outside of class, students will engage in critical reflection, discussion, and analytical writing as a way of practicing the art of film analysis. This course asks students to think critically about the ways in which cinema engages the world as a form of entertainment, as art, as historical document, and as an instrument of social change. The course fulfills the Human Diversity requirement of the core curriculum at UST by addressing issues of race, ethnicity, gender, and geopolitical status. It scrutinizes the ways in which institutionalized and structural power and privilege are reflected in the subject matter, creation, and audience reception of film.

In this course, students will view, discuss, and read and write about feature-length films from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and possibly India and/or the Middle East. Following critical viewing of films both in and outside of class, students will engage in critical reflection, discussion, and analytical writing as a way of practicing the art of film analysis. This course asks students to think critically about the ways in which cinema engages the world as a form of entertainment, as art, as historical document, and as an instrument of social change. The course fulfills the Human Diversity requirement of the core curriculum at UST by addressing issues of race, ethnicity, gender, and geopolitical status. It scrutinizes the ways in which institutionalized and structural power and privilege are reflected in the subject matter, creation, and audience reception of film.

In this course, students will view, discuss, and read and write about feature-length films from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and possibly India and/or the Middle East. Following critical viewing of films both in and outside of class, students will engage in critical reflection, discussion, and analytical writing as a way of practicing the art of film analysis. This course asks students to think critically about the ways in which cinema engages the world as a form of entertainment, as art, as historical document, and as an instrument of social change. The course fulfills the Human Diversity requirement of the core curriculum at UST by addressing issues of race, ethnicity, gender, and geopolitical status. It scrutinizes the ways in which institutionalized and structural power and privilege are reflected in the subject matter, creation, and audience reception of film.

In this course, students will view, discuss, and read and write about feature-length films from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and possibly India and/or the Middle East. Following critical viewing of films both in and outside of class, students will engage in critical reflection, discussion, and analytical writing as a way of practicing the art of film analysis. This course asks students to think critically about the ways in which cinema engages the world as a form of entertainment, as art, as historical document, and as an instrument of social change. The course fulfills the Human Diversity requirement of the core curriculum at UST by addressing issues of race, ethnicity, gender, and geopolitical status. It scrutinizes the ways in which institutionalized and structural power and privilege are reflected in the subject matter, creation, and audience reception of film.

In this course, students will view, discuss, and read and write about feature-length films from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and possibly India and/or the Middle East. Following critical viewing of films both in and outside of class, students will engage in critical reflection, discussion, and analytical writing as a way of practicing the art of film analysis. This course asks students to think critically about the ways in which cinema engages the world as a form of entertainment, as art, as historical document, and as an instrument of social change. The course fulfills the Human Diversity requirement of the core curriculum at UST by addressing issues of race, ethnicity, gender, and geopolitical status. It scrutinizes the ways in which institutionalized and structural power and privilege are reflected in the subject matter, creation, and audience reception of film.

In this course, students will view, discuss, and read and write about feature-length films from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and possibly India and/or the Middle East. Following critical viewing of films both in and outside of class, students will engage in critical reflection, discussion, and analytical writing as a way of practicing the art of film analysis. This course asks students to think critically about the ways in which cinema engages the world as a form of entertainment, as art, as historical document, and as an instrument of social change. The course fulfills the Human Diversity requirement of the core curriculum at UST by addressing issues of race, ethnicity, gender, and geopolitical status. It scrutinizes the ways in which institutionalized and structural power and privilege are reflected in the subject matter, creation, and audience reception of film.

In this course, students will view, discuss, and read and write about feature-length films from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and possibly India and/or the Middle East. Following critical viewing of films both in and outside of class, students will engage in critical reflection, discussion, and analytical writing as a way of practicing the art of film analysis. This course asks students to think critically about the ways in which cinema engages the world as a form of entertainment, as art, as historical document, and as an instrument of social change. The course fulfills the Human Diversity requirement of the core curriculum at UST by addressing issues of race, ethnicity, gender, and geopolitical status. It scrutinizes the ways in which institutionalized and structural power and privilege are reflected in the subject matter, creation, and audience reception of film.

In this course, students will view, discuss, and read and write about feature-length films from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and possibly India and/or the Middle East. Following critical viewing of films both in and outside of class, students will engage in critical reflection, discussion, and analytical writing as a way of practicing the art of film analysis. This course asks students to think critically about the ways in which cinema engages the world as a form of entertainment, as art, as historical document, and as an instrument of social change. The course fulfills the Human Diversity requirement of the core curriculum at UST by addressing issues of race, ethnicity, gender, and geopolitical status. It scrutinizes the ways in which institutionalized and structural power and privilege are reflected in the subject matter, creation, and audience reception of film.

This course trains students in the use of a wide range of film theory and criticism as tools for interpreting film and media as texts, as narrative, as works of art, as historical artifacts, as political expression, as semiotic systems, as mediums of identity and social change, and more. Building on knowledge and skills learned in FILM 200 Introduction to Film, students will learn a range of compelling critical methods for the analysis of film and media, including many of the following: auteur theory; psychoanalysis; feminism, gender and masculinity studies; Marxism; cultural studies; queer theory; audience reception and star studies; postcolonialism; genre analysis; and race and ethnicity, among others. Film Theory and Criticism will help situate you as informed, critically engaged viewers of global film and media texts and practices. Each area of film criticism will be accompanied by a screening of a film or films that elucidate main points of the area of film theory that is the focus for that week. Through the combination of canonical theoretical approaches and more contemporary angles developed since the 1970s, this course will provide you with skills necessary to interpret films as collaborative art works, as technical artifacts, as sociocultural and ideological productions, and as products of a globalized media world. Prerequisite: Film 200 or instructor permission.

Intended as an introduction to more advanced work in German, this course, which is required of all majors and minors, will offer an overview of the evolution of German culture and civilization (society, politics, the arts) within an historical context. The course will also contain a review of advanced grammar and offer students an opportunity to improve their reading, writing, and speaking skills. Oral and written skills will be assessed. Prerequisite: GERM 212 or equivalent completed with a C- or better

A survey of German literature from 1770 to 1890. The course will focus on important works by Goethe and Schiller, German Romanticism, and the literature of the later-19th century. Prerequisite: GERM 300

This course, team-taught by a historian and a literary scholar, focuses on the long struggle of African Americans for justice and equality in the U.S. Analyzing literary and historical texts, students in this course will learn about and engage in research on African American history and culture. Utilizing historical, literary, and cultural approaches, this interdisciplinary course will immerse students into an exploration of the African American experience from multiple perspectives using dual disciplinary frameworks. For example, students may study Richard Wright’s NATIVE SON, but would read the text within the historical and cultural framework of the Great Migration, connecting Wright’s text not just to other literary texts, but situating it within an historical and cultural context vital to the novel’s creation and essential for its interpretation. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies an Integrations in the Humanities requirement; a Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice requirement, and a WAC Writing Intensive requirement.

What is the American West? Is it a place or an idea? What are its boundaries, and why has it been such a powerful force in America history? Most importantly: how can John Wayne and Red Dead Redemption explain American history? This course will answer these questions and more as it covers the centuries long history of the West and explains its significance in American historiography and popular culture. Topics will include the region’s deep Indigenous history, the encounter between Native people and European empires, conquest and settlement by Americans, the centrality of water and Western environments to history, and the West’s mythic power in the twentieth century and today. This course fulfills the Integrations in the Humanities core requirement.

These interdisciplinary seminars are intended to develop integrating insights through an analysis of topics chosen from different disciplines. Often they are taught by two faculty members or by a visiting lecturer who holds one of the endowed chairs at the university.

These interdisciplinary seminars are intended to develop integrating insights through an analysis of topics chosen from different disciplines. Often they are taught by two faculty members or by a visiting lecturer who holds one of the endowed chairs at the university.

This course empowers and supports students’ engagement with traditional and emerging forms of media. Students will not only understand how media contents shape people’s beliefs about different social groups, and how media exposure and usage influence identity development and cultural norms, but also become mindful in their own creation of media content. Students will be able to use media wisely and critically for individual purposes and in broader civic participation. Students will work collaboratively and collectively to build their knowledge structures in media literacy, and to understand how media contents are created, used, interpreted, and re-used by themselves and others. As a result of this course, students will have a firm grasp on not only the relationships of literacy and media, but also concrete experiences in responsible creation and use of media texts including social media posts, wiki entries, short videos, photo essays, etc.

This course empowers and supports students’ engagement with traditional and emerging forms of media. Students will not only understand how media contents shape people’s beliefs about different social groups, and how media exposure and usage influence identity development and cultural norms, but also become mindful in their own creation of media content. Students will be able to use media wisely and critically for individual purposes and in broader civic participation. Students will work collaboratively and collectively to build their knowledge structures in media literacy, and to understand how media contents are created, used, interpreted, and re-used by themselves and others. As a result of this course, students will have a firm grasp on not only the relationships of literacy and media, but also concrete experiences in responsible creation and use of media texts including social media posts, wiki entries, short videos, photo essays, etc.

This course introduces students to qualitative research theories, methods, and techniques focused on representing voices of women, people of color, people in poverty and others that are marginalized or excluded from dominant culture. Specifically, students will gain familiarity with the qualitative social science methods of interviews, ethnography, documentary research, and focus groups. Throughout the course, students will be guided through the process of designing and conducting their own unique research projects meanwhile learning from ongoing research with their instructors and partner organizations. In addition to training in data collection techniques, analysis, and varied epistemologies, the course thoroughly explores the ethics of research with marginalized communities and the ways in which research can and does relate to social change. Together, participants in this course will co-create a teaching/learning community wherein we all critically analyze and respectfully value each person’s individual and particular contributions as well as our diverse understandings of social reality and how we position ourselves in the multiple worlds in which we live and work.

Active nonviolence as a means for societal defense and social transformation analyzed through case studies of actual nonviolent movements, examining their political philosophy and how this philosophy is reflected in their methods and strategies. Examples of possible case studies include: Mahatma Gandhi's movement for a free India, Danish resistance to Nazi occupation, the struggle for interracial justice in the United State, an integrated Canada-to-Cuba peace-and-freedom walk, the campaign to close the U.S. Army School of the Americas (WHINSEC), fair trade movements, and the Honeywell Project. The course emphasizes the theory and active practice of nonviolence as well as oral histories of successful nonviolent movements. Usually offered every semester.

Active nonviolence as a means for societal defense and social transformation analyzed through case studies of actual nonviolent movements, examining their political philosophy and how this philosophy is reflected in their methods and strategies. Examples of possible case studies include: Mahatma Gandhi's movement for a free India, Danish resistance to Nazi occupation, the struggle for interracial justice in the United State, an integrated Canada-to-Cuba peace-and-freedom walk, the campaign to close the U.S. Army School of the Americas (WHINSEC), fair trade movements, and the Honeywell Project. The course emphasizes the theory and active practice of nonviolence as well as oral histories of successful nonviolent movements. Usually offered every semester.

Active nonviolence as a means for societal defense and social transformation analyzed through case studies of actual nonviolent movements, examining their political philosophy and how this philosophy is reflected in their methods and strategies. Examples of possible case studies include: Mahatma Gandhi's movement for a free India, Danish resistance to Nazi occupation, the struggle for interracial justice in the United State, an integrated Canada-to-Cuba peace-and-freedom walk, the campaign to close the U.S. Army School of the Americas (WHINSEC), fair trade movements, and the Honeywell Project. The course emphasizes the theory and active practice of nonviolence as well as oral histories of successful nonviolent movements. Usually offered every semester.

Active nonviolence as a means for societal defense and social transformation analyzed through case studies of actual nonviolent movements, examining their political philosophy and how this philosophy is reflected in their methods and strategies. Examples of possible case studies include: Mahatma Gandhi's movement for a free India, Danish resistance to Nazi occupation, the struggle for interracial justice in the United State, an integrated Canada-to-Cuba peace-and-freedom walk, the campaign to close the U.S. Army School of the Americas (WHINSEC), fair trade movements, and the Honeywell Project. The course emphasizes the theory and active practice of nonviolence as well as oral histories of successful nonviolent movements. Usually offered every semester.

Leadership for Social Justice examines the arc of leadership through the process of creating, sustaining, then institutionalizing positive social change. The course examines models and case studies of authoritative, positional, influential and situational leadership in diverse settings such as community organizing, social movements, social entrepreneurship and nonprofit management. The course also explores approaches to ethical leadership and provides opportunities for students to develop the skills and vision needed to become ethical leaders for social justice. Students will analyze the role of leadership in the tensions between preserving order and promoting transformation. They will develop a critical approach to the dynamics of power in order to effect systemic change. Prerequisites: 80 completed credits

A survey of Western European music from 1750 to the present: the Classical and Romantic eras and the Twentieth century. Emphasis of study is on social context and issues of meaning and expression. Continuation of MUSC 411. Writing assignments are designed for teaching to the "Writing in the Discipline" objectives for the Writing Across the Curriculum initiative. This is a core course for students seeking a major degree in music. Offered in spring semester. Prerequisites: MUSC 113 and junior standing

An in-depth philosophical examination of conceptual, moral, cultural, and legal issues surrounding regulating, watching, and participating in sports. Possible topics include: the definition of sport; the nature of competition; sportsmanship; being a fan; performance-enhancing drugs; gender; race; and the relationships among athletics, moral education, the law, and social responsibility in high school, collegiate, and professional sports. The course will integrate various disciplinary perspectives on the nature and practice of sport, especially perspectives from philosophical ethics, law, and sociology. Students cannot receive credit for both PHIL 218 and the less in-depth 2-credit version of the course, PHIL 219. Prerequisite: PHIL 110.

This course provides students with skills for identifying, analyzing, and evaluating the sorts of reasoning encountered in natural language. Emphasis will be placed on attaining facility with different formal systems for representing and evaluating arguments - including propositional logic, Aristotelian syllogistic, and first-order predicate calculus - as well as on acquiring the ability to apply these systems in the analysis and evaluation of arguments in ordinary and philosophical discourse. Prerequisite: PHIL 110.

Drawing on insights from philosophy as well as research from cognitive science, psychology, and behavioral economics, this course aims to help students learn to reason better. Emphasis is on inductive and probabilistic reasoning rather than on deductive logic (which is the focus in PHIL 220). Possible topics covered include cognitive biases to which humans are naturally subject, intellectual virtues that promote the attainment of truth, the nature of evidence, the assessment of the quality of an information source, inference to the best explanation, probabilistic reasoning, and decision-making under uncertainty and risk. Prerequisite: PHIL 110.

This course is a comprehensive introduction to the most pressing issues and questions concerning disability. Students will encounter and critically evaluate longstanding stereotypes and biases about the disadvantages of disability. This course examines disability primarily from a philosophical perspective, yet readings from other disciplines will also be used throughout the course. Some of the central questions examined in the course include: What is disability? Is disability merely a medical condition? In what ways do societal barriers disable? How does economic class impact access to educational, medical and social resources? Does disability itself make a person worse off or is it only social stigmatization and lack of accommodation that makes the lives of those with disabilities worse? How have those with disabilities been disadvantaged in the US? What is the basis for human dignity? What conceptual frameworks allow us to uphold the dignity of those with severe disabilities? Which behaviors and assumptions threaten the equality and dignity of those with disabilities? Prerequisite: PHIL 110.

A philosophical examination into the origin, nature, purpose, and legitimacy of government and law, especially as these relate to the good of individuals and the common good. Possible questions include: Are human beings by nature political animals? What justifies political and legal authority? What sorts of political regimes can be just and legitimate? Is there a best type of government? Are there universal human rights and, if so, where do they come from? What are the respective roles of legislator, executive, and judge? Can civil disobedience ever be justified? Can violent revolution? Should government and law take stands on questions of morality, religion, and the meaning of life or try to remain neutral in these matters? The course will consider both classical and contemporary reflection on such topics, including from authors within Catholic intellectual tradition in conversation with other traditions and perspectives. Prerequisite: PHIL 110.

A philosophical examination into the origin, nature, purpose, and legitimacy of government and law, especially as these relate to the good of individuals and the common good. Possible questions include: Are human beings by nature political animals? What justifies political and legal authority? What sorts of political regimes can be just and legitimate? Is there a best type of government? Are there universal human rights and, if so, where do they come from? What are the respective roles of legislator, executive, and judge? Can civil disobedience ever be justified? Can violent revolution? Should government and law take stands on questions of morality, religion, and the meaning of life or try to remain neutral in these matters? The course will consider both classical and contemporary reflection on such topics, including from authors within Catholic intellectual tradition in conversation with other traditions and perspectives. Prerequisite: PHIL 110; Honors.

This course focuses on Natural Theology and especially the capacity of natural reason to come to knowledge about God. We will explore some of the most important ways that philosophers have argued for the existence of God and various divine properties through natural reason alone. We will also give consideration to some important critiques of Natural Theology. Prerequisite: PHIL 110.

An enquiry into philosophical questions having to do with art, beauty, and other aesthetic qualities. Possible topics include: the nature of beauty, the nature and purpose of art, the role of beauty and art in a well-lived life, the relationship of art to insight and emotion, aesthetic qualities other than beauty, the role of art in the formation of culture and social consciousness, the role of beauty and other aesthetic qualities in nature, and the connection of art and beauty to God. The course pays special attention to reflection on these issues within Catholic intellectual tradition in dialogue with other traditions and perspectives. Case studies of artworks and other aesthetic objects are considered throughout the course. Prerequisite: PHIL 110.

Explore and analyze ethical issues related to clinical and social aspects of medicine—both from the perspective of Catholic intellectual tradition and from other philosophical perspectives. For example, what is the primary role of a medical practitioner: to give the “customer” what s/he wants, or to promote a more objective standard of health? Under what conditions should a physician or nurse be allowed to opt out of doing work that violates his or her conscience? Is euthanasia ethically acceptable, and should it be legally permitted? And (how) should we provide medical care to those who cannot afford to pay for it? Prerequisite: PHIL 110, or PHIL 214.

An application of concepts and principles in philosophical ethics to issues raised by modern technology. Technologies whose ethical use may be considered include: Information Technologies, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Synthetic Genomics and Artificial Life, Reproductive Technologies, Biomedical and Therapeutic Technologies, Human Enhancement Technologies, Agricultural Technologies, and Environmental Technologies. Special attention will be paid to the application of moral concepts and principles from Catholic intellectual tradition in dialogue with other traditions and perspectives. Prerequisite: PHIL 110.

This Signature Work section of Disability and Human Dignity is a comprehensive introduction to the most pressing issues and questions concerning disability. Students will encounter and critically evaluate longstanding stereotypes and biases about the disadvantages of disability. This course examines disability primarily from a philosophical perspective, yet readings from other disciplines will also be used throughout the course. Some of the central questions examined in the course include: What is disability? Is disability merely a medical condition? In what ways do societal barriers disable? How does economic class impact access to educational, medical and social resources? Does disability itself make a person worse off or is it only social stigmatization and lack of accommodation that makes the lives of those with disabilities worse? How have those with disabilities been disadvantaged in the US? What is the basis for human dignity? What conceptual frameworks allow us to uphold the dignity of those with severe disabilities? Which behaviors and assumptions threaten the equality and dignity of those with disabilities? Prerequisites: PHIL 110; and at least 80 credits completed by the start of the course.

This Signature Work section of Politics, Law, and the Common Good is a philosophical examination into the origin, nature, purpose, and legitimacy of government and law, especially as these relate to the good of individuals and the common good. Possible questions include: Are human beings by nature political animals? What justifies political and legal authority? What sorts of political regimes can be just and legitimate? Is there a best type of government? Are there universal human rights and, if so, where do they come from? What are the respective roles of legislator, executive, and judge? Can civil disobedience ever be justified? Can violent revolution? Should government and law take stands on questions of morality, religion, and the meaning of life or try to remain neutral in these matters? The course will consider both classical and contemporary reflection on such topics, including from authors within Catholic intellectual tradition in conversation with other traditions and perspectives. Prerequisites: PHIL 110; and at least 80 credits completed by the start of the course.

This Signature Work section of Faith and Doubt focuses on Natural Theology and especially the capacity of natural reason to come to knowledge about God. We will explore some of the most important ways that philosophers have argued for the existence of God and various divine properties through natural reason alone. We will also give consideration to some important critiques of Natural Theology. Prerequisites: PHIL 110; and at least 80 credits completed by the start of the course.

This Signature Work section of Philosophy of Art and Beauty is an enquiry into philosophical questions having to do with art, beauty, and other aesthetic qualities. Possible topics include: the nature of beauty, the nature and purpose of art, the role of beauty and art in a well-lived life, the relationship of art to insight and emotion, aesthetic qualities other than beauty, the role of art in the formation of culture and social consciousness, the role of beauty and other aesthetic qualities in nature, and the connection of art and beauty to God. The course pays special attention to reflection on these issues within Catholic intellectual tradition in dialogue with other traditions and perspectives. Case studies of artworks and other aesthetic objects are considered throughout the course. Prerequisites: PHIL 110; and at least 80 credits completed by the start of the course.

This Signature Work section of Biomedical Ethics will explore and analyze ethical issues related to clinical and social aspects of medicine—both from the perspective of Catholic intellectual tradition and from other philosophical perspectives. For example, what is the primary role of a medical practitioner: to give the “customer” what s/he wants, or to promote a more objective standard of health? Under what conditions should a physician or nurse be allowed to opt out of doing work that violates his or her conscience? Is euthanasia ethically acceptable, and should it be legally permitted? And (how) should we provide medical care to those who cannot afford to pay for it? Prerequisites: PHIL 110, or PHIL 214; and at least 80 credits completed by the start of the course.

This Signature Work section of Technology and Ethics is an application of concepts and principles in philosophical ethics to issues raised by modern technology. Technologies whose ethical use may be considered include: Information Technologies, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Synthetic Genomics and Artificial Life, Reproductive Technologies, Biomedical and Therapeutic Technologies, Human Enhancement Technologies, Agricultural Technologies, and Environmental Technologies. Special attention will be paid to the application of moral concepts and principles from Catholic intellectual tradition in dialogue with other traditions and perspectives. Prerequisites: PHIL 110; and at least 80 credits completed by the start of the course.

This Signature Work section of Honors: Politics, Law, and the Common Good is a philosophical examination into the origin, nature, purpose, and legitimacy of government and law, especially as these relate to the good of individuals and the common good. Possible questions include: Are human beings by nature political animals? What justifies political and legal authority? What sorts of political regimes can be just and legitimate? Is there a best type of government? Are there universal human rights and, if so, where do they come from? What are the respective roles of legislator, executive, and judge? Can civil disobedience ever be justified? Can violent revolution? Should government and law take stands on questions of morality, religion, and the meaning of life or try to remain neutral in these matters? The course will consider both classical and contemporary reflection on such topics, including from authors within Catholic intellectual tradition in conversation with other traditions and perspectives. Prerequisites: PHIL 110; Honors; and at least 80 credits completed by the start of the course.

A study of philosophical problems connected with human law and legal institutions. Possible topics include the nature and kinds of law, the relation of law and morality, analysis of legal concepts, the nature and justification of punishment, and the principles of legal interpretation and reasoning. Attention will be given to both classical and contemporary authors. Prerequisite: PHIL 214; or PHIL 110 and one other PHIL course.

The aim of this course is to develop aural and oral skills through the analysis and interpretation of representative cultural expressions of the Spanish-speaking world. This course is intended to stimulate creative, critical thinking in Spanish through activities that require students to argue, persuade, analyze, and interpret other points of view. Oral skills will be assessed. Prerequisite: Successful completion of SPAN 300 or its equivalent with a C- or better. May be taken simultaneously with SPAN 301 or 315.

The aim of this course is to develop aural and oral skills through the analysis and interpretation of representative cultural expressions of the Spanish-speaking world. This course is intended to stimulate creative, critical thinking in Spanish through activities that require students to argue, persuade, analyze, and interpret other points of view. Oral skills will be assessed. Prerequisite: Successful completion of SPAN 300 or its equivalent with a C- or better. May be taken simultaneously with SPAN 301 or 315.

Practice in the language skills and vocabulary needed to conduct business in the Hispanic world; an overview of political, economic, social and cultural factors which affect business in the Hispanic countries. Prerequisites: Successful completion of SPAN 301 and 305 or their equivalents with a C- or better in each course (may be taken simultaneously with SPAN 305).

This course introduces students with foundational research skills essential to strategic communication. Students will learn how to locate research, interpret research findings, and translate results into actionable strategy. Students will learn about different research methods and how to measure and evaluate public relations and advertising campaign effectiveness. Students are strongly encouraged to take this course after STCM111 and STCM234, or in the same semester of taking STCM234.

This section involves the student in an intensive reading and discussion of the Old Testament, also known as the Hebrew scriptures. The course investigates methods of biblical interpretation and the literature and theologies of the Israelite people in their ancient Near Eastern context. In addition, this course explores the Old Testament as a foundational document for the Jewish and Christian traditions (both ancient and modern) in the development of doctrine, in the expressions of worship, and in the articulation of moral principles

This section involves the student in an intensive reading and discussion of the Old Testament, also known as the Hebrew scriptures. The course investigates methods of biblical interpretation and the literature and theologies of the Israelite people in their ancient Near Eastern context. In addition, this course explores the Old Testament as a foundational document for the Jewish and Christian traditions (both ancient and modern) in the development of doctrine, in the expressions of worship, and in the articulation of moral principles

A theological and historical introduction to the origins and development of the Christian church from the first to the fifth centuries. Special attention will be given to the historical emergence of Christian doctrines, creeds and canon; the formation of Christian understandings of the human person; the development of liturgical and sacramental traditions; and the interaction of Christianity with other ancient cultures. Contemporary approaches to the study of Christian origins will be emphasized.

A study of the development of Christian Theology from the fall of the Roman Empire until the Renaissance. Special attention will be given to the main themes of the classical Christian views of faith/reason, grace/nature, God/creation in the theologies of such theologians as St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Bonaventure. Other themes that may be treated: the role of monasticism and mendicant life; medieval saints such as St. Francis of Assisi and Catherine of Siena, women's spirituality, mysticism, liturgical developments, religious art and architecture, and the interaction of Christians with Jews and Muslims.

This section examines how technology shapes our identities and our relationships with nature, other people, and the transcendent. Does technology bring us closer to the natural world or make it harder to experience it? Does it help or hinder our relationships with other people and with God? We’ll look at historical examples, such as the impact of electric lights, and current technologies, like facial recognition technology and prosthetic enhancements of the body. The course readings will include a range of voices from Christian theology, from ancient to modern times, that offer insight on sharing a meaningful human life with others and discerning the presence of the divine in work, leisure, silence, and the natural world.

This section examines how technology shapes our identities and our relationships with nature, other people, and the transcendent. Does technology bring us closer to the natural world or make it harder to experience it? Does it help or hinder our relationships with other people and with God? We’ll look at historical examples, such as the impact of electric lights, and current technologies, like facial recognition technology and prosthetic enhancements of the body. The course readings will include a range of voices from Christian theology, from ancient to modern times, that offer insight on sharing a meaningful human life with others and discerning the presence of the divine in work, leisure, silence, and the natural world.

Readings will focus primarily on C.S. Lewis's literary works, especially, but not exclusively, on his fiction. The course will also include some critical works, both Lewis's as well as others' work about Lewis. In addition, numerous biblical passages will be examined, including the parables of Jesus, which, as a parallel to Lewis's work, can demonstrate the theological possibility of narrative. Class lectures and readings in and about Lewis will explore Christian theology and its interdisciplinary relations to literature, especially myth. Through the lens of Lewis's literature, historical, philosophical, moral, educational, and global issues will be considered.

This course explores principles, methods, and topics of Christian theological ethics. It addresses the relation of Christian faith to moral reflection and decision making (both individual and social); the contribution of the Christian tradition to understanding the human person; the significance of love, justice, and commitment to the common good in Christian moral life; and the role of the believing community in its relation to culture. Topics might include sex, marriage, and family; crime, justice, and forgiveness; war, peace, and revolution; immigration; environmental sustainability and animal rights; poverty and economic justice, among others.

This course considers the development and contemporary significance of Christian and Catholic social thought. Students study how Christian convictions have led to historic advances in the development of health care, social safety nets, just wages, labor unions, cooperatives, and environmental policy. Students bring Christian social thought into dialogue with a spectrum of historic social systems, from communitarian models to individualistic capitalism, and consider resources and challenges from the Christian tradition in creating a just social order.

This section examines the contributions of Christian faith to reflecting upon, understanding, and resolving issues and ethical questions raised by revolutionary developments in the life sciences, e.g. innovation birth technologies, genetic manipulation and control, human experimentation, the prolonging of life and allocation of scarce medical resources. 

This section is designed to acquaint students with the theology of Christian marriage, understood as covenant relationship and as sacrament, that is, an effective sign of God's love in our world. Primary though not exclusive emphasis will be on the Roman Catholic tradition. Students will also examine contemporary cultural attitudes toward sexuality, marriage, and the family in the light of Christian theology.

This section is designed to acquaint students with the theology of Christian marriage, understood as covenant relationship and as sacrament, that is, an effective sign of God's love in our world. Primary though not exclusive emphasis will be on the Roman Catholic tradition. Students will also examine contemporary cultural attitudes toward sexuality, marriage, and the family in the light of Christian theology.

This course either introduces diverse expressions of Christian spirituality or focuses on topics within a distinctly Christian spirituality according to the discretion of the instructor such as Christian styles of worship, Christian understandings of sacramentality (especially Christian marriage), or stages of spiritual formation. Students will consider methodological issues in the academic study of spirituality. Emphasis is placed on a wide reading in the Christian tradition of both primary and secondary literature in order to assist the student in grasping the integral link between the lived faith of Christians and the theological articulation of that faith.

This section is designed to acquaint students with the theology of Christian marriage, understood as covenant relationship and as sacrament, that is, an effective sign of God's love in our world. Primary though not exclusive emphasis will be on the Roman Catholic tradition. Students will also examine contemporary cultural attitudes toward sexuality, marriage, and the family in the light of Christian theology.

This section is designed to acquaint students with the theology of Christian marriage, understood as covenant relationship and as sacrament, that is, an effective sign of God's love in our world. Primary though not exclusive emphasis will be on the Roman Catholic tradition. Students will also examine contemporary cultural attitudes toward sexuality, marriage, and the family in the light of Christian theology.

This section involves an examination of the views of various religions and ideologies on issues of justice and peace, with special attention to the Catholic and other Christian teachings on such issues as war and peace, violence, economic justice, the environment, criminal justice, and social justice. Special attention is given to how fundamental presuppositions and principles of each group studied affect their views on justice and peace, and contribute to or hinder dialogue and peaceful interaction with other groups. In addition to Christianity, students will study (at least) one far eastern worldview (e.g. Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism), one tribal religion (Native American, African), Islam, and one secular worldview (e.g. Marxism, capitalism, secular humanism). Students are required to investigate one worldview in depth through a semester-long research project.

This section involves an examination of the views of various religions and ideologies on issues of justice and peace, with special attention to the Catholic and other Christian teachings on such issues as war and peace, violence, economic justice, the environment, criminal justice, and social justice. Special attention is given to how fundamental presuppositions and principles of each group studied affect their views on justice and peace, and contribute to or hinder dialogue and peaceful interaction with other groups. In addition to Christianity, students will study (at least) one far eastern worldview (e.g. Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism), one tribal religion (Native American, African), Islam, and one secular worldview (e.g. Marxism, capitalism, secular humanism). Students are required to investigate one worldview in depth through a semester-long research project.

This section involves an examination of the views of various religions and ideologies on issues of justice and peace, with special attention to the Catholic and other Christian teachings on such issues as war and peace, violence, economic justice, the environment, criminal justice, and social justice. Special attention is given to how fundamental presuppositions and principles of each group studied affect their views on justice and peace, and contribute to or hinder dialogue and peaceful interaction with other groups. In addition to Christianity, students will study (at least) one far eastern worldview (e.g. Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism), one tribal religion (Native American, African), Islam, and one secular worldview (e.g. Marxism, capitalism, secular humanism). Students are required to investigate one worldview in depth through a semester-long research project.

This section will focus on patterns that emerged in both contexts—Germany under Hitler; South Africa under apartheid: economic anxiety; the rise of nationalism; the election of a tyrant; theological rationales for tyranny, torture, and even genocide; theological and artistic resistance; the complicated role of Catholicism; and legal processes in the aftermath.

This course will explore various approaches to God and God's relationship to humankind, including perspectives written by people traditionally on the margins of theological research. A central question for this section will be how God responds to injustice. This course explores the role of scripture, history, tradition and experience in the understanding of God. It examines both old and new theologies, asking key theological questions such as, “What difference does it make how people picture God?” “How could a good God create a world where evil and suffering are possible?” or “If God has a plan for the world, are we free to make our own choices?”

This section offers an examination of Judaism in comparison to Christianity: its history, literature, religious concepts, practices and personalities.

This course attempts to offer a brief introduction to the fields of comparative theology and religious studies by studying various approaches to and conceptions of religion. At the end of the course, it will be important for students to have a grasp on the historical timeline, key figures, common texts and practices of each of the traditions covered throughout the semester. The main concern of the course is for students to develop a greater understanding of and appreciation for how religion is embedded in all dimensions of human experience, meaning that religion, despite the emphasis in the West, is not simply a matter of private beliefs, but has implications for our public life together. We will engage both historical and contemporary events as we attempt to understand how religion both shapes and is shaped by the political, cultural and social dimensions of our world.

In the last half century religious diversity in the West has rapidly increased, bringing people from different religious traditions into daily contact. This has resulted in new conflicts, sometimes in violence, but also in new collaborations and friendships. Drawing on several approaches to interreligious conflict and relations, this course will examine the dynamic encounters that take place between and among people of different religious identities and ask students to reflect on their own role in religiously complex situations. Students will consider this interreligious reality and their role in it against the backdrop of their own individual relationship to spirituality, faith, and theology. To foster interreligious understanding beyond the classroom, students in this course will spend significant time outside the classroom directly engaging religious diversity. 

In the last half century religious diversity in the West has rapidly increased, bringing people from different religious traditions into daily contact. This has resulted in new conflicts, sometimes in violence, but also in new collaborations and friendships. Drawing on several approaches to interreligious conflict and relations, this course will examine the dynamic encounters that take place between and among people of different religious identities and ask students to reflect on their own role in religiously complex situations. Students will consider this interreligious reality and their role in it against the backdrop of their own individual relationship to spirituality, faith, and theology. To foster interreligious understanding beyond the classroom, students in this course will spend significant time outside the classroom directly engaging religious diversity. 

This section is an introduction to the beliefs, practices, and diverse expressions of the religion and traditions of Islam. We will closely study the foundational sources of the Islamic tradition, the Qur’an and the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, and trace the development of Islamic law, theology, spirituality, literature, and art. We will situate Islam as an Abrahamic religion and examine its commonalities, differences, and historical interactions with Christianity and Judaism. Finally, we will analyze contemporary topics such as Muslim responses to the challenges of modernity, Islam in America, and Islam in geopolitics.

This section will focus on patterns that emerged in both contexts—Germany under Hitler; South Africa under apartheid: economic anxiety; the rise of nationalism; the election of a tyrant; theological rationales for tyranny, torture, and even genocide; theological and artistic resistance; the complicated role of Catholicism; and legal processes in the aftermath.

This course will explore various approaches to God and God's relationship to humankind, including perspectives written by people traditionally on the margins of theological research. A central question for this section will be how God responds to injustice. This course explores the role of scripture, history, tradition and experience in the understanding of God. It examines both old and new theologies, asking key theological questions such as, “What difference does it make how people picture God?” “How could a good God create a world where evil and suffering are possible?” or “If God has a plan for the world, are we free to make our own choices?”

Given that demographic changes, immigration patterns, transnational adoption, new U.S. Supreme Court rulings impacting LGBTQ+ families, and the addition of a multiracial option on the 2010 Census have all contributed to changes in the ways that individuals and families identify, are formed, and are (re)negotiated, it is of critical importance to examine scholarship highlighting these diverse (and often underrepresented) family forms. Families in the United States today are faced with opportunities and challenges that have never been experienced by families before. The first 21 years of this century have produced large social, civil, and technological changes that impact not only the communication among family members, but has also impacted larger societal discourses about what constitutes “family.” Although family communication scholars have long called for the inclusion of more diverse samples in family research, to date this research remains very limited in the understanding of family functioning, relationships, and processes in families of color, LGBTQ families, transnational and neo-ethnic families, discourse dependent families, and other family forms. To this end, this course examines the communicative experiences of contemporary and underrepresented families. NOTE: This is a cross-listed course between Communication Studies and Family Studies, with 10 seats on the COMM 378 side and 10 seats on the FAST 378 side. This course satisfies major and minor elective requirements for both Communication Studies and Family Studies.

What does it mean to be labeled an African American dramatist? A Latino/a poet? A transgender novelist? An Asian American essayist? A Native American environmental writer? How do the varied experiences and backgrounds of authors writing from diverse subject positions inform, mark, and/or transform their writing? How do the works of these writers fit into, conflict with, actively resist, or even redefine the American Literary canon as it has been traditionally understood? These questions and more will be explored in a chronological framework through extensive reading of literature from: a) American communities of color; b) postcolonial peoples; c) immigrant and/or diasporic peoples; or d) LGBTQ communities. This course will focus on the literary and cultural texts of one or more of these groups with an emphasis on the cultural, political, and historical contexts that surround them. This course fulfills the Historical Perspectives requirement in the English major. Prerequisites: ENGL 121 or 190. 

Given that demographic changes, immigration patterns, transnational adoption, new U.S. Supreme Court rulings impacting LGBTQ+ families, and the addition of a multiracial option on the 2010 Census have all contributed to changes in the ways that individuals and families identify, are formed, and are (re)negotiated, it is of critical importance to examine scholarship highlighting these diverse (and often underrepresented) family forms. Families in the United States today are faced with opportunities and challenges that have never been experienced by families before. The first 21 years of this century have produced large social, civil, and technological changes that impact not only the communication among family members, but has also impacted larger societal discourses about what constitutes “family.” Although family communication scholars have long called for the inclusion of more diverse samples in family research, to date this research remains very limited in the understanding of family functioning, relationships, and processes in families of color, LGBTQ families, transnational and neo-ethnic families, discourse dependent families, and other family forms. To this end, this course examines the communicative experiences of contemporary and underrepresented families. NOTE: This is a cross-listed course between Family Studies and Communication Studies, with 10 seats on the FAST 378 side and 10 seats on the COMM 378 side. This course satisfies major and minor elective requirements for both Communication Studies and Family Studies.

These interdisciplinary seminars are intended to develop integrating insights through an analysis of topics chosen from different disciplines. Often they are taught by two faculty members or by a visiting lecturer who holds one of the endowed chairs at the university.

This course is a comprehensive introduction to the most pressing issues and questions concerning disability. Students will encounter and critically evaluate longstanding stereotypes and biases about the disadvantages of disability. This course examines disability primarily from a philosophical perspective, yet readings from other disciplines will also be used throughout the course. Some of the central questions examined in the course include: What is disability? Is disability merely a medical condition? In what ways do societal barriers disable? How does economic class impact access to educational, medical and social resources? Does disability itself make a person worse off or is it only social stigmatization and lack of accommodation that makes the lives of those with disabilities worse? How have those with disabilities been disadvantaged in the US? What is the basis for human dignity? What conceptual frameworks allow us to uphold the dignity of those with severe disabilities? Which behaviors and assumptions threaten the equality and dignity of those with disabilities? Prerequisite: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197.

This course focuses on Natural Theology and especially the capacity of natural reason to come to knowledge about God. We will explore some of the most important ways that philosophers have argued for the existence of God and various divine properties through natural reason alone. We will also give consideration to some important critiques of Natural Theology. Prerequisite: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197.

A philosophical examination of the relation between the doctrine of creation and theories in the evolutionary sciences. The course aims to help integrate insights from science, religion, and philosophy in a constructive and responsible manner. It also introduces students to broader issues in philosophy of science, philosophy of nature, and philosophy of religion as they apply to evolution and creation. Prerequisite: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197.

This Signature Work section of Disability and Human Dignity is a comprehensive introduction to the most pressing issues and questions concerning disability. Students will encounter and critically evaluate longstanding stereotypes and biases about the disadvantages of disability. This course examines disability primarily from a philosophical perspective, yet readings from other disciplines will also be used throughout the course. Some of the central questions examined in the course include: What is disability? Is disability merely a medical condition? In what ways do societal barriers disable? How does economic class impact access to educational, medical and social resources? Does disability itself make a person worse off or is it only social stigmatization and lack of accommodation that makes the lives of those with disabilities worse? How have those with disabilities been disadvantaged in the US? What is the basis for human dignity? What conceptual frameworks allow us to uphold the dignity of those with severe disabilities? Which behaviors and assumptions threaten the equality and dignity of those with disabilities? Prerequisites: PHIL 110 or PHIL 197; and at least 80 credits completed by the start of the course.

This course involves the student in a literary, historical, and theological reading of major portions of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) or New Testament. All sections explore the Bible as a foundational document for the Jewish and Christian traditions (both ancient and modern), examining to varying degrees how the texts have been used in the development of doctrine, in the expressions of worship, and in the articulation of moral principles. The course also examines elements of power and privilege, both with respect to the social and political positions of the authors and the settings in which the texts were written, and also with respect to how the biblical texts have been appropriated in different time periods and by different communities (in history and today), and used as vehicles of both oppression and liberation. The course investigates the literature and theologies of the Israelite people in their ancient Near Eastern context, or in their Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts, applying modern methods of biblical interpretation. Students may examine a specialized biblical topic of the instructor’s choosing such as the Pentateuch, historical literature, wisdom literature, prophetic literature, or apocalyptic literature in the Hebrew Bible; or the Gospels, the Letters of Paul, or apocalyptic literature in the New Testament. Courses might focus on a particular theme, such as justice in the Bible, or how Jesus approached forgiveness or nonviolence.

This section introduces systematic theology, a discipline that tries to understand how Christian doctrines are interrelated with each other and with other beliefs about the world. It explores both traditional and contemporary interpretations of the most significant doctrines in Catholic and Protestant traditions, emphasizing the relationship of scripture, tradition, experience, and reason as sources for Christian theology. The course is structured on the classical "system" of the Nicene Creed and will focus on the ongoing formation of the doctrines of God, Christ, the Spirit, creation, sin, salvation, and Church. Special emphasis will be given to the role of grace in history and human experience.

Through the ages, the relationship between theology and the arts has been mutually enriching, resulting in some of the world's masterpieces of visual art, architecture, music, and literature. The relationship, too, has been strained by iconoclastic movements which express fear that the arts tempt people with idolatry. In this course, students will consider the theological dimensions of the complex relationship between theology and the arts. Emphasis on historical periods, themes, doctrines, intersections, and types of art will vary according to the expertise of the instructors. Prerequisite: one 200-level or 300-level THEO course, one Art History course.Through the ages, the relationship between theology and the arts has been mutually enriching, resulting in some of the world's masterpieces of visual art, architecture, music, and literature. The relationship, too, has been strained by iconoclastic movements which express fear that the arts tempt people with idolatry. In this course, students will consider the theological dimensions of the complex relationship between theology and the arts. Emphasis on historical periods, themes, doctrines, intersections, and types of art will vary according to the expertise of the instructors. Prerequisite: one 200-level or 300-level THEO course, one Art History course.

This section is designed to acquaint students with the theology of Christian marriage, understood as covenant relationship and as sacrament, that is, an effective sign of God's love in our world. Primary though not exclusive emphasis will be on the Roman Catholic tradition. Students will also examine contemporary cultural attitudes toward sexuality, marriage, and the family in the light of Christian theology.

This section involves an examination of the views of various religions and ideologies on issues of justice and peace, with special attention to the Catholic and other Christian teachings on such issues as war and peace, violence, economic justice, the environment, criminal justice, and social justice. Special attention is given to how fundamental presuppositions and principles of each group studied affect their views on justice and peace, and contribute to or hinder dialogue and peaceful interaction with other groups. In addition to Christianity, students will study (at least) one far eastern worldview (e.g. Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism), one tribal religion (Native American, African), Islam, and one secular worldview (e.g. Marxism, capitalism, secular humanism). Students are required to investigate one worldview in depth through a semester-long research project.

This section involves the student in an intensive reading and discussion of the Old Testament, also known as the Hebrew scriptures. The course investigates methods of biblical interpretation and the literature and theologies of the Israelite people in their ancient Near Eastern context. In addition, this course explores the Old Testament as a foundational document for the Jewish and Christian traditions (both ancient and modern) in the development of doctrine, in the expressions of worship, and in the articulation of moral principles.

This course explores the topic of women and the Old Testament from several different vantage points. In the first place, it will try to reconstruct the status and roles of women during the biblical periods at various points in their ancient Near Eastern context. This reconstruction will involve an examination of the legal and narrative material of the Old Testament and cross-cultural studies on women and family life in non-industrial countries. Secondly, the course investigates the conceptions of gender in the Old Testament, including key texts such as the creation stories, the stories about the ancestors, the stories about family honor, the female characters of the historical books of the Bible, the books named after women (Ruth, Esther, Judith), the texts symbolizing women as evil (e.g., the foreign woman, the adulterous wife, the whore of Babylon). Finally, the course studies the interpretive work of biblical scholars and how they utilize various historical and literary-critical methodologies in order to bring issues of gender, race, and class to bear upon the biblical text.

This fully online asynchronous course introduces students to central aspects of Christian history, thought, and action concerning ethnicity and race and provides resources to build up what Martin Luther King, Jr., called the “Beloved Community.” The course helps students develop ethical reasoning skills through consideration of various historical and contemporary Christian encounters across lines of racial difference, including examples from monastic communities, papal documents, missionary endeavors, North American churches, and saints from the Catholic tradition.

In the last half century religious diversity in the West has rapidly increased, bringing people from different religious traditions into daily contact. This has resulted in new conflicts, sometimes in violence, but also in new collaborations and friendships. Drawing on several approaches to interreligious conflict and relations, this course will examine the dynamic encounters that take place between and among people of different religious identities and ask students to reflect on their own role in religiously complex situations. Students will consider this interreligious reality and their role in it against the backdrop of their own individual relationship to spirituality, faith, and theology. To foster interreligious understanding beyond the classroom, students in this course will spend significant time outside the classroom directly engaging religious diversity. 

This course will attempt to explore and understand the ways that human beings have engaged the world through embodied practices. From the beginning of time, societies, from small to large, have attempted to regulate human behavior. Often this requires the development of social structures such as religions or governing bodies that provide customs, rituals, and social norms. Today, in the West, religion is often misunderstood as simply the things that a person or a community BELIEVES. However, religions and/or worldviews, are far more than simply a set of beliefs. Religions have provided communities with dietary laws, developed rituals, performed rites-of-passage ceremonies, ways of dress, and practices of restraint and discernment in our actions. This month, we will attend to the way religion(s) and worldviews are embodied, and lived in the world, rather than just statements of belief. Since this is a Comparative course, we will look at how practices across a variety of traditions offer insight, meaning, and order to an often otherwise chaotic experience. Reflecting on how religious and secular practices have shaped society both historically and contemporarily, it is important as far as it brings our attention to the individual and communal practices that each of us participate in every day. Most importantly, this course is meant to be a personal exploration, where students reflect on their own practices (secular and religious) and try on new ones. Students will each set individual goals for themselves that will require them to not simply “intellectualize” about these themes, but instead embody practices that help them grow in physical, spiritual, and relational ways.

Street art—including graffiti, murals, and other installations in public space—provides expressive avenues for marginalized voices, shapes urban space, and promotes competing visions of community development. In contrast to art that is created for museums or the commercial art market, street art is uniquely positioned to engage with social issues from a critical perspective. This class will involve an analysis of street art projects from the United States, situated in comparison with projects from around the world. Topics to explored include the history of street art over time (from its origins in graffiti to contemporary mural festivals); the impetus for street art in communities in the USA and globally; models for creating, preserving, and presenting street art; the institutionalization of street art; street art as it relates to diversity and inclusion; and, ultimately, the potential for street art to play a role in social change.

In this course, museum successes and failures will be examined in relation to the broad topics of exhibition design, collecting, politics, tourism, museum organizational structures, architecture, and education. The course combines thematic and theoretical classroom discussions with practical and experiential museum components. This course will provide an opportunity for discussions with museum professionals. Partnerships with regional museums will provide hands-on project opportunities during the semester.

In this course, museum successes and failures will be examined in relation to the broad topics of exhibition design, collecting, politics, tourism, museum organizational structures, architecture, and education. The course combines thematic and theoretical classroom discussions with practical and experiential museum components. This course will provide an opportunity for discussions with museum professionals. Partnerships with regional museums will provide hands-on project opportunities during the semester.

This course surveys historical and contemporary art forms of Oceania, a region that includes Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Sculpture, painting, architecture, and body arts will be explored in relation to gender roles, identity, repatriation, and Western influence. Students will learn how material culture, along with the concepts of mana and tapu, sustained highly stratified cultures in places such as Hawaii and New Zealand. We will also study egalitarian societies in which a balanced relationship is maintained with natural environments through daily practices and spiritual beliefs. Students will work with objects from the American Museum of Asmat Art at the University of St. Thomas (AMAA@UST). Films and other digital resources will be used to illustrate how Pacific cultures have changed over time.

This course is designed to provide an understanding of the foundation of the arts of Spanish-speaking Latin America. Its focus will be the development of the arts from the time of the Spanish entrada in the late 15th century through the time of the independence movements of the 19th century and beyond. In general, it will focus on Early Colonial and Viceregal New Spain and Peru. At the close of this course participants will be expected to approach any period of Latin American art with a deeper awareness of its historical context and an increased sense of analytical confidence.

The goal of this course is to engage students in a comprehensive examination of the historical development of Chinese painting from the Paleolithic period to the 20th century. The issues to be addressed will include the stylistic development of figure and landscape painting; the major figures and the "monuments" of painting; the influence of format on Chinese painters; the early emergence of art history in Chinese painting and its later effects; changes in the socio-political influences on painters and their work; and methodological differences between modern Chinese and Western art historians.

This course examines the formation and development of the first Christian and Islamic art and architecture during the first millennium C.E. of Europe and the Mediterranean. The class will examine the development of religious structures for these new religions, the role of visual images in both religious and secular contexts, and the influences that these cultures exerted on each other. Areas to be covered include: the Early Christian period; the Germanic, Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, Scandinavian cultures of the sixth to eighth centuries; the Carolingian and Ottonian periods; Byzantine art and architecture; Islamic art and architecture.

This course explores whether or not traditional concepts associated with the human person, business, and law are capable of addressing changes introduced by technology and its rapid evolution.  In particular, students will be asked to consider whether concepts associated with property, privacy, rights, justice, and the good can accommodate technological innovations such as automation, decision-making by algorithms, big data, and the "de-skilling" of work.  What might this mean for "meaningful work" in the future?  What might it mean for education and culture?  Will technology create an electronic Panopticon, substituting a world governed by big data and a lack of privacy for Weber’s “iron cage?"  In the process, students should ask whether or not technological innovation is outpacing the ability of traditional concepts in business, the law, and philosophy to properly address deeper questions associated with promoting the human good.

This course explores from an interdisciplinary perspective the history of the Catholic Church as it interacts with the secular world and is shaped by its dominant personalities and events. No other institution in history has survived, and flourished, for so long and in the face of so many challenges. This course will critically reflect upon the history of the Church, from its origins in the Apostolic Age to the modern period, as a series of cycles with a common pattern of creativity, achievement, and retreat. Students may expect to complete the course with an awareness and understanding of the major personalities and events, secular and ecclesial, that have shaped the life of the Church.

At the center of the Catholic vision are the two great works of divine love: creation and redemption. This course considers the implications of these divine works for a radical reconsideration of the world and the human person. Students will examine characteristic Catholic approaches to and emphases concerning creation, redemption and ecclesiology, and discuss how Catholic understandings of creation and redemption inform, respond to, and critique Catholic practices in various cultural settings. In addition, the course will compare and contrast contemporary Catholic cultural monuments with that produced in earlier eras, and compare and contrast Catholic Christianity with other forms of Christian and non-Christian belief and practices. In illustrating its themes, the course draws upon sources in art, literature, history, philosophy, and theology with special attention given to the intellectual, spiritual, and cultural consequences of Catholic doctrine. Prerequisites: CATH 101

At the center of the Catholic vision are the two great works of divine love: creation and redemption. This course considers the implications of these divine works for a radical reconsideration of the world and the human person. Students will examine characteristic Catholic approaches to and emphases concerning creation, redemption and ecclesiology, and discuss how Catholic understandings of creation and redemption inform, respond to, and critique Catholic practices in various cultural settings. In addition, the course will compare and contrast contemporary Catholic cultural monuments with that produced in earlier eras, and compare and contrast Catholic Christianity with other forms of Christian and non-Christian belief and practices. In illustrating its themes, the course draws upon sources in art, literature, history, philosophy, and theology with special attention given to the intellectual, spiritual, and cultural consequences of Catholic doctrine. Prerequisites: CATH 101

This course examines the topics of sex, gender, and Catholicism at various points of intersection. Drawing on a variety of Catholic and non-Catholic historical, philosophical, and literary lenses on these topics, this course gives special attention to under-represented voices, as well as to the teachings, practices, and institutional reality of the Catholic Church. Readings may cover topics such as friendship, sexuality, priestly ordination, marriage, erotic desire, parenthood, and more. Readings offer an opportunity to examine preconceptions, stereotypes, and assumptions surrounding these topics. Attention is also given to the exercise of power (including institutional power, and power based on gender), both historically and in contemporary culture. This course aims to deepen, diversify, and inform students’ imaginations on these topics and their connection to diversity, inclusion, and social justice. Prerequiste: CATH 101.

This course provides an investigation into the ways in which Catholicism is inherently social and ecclesial. Its specific focus is on the Christian engagement with the world. The course's framework will be taken from the analysis of society into three spheres of action (culture, politics, and economics) as described in Centesimus annus. We will examine the ways that Revelation, the sacramental life, and the teachings of the Church call Catholics to seek holiness and to witness to their faith in the world. Specific topics may include social and economic justice, politics and public policy, lay and religious apostolates, education, and marriage and family. Course materials may include resources from philosophy, theology, history, economics, and political science.

A variety of British authors from the seventeenth century will provide a context for reading John Milton’s PARADISE LOST, the epic poem that tells the dual story of the fall of Satan from Heaven and the fall of Adam and Eve from Eden. This course is cross-listed with ENGL 362, with 15 seats on the ENGL side and five seats on the CATH side; students may register for either side of the course. This course satisfies an Integrations in the Humanities requirement, a Global Perspectives requirement, an early British Literature requirement for English majors, a WAC Writing to Learn requirement, and a Catholic Studies "Persons" elective. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

This Course focuses on analyzing and understanding Classical epic poetry, the ancient presentation of heroic figures and heroic exploits, and recognizing the influence of epic/heroic literature on the modern storytelling device of film. While the genre of epic is central to the course, other genres (both literary and cinematic) which present he-roic figures, e.g., tragedy, history, comedy, action, fantasy, will also be explored. Analyzing the works read or viewed via writing and class discussion will constitute the primary course activities; students will engage in reading, viewing and writing outside of class, while class time will include some writing, viewing and discussion. In order to allow am-ple time for discussion and analysis, the majority of films in their entirety will be viewed outside of class. The course grade will be based substantially on written analysis (i.e., essays, papers) of the texts and films studied. ENGL 203 may also be substituted for this course.

Mythology is the embodiment and encoding of the beliefs, principles, and aspirations of ancient cultures. This course provides an interdisciplinary introduction to mythology as an introduction and foundation to Classical civilization. Both Greek and Roman myths will be examined from a variety of theoretical perspectives, including aetioligical, structuralist, and psychological theories. Consideration will also be given to the study of literature in translation, art history, religion, and history. The course grade will be principally based on writing assignments and class discussions. ENGL 203 may also be substituted for this course.

Through lenses both ancient and modern, this course will examine how the ancient Greeks and Romans imagined, sought to understand, appreciated and utilized the earth and its natural resources. Focal points will include ancient concepts of and attitudes toward the environment, the interconnection and interdependency between natural elements as well as between humans and the earth, appreciation for the landscape, and awareness of environmental issues and sustainability.  Material remains will include representations of the earth, animals and nature in myth, art, literature & currency.  Every module and assignment will include both ancient and modern sources to examine. Prerequisites: Senior, Junior or Sophomore Standing.

This course examines the influence of culture on our own and others’ communication. Students will be introduced to different aspects and levels of culture, including basic principles and theories that explain cultural differences on the group level, and challenges in intercultural communication, such as stereotypes, ethnocentrism, conflicting ethical standards, and racial disparities. Through lectures, discussions and first-hand practice, students are expected to form global perspectives and become more competent in intercultural communication. Students are advised to take the course either during or after the sophomore year.

This course examines the influence of culture on our own and others’ communication. Students will be introduced to different aspects and levels of culture, including basic principles and theories that explain cultural differences on the group level, and challenges in intercultural communication, such as stereotypes, ethnocentrism, conflicting ethical standards, and racial disparities. Through lectures, discussions and first-hand practice, students are expected to form global perspectives and become more competent in intercultural communication. Students are advised to take the course either during or after the sophomore year.

Even in the land of Super Targets and Big Mac hamburgers, bigger is not always better--at least not in terms of literature. Short stories, because of their compression and intensity, offer lively plots and constant surprises. To the delight of readers everywhere, American authors provide a wellspring of tales that uncover our past, define our present, and speak to our future. In keeping with our diverse American heritage, stories have been chosen from a broad cross-section of literary and cultural traditions. Alongside canonical authors such as Nathaniel Hawthorne and Ernest Hemingway, we read the works of Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Louise Erdrich, Kate Chopin, and others, examining how these diverse voices diverge from, resist, and transform the traditional American short story canon. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies a WAC Writing Intensive requirement; an Integrations in the Humanities requirement; and the Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice requirement. Please note that ENGL 201 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 202, 203, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

Even in the land of Super Targets and Big Mac hamburgers, bigger is not always better--at least not in terms of literature. Short stories, because of their compression and intensity, offer lively plots and constant surprises. To the delight of readers everywhere, American authors provide a wellspring of tales that uncover our past, define our present, and speak to our future. In keeping with our diverse American heritage, stories have been chosen from a broad cross-section of literary and cultural traditions. Alongside canonical authors such as Nathaniel Hawthorne and Ernest Hemingway, we read the works of Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Louise Erdrich, Kate Chopin, and others, examining how these diverse voices diverge from, resist, and transform the traditional American short story canon. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies a WAC Writing Intensive requirement; an Integrations in the Humanities requirement; and the Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice requirement. Please note that ENGL 201 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 202, 203, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

This course will examine literary texts which feature the connection between the world of business and American culture. Work has always been an integral part of American society, and individuals often identify themselves with the work that they do. Students will closely read a handful of texts--Willa Cather's A LOST LADY, Solomon Northup’s 12 YEARS A SLAVE, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s THE GREAT GATSBY, Mario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER, Arthur Miller’s DEATH OF A SALESMAN, and Colson Whitehead’s APEX HIDES THE HURT--to explore how the dominant cultural narratives behind common perceptions of American business (such as the American Dream and the self-made person) shift from the pre-Civil War era through the early twenty-first century. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies the Writing Across the Curriculum Writing Intensive requirement; an Integrations in the Humanities requirement; and the Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice requirement. Please note that ENGL 202 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 203, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

What is any sports event but a story--multiple stories--playing out before our eyes? Sports by definition involve drama: conflicts in decision making, in relationships, with nature, and, if we believe it possible, conflicts with the supernatural. It's not an accident that some of our greatest metaphors come from the arena of athletics. Through sports we have a way to look at human values--at the best we have to offer and sometimes the worst. We’ll use sports literature to investigate what is just… and what is unjust… and how we discern which is which. In this class, we will read fiction, non-fiction, drama, and poetry. Books may include CARRIE SOTO IS BACK, BIG SMOKE, TAKE ME OUT, and THE YEAR'S BEST SPORTS WRITING anthology. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies a WAC Writing Intensive requirement; an Integrations in the Humanities requirement; and the Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice requirement. Please note that ENGL 202 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 203, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

What is any sports event but a story--multiple stories--playing out before our eyes? Sports by definition involve drama: conflicts in decision making, in relationships, with nature, and, if we believe it possible, conflicts with the supernatural. It's not an accident that some of our greatest metaphors come from the arena of athletics. Through sports we have a way to look at human values--at the best we have to offer and sometimes the worst. We’ll use sports literature to investigate what is just… and what is unjust… and how we discern which is which. In this class, we will read fiction, non-fiction, drama, and poetry. Books may include CARRIE SOTO IS BACK, BIG SMOKE, TAKE ME OUT, and THE YEAR'S BEST SPORTS WRITING anthology. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies a WAC Writing Intensive requirement; an Integrations in the Humanities requirement; and the Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice requirement. Please note that ENGL 202 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 203, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

Increasingly, education for nurses, physicians, and other healthcare professionals includes the practices of reading literature, writing reflectively, and engaging in role-play to learn how to care for patients (and for themselves). This is sometimes called narrative medicine. By focusing on stories (of the patient, the healthcare professional, and the cultures and systems in which both live) and therefore humanizing the often-impersonal world of the healthcare system, it improves the quality of care for patients and reduces burnout among healthcare professionals. In this course we will read and write about literature as a means of understanding ourselves and others. The texts we'll read illuminate questions about pain and illness, empathy and the training of healthcare professionals, the health implications of racial and economic injustice, and the need for reformation of the healthcare system. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies an Integrations in the Humanities requirement, a requirement for the English minor in Narrative Medicine, and a WAC Writing Intensive requirement. Please note that ENGL 202 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 203, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

In the monsoons of Madagascar or on the sands of the Sahara, on a quest or on the run, our adventuring heroes and scoundrels face the worst the planet has to offer. These tales of exotic travel in boondocks and badlands help us explore human nature at its raw extreme. Authors may include Joseph Conrad, Honore de Balzac, and Elizabeth Gaskell. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies a WAC Writing Intensive requirement, an Integration in the Humanities requirement, and the Global Perspectives requirement. Please note that ENGL 203 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 202, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

Many fans, critics, and creators agree that we are living in a Golden Age of Horror. From new fiction by Carmen Maria Machado, Stephen Graham Jones, and Eric LaRocca, to new films such as Get Out (Jordan Peele 2017) and Hereditary (Aster 2018), the genre is proving to be finely crafted, highly literary and character driven. In other words, horror in the twenty-first century is much more than slasher films, body gore, splatterpunk, and jump scares (not that those aren't fun!). The horror genre explores the human condition through the emotion of fear—fear of pain, disease, isolation, of being lost, consumed, or prey to supernatural forces. However, horror also teaches us how to handle those fears. According to writer Ruthanna Emrys, “Horror as a genre is built around one truth: that the world is full of fearful things. But the best horror tells us more. It tells us how to live with being afraid.” This course explores horror from early tales like Bluebeard, to Gothic classics by Poe and Stevenson in the nineteenth century, to American cinema’s Universal Studios monster films, to contemporary works by Paul Tremblay, Gwendolyn Kiste and others. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies a WAC Writing Intensive requirement, an Integrations in the Humanities requirement, a Film Studies major and minor requirement, and a Film Studies History & Practice distribution requirement. Please note that ENGL 203 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 202, or 204. This is a cross-listed course with FILM 297; there are 12 seats on the ENGL 203-W02 side and eight seats on the FILM 297 side. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

This course will examine the enduring appeal and growing influence of conspiracy theories. We will look at key historical events, figures, and social issues in the history of our nation and the conspiracy theories they have spawned, as well as the psychological phenomena most commonly associated with conspiracism, and the rhetoric of political paranoia. The objective of the course is neither to promote nor debunk any particular theory, but to examine the role that conspiracy theories play as modern mythologies, dramatizing our fears and anxieties, and (strangely enough) our enduring (and possibly naïve) hope that things will one day get better. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies both a WAC Writing Intensive requirement and an Integrations in the Humanities requirement. Please note that ENGL 203 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 202, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

This course will primarily focus on LGBTQ+ literature from the Stonewall riots to the present-day. We will investigate whether this genre of literature has a particular aesthetic or shares common thematic elements. Special attention will be given to BIPOC writers and how LGBTQ+ writing disrupts common conventions of gender, sexuality, relationships, and identity, and the role that storytelling has played in the queer community. The writing load for this course is 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies a WAC Writing Intensive requirement, an Integrations in the Humanities requirement, and a Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice requirement. It also satisfies a requirement for the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies major and minor. Please note that ENGL 203 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 202, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

What does it mean to close read a video game? What is the interplay between text, digital media, and rhetoric? Where do games fit in academia? In the Critical Discourse of Video Games, students will interrogate these questions while being introduced to game studies, platform studies, and the digital humanities. Students will learn by weaving together theories of play, reading, writing, and digital creation. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies the WAC Writing Intensive requirement and an Integration in the Humanities requirement. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

What does it mean to close read a video game? What is the interplay between text, digital media, and rhetoric? Where do games fit in academia? In the Critical Discourse of Video Games, students will interrogate these questions while being introduced to game studies, platform studies, and the digital humanities. Students will learn by weaving together theories of play, reading, writing, and digital creation. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies the WAC Writing Intensive requirement and an Integration in the Humanities requirement. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

How have heroic ideals changed from Beowulf to the 18th century? How did marriage evolve from an arrangement between tribes and families to love between two people? Such questions will be explored in a chronological framework through extensive readings in the British literary tradition in the period from approximately 900-1780. Threaded throughout the literature are themes such as war and conflict, the history of love, humor and satire, social reform, religious reform and the rights of the individual. This course fulfills the Historical Perspectives requirement in the English major, an Integration in the Humanities requirement, a Global Perspectives requirement, and a WAC Writing to Learn requirement. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190. 

Where does the popular perception of America as the “New World” come from? How could slavery flourish in a land idealizing freedom? Why were immigrants so feared and reviled? Why did expansionism push out some and make millionaires of others? Such questions will be explored in a chronological framework through extensive readings from the beginnings of the American literary tradition to the turn of the twentieth century. Threaded throughout the literature are themes such as religious identity, political reform, race, slavery, war, gender, and industrialization. This course fulfills the Historical Perspectives requirement in the English major, an Integration in the Humanities requirement, a Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice requirement, and a WAC Writing to Learn requirement. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190. 

From Sappho to Austen to Woolf to Morrison – women have been rendering the world into exquisite words for centuries. But how has the writing of women served as a critique of patriarchy? What impact has women’s writing had on important cultural and political movements such as abolition, suffrage, and environmentalism? In what ways has the writing of women been more radical than polite, more aggressive than demure, more confrontational than deferential? How have women consistently defied the limiting expectations of them through the creation of some of the most experimental, risky, and defiant works of literature in existence? These questions and more will be explored in this course, which focuses on the history of literature by women. While it will concentrate mainly on British and American women writers, the course will also address the work of non-western writers. Ultimately, this course will examine gender and its role in both the composition and reading of literary texts. This course fulfills the Historical Perspectives requirement in the English major. Prerequisites: ENGL 121 or 190. 

A survey of Irish Studies – history, literature, politics, and culture – in translation and in English from pre-historical times to the present. Though emphasis will be on the last 100 years and Ireland’s place in Europe, the course will do so through the study and consideration of selected works from nearly 2500 years of Irish writing. Likely authors to be read include Swift, Edgeworth, Yeats, Joyce, Heaney, Boland, O'Brien, and Doyle. This course satisfies an Integration in the Humanities requirement, a Global Perspectives requirement, and a WAC Writing to Learn requirement. Prerequisite: None.

A variety of British authors from the seventeenth century will provide a context for reading John Milton’s PARADISE LOST, the epic poem that tells the dual story of the fall of Satan from Heaven and the fall of Adam and Eve from Eden. This course is cross-listed with CATH 490, with 15 seats on the ENGL side and five seats on the CATH side; students may register for either side of the course. This course satisfies an early British Literature requirement for English majors, an Integrations in the Humanities requirement, the Global Perspectives requirement, a WAC Writing to Learn requirement, and a Catholic Studies "Persons" elective. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

Many fans, critics, and creators agree that we are living in a Golden Age of Horror. From new fiction by Carmen Maria Machado, Stephen Graham Jones, and Eric LaRocca, to new films such as Get Out (Jordan Peele 2017) and Hereditary (Aster 2018), the genre is proving to be finely crafted, highly literary and character driven. In other words, horror in the twenty-first century is much more than slasher films, body gore, splatterpunk, and jump scares (not that those aren't fun!). The horror genre explores the human condition through the emotion of fear—fear of pain, disease, isolation, of being lost, consumed, or prey to supernatural forces. However, horror also teaches us how to handle those fears. According to writer Ruthanna Emrys, “Horror as a genre is built around one truth: that the world is full of fearful things. But the best horror tells us more. It tells us how to live with being afraid.” This course explores horror from early tales like Bluebeard, to Gothic classics by Poe and Stevenson in the nineteenth century, to American cinema’s Universal Studios monster films, to contemporary works by Paul Tremblay, Gwendolyn Kiste and others. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies a WAC Writing Intensive requirement, an Integrations in the Humanities requirement, a Film Studies major and minor requirement, and a Film Studies History & Practice distribution requirement. Please note that this is a cross-listed course with ENGL 203-W02; there are eight seats on the FILM side and 12 seats on the ENGL 203-W02 side. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

Exploring cinematic innovation and legacy of some of the greatest directors around the globe. In this course, students will view, discuss, and read and write about feature-length films from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and possibly India and/or the Middle East. Following critical viewing of films both in and outside of class, students will engage in critical reflection, discussion, and analytical writing as a way of practicing the art of film analysis. This course asks students to think critically about the ways in which cinema engages the world as a form of entertainment, as art, as historical document, and as an instrument of social change. It scrutinizes the ways in which institutionalized and structural power and privilege are reflected in the subject matter, creation, and audience reception of film. This course fulfills Global Perspectives, Integrations in the Humanities, and Writing Across the Curriculum requirements.

Exploring cinematic innovation and legacy of some of the greatest directors around the globe. In this course, students will view, discuss, and read and write about feature-length films from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and possibly India and/or the Middle East. Following critical viewing of films both in and outside of class, students will engage in critical reflection, discussion, and analytical writing as a way of practicing the art of film analysis. This course asks students to think critically about the ways in which cinema engages the world as a form of entertainment, as art, as historical document, and as an instrument of social change. It scrutinizes the ways in which institutionalized and structural power and privilege are reflected in the subject matter, creation, and audience reception of film. This course fulfills Global Perspectives, Integrations in the Humanities, and Writing Across the Curriculum requirements.

In this course, students will view, discuss, and read and write about feature-length films from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and possibly India and/or the Middle East. Following critical viewing of films both in and outside of class, students will engage in critical reflection, discussion, and analytical writing as a way of practicing the art of film analysis. This course asks students to think critically about the ways in which cinema engages the world as a form of entertainment, as art, as historical document, and as an instrument of social change. The course fulfills the Human Diversity requirement of the core curriculum at UST by addressing issues of race, ethnicity, gender, and geopolitical status. It scrutinizes the ways in which institutionalized and structural power and privilege are reflected in the subject matter, creation, and audience reception of film.

Exploring cinematic innovation and legacy of some of the greatest directors around the globe. In this course, students will view, discuss, and read and write about feature-length films from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and possibly India and/or the Middle East. Following critical viewing of films both in and outside of class, students will engage in critical reflection, discussion, and analytical writing as a way of practicing the art of film analysis. This course asks students to think critically about the ways in which cinema engages the world as a form of entertainment, as art, as historical document, and as an instrument of social change. It scrutinizes the ways in which institutionalized and structural power and privilege are reflected in the subject matter, creation, and audience reception of film. This course fulfills Global Perspectives, Integrations in the Humanities, and Writing Across the Curriculum requirements.

Continuation of GERM 211. Prerequisite: GERM 211 or equivalent completed with a C- or better

The course surveys some of the most heinous mass murders that took place during the twentieth century: 1) The Herero and Nama in German South Africa 2) Armenian Genocide 3) Stalin’s Genocides 4) The Holocaust 5) Mass Killing in Cambodia 6) Rwandan Genocide 7) Ethnic Cleansing in Yugoslavia. The class will critically examine the concepts and terms associated with mass murder. Through careful reading of primary and secondary literature students will investigate why, under what circumstances and by whom these acts were carried out. Students will also seek to understand the responsibilities and responses of local, national, and international communities regarding mass killing. Finally, the course will depict the different ways that we remember these events and commemorate their victims. Prerequisite: One 100-level History course or permission of instructor.

The course surveys some of the most heinous mass murders that took place during the twentieth century: 1) The Herero and Nama in German South Africa 2) Armenian Genocide 3) Stalin’s Genocides 4) The Holocaust 5) Mass Killing in Cambodia 6) Rwandan Genocide 7) Ethnic Cleansing in Yugoslavia. The class will critically examine the concepts and terms associated with mass murder. Through careful reading of primary and secondary literature students will investigate why, under what circumstances and by whom these acts were carried out. Students will also seek to understand the responsibilities and responses of local, national, and international communities regarding mass killing. Finally, the course will depict the different ways that we remember these events and commemorate their victims. Prerequisite: One 100-level History course or permission of instructor.

Humans are part of nature, and yet they have always changed and manipulated it. This course examines the entangled story of human/nature interactions, from the early history of our species up into the twenty-first century. Doing this draws on a range of methods, tools, and skills, including archaeology and anthropology, physical sciences like geology and biology, and the close reading of texts and objects as developed in humanistic disciplines like English, philosophy, and history. Key topics may include the co-evolution of people and other species; the ways that world religions have understood nature; the global mingling of people, plants, animals, and microbes after 1492; responses to pollution and toxicity in the modern world; and the development and politicization of climate science in the 20th-21st centuries.

These interdisciplinary seminars are intended to develop integrating insights through an analysis of topics chosen from different disciplines. Often they are taught by two faculty members or by a visiting lecturer who holds one of the endowed chairs at the university.

These interdisciplinary seminars are intended to develop integrating insights through an analysis of topics chosen from different disciplines. Often they are taught by two faculty members or by a visiting lecturer who holds one of the endowed chairs at the university.

A survey of Irish Studies – history, literature, politics, and culture – in translation and in English from pre-historical times to the present. Though emphasis will be on the last 100 years and Ireland’s place in Europe, the course will do so through the study and consideration of selected works from nearly 2500 years of Irish writing. Likely authors to be read include Swift, Edgeworth, Yeats, Joyce, Heaney, Boland, O'Brien, and Doyle. This course satisfies an Integration in the Humanities requirement, a Global Perspectives requirement, and a WAC Writing to Learn requirement. Prerequisite: None.

This course focuses on mediated information about the environment, the environmental movement and its issues. Students will examine what makes (and what has made) the environmental journalism of today, beginning with early journalistic influences such as found in ancient texts to more current writing about agriculture, nature, science, outdoor adventures, and journalism from points of view.

Active nonviolence as a means for societal defense and social transformation analyzed through case studies of actual nonviolent movements, examining their political philosophy and how this philosophy is reflected in their methods and strategies. Examples of possible case studies include: Mahatma Gandhi's movement for a free India, Danish resistance to Nazi occupation, the struggle for interracial justice in the United State, an integrated Canada-to-Cuba peace-and-freedom walk, the campaign to close the U.S. Army School of the Americas (WHINSEC), fair trade movements, and the Honeywell Project. The course emphasizes the theory and active practice of nonviolence as well as oral histories of successful nonviolent movements. Usually offered every semester.

Active nonviolence as a means for societal defense and social transformation analyzed through case studies of actual nonviolent movements, examining their political philosophy and how this philosophy is reflected in their methods and strategies. Examples of possible case studies include: Mahatma Gandhi's movement for a free India, Danish resistance to Nazi occupation, the struggle for interracial justice in the United State, an integrated Canada-to-Cuba peace-and-freedom walk, the campaign to close the U.S. Army School of the Americas (WHINSEC), fair trade movements, and the Honeywell Project. The course emphasizes the theory and active practice of nonviolence as well as oral histories of successful nonviolent movements. Usually offered every semester.

Active nonviolence as a means for societal defense and social transformation analyzed through case studies of actual nonviolent movements, examining their political philosophy and how this philosophy is reflected in their methods and strategies. Examples of possible case studies include: Mahatma Gandhi's movement for a free India, Danish resistance to Nazi occupation, the struggle for interracial justice in the United State, an integrated Canada-to-Cuba peace-and-freedom walk, the campaign to close the U.S. Army School of the Americas (WHINSEC), fair trade movements, and the Honeywell Project. The course emphasizes the theory and active practice of nonviolence as well as oral histories of successful nonviolent movements. Usually offered every semester.

Students will explore the intersections of art and social justice with a focus on visual arts and social movements in the Twin Cities. Topics of study will include public art, protest art, expression and censorship, issues of art access and accessibility, social movement theory, aesthetic theory, and the Twin Cities as a unique space for social practice art. The class will collaborate with Nikki McComb who uses art to push for social change. In 2016, she launched her #Enough campaign — an artistic effort to end gun violence in Minneapolis and surrounding areas through #ArtIsMyWeapon exhibitions and projects.

This course focuses on the study of music in the United States within its historical, cultural, and sociological contexts. The course will develop skills in critical listening analysis using appropriate musical terminology, to describe both aural and written traditions of music. Repertoire to be explored include homeland traditions of cultures and population groups brought over through migration/immigration, blends of popular and concert traditions, and new and emerging styles unique to the United States. Historical, cultural, and social contexts will facilitate and understanding of how music reflects particular identities, ideas, values, and issues among population groups in the United States.

This course provides students with skills for identifying, analyzing, and evaluating the sorts of reasoning encountered in natural language. Emphasis will be placed on attaining facility with different formal systems for representing and evaluating arguments - including propositional logic, Aristotelian syllogistic, and first-order predicate calculus - as well as on acquiring the ability to apply these systems in the analysis and evaluation of arguments in ordinary and philosophical discourse. Prerequisite: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197.

This course provides students with skills for identifying, analyzing, and evaluating the sorts of reasoning encountered in natural language. Emphasis will be placed on attaining facility with different formal systems for representing and evaluating arguments - including propositional logic, Aristotelian syllogistic, and first-order predicate calculus - as well as on acquiring the ability to apply these systems in the analysis and evaluation of arguments in ordinary and philosophical discourse. Prerequisite: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197.

This course is a comprehensive introduction to the most pressing issues and questions concerning disability. Students will encounter and critically evaluate longstanding stereotypes and biases about the disadvantages of disability. This course examines disability primarily from a philosophical perspective, yet readings from other disciplines will also be used throughout the course. Some of the central questions examined in the course include: What is disability? Is disability merely a medical condition? In what ways do societal barriers disable? How does economic class impact access to educational, medical and social resources? Does disability itself make a person worse off or is it only social stigmatization and lack of accommodation that makes the lives of those with disabilities worse? How have those with disabilities been disadvantaged in the US? What is the basis for human dignity? What conceptual frameworks allow us to uphold the dignity of those with severe disabilities? Which behaviors and assumptions threaten the equality and dignity of those with disabilities? Prerequisite: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197.

Action to achieve social justice depends, ultimately, on an understanding of what social justice is. What makes a society just? How is a just society ordered? What does social justice look like up close? If our society is not currently just, how may we justly make it so? This course considers competing (though sometimes overlapping) accounts of social justice that are of continuing relevance today, such as those found in the traditions of classical liberalism, socialism, Catholicism, and critical theory. One goal is to understand where such accounts agree, where they disagree, and why. Another goal is to appreciate how such traditions have animated and continue to animate the pursuit of justice, especially for marginalized persons in the United States. Prerequisite: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197.

Action to achieve social justice depends, ultimately, on an understanding of what social justice is. What makes a society just? How is a just society ordered? What does social justice look like up close? If our society is not currently just, how may we justly make it so? This course considers competing (though sometimes overlapping) accounts of social justice that are of continuing relevance today, such as those found in the traditions of classical liberalism, socialism, Catholicism, and critical theory. One goal is to understand where such accounts agree, where they disagree, and why. Another goal is to appreciate how such traditions have animated and continue to animate the pursuit of justice, especially for marginalized persons in the United States. Prerequisite: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197.

Who has the authority to make laws? What makes for good law? What is the connection between your earlier exploration in The Person and the Good, and these questions? What is justice? Can there be such a thing as private property? How are these ideas related to “the common good” that we keep hearing so much about? What notions of authority and justice have, in the real world, led to oppression and misery rather than human happiness? The course will consider both classical and contemporary reflection on these topics, including from authors within Catholic intellectual tradition in conversation with other traditions and perspectives. Prerequisite: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197.

Why have Americans, despite their polarizations and one civil war, been able to work together for most of their 250 year history? Does today’s polarization threaten the very existence of American democracy? What is American democracy? How does it function? Upon what view of justice and the common good does it depend? Is the rule of law important? Are unalienable rights important? Does it depend on a culture shaped on the values of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and its amendments, the U.S. Supreme Court or religious beliefs? What are the principles that work best to alleviate social ills especially poverty, discrimination, and abortion? The course will consider both classical and contemporary reflection on such topics, including from authors within Catholic intellectual tradition in conversation with other traditions and perspectives. Prerequisite: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197.

Develop a critical and creative perspective on medicine and health care through philosophical exploration of their history, foundations, and purposes. Study important episodes and developments in the history of the theory and practice of medicine and explore philosophical analyses of and arguments about the nature of medical knowledge, health, disease, and health care. Prerequisite: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197.

Who (or what) is worthy of our moral consideration? Should we care about the well-being of animals? Plants? Species? Ecosystems? If so, what should we do about it? Should we be willing to sacrifice human interests for the sake of the interests of other beings? What habits will we have to give up—or take on—to be responsible stewards of the environment? What difference might it make if we view the natural environment as God’s creation? What insights can we gain by considering approaches from Catholic intellectual tradition in dialogue with other traditions and perspectives? Prerequisite: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197.