This course aims to establish a strong foundation in basic structures and principles, encouraging further study. Foundational elements include: pronunciation, intonation, basic grammar rules and basic vocabulary. The course blends both traditional materials and methods of instruction with active participation and activities.
This course is for learners who already have some knowledge of French, recent or not. In this course, instructors will make students talk about their field of interest and will quickly use what is said in the class to create the content of the course. Topics of instruction include pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar, all with each student’s abilities and interests in mind.
This course offers an innovative way to learn the Italian language and develop environmental consciousness while exploring Florence and its surroundings. Through the study of the relationship between humans and nature, the human role in ecology, and the sustainable management and conservation of natural resources, students will learn basic Italian vocabulary and usage in the form of experiential learning.
The course aims to develop four basic Italian language skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking), while providing experiences and on-site lessons aimed at expanding the connection between individuals and the natural world and developing sustainable lifestyles. Each topic, excursion, and experience will be supported by a structured class of Italian language, providing a great opportunity to explore Florence, its parks, its people, and its traditions from a new perspective while learning and practicing the Italian language.
This course includes an Italian language component for beginning-level students. SLC (Studies with a Language Component) represents an engaging approach to learning that embraces a multi-disciplinary application of cultural education methods. This stimulating approach broadens students’ understanding of their studies and creates a link between their academic careers and the local cultural environment which surrounds them. Through SLC courses, students learn notions of Italian language and terminology as a bridge to better understand and appreciate Italy’s modern, multifaceted society. By being exposed to the Italian language, Students discover different elements of Italian communication and culture and learn the linguistic fundamentals that enable them to engage in simple, everyday conversation. While doing so, they examine the sociological and pedagogical aspects of Italy such as society, politics, education, family, geography, and the environment. SLC is a learning methodology that integrates theory with practice: students learn the culture and language of Italy in class, then experience what they have learned through interaction with the local communities within the city of Florence and its neighborhoods. Diverse student populations benefit from this educational approach.
This course develops basic conversation, reading, and writing skills. Equal focus will be given to grammatical structures, vocabulary, and conversation skills. Students will develop a vocabulary that will enable them to engage in simple but useful everyday conversations, thus enhancing and supporting their Italian experience. Upon course conclusion, students will be able to express themselves in basic sentences, recognize gender and number in both nouns and adjectives, and begin approaching the Passato Prossimo. Emphasis will be given to the oral expression of practical vocabulary and newly acquired grammar structures. This level is for absolute beginner students who have never studied Italian before.
This intensive six-credit course is intended for students with no prior knowledge of Italian. It will give students the opportunity to experience a total language immersion, learning how to use gradually more complex grammatical structures and vocabulary. Upon course conclusion, students will be able to communicate simple and routine tasks, discuss familiar and routine topics and describe his/her background, and understand clear standard speech on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. The course will start from linguistic fundamentals and essential grammatical structures, including singular and plural forms of articles, adjectives, nouns, and their agreement; regular and some irregular conjugations of -are, -ere, -ire verbs in the Present tense; and simple prepositions. It will then move on to reflexive verbs, conjugation of regular and irregular verbs in the Past, and direct object pronouns. It will finally introduce students to Future and Conditional tenses, possessive adjectives, and indirect object pronouns, along with the continued practice of expanding vocabulary and gradual building of complexity in grammatical structures. All lessons will be taught in Italian.
Pre-requisites: One semester of Italian language or equivalent.
This course builds on and extends fundamental skills developed in the beginning-level course. Emphasis is placed on developing fluency skills and integration of language and culture through more extensive reading and writing. Upon course completion, students will be able to express polite requests using the Present Conditional and develop their language ability by using direct and indirect object pronouns. This course is aimed at students who already have a basic vocabulary of Italian and some knowledge of elementary language structures.
This course concentrates on rapidly developing a basic command of Italian while introducing the student to various aspects of the Italian culture through the hospitality industry. Students will have the opportunity to learn on-site with their instructors through a series of walking tours and visits in Florence to hotels, restaurants, and wine-related establishments. Technical vocabulary will be enhanced and finalized to prepare the student for the hospitality industry. Equal focus will be given to grammatical structures, vocabulary, and conversation skills. Students will develop a vocabulary that will enable them to engage in simple but useful everyday conversations, thus enhancing and supporting their Italian experience. After taking this course, students will be able to express themselves in the Present tense and Passato Prossimo and to use both nouns and adjectives in the correct form with reference to gender and number. No prior knowledge of Italian required, this is a beginner-level course.
Teaches students the skills necessary to write essays of exposition and argument for university purposes. It includes brainstorming, writing an outline, structuring an essay, integrating quotations, summaries and referencing.
NOTE: This course is available only to students who speak English as an additional language.
Basic principles and concepts of accounting that underlie the production of information for internal and external reporting. This course provides the technical platform for second year courses in financial and management accounting, finance, and accounting information systems.
Examines how understanding financial, non-financial and legal information is critical to business decision making. Considers the accounting and legal requirements, issues and mechanisms that impact management of an organisation. Develops skills in analysing, interpreting and communicating accounting information.
An examination of the experience of African Americans during the ‘long civil rights movement’ of the twentieth century, emphasising the depth and breadth of Black oppositional spirit and activity, the achievements and remaining challenges.
An examination of the experience of African Americans during the ‘long civil rights movement’ of the twentieth century, emphasising the depth and breadth of Black oppositional spirit and activity, the achievements, and remaining challenges. Attention will also be given to the ‘long civil rights movement’ in historiography and popular memory.
A practical introduction to computing. Topics include: web design, an overview of computer hardware and operating systems, effective use of common applications, using the internet as a communication medium, applying programming concepts, and social implications of technology.
The history, philosophy and ethics of humanity’s treatment of animals; relevant legislation and case law. Topics include: the development of the humane movement; consideration of whether all animals should be treated as property and the justification for such an approach; the development of animal protection legislation and what it does for animals; and the emergence of a concept of Animal Rights; the use of animals in farming, entertainment, research, and in a companion animal context; enforcement and sentencing of animal welfare offending; and international trends and developments in animal law.
Studies aquatic activity with an emphasis on the practical competencies that underpin safe and engaging recreation in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Includes drowning prevention, promotion and water safety education with particular reference to high-risk activities and at-risk groups, including children and youth. Demonstrate responsibility in aquatic environments including developing a range of aquatic skills, identifying hazards, and care for aquatic environments.
An introduction to the basic principles of physics. Key topics are the physical description of motion, electricity and magnetism. The course focuses on the science of everyday phenomena and the understanding of important physical concepts. This course will equip students with little prior knowledge of physics to succeed in PHYSICS 120 or 160.
Introduces students to modern Standard Chinese (Mandarin, Putonghua) through exercises and activities to develop speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Also introduces the social and cultural background of the language.
Restriction: May not be taken if a more advanced language acquisition course in this subject has previously been passed
Business on a global scale presents unique challenges and unrivalled opportunities to companies equipped to cross national boundaries. Set against a background of current events, the course explores the influence of international trade and multinational corporations on the contemporary global economy.
Focuses on the development and consolidation of choreographic and performance skills.
Prerequisite: Any 30 points at Stage I in Dance Studies
Communication knowledge and skills are essential in business careers and for interpersonal and intercultural relationships. This course offers a theory-based approach combined with applied communication practices. Communication knowledge, competencies and skills are developed through exploring relationships, mediated communication, writing, team dynamics, oral presentation and technologies.
Note: This course has very limited enrolment availability. It is recommended that students apply early and have a second choice course option.
The fundamentals of chemistry are explored with a view to enhancing understanding of the chemical nature of the world around us and providing a foundation for further study in chemistry. Special attention is paid to familiarisation with the language of chemistry and the chemist’s perspective of the properties of matter and its transformations.
A first exposure to statistics that builds data handling skills and develops conceptual thinking through active participation in problems using real data, computer simulations and group work. STATS 100 makes full use of appropriate technology and prepares students for further study in Statistics.
An introduction to reasoning, argument, and explanation that emphasises the development of practical skills and their use in everyday life. The course introduces different forms of reasoning and explains techniques to evaluate them. It will enable students to distinguish good arguments and explanations from bad ones, to explain the difference, and thereby to improve critical thinking abilities.
Educational issues are pressing concerns in our society. The course will help develop understanding of the background of today’s public debates around schooling and will introduce ways in which educational thought and research address big topics.
A practical course in the statistical analysis of data. Interpretation and communication of statistical findings. Includes exploratory data analysis, the analysis of linear models including two-way analysis of variance, experimental design and multiple regression, the analysis of contingency table data including logistic regression, the analysis of time series data, and model selection.
A practical course in the statistical analysis of data. There is a heavy emphasis in this course on the interpretation and communication of statistical findings. Topics such as exploratory data analysis, the analysis of linear models including two-way analysis of variance, experimental design and multiple regression, the analysis of contingency table data including logistic regression, the analysis of time series data, and model selection will be covered.
Explores how information systems and analytical tools help organisations to innovate, optimise and deliver value. Examines how the development and implementation of systems and technologies coordinate and manage information, people, and processes within data governance and privacy frameworks.
Considers how the economic and legal environment affects individuals, businesses, markets and the global economy. Explores the meaning and impact of price fluctuations, interest rate changes, exchange rate movements and balance of payments problems, standard of living comparisons, regional trading agreements, and regulatory and legal mechanisms and constraints.
A skills-based analysis of texts written for academic purposes. Topics include: essays of comparison and contrast, argumentative essays, problem solution texts, literature reviews, critiques, and report writing.
A critical exploration of the interconnectedness of environment and society. The course highlights the importance of understanding how different views and attitudes influence people’s interactions with the environment. Key themes include governance, management and development, which are addressed through issues such as conservation, climate change adaptation, disasters and resource use. Classes draw on a variety of case studies from New Zealand and overseas.
This cross-disciplinary course examines political, economic, social and cultural integration and its effects in the fabric of contemporary Europe. Issues addressed include identity, immigration and citizenship in Europe, and matters pertaining to the European Union: its political form, enlargement, foreign and security policy, economic and monetary policy, and the European constitution.
This cross-disciplinary course examines political, economic, social and cultural integration and its effects in the fabric of contemporary Europe. Issues addressed include identity, immigration and citizenship in Europe, and matters pertaining to the European Union: its political form, enlargement, foreign and security policy, economic and monetary policy, and the European constitution.
An introduction to the risks and benefits of exercise, exercise policy and safety, physical fitness testing, guidelines for exercise test administration, principles of exercise prescription, cardiorespiratory and neuromuscular training.
An introduction to the principles of physical exercise, with a focus on understanding how the body moves and responds to exercise, how performance can be measured, and how fitness can be developed and maintained to optimise health. Particular emphasis will be placed on the debunking of common myths about exercise, and offering evidence-based advice on the benefits of appropriate physical activity.
Note: This course has very limited enrolment availability. It is recommended that students apply early and have a second choice course option.
Focuses on practical aspects of corporate finance. Topics covered include: concepts of value creation, risk and required rates of return, financial maths, capital budgeting, capital structure and dividend policies.
Focuses on developing an understanding of academic reading and writing, including sentence and paragraph structure and academic vocabulary, and aims to develop strategies for employing these for effective reading and writing of academic texts. Develops an understanding of broad principles and practices of academic discourse at university level.
NOTE: This course is available only to students who speak English as an additional language. All students must do a writing and/or grammar test at the beginning of this course. Any student whose results show a higher level of English language proficiency than appropriate for this course will not be permitted to take this course.
An introduction to calculus that builds mathematical skills and develops conceptual thinking.
MATHS 102 works as a refresher course for those who haven’t studied Mathematics for some time, a confidence builder for those lacking Mathematical confidence and a preparation course for further study in Mathematics.
A general entry to Mathematics for commerce and the social sciences. MATHS 108 covers selected topics in algebra and calculus and their applications, including: linear functions, linear equations and matrices; functions, equations and inequalities; limits and continuity; differential calculus of one and two variables; integral calculus of one variable.
This sequel to MATHS 108 features applications from the theory of multi-variable calculus, linear algebra and differential equations to real-life problems in statistics, economics, finance, computer science, and operations research. Matlab is used to develop analytical and numerical methods of solving problems.
Written and oral use of German for students with no previous or very little knowledge of the language. May not be taken if a more advanced language acquisition course in this subject has previously been passed.
An introduction to the law regarding guarantees and indemnities in New Zealand. The course will mainly focus on guarantees, although indemnities will also be covered.
An examination of the nature of historical inquiry with reference to New Zealand’s educational past; questions why education has been analysed largely as something planned rather than something experienced and introduces oral history as methodology. Selected aspects of the educational histories of other countries will be discussed for comparative analysis.
An examination of the law and the policy considerations that relate to residential housing including: the historical development and current state of residential tenancy protection legislation; the relationship between social policy and housing regulation; human rights and social equity considerations; economic measures to achieve government policy objectives for housing; regulating the private rental market; property rights and security of tenure issues; ‘consumer protection’ measures to ensure safe and habitable housing; housing and natural disasters; retirement housing; new forms of housing ownership; and dispute resolution.
An introduction to the various layers that make up a modern computer system: encoding of data and instructions, hardware, low-level programming, operating systems, applications and communications.
To develop an understanding of our moving bodies through movement awareness, dance improvisation, choreography and creative and analytic writing. Students will undertake both theoretical and practical classes focusing on a range of practices that dancers and movement practitioners use to facilitate kinaesthetic awareness, experimentation, communication and choreography. Students will explore somatic theory and practice, improvisation scores, choreography and dance analysis.
Note: This course has very limited enrolment availability. It is recommended that students apply early and have a second choice course option.
A survey of the production technology available to assist musicians, and an introduction to modern music production. Topics include: Modern DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) functionality, MIDI and audio recording/editing, synthesis, and multi-track mixing.
Fundamental programming techniques and processes, such as conditionals, iteration, recursion, functions, testing and debugging. Efficient ways to organise and manipulate data, including sorting and searching algorithms. Writing software that uses and implements common abstract data types such as lists, stacks, queues, dictionaries and trees.
An introduction to spoken Māori for those with no previous knowledge of the language. Concentrates on the acquisition of aural and oral skills, developing the ability to understand and speak Māori.
Restriction: May not be taken if a more advanced language acquisition course in this subject has previously been passed
Intended for anyone who will ever have to collect or make sense of data, either in their career or private life. Steps involved in conducting a statistical investigation are studied with the main emphasis being on data analysis and the background concepts necessary for successfully analysing data, extrapolating from patterns in data to more generally applicable conclusions and communicating results to others. Other topics include probability; confidence intervals, statistical significance, t-tests, and p-values; nonparametric methods; one-way analysis of variance, simple linear regression, correlation, tables of counts and the chi-square test.
Introduces students to spoken and written French. It is delivered through two 90-minute sessions per week on campus, blended with an online component that uses up-to-date methodology and extensive multimedia materials. It is open to beginners or near beginners. May not be taken if a more advanced language acquisition course in this subject has previously been passed.
An examination of the common governance structures employed by iwi, why those structures are chosen and the legal and practical issues that arise as a result. Aspects of the law related to trusts, limited partnerships, charities and Māori Authorities, and how they may be interwoven within one overarching structure.
An integrated basic course in modern Japanese covering reading, writing, speaking and listening.
Restriction: May not be taken if a more advanced language acquisition course in this subject has previously been passed
Basic written and spoken skills in modern Korean. Through the practice of listening to and reading basic Korean sentences, fundamental grammar and vocabulary are taught so that students will be able to carry out basic conversation and comprehend simple Korean texts.
Restriction: May not be taken if a more advanced language acquisition course in this subject has previously been passed
An introduction to theories of the nature, functions and origins of law and legal systems, including sources of law; comparative concepts of law; an overview of constitutional and legal arrangements in New Zealand, including the role of the courts; the operation of the legal system in historical and contemporary New Zealand with a focus on concepts of property rights, the Treaty of Waitangi, Treaty Settlements and proposals for constitutional change.
Note: This course has very limited enrolment availability. It is recommended that students apply early and have a second choice course option.
Decision makers in commerce and industry require an understanding of legal structures, concepts and obligations. Provides an introduction to the New Zealand legal system and the legal environment in which businesses operate, and also introduces legal concepts of property and the law of obligations, including detailed study of various forms of legal liability relevant to business.
An examination of the history of the development of the law of the sea; the sources of the contemporary law of the sea, leading to the adoption of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; and the legal regime of various maritime zones (territorial sea, exclusive economic zone, high seas, etc.). Particular issues such as the settlement of disputes, maritime delimitation, maritime security, fisheries and bioprospecting are also addressed.
An introduction to contemporary geospatial technologies such as web-mapping, GPS and tracking devices (such as your phone), Remote Sensing and GIS. Covers key concepts and principles behind these tools and their use, along with practical experiences through laboratories. Critical and theoretical perspectives on the tools, their use, and their social impacts will be discussed.
Focuses on the critical role and importance of information in marketing. Covers the fundamental concepts of marketing research in traditional and digital environments and examines how these can be used to assist companies in their decision-making.
Basic mathematical tools and methods needed for computer science are introduced. Elementary mathematical skills for defining, analysing and reasoning with abstract objects used in programming are developed. Topics include integers and rational numbers, strings and sets, methods of proof (including induction), algorithms and functions, and elementary introductions to graphs, trees, counting and probability.
The impact of chemistry on the modern world will be explored by focusing on the stories of specific molecules, including penicillin, DDT and nylon. Their discovery, the underlying chemical principles that explain their behaviour, their impact on our lives including social and scientific issues that arise from their use, and their likely impact on the future will be investigated.
Practical and theoretical introduction to performing cultures of the Pacific with emphasis on Polynesian cultures. Basic music and dance skills are taught in practical instruction. Consideration of commonalities and differences among Pacific cultures. Academic discussion of styles, instruments, performer categories and the place of the performing arts in Pacific cultures.
Examines personal experiences and views of teaching and learning and the impact of theories of learning on classroom practices. The course also includes discussion of the relationship between pedagogy and race, class and gender; Māori pedagogy; pedagogy and student achievement; and New Zealand and international examples.
Analysis of issues that affect our daily lives, including pricing decisions by firms and their impact on our cost of living; game theory and strategic decision-making; tackling problems of pollution and global warming; and how governments use monetary and fiscal policies to stimulate economic growth and address unemployment and inequality.
Prerequisite: BUSINESS 115 or ECON 151 or 16 credits in NCEA Level 3 Economics with a Merit average including standard 91399 (Demonstrate understanding of the efficiency of market equilibrium), or a scholarship pass in Economics, or B grade in CIE Economics or 4 out of 7 in Economics (HL) in IB
An introduction to computers and computer programming in a high-level language. The role of computers and computer professionals in society is also introduced. The course is intended for students who may wish to advance in Computer Science or in Information Systems and Operations Management.
Develops University-wide skills of reading, writing and analysis. Addresses the needs of students in both English and other disciplines where both writing and reading have an important role in learning. The course fosters personal writing skills and also introduces writing as a subject of study in itself.
An introduction to New Zealand’s home-grown popular music, from the 1950s to the present day. A broad range of musical styles will be considered and situated within various social contexts. The issue of cultural identity in music – at national and local levels – will also be explored.
Critically examines the socio-cultural, political and economic significance of sport within Aotearoa New Zealand. Examines how sport is embedded in the lives of people, constitutes identities, and is connected to major spheres of social life and various social issues. Through focusing on select sporting issues it analyses how New Zealanders negotiate understandings of self, ethnicity, gender, sexualities, health, and lifestyle.
Note: This course has very limited enrolment availability. It is recommended that students apply early and have a second choice course option.
Application of the generalised linear model and extensions to fit data arising from a range of sources including multiple regression models, logistic regression models, and log-linear models. The graphical exploration of data.
Probability, discrete and continuous distributions, likelihood and estimation, hypothesis testing.
The standard Stage I Statistics course for the Faculty of Business and Economics or for Arts students taking Economics courses. Its syllabus is as for STATS 101, but it places more emphasis on examples from commerce.
Examines the processes of formulating and implementing strategies, and the critical thinking behind the multifaceted role of organisations in complex business environments. Focuses on strategy issues in and between a range of commercial and public organisations, from entrepreneurial firms to multinational corporations.
Structural analysis of the pronunciation, grammar, script and usage of the modern Japanese language.
An introduction to Māori analyses of topics that are often discussed and sometimes controversial, and that continue to shape contemporary life in New Zealand. Topics include aspects of world view, philosophy and social organisation; the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Waitangi and European immigration; and contemporary issues including Treaty claims, ownership of the foreshore and seabed and constitutional issues.
Special Topic course. Considers the most critical issues in the intersection between technology, law and policy. The course examines how technological change affects, and is in turn affected by, legal and policy frameworks. In particular, it focuses on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and cryptocurrency, and the subsequent challenges for law and society.
Examines Tolkien’s primary fictional texts, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, in relation to the author’s ideas about fantasy and world-building, his use of Celtic, German and Christian mythology, and the adaptation of the novels into film.
Critically engages the current debates surrounding the concept and movement of “transnational Asia” and the possibility of reconciliation among China, Japan and the two Koreas. Examines the historical, cultural and ideological sources and recent development of this new form of regionalism, in addition to such challenges as Chinese hegemony and competing nationalism in the region.
Prerequisite: ASIAN 100 or KOREAN 120 and 45 points at Stage I in BA Restriction: ASIAN 309, 753
Aims to critically engage the current debates surrounding the concept and movement of “transnational Asia” and the possibility of reconciliation among China, Japan and the two Koreas. Examines the historical, cultural, and ideological sources and recent development of this new form of regionalism, as well as such challenges as Chinese hegemony and competing nationalism in the region.
Prerequisite: ASIAN 100 or KOREAN 120 and 30 points at Stage II in BA Restriction: ASIAN 209, 753
A study of significant people, major discoveries and inventions, and key factors (artistic, intellectual, social, technical) that were important agents of change in Western music. No previous knowledge of music is assumed.
Note: This course has very limited enrolment availability. It is recommended that students apply early and have a second choice course option.
How does the contemporary art world work? Premised on the idea that there are many art worlds, this course examines global and local contemporary artistic practices, theories, histories and institutions, exploring the practices and discourses that constitute these worlds. No prior knowledge or experience of contemporary art is assumed.
Note: This course has very limited enrolment availability. It is recommended that students apply early and have a second choice course option.
Models of work organisation, reform and performance, including industrial and post-industrial forms of work. Employee responses to work and the employment relationship. Workforce diversity.
Economics affects our daily lives and the global environment in many ways. Through the media we are constantly made aware of price increases, interest rate changes, exchange rate movements and balance of payments problems, growth and recessions, standard of living comparisons, regional trading agreements. What does it all mean and how does it all work?
Aims to develop skills needed for writing research and laboratory reports. It covers key stages in writing a standard report and the language patterns associated with each of these stages. Course components include writing the literature review, methodology, results and discussion sections of a report, dissertation or thesis.
NOTE: This course is available only to students who speak English as an additional language.
This course explores the principal architects and artists, monuments, and themes from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries in Italian art and architecture. Class time is divided equally between lectures and on-site visits in the city of Florence. Emphasis will be placed on Renaissance architecture in Florence and will also include architectural developments in other Italian towns. Special topics will include architectural theory, the Medici and papal patronage, urban planning, and church and palace design. Coursework will focus on important figures such as Brunelleschi, Alberti, Michelozzo, Michelangelo, and Leonardo, in addition to visits to key Renaissance buildings and urban spaces in Florence.
The study of Italian culture helps the student to acquire a deep awareness of both cultural unity and regional diversity. This course is intended to provide students with an in-depth introduction to Italian culture and to broaden one’s awareness and understanding of the role of cultural heritage in customs and lifestyles. Lectures will provide students with an organized, focused, and academic understanding of Italian history, art, architecture, food, religion, and culture. The course provides additional enrichment through basic notions of Italian language and terminology along with assigned readings and a final paper. On-site teaching is a significant part of this course and is aimed to provide the student with an incomparable experience of studying important sites of artistic architectural and social relevance in present-day Italy. Students are encouraged to observe the sites through active participation and to discuss their observations using specific and analytic social assessment skills.
This course includes an Italian language component for beginning-level students.
This course addresses the procedures involved in managing a fashion retail enterprise and the decision-making inherent in successful merchandising for smaller-scale stores. Knowledge will be acquired through lab practice gained by running a real enterprise in which students and professionals exchange their knowledge and propose successful solutions to be applied. Coursework includes site visits to well-known Italian luxury brands in Florence such as Ferragamo, Gucci, and Cavalli (companies may change according to availability), and special guest lectures from local prominent emerging designers.
This course is targeted towards students with an interest in Italian food traditions, society, and culture. The main focus consists of what is generally defined as “made in Italy” culture and style in post-war Italy. Also covered are the relationships between Italian traditions, folklore and contemporary Italian society drawing from examples including festivals, food, tourism, and economy, and the influence of foreign civilizations. Students will be asked to regard the subject of food outside of the context of ingredients and the procedures used to create a dish; we will instead examine a large scale context in which food is either featured as a main component or an integral element in cultural situations. Thus the student is asked first and foremost to observe the presented material across an anthropologic lens that roves over the entire Italian peninsula. Lectures will be complemented by student cooking labs and/or tastings.
This course includes cooking labs, tastings, and visits.
The front of house area of any restaurant should be carefully planned in order to balance ambiance with function. Restaurant seating, wait stations, and waiting areas are just a few of the areas to consider when planning a restaurant dining room. The course focuses on all aspects that characterize the front of the house experience. Emphasis is placed on the importance of the front of the house to properly reflect the restaurant concept and the necessity of planning front of the house spaces for efficiency. Furthermore, the course considers the pivotal role of excellent customer service and the training methods of front of the house staff.
This course develops basic conversation, reading, and writing skills. Equal focus will be given to grammatical structures, vocabulary, and conversation skills. Students will develop a vocabulary that will enable them to engage in simple but useful everyday conversations, thus enhancing and supporting their Italian experience. Upon course conclusion, students will be able to express themselves in basic sentences, recognize gender and number in both nouns and adjectives, and begin approaching the Passato Prossimo. Emphasis will be given to the oral expression of practical vocabulary and newly acquired grammar structures. This level is for absolute beginner students who have never studied Italian before.
Pre-requisite: Introduction to Marketing or equivalent
This course further develops the main principles of marketing by exploring the strategic implications of marketing in different countries and cultures and identifying specific marketing techniques and the modifications necessary to accommodate cultural differences. Topics include global marketing, marketing planning, segmentation, culture and business customs, political and legal factors and restraints, economic and technological development, and the international monetary system.
This course introduces contemporary technologies for producing photographic images. Approaching the medium in its current complex and pluralistic state, students explore a variety of photographic concepts and techniques. The fundamentals of using a digital camera including manual exposure and lighting are stressed. The course also introduces seeing, thinking, and creating with a critical mind and eye in a foreign environment (Italy) to provide understanding of the construction and manipulation of photographic form and meaning. During the first half of the course assignments, lectures, readings progressively build on each other to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of camera functions (manual mode) and processing techniques. The second half of the course will focus on weaving the techniques with specific photographic concepts via assignments. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.
NOTE: This course is for beginners. The first half of the course will be devoted to understanding camera functions and basic printing. During this period assignments will emphasize basic camera functions in manual mode. A DSLR camera plus a lens (focal length of 55mm or wider) with available manual settings is required for this course. A digital 35mm viewfinder camera with available manual settings (24+ megapixels minimum) is also acceptable.
This course concentrates on rapidly developing a basic command of Italian while introducing the student to various aspects of the Italian culture through the hospitality industry. Students will have the opportunity to learn on-site with their instructors through a series of walking tours and visits in Florence to hotels, restaurants, and wine-related establishments. Technical vocabulary will be enhanced and finalized to prepare the student for the hospitality industry. Equal focus will be given to grammatical structures, vocabulary, and conversation skills. Students will develop a vocabulary that will enable them to engage in simple but useful everyday conversations, thus enhancing and supporting their Italian experience. After taking this course, students will be able to express themselves in the Present tense and Passato Prossimo and to use both nouns and adjectives in the correct form with reference to gender and number. No prior knowledge of Italian required, this is a beginner-level course.
Pre-requisite: Introduction to Nutrition or equivalent.
This course is a study of the importance of nutrition in sports and exercise in order to maximize athletic potential and performance. Covered topics include food nutrients, role of water, bioenergetics in exercise and training, heat and fluid regulation during physical activity, weight, and eating behaviors. Students are encouraged to form educated and strategic regimens (exercise and dietary plans) from both scientific and holistic approaches for professional athletes and physically active individuals.
The city of Florence is a veritable mine of food and cultural experiences spanning from the kitchens of the Medici family to the rustic regional cuisine of Tuscany, growing rituals such as aperitivo, and high profile restaurants recognized internationally. The aim of this course is to introduce students to the food, street, and cultural scenes that set Florence apart from other metropolitan cities; encourage the discussion of the historical weight of its storied past on the food culture of today, and construct a topographical map that indicates the pinpoints of Florence’s thriving gastro-cultural activities. Lectures will be complemented by student cooking labs and tastings.
This course includes cooking labs, tastings, and visits. This is a Food and Culture course, not a CA/BP lab course. Food labs emphasize the food culture of Italy and are not based on professional cooking techniques.
This module provides an opportunity for students to develop a deeper understanding of the history of London and of some of its most celebrated monuments, heritage and historical sites. It offers a pathway for students to study London’s history in greater depth and it internationalizes the learning experience. The module puts students in touch with various types of historical artefacts, namely London’s architecture, sculpture, painting and archaeological objects. It explores the past through various types of historical sources and approaches to studying. Students will develop a meaningful awareness of the particular character and challenges of London history through these visual and material sources as well as texts, both factual and fictional. The syllabus will include visits to London’s museums and heritage sites such as Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London and less well-known sites, off the ‘tourist trail’.
This course is a second year module (Level 5 of British system).
Additional fees (£80-£150) go towards the various galleries/museums/cultural houses visited as part of this course.
This module focuses on the ways in which non-fiction media such as news, documentary, advertising, lifestyle journalism and popular factual television articulate and explore contemporary experiences of profound social change. It focuses especially on the changing landscape of social class, race and ethnicity and asks how the media engages with these changes and presents them to its publics.
This course is a second year module (Level 5 of British system).
The environment knows no boundaries, while national legal systems do. It is therefore of the utmost importance to develop international law approaches in order to deal with transboundary and global environmental problems. While environmental law originally focused on local problems like smoke and noise, today we are confronted with transboundary and global environmental problems like the continuing loss of biodiversity, long-distance air-pollution, and the threat of climate change. The conservation of important nature,the sound condition of air, water and soil, and the environmental safety of products and economic activities are core concerns.
Law serves as an important instrument to improve and protect the environment. The course International Environmental Law (IEL) discusses the role of international law – and the emerging body of global environmental law – in order to protect the environment. It takes a fundamental approach which means that we will examine environmental law from the perspective of principles, environmental rights, and the choice and design of regulatory instruments. Both strengths and, unfortunately, weaknesses will be discussed. As far as international law falling short, the importance of national approaches and private initiatives will be addressed. Some specific attention will go to the European Union as a regional international organisation addressing, inter alia, environmental problems. The world-wide problem of climate change serves as the leading case of this course.
This intensive course includes:
- Weekend excursion to Brussels – visits to the European Parliament & Parlementarium, and the European Commission (to be confirmed)
- Weekend excursion to The Hague and Amsterdam – visits to the International Court of Justice, Greenpeace headquarters, International Union for the Conservation of Nature (to be confirmed)
The European Union started in 1951 as an attempt to prevent a new World War in Europe. No other region has displayed similar willingness to give up important parts of national sovereignty in pursuit of a stronger global competitive positioning.
The European Union keeps pressuring the integration-process at a pace which is too fast for some and too slow for others. This integration has a direct impact on the daily lives of all citizens in Europe. The accession of the new Central and Eastern European Member-States poses new challenges for the EU. The East-West labour migration, which is driven by wage differentials creates both opportunities and problems. The free movement of people, and the current refugee crisis, has strained social welfare systems in some of the richer Member-States. Political pressures and the credibility of the EU integration system question the present forms of integration. Pressure such as Brexit, the Eurozone crisis and the related high-unemployment figures make national sovereignty more attractive for some voters.
The course offers a comprehensive coverage of the key political and economic policy areas of the European Union with analysis of the different approaches to regional integration throughout the history of the European Union. The course analyses the historical, political and economic bases for the rise of the European Union from its origins in the post-World War II recovery, to its historic enlargement in 2004 and 2007. Most of the present tensions inside the EU directly relate to the economic integration process and reflect on all other fields of European integration.
Further attention is paid to the protection of human rights within the European integration process. A comparison between the European and UN-framework for the protection of human rights will be made and practically applied to specific cases.
The course will give students an in-depth look at the European legal, economic and political landscape. The course contains academic classes around these themes, as well as field trips to a number of relevant institutions.
This intensive course includes:
- Weekend excursion to Brussels – visit to the European Parliament and European Commission (to be confirmed)
- Weekend excursion to The Hague and Amsterdam – visits to the International Criminal Court and International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (to be confirmed)
Positive psychology was introduced by Martin Seligman around 2000 and can be viewed as a supplementary approach to clinical psychology. The positive psychological movement formulated three aims: (1) to focus on well-being and happiness instead of abnormal behaviour and psychopathology, (2) to be concerned with building positive qualities and strengths instead of repairing damage, and (3) to prevent future problems instead of correcting past and present problems.
The course will start with a general introduction to the field of positive psychology. The main concepts will be introduced and clarified, and an overview of the results of happiness studies will be presented. In subsequent meetings, various more specific topics will be discussed by means of lectures and group discussions. There will be ample room to gain hands-on experience with positive psychological techniques ranging from simple journaling exercises to mindfulness meditation. A scientific evidence-based approach will be leading. Students will be provided with the tools to be able to evaluate and design research in the area of positive psychology, and also with the skills to apply some (basic) intervention techniques.
The instructional approach will include lectures, interactive meetings, group discussions, practical workshops and student presentations. Final assessment will be by means of an individual paper on a topic of choice. On the last day of the course, a student conference is held where each student presents their paper (review or research proposal) either by poster or an oral presentation.
This intensive course includes two weekend excursions to Brussels and Amsterdam.
This course aims to establish a strong foundation in basic structures and principles, encouraging further study. Foundational elements include: pronunciation, intonation, basic grammar rules and basic vocabulary. The course blends both traditional materials and methods of instruction with active participation and activities.
This course is for learners who already have some knowledge of French, recent or not. In this course, instructors will make students talk about their field of interest and will quickly use what is said in the class to create the content of the course. Topics of instruction include pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar, all with each student’s abilities and interests in mind.
This course covers a variety of topics including: Entrepreneurship in Europe, Introduction to Social Business, Business Planning, Disruptive Methods, Entrepreneurial Failure and Success, Pan-European Business Development as Entry Strategy, Business Model Generation, Digital Strategy, Cross-Cultural Management, and Company / Corporate Visits.
This course covers a variety of topics including: Luxury Brand Concepts, Luxury Markets, Understanding the Consumer Worldwide, Retail Marketing, Brand Strategy, Disruptive Methods, Distribution in the Luxury Industry, Champagne & Wine Business, and Cross-Cultural Management.
This course is a survey of Japanese popular culture with particular topics covered such as anime manga, fashion, music, art and food. Part of the course will focus on Japanese animation within a historic and popular cultural perspective. Both anime and manga will be examined with particular emphasis on the art, culture and national and international popularity.
Introduction to modern spoken Japanese through aural-oral drills and exercises, and mastery of the basic grammatical structures. Emphasis on the spoken language, although there will also be exposure to enough of the Japanese writing systems to meet practical needs. Practical use and observing of the language will be emphasized.
Intermediate introduction to modern spoken Japanese through aural-oral drills and exercises, and mastery of the basic grammatical structures. Emphasis on the spoken language, although there will also be exposure to enough of the Japanese writing systems to meet practical needs. Practical use and observing of the language will be emphasized.
A hands-on approach to the use of advertising and promotion to communicate with present and prospective customers. Topics include the elements of an integrated advertising and promotion campaign, promotional objectives, creative strategy and campaign planning.
This course is an illuminating blend of an overview of Advertising Structure (theory) and Media Mechanics (application). This blend, coupled with explicit self-evaluation, provides a conceptual template which is intended to not only lead to advertising effectiveness, but also to avoid workplace/career disgrace.
This 3-credit course is 42 hours in duration; 12 sessions of 3.5 hours each delivered over 3 weeks.
This course covers core theory and practice in the emerging field of Forensic Psychology. Forensic Psychology refers broadly to the research and application of psychological knowledge to the legal system. Students will be exposed to a breadth of topics including eyewitness memory, profiling, lie detection and confessions, jury selection and decision making, competency and criminal responsibility, and risk assessment. A minimum of 2 guest lecturers will present to the class.
Students will participate in a number of relevant field trips and activities focusing on the many elements related to Forensic Psychology. Half-day trips and activities include visits to the Nanaimo branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), the Nanaimo Correctional Centre and Guthrie Therapeutic Community and the Edgewood Treatment Centre.
This course is jointly administered by the VIU Faculty of International Education and the VIU Department of Psychology within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Students will be provided with a total of 42 hours of direct Psychology instruction (including guest lectures) and a number of related field trips and activities. Upon successful completion, students will receive a certificate of completion and will be awarded 3 CAD credits by VIU.
Prerequisite: One of PSYC 204, CRIM 220, or SOCI 250
Advanced introduction to modern spoken Japanese through aural-oral drills and exercises, and mastery of the basic grammatical structures. Emphasis on the spoken language, although there will also be exposure to enough of the Japanese writing systems to meet practical needs. Practical use and observing of the language will be emphasised. The method of instruction will be a communicative approach, Proficiency Method, Direct Method, Jorden Method, TPR, VTS, etc. More advanced students will focus on reading Japanese newspapers and understanding other media outlets. There should be a minimum of four students per level per session in order to offer each level in each session.
Introduction to modern spoken Japanese through aural-oral drills and exercises, and mastery of the basic grammatical structures. Emphasis on the spoken language, although there will also be exposure to enough of the Japanese writing systems to meet practical needs. Practical use and observing of the language will be emphasised. The method of instruction will be a communicative approach, Proficiency Method, Direct Method, Jorden Method, TPR, VTS, etc. There should be a minimum of four students per level per session in order to offer each level in each session.
Intermediate introduction to modern spoken Japanese through aural-oral drills and exercises, and mastery of the basic grammatical structures. Emphasis on the spoken language, although there will also be exposure to enough of the Japanese writing systems to meet practical needs. Practical use and observing of the language will be emphasised. The method of instruction will be a communicative approach, Proficiency Method, Direct Method, Jorden Method, TPR, VTS, etc. There should be a minimum of four students per level per session in order to offer each level in each session.
Introduction to modern spoken Japanese through aural-oral drills and exercises, and mastery of the basic grammatical structures. Emphasis on the spoken language, although there will also be exposure to enough of the Japanese writing systems to meet practical needs. Practical use and observing of the language will be emphasized.
This high-intermediate Japanese course is an introduction to modern spoken Japanese through aural-oral drills and exercises, and introduction of the more complex grammatical structures. Emphasis on the spoken language of different types of speech styles (casual, formal, polite, etc.), although there will also be exposure to enough of the Japanese writing systems to meet practical needs. Practical use and observing of the language will be emphasised.
Intermediate introduction to modern spoken Japanese through aural-oral drills and exercises, and mastery of the basic grammatical structures. Emphasis on the spoken language, although there will also be exposure to enough of the Japanese writing systems to meet practical needs. Practical use and observing of the language will be emphasized.
This course is geared towards students who have a grasp of the four basic language skills – speaking, listening, reading, and writing – and augment their knowledge of the world’s Hispanic peoples and their cultures. Building on the foundation of previous Spanish study or direct experience with the language, this course is designed for those who have already achieved an intermediate mastery.
This course will cover:
- Spanish colonialism in Africa
- EU migration and border securitization policies
- The militarization of the EU-Morocco border
- Debates about European identity
- The rise of xenophobic and Islamophobic discourses across Europe
- The Islamic influence on Spanish culture
- The impact of the slave trade on the Spanish Economy in the 19th century
- Immigration dynamics in Barcelona, with a focus on the experience of immigrants from Senegal and Nigeria
This course takes an analytical look at the present-day cosmopolitan city of Barcelona politically, economically and socially and looks back through over 2,000 years of history to see how it has taken shape. This course will reflect on the definitive events in the history of Barcelona and how they have shaped today’s society. Special attention will be focused on its urban development and its reflection in how we interact with the city today. We will determine which historical events most impacted the transformation of this Catalan capital city’s physical, architectural and cultural heritage, and discuss the importance of its location in the Mediterranean.
TAUGHT IN SPANISH. This course takes an analytical look at the present-day cosmopolitan city of Barcelona politically, economically and socially and looks back through over 2,000 years of history to see how it has taken shape. This course will reflect on the definitive events in the history of Barcelona and how they have shaped today’s society. Special attention will be focused on its urban development and its reflection in how we interact with the city today. We will determine which historical events most impacted the transformation of this Catalan capital city’s physical, architectural and cultural heritage, and discuss the importance of its location in the Mediterranean.
TAUGHT IN SPANISH. This course will provide a foundation in some of the most relevant Avant-garde movements of the 20th century in Western art, such as Cubism and Surrealism, through the thorough study of the lives, ideas, and artistic contributions of three great masters of Spanish art: Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, and Salvador Dalí. While examining exemplary artworks in several mediums of these three artists, and some of their contemporary European counterparts, the course will explore how Avant-garde movements were synonymous with progress, social disruption and change, and how Avant-garde artists contributed to widen the notion of culture and push the boundaries of what traditionally had been considered art. The course will also examine the level of interaction between international artists, writers, and thinkers, and the mobility of artistic ideas across Europe and the USA.
This course is designed to provide a critical understanding of arts management both for students seeking a career in arts management and for those interested in sharpening their critical thinking and strategically using the creativity of the art world as a tool to prepare for today’s rapidly shifting cultural, economic, and sociopolitical environment. Students will be offered an insight into management and planning in arts organizations both from a global perspective and from a privileged first-hand experience of Barcelona cultural scene. This is an interdisciplinary course across the fields of art and management.
Along with the Romanesque-Gothic period, Modernisme is regarded as the other great movement of art in Catalonia, and symbolizes the gateway to modernity, as it developed between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Modernisme was the local development of the international Art Nouveau trends, with a very specific personality. Although Antoni Gaudí is the most well-known name associated with this movement, it is a more complex phenomenon that developed in all areas, not only in architecture. The aim of this course, then, is to offer a global vision of what it meant, and for that reason not only architecture will be addressed but also other artistic manifestations such as painting, sculpture or decorative arts.
The course will be complemented with tours, guided visits to museums, monuments and/or exhibitions (if there are any relevant ones on at the same time as the course), taking advantage of being in one of the best Art Nouveau cities in the world. All these things will help to understand the meaning of the “total artwork” concept of the period.
This course aims to instruct the students in the techniques that professional writers and artists use to create and develop their writing projects. From a hands-on perspective, students will need to put theory into practise on a day-to-day basis. They will learn about the writing process from the very beginning, and will have to work on gathering ideas and stimulating creativity, character creation, setting, structure and point of view, among others.
This class will also use all these elements to reflect on the students’ experience while abroad. All the assignments will be focused on how to use intercultural competences in order to create good writing pieces and, at the same time, will enable them to use literature and creativity to better understand and explain the challenges and takeaways of their study abroad experience. All field studies and activities will enhance students’ critical thinking and will improve their cultural awareness.
Taking as examples the great masterworks of European modern painting, this course aims to examine the various methodologies used for the analysis of art history. Students will start by learning the predominantly literary approaches based on the Renaissance tradition of art historical scholarship, such as the biographical, the iconographical and the formalist readings. Then, they will proceed to consider the more critical approaches used by the New Art History that emerged in the late 1970s, which embrace elements of Marxism, deconstruction and semiotics. Making sense of the complexity of the meaning of a broad selection of European painting masterpieces students will learn to appreciate the artworks that they experience in the great collections of art in their journeys around Europe and Spain making their cultural experience more rounded.
After completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Produce simple sentences
- Ask and answer questions about him/herself, about others, and about things s/he has or needs
- Produce simple statements concerning his/her needs or usual subjects and to answer questions of this type when they are directed to him/her
- Use culturally appropriate non-verbal communication
From Lisbon to Moscow, why did dictatorships proliferate in Europe in the last one hundred years? How did European authoritarian regimes come about, repress the opposition and build social consensus? Why did these dictatorships decline and collapse? Using primary documents and films in addition to academic literature, we will explore the origins, evolution and downfall of the some thirty non-democratic regimes that have existed in Europe since the First World War.
We will analyze the phenomenon of dictatorship in itself and the widely different forms it took in Europe, from Stalinism to Nazism to military juntas to conservative dictatorships. We will focus on the use of surveillance, coercion and violence by non-democratic regimes, as well as on the institutional and social foundations of authoritarian power.
The course centers on the most notorious dictatorships (Stalin’s USSR, Hitler’s Germany, Mussolini’s Italy and the People’s Democracies in Eastern Europe), but also includes less-known cases, such as the right-wing autocrats of the Interwar Years, the puppet dictators in Nazi-occupied Europe during WWII, Milosevic’s Yugoslavia or today’s Belarus, often described as Europe’s last dictatorship. Since the course is taught in Spain, we will give special attention to the history and legacy of Francisco Franco’s regime, the second longest dictatorship in Western Europe after Portugal. Given the current growth of authoritarian political options all over Europe, the course is particularly timely for students.
During the 20th century the sports industry has grown exponentially from its origins as an amateur pastime to a complex phenomenon that moves billions of dollars on a global scale. While sports have been affected by and simultaneously contributed to accelerated globalizing tendencies, some important distinctions can be made between sports industry models in the US and Europe (Szymanski, 2009). Focusing on the European sports industry, this course highlights the structures and systems of governance, and the ownership, financing and management of leagues, teams, facilities and events. Case studies examined include Euroleague Basketball, FC Barcelona, the English Premier League, London 2012 Olympic Games, and innovations in new stadium developments in Europe.
The comparison continues with an analysis of media rights negotiations and commercialization processes for major sports such as Cycling, F1 and Moto Sports. The role of sports marketing, in particular the management of endorsement deals and brands by leading sports apparel companies such as Nike, Adidas and Puma in US and European markets are compared. Throughout the course critical analysis of key issues and controversies affecting the sports industry in Europe is undertaken, including the over-commercialization of sports, ethical scandals involving sports betting, systemic racism in sports and the sustainability of team and league business models.
Emotion is a fundamental, complex, and sometimes confusing part of human experience. This course surveys the current state of knowledge about human emotion. The questions addressed include the following: What is emotion? Do we find a set of universal basic emotions if we look across cultures? How do we recognize emotions? What are the functions of emotion? Can we control our emotions?
The main objective of this course is to provide students with a general overview of the Spanish Cinema and TV Series that are distributed through streaming media services, such as Netflix. These digital platforms are becoming important agents in the transmission of values and sociocultural changes, and TV series are one of their key vehicles, with a growing, increasingly global audience and a particular influence in young people. Moreover, entertainment media is often a portal to historical narratives and a reflection of dominant modern tendencies, factors that shall be used to explore Spanish contemporary history and culture, to be compared with the students’ own. The course will also examine the globalization of audio-visual content, paying attention to the set of homogenizing messages and ideas that are penetrating societies at an unprecedented level, and which should not go on without a critical analysis of what exactly it is that is being consumed – very often beyond the awareness of the users.
This course provides an introduction to how diverse backgrounds and experiences impact individual understanding, values, our world view, communication, and how we relate to others. Using theoretical concepts of intercultural communication and cultural studies, the course explores the dynamics of culture as manifested in hidden and visible aspects, physical and verbal communication, global politics, and in the workplace. Readings and workshops will examine cultural manifestation as related to identity, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, sexuality, and ability. The course will rely on individual reflection of students’ study abroad and/or internships experiences to develop deeper skills for navigating life in a diverse and global world.
Gender studies is an interdisciplinary academic field that seeks to make sense of society through the analysis of gender roles and power dynamics in their socio historical contexts. In addition to examining the subjective experiences of women, gender studies also explores the sociocultural structures which create and reproduce gender, drawing from disciplines such as economics, sociology, public policy, the humanities, and cultural studies.
Gender, as a social category, is created and defined by a series of relational symbolic interactions and cultural practices understood to be characterized by intersecting power dynamics which have significantly shifted a unitary concept of gender to a multiplicity of perspectives and experiences of being a woman. The Intersectional approach apprehends the complex ways in which systems and social constructions intersect over people’s bodies and experiences, often leading to various discrimination and exclusions.
On the other hand, diversity is a term which entered the political agenda and the social ground as minority groups took the public space to vindicate for a space of their own. In a society increasingly concerned about the integration of diversity at all different levels- from personal relations, through the workplace and to public policy- it is imperative to have a solid conceptual and practical background on issues concerning the intersection between gender and these social categories which constitute forms of diversity such as sexuality, race, class, nationality and cultural groups.
The present course will address the main concepts surrounding the intersections of gender and other social categories, with a particular interest in cross analysing gender and feminist theory and contemporary practices. It will then explore the different intersections constructing the diversity of ways of being, bearing in mind that future professionals will face this complex range of ever-changing diversities. The course will cover a wide range of topics, from a double perspective between the USA and Spain, in particular Barcelona, with visits to relevant organizations and key actors which will present, in first person the main dilemmas and challenges regarding gender studies and practice from an intersectional perspective.
Like much of Europe and the world, the history of women in modern Spain has been characterized by emancipation. At the same time, alternating periods of dictatorship and democracy, paired with successive crises in the twenty-first century, have endowed the Spanish experience with distinctive attributes.
The course will begin with the ephemeral emancipation of women during the Second Republic (1931-1936) when Spain became the first Catholic country in continental Europe to grant women the vote. We will then move to the dictatorship of Francisco Franco (1939-1975) when women became converted into mothers, homemakers and caregivers, and were subjected to propaganda campaigns urging them to create large families.
During late Francoism and the Transition to Democracy, many Spanish women questioned these assigned identities. They entered the workplace and the professions, and joined neighborhood and social movements that clamored for increased rights, sexual freedoms, divorce and birth control.
In the twenty-first century, economic and health crises have disproportionately affected women, youth, and minorities. Recently, the rise of the #MeToo movement and the assertiveness of the LBGTQ community, had added a new globalized dimension. In the meantime, historic problems, such as machismo and high rates of domestic violence, still remain.
All in all, exploring gender and identity remains one of the most fascinating ways to analyze the contradictions and potential of Spain today.
This course addresses the main areas, issues and controversies of US policy in Western Europe from the Spanish American War to the present day -a period commonly referred to as the American Century. Students in this course will learn how US governments have viewed their role in Europe during this period, as well as the institutions and practices –both overt and covert- that these governments have developed to secure that role. They will also examine the responses that US policies have received from European governments and societies. The course analyzes the political ties between the United States and Western Europe, with a focus on Spain, and introduces the main theoretical approaches and scholarly debates in this field.
We will start the course with an overview of US-European relations during the 19th century. Then we will focus on topics including the intervention of the US in WWI, the American response to European fascism in the 1930s, the impact of the Spanish Civil War in the US, the rise of the US as superpower after 1945, the relations between the US and the main European powers during the Cold War, and the role of the US in Europe after 9/11.
In addition to analyzing the making and execution of US policies in Europe, we will examine how US soft power has contributed to the spread of American cultural values and patterns in Europe, especially since 1945. The course will deal also with the present status and future perspectives of US-European relations.
After completion of this course, the student will able to:
- Tell detailed accounts that occurred in the past
- Understand the main ideas in semi-complex Spanish debates
- Justify an opinion in informal debates
- Ask for specific information, complain, ask for an explanation
- Give detailed instructions about how to do something
Students will examine the process of European political and economic integration, from its first steps in the 1950s until today. The course offers an overview of the key dimensions that help understand what the European Union project is, how it works and why and how it was created. Particular attention is paid to EU migration and border dynamics and their interaction with ongoing debates about european identity and the rise of xenophobic and islamophobic discourses across Europe. With a strong emphasis in current theoretical debates ongoing in the fields of political geography and population geography current demographic challenges and ongoing geopolitical disputes (within the EU and between the EU and its neighbourhood) will be scrutinized.
TAUGHT IN SPANISH. Esta asignatura es una introducción a la literatura española e hispanoamericana a través de una selección de textos de diferentes épocas. Los estudiantes se familiarizarán con algunos autores relevantes y con los movimientos más importantes de la literatura escrita en español y, al mismo tiempo, desarrollarán las destrezas necesarias para comentar los textos objeto de estudio en relación con el contexto cultural e histórico en el que se desarrollaron.
This course will teach students how the camera can be used in a foreign environment as an exciting tool of documentary record, cross-cultural understanding, artistic expression and self-discovery. After an introduction to the fundamentals of photography, both traditional and digital, students will be given several practical assignments to photograph the city of Barcelona itself, its architecture, history, people, and rich culture. As they acquire new technical, compositional and critical skills throughout the course, students will create a portfolio of images that will both showcase and celebrate their unforgettable study abroad experience.
The course load will include class lectures and technique-based lessons held in the classroom, combined with practice sessions in specific outdoor sites. Students will be introduced in class to the history of photography and various photographic genres such as photo-journalism, portraiture or street photography, through the work of well-known classic and contemporary photographers. Other activities include several field trips to visit photo exhibitions in art galleries and museums in the city of Barcelona.
Throughout the course, students will frequently participate in group critiques and individual reviews of their work. They will be required to actively involve themselves in analyzing and evaluating their own work and the work of others, in a collaborative atmosphere of constructive reflection and criticism.
A digital camera SLR or a simple Point & Shoot is required. Students could use a traditional camera (film), but this will require an additional effort from their part. No prior training in photography is required.
TAUGHT IN SPANISH. Language Playing and Language Learning is a course for intermediate and advanced SSL students which helps to improve and enhance knowledge through creativity.
Language is a creative act: every time we speak or write, we create new meanings and new realities. The use of creativity in the process of learning helps students to face new and unpredictable experiences, and makes them feel more motivated. Thus, the work in the classroom becomes richer, wider and nicer, and both students’ and teachers’ talents, ideas and thoughts Flow in a better way. On the other hand, creativity enhances student’s self-esteem and helps them to feel confident in order to solve linguistic issues by themselves. Finally, creative thinking is an important tool for real life. It is a major survival strategy and a force that pushes personal growth and the development of our culture and society.
This course covers themes of leadership and coaching in the business world with a focus on sensitivity and awareness to the realities of a diverse work environment. Business themes and case studies will be practiced with an emphasis on understanding colleagues and business partners more integrally – taking into consideration diverse backgrounds through gender diversity, racial/ethnic diversity, religious diversity, linguistic and cultural diversity. Students will learn to be better leaders and coaches in a global environment.
The course will explore the different marine and freshwater ecosystems throughout the Mediterranean, highlighting their unique biodiversity and ecological importance, main threats, and conservation priorities. The first part of the course will look into the dynamics that characterize some of the most important marine and freshwater ecosystems, highlighting their conservation needs. The second part of the course will focus on the human impact on coastal and aquatic habitats, including fishing and tourism, and identify the key threats posed by these industries, as well as priority actions to reverse and mitigate the current situation. The last element will focus on restoration and conservation efforts for these vulnerable ecosystems in the region and will ask students to formulate habitat-specific conservation plans for selected locations. The course will feature a number of field trips to complement the in-class elements, and to provide a more direct exposure to the subjects discussed in class.
Spain is one the most diverse countries in continental Europe. The Peninsula has long been a destination for peoples coming north from Africa, west from Europe, and most recently, east from the Americas. We will open with a brief exploration of the “ethnic fusion” – the native Iberian, Celtic, Latin, Germanic, and Semitic peoples that settled the Peninsula. We will then move to the historical roots of those linguistic groups that enjoy political autonomy and clamor for independence today, including Catalans and Basques. The next subject is religion. We will discuss the famous three religions of medieval Al-Andalus, address similarities with contemporary multiculturalism, and explore the return of Jewish and Islamic minorities to Catholic Spain today. The last few weeks will be dedicated to an in-depth analysis of the latest wave of migrants. These include refugee populations from war zones in Syria and sub-Saharan Africa, and more traditional economic migrants from the Americas, Morocco and Asia. Along the way, we will address resistance to diversity. To be sure, Spain has and continues to suffer from conflict, antisemitism, and the imposition of cultural and religious uniformity. The course incorporates field studies and interactive components to ensure that students will have the opportunity to explore first-hand the successes and tensions inherent in Spanish diversity today.
The main objective of this course is to ensure that students acquire the necessary knowledge to enable them to achieve a solid understanding of the history of Spanish art, from Prehistory to modernity at the beginning of the 20th Century. Given the wide range of material, those artists and artistic movements which have had a significant impact throughout the history of Spanish Art will receive special attention. Medieval and Islamic Art, Renaissance and Baroque during the Spanish Golden Age, Goya and Modernisme will all be studied in depth.
There will be guided visits to museums or temporary exhibitions (if there are any relevant ones on during the course) to allow students to have a direct contact with the real artworks studied in class.
Parallel to this, and in view of the final project to be done by students, some sessions will focus especially on the artworks’ iconographic and formal aspects, so that students can acquire and develop an analytical capacity of art in general, and of Spanish art in particular. Therefore, the class participation -and readings that will serve to go deeper into all these aspects- will be valued.
The aim of this course is to analyze the important role that sport plays within modern Spanish and Catalan culture. The historical framework to this module will be provided by an analysis of the history of modern sport, the significance of the introduction of modern sport in early 20th Century Spain and Catalunya and its early adoption by groups in Spanish and Catalan society for socio-cultural and political purposes. Another important part of the course consists in a profound exploration of the socio-political use of sport by the Francoist dictatorship and the repercussions of this heritage on contemporary Spanish society. Towards the end of the semester, the course will focus on how sport has played an important part in the development of Spain as a democratic country after the end of the Francoist dictatorship. The relations between politics, media and sport will serve as a useful route to understanding wider issues in Spain and Catalunya and their mutual relationship. The module will adopt a hands-on approach to the subject matter including case studies, field trips and guest speakers as well as making constant comparisons with the sports and culture debate in the United States
The course will analyse the key environmental challenges in Spain, with the goal of finding solutions towards a sustainable management of natural resources. The first part of the course will identify the defining elements of Mediterranean ecosystems, climate and landscape characteristics, as well as historical patterns of resource exploitation in the region. The second part of the course will highlight the key environmental challenges in Spain and explore sustainable management solutions. The third and final part will feature case studies where the students will be able to understand the shared threats among the different regions and the differences posed by the elements studied in the first part of the course, resulting in the complex nature of the problematic and the need for innovative solutions. Throughout each topic, the role of humans as key drivers of ecosystem changes will be studied, the main geographical limitations, and the current and potential efforts to reverse the ecological damage caused by these activities with a focus on sustainable development
The primary goal of this course is to provide students with a solid grounding in theories, principles, and strategies of social influence as they apply to everyday contexts in which influence attempts take place. Students should gain familiarity with findings from empirical investigations on persuasion, social influence, and compliance gaining, and will learn about strategies and techniques of persuasion relating to a wide variety of real-life communication contexts, situations, and cultural dimensions. The study abroad experience will be used to experientially examine and apply the material covered in class.
This course examines the main political and socio-economic processes that help understand present-day Barcelona, particularly after the 1992 Olympics turned it into a vibrant global city. Through the lens of politics, human geography and history students will explore topics like massive tourism, gentrification, environmental sustainability, the real estate bubble, or immigration dynamics. Special attention will be paid to the tense power relations between Catalonia and Spain, the political heritage of Franco’s fascist dictatorship and the rise of the Catalan independence movement.
After completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Use frequent polite structures, speak in short social exchanges, describe what s/he does at work or in his/her leisure time, arrange an appointment
- Ask for information in different situations (in shops, banks, travel agencies…)
- Describe personal experiences in the past. Describe objects and places
- Explain what s/he likes or prefers
After completion of this course, the student will able to:
- Tell detailed accounts of events that occurred in the past
- Speak in detail about future and possible future events
- Argue and communicate effectively in a speech
- Explain his/her point of view about current issues arguing all of the points and counterpoints
This course offers a solid foundation in the fundamentals of basic construction, draping, alterations, and fitting techniques for apparel. The emphasis of the course is on the importance of proper fit and craftsmanship for the overall quality of garments. Students develop and construct design concepts in muslin and soft fabric in the dress form.
This course explores the principal architects and artists, monuments, and themes from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries in Italian art and architecture. Class time is divided equally between lectures and on-site visits in the city of Florence. Emphasis will be placed on Renaissance architecture in Florence and will also include architectural developments in other Italian towns. Special topics will include architectural theory, the Medici and papal patronage, urban planning, and church and palace design. Coursework will focus on important figures such as Brunelleschi, Alberti, Michelozzo, Michelangelo, and Leonardo, in addition to visits to key Renaissance buildings and urban spaces in Florence.
Italian destination cities immediately conjure up images of the art, food, fashion, wine, and culture in which their fame lies: fashion shows and La Scala in Milan, Renaissance art in Florence, Brunello wine in Montalcino, the Biennale and Carnevale in Venice. This course will explore how creative advertising strategies have been produced and implemented, their effect on city identity, the proliferation of creative areas in destination cities, and the future of creativity and creative marketing. Case studies of both well-established metropolises and developing destinations will be examined.
This course introduces students to baking and pastry fundamentals through an analysis of the features and functions of the main pastry ingredients. The course starts with a complete overview of eggs, flour, fats, sugar, and dairy products in order to create a basis on which all future courses will develop. Students will approach the basic mixing and cooking methods in order to understand the baking process with all its possible variations. Special emphasis will be placed on short crust pastry, pate choux, enriched dough, and stirred custards. Upon successful completion of the course, students will gain confidence in the production of sponge cake, pound cake, pastry and English cream, and basic short crust dough. Students will be able to describe and produce the main meringues.
Chef uniform (white chef jacket, chef pants, white apron, white chef hat, kitchen safety shoes) required for this course.
This course examines the ethics of medical practices and issues in contemporary society. Coursework will pose questions regarding areas that affect human life and death. Topics include practices such as euthanasia, birth control and abortion, cloning, genetic engineering, and biomedical research. Students will analyze the ethical nature of covered practices, how they affect humans on individual and social scales, and the relationship between patients and physicians and medical structures in terms of information, consent, and responsibility. Case studies from local European as well as non-European countries will be closely considered for discussion and study.
This course introduces students to the heritage of Italian traditional breads and provides a survey of the suitable flours and their characteristics as well as an introduction to the chemistry of baking and the most common starters. This course offers the opportunity to learn principles and techniques to prepare Italian breads, flat breads and rolls. Emphasis will be placed on the use of traditional fermentation methods, equipment and skills that emphasize flavor, texture and appearance as well as techniques that increase shelf-life. Fresh brewery yeast, biga, and poolish will be used according to the leavening processes of a variety of products. Students will learn the proper techniques for mixing, leavening, shaping and cooking Italian breads and other Italian baked and non-baked classics using dedicated flours and ingredients according to the regional heritage.
Chef uniform (white chef jacket, chef pants, white apron, white chef hat, kitchen safety shoes) required for this course.
In this course, students will work on pottery and/or ceramic sculpture projects. During the first portion of the course, emphasis will be on different clay hand-building techniques. The second portion, students will progress to a variety of surface decoration techniques and different methods of firing and coloring. Lecture content will provide students essential information about the nature of clay and glazes and the history of Mediterranean ceramics. Students will be introduced to local Tuscan artisan traditions and the work of contemporary ceramic artists during field learning activities.
This course will prepare students to work, run, and manage a retail shop successfully and provides theoretical insights into customer expectations and service delivery. Throughout the course, standard elements of a retail shop will be analyzed and focus on retail management will be given. This class will strengthen decision-making skills regarding expense planning, suppliers, store layout, and promotional strategies. Under the supervision of seasoned professionals, students will spend a portion of the course operating the school retail spaces (fashion retail store, restaurant, pastry shop) that are open to the local community. Here, theoretical knowledge, shop floor management skills, and ability to perform head office functions will all be developed in the context of retail. In order to offer a comprehensive view of retail management, experiential learning activities are scheduled in varying types of retailers, each of them characterized by different competitors, products sold, customers, and style of service required. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.
Prerequisites: Introduction to Art History or equivalent.
The course explores the works of artists who, over the last 50 years, have made today’s art and constructed the relationship between artists and the city of Florence in the Italian context. Emphasis is placed on comparing the panorama of traditional, historic Florence and Italy to international contemporary art. The course will involve lectures (a survey of art in Tuscany and Italy, including abstract experiences, Italian pop art, minimal art, Poesia visiva, Trans-avant-gardism and the present-day tendencies of figurative art) and fact-finding visits to artist ateliers where course participants are encouraged to ask questions, i.e. which factors led artists towards certain decisions, which cultural forces led artists to adopt certain forms, etc. The course alternates between fieldwork for visiting galleries and ateliers and carrying out interpretative analyses of the fieldwork in the classroom. The course encourages contact with the living tissue of art. The Florentine creative scene, vibrant but rooted in history, is varied and complex; this course gives the student the opportunity to establish direct, informed contact with it.
This course presents the specific structural and phenomenological aspects of the various types of mafia operating in Italy and internationally. Topics analyze contemporary criminal, social, cultural, and political features of mafia-related groups and explore traditional and emerging illegal markets. The course describes main Italian and international law policies and legislations to contrast this type of organized crime and the experiences of leading individuals and groups developing a culture of legality to combat the mafia.
This course provides an introduction to the theory, methods, and challenges of corporate finance. The main focus is on financing decisions and investment. The following topics are addressed: risk and return, asset markets and market efficiency, valuation, capital structure, capital budgeting, dividend policy, and derivative securities. Some consideration will also be given to financial management issues that multinational firms face, with an emphasis on the effects of currency denomination on financial decisions.
The study of Italian culture helps the student to acquire a deep awareness of both cultural unity and regional diversity. This course is intended to provide students with an in-depth introduction to Italian culture and to broaden one’s awareness and understanding of the role of cultural heritage in customs and lifestyles. Lectures will provide students with an organized, focused, and academic understanding of Italian history, art, architecture, food, religion, and culture. The course provides additional enrichment through basic notions of Italian language and terminology along with assigned readings and a final paper. On-site teaching is a significant part of this course and is aimed to provide the student with an incomparable experience of studying important sites of artistic architectural and social relevance in present-day Italy. Students are encouraged to observe the sites through active participation and to discuss their observations using specific and analytic social assessment skills.
This course includes an Italian language component for beginning-level students.
Pre-requisite: Knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator highly recommended.
The course explores illustration as an instrument of communication (i.e. advertising) and narration (i.e. comic books). It aims at improving drawing and design skills by teaching image making with an emphasis on edge, shape, color and value. Students will learn how to apply composition and design, color, and conceptualization to a wide range of materials and techniques. Students will use illustration software to enhance traditional work and acquire important knowledge in the digital domain. Idea development within real-world parameters, originality, aesthetics, and technical proficiency are emphasized. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.
This course examines the practice and basic principles of addiction to drugs of abuse such as heroin, alcohol, tobacco, cannabis or cocaine. Course topics will cover the epidemiology of drug abuse, the experimental models used in brain research, and the pathological consequences of drug addiction (including heavy drinking and smoking). The course will extend the concept of addiction to pathological behaviors such as compulsive consumption of palatable food, physical exercise dependence, compulsive shopping, sexual hyperactivity, internet abuse, and gambling. The neurochemical mechanisms that are shared and lead from reward to positive reinforcement, loss of control, and dependence will be examined. The symptomatological and neurochemical similarities and differences between drug and behavioral addiction will be addressed, along with the self-destructive behaviors, tolerance, craving, and withdrawal symptoms that both types of dependence produce.
The course traces also the basic aspects of human biology and physiology that are needed to fully comprehend the topics at hand, including the neuronal circuits and neurotransmitters that are altered by both natural and artificial rewards. Students will also learn how to analyze scientific data and correctly interpret the information that is published in peer-reviewed international scientific journals. Finally, students will gain an understanding of the social and ethical implications of drug and behavioral addiction and of the peculiar features of this problem in different countries, with an emphasis on the European and Italian approach as compared with other areas of the world.
The primary purpose of this course is to provide marketers with an in-depth understanding of product development practices including innovation, product strategy and processes, customer needs, identification, idea generation, concept development and optimization, forecasting, and launch. The course will analyze the marketing development strategies of new entrepreneurial companies with low budgets and little or no brand development. An important component of the coursework features hands-on approaches to real-life business problems that require application of topics learned in the classroom. Students will be introduced to highly creative and effective experiential forms of learning ranging from case studies to business plans, entrepreneurs in the classroom, conducting entrepreneurial audits, working with concepts of marketing inventions, and consulting projects. Furthermore, students will be part of a dedicated lab team of cross-disciplinary learners led by faculty and advisers, and will collaborate with executives and representatives from real companies on comprehensive business issues. Coursework includes site visits to local companies and special guest lectures from local prominent entrepreneurs.
Where does our food come from? How is it grown? What is actually in the food we eat? These are all important questions that we don’t always want to know the answer to. Food justice is a social movement that examines the ethics of food production and food distribution, access to food, and the policies that are often a silent ingredient in our meals. Organic foods, farming, labor wages and practices, food supply distribution and waste, and sustainability are among the themes to be examined in this course. How food systems impact the health and well-being of individuals and communities, political policies and their role in food distribution in developed and developing countries, and the consequences of globalization on food ethics will be addressed through hands-on workshops, visits, and in-class discussions. A special emphasis will be placed on the cultural aspects of food supplies, the Italian traditions of food production and consumption, and the darker roles represented by food in organized crime and immigration.
This course includes cooking labs, tastings, and visits.
This course is an introduction to creative design development and fashion design, offering students an overview of the contemporary visual culture and language related to fashion. Topics include design processes, rendering techniques, research, storyboard creation, color, fabric selection, design innovation, and the 2D to 3D development of creative ideas. Students will gain practice in these areas through projects while being introduced to fashion illustration. Students prepare for future apparel design projects by researching the design development process, textiles, materials, and industry practices. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.
This course addresses the procedures involved in managing a fashion retail enterprise and the decision-making inherent in successful merchandising for smaller-scale stores. Knowledge will be acquired through lab practice gained by running a real enterprise in which students and professionals exchange their knowledge and propose successful solutions to be applied. Coursework includes site visits to well-known Italian luxury brands in Florence such as Ferragamo, Gucci, and Cavalli (companies may change according to availability), and special guest lectures from local prominent emerging designers.
This course is designed to take full advantage of the student’s unique experiences living and studying in the city of Florence. With on-site inspiration channeled into artistic creativity, students will draw on location at sites of historical significance and visual interest, ranging from architectural masterpieces, landscape vistas, and medieval streets to formal gardens, street markets, and Renaissance fountains. Slide lectures will document the rich history of how Florence and its environs have attracted and inspired visiting artists over the centuries. Students will develop individual sketchbooks with the aim of building up source material for future projects.
This course examines the city of Florence with themed walks offering a comprehensive approach to the city as an open-air cultural, historical, and artistic research site from its Roman foundation to its contemporary Zeitgeist. Students will learn the history of the city through its art: they will understand how buildings, streets, squares, and monuments can be mapped as living traces of multiple, overlapping layers of a complex past, and how to encode them in their personal appropriation of the city. Starting from learning how to decode the artistic environment of the city and to unveil its traces – both visible and invisible – the course aims at understanding the main social and cultural reasons underlying the existing shape of the city.
The course explores traces and evidences from Roman times through Middle Ages, Renaissance, Mannerism and Baroque, up to Art Nouveau and contemporary Florence. Students will be provided with a consistent theoretical background related to relevant historic-artistic landmarks and their social and cultural context and main characters (Guelphs vs. Ghibellines, the Florentine Guilds, Dante, the Medici family, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Ghirlandaio, Ammannati, Pontormo, etc.). Students will be encouraged to develop their own experiential tools and strategies to approach the city through guided field learning activities that assess research, on-site involvement, and academic outcome for each themed walk in Florence.
The classroom approach of this course is based on experiencing the city of Florence as the academic space for learning and engagement. Classes are not held in a traditional, frontal-style setting; each lesson is carefully mapped for curricular content and featured locations: lectures, observations, exercises, analysis, and reflections on presented topics are held in relevant sites that are accounted for in the academic planning, syllabus, and related course material. Coursework and submissions will be regularly assessed on the MyFUA platform through daily assignments in addition to exams, papers, and projects. Learning through the on-site classroom approach fosters a deeper understanding of the cultural environment of Florence and how it is related to the subject of study represented by the course, and allows the overall experience to contribute to the students’ academic and personal enrichment.
This course introduces a fundamental area of study in the hospitality industry. Students will study the concepts and procedures of food and beverage control systems, cost control, operating budgets, and the effective management of food and beverage operations and cycles. Cost calculation, menu planning, storage, receiving, profit and budget forecasting, labor costs, service payment systems, and other topic-specific areas will be covered. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.
Though food diversifies throughout the world according to local cultural backgrounds, there is a common ground in the universal approach to food: it is a part of everyday life and sharing food is still one of the greatest examples of humans acting as social creatures. Italy represents a unique case for now food is both celebrated and is involved in cultural celebrations that are still fundamental in Italian society. This course will provide students with a full immersion in the relationship between food and the local community in Italy, focusing on the many moments that represent conviviality in Italian culture and society. Coursework includes a wide variety of field learning activities through which students will be introduced to local and traditional crafts, food markets, typical street food vendors, local purchasing groups, community-supported agriculture, and countryside food festivals as fundamental milestones in the Italian gastro-social tradition. Through hands-on experiences and on-site activities students, will learn the fundamentals of community-geared food production and will acquire a deeper understanding of food as an essential element of society. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.
This class includes food labs, food tours, and one aperitivo project per session. Uniform required for food labs, rental available upon arrival.
This course is targeted towards students with an interest in Italian food traditions, society, and culture. The main focus consists of what is generally defined as “made in Italy” culture and style in post-war Italy. Also covered are the relationships between Italian traditions, folklore and contemporary Italian society drawing from examples including festivals, food, tourism, and economy, and the influence of foreign civilizations. Students will be asked to regard the subject of food outside of the context of ingredients and the procedures used to create a dish; we will instead examine a large scale context in which food is either featured as a main component or an integral element in cultural situations. Thus the student is asked first and foremost to observe the presented material across an anthropologic lens that roves over the entire Italian peninsula. Lectures will be complemented by student cooking labs and/or tastings.
This course includes cooking labs, tastings, and visits.
Italy represents longstanding traditions of food culture, wellness, and nutrition through health-oriented practices. Recent decades have represented a dramatic change in the way we approach health through the lens of food principles. Nutritional facts and information that are constantly updated and the ethics of sustainability have deeply influenced a global awareness of a healthy lifestyle. Italy’s approach to seasonality and nutritional balance is characterized by an abundance of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and a distinct respect for food. This course will provide students with a complete overview of how food can be the basis of wellness, along with the practice of a positive lifestyle through cultural understanding and integration with the local community. Particular emphasis will be placed, through discussions and direct practice, on seasonality and nutritional principles, whole foods, and freshness, traditional customs, and contemporary innovation. Course topics will also reference the aphorism of “We are what we eat” and how it aligns with the Italian culinary tradition and culture. Students will also complete a survey of the different dietary recommendations that have been researched and developed to examine how the field of dietetics is directly affected by social and cultural implications. Through hands-on experiences and on-site cultural activities, students will experience the fundamentals of wellness-oriented cuisine and lifestyles in Tuscany and Italy. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.
This class includes experiential learning with CEMI. Three days of food labs, one day of walking tour. Uniform required for food labs, rental available upon arrival.
This course is targeted towards students who are interested in the Italian traditions and the pivotal role that Italy has played in the evolution of food and wine culture. Italy is in fact the oldest wine-producing nation in the world where grapes are grown in almost every region of the country. This course will consider and analyze the various influences and cultural overlaps that this ancient tradition has brought to contemporary Italian culture. The course will also feature an Italian language component in order to better understand and appreciate the elements of contemporary Italian culture which will be discussed during the course. This course includes an Italian language component for beginning-level students and field learning activities. Field learning is a method of educating through first-hand experience. Skills, knowledge, and experience are acquired outside of the traditional academic classroom setting and may include field activities, field research, and service learning projects. The field learning experience is cultural because it is intended to be wide-reaching, field-related content is not limited to the course subject but seeks to supplement and enrich academic topics. Students will have the opportunity to integrate theory and practice while experiencing Italian culture, art, and community within the Italian territory. Faculty will lead students in experiencing Italian culture through guided projects and field experiences as planned for the course. Field learning will be developed through classroom preparation, follow up projects, and guided learning outcomes. Field learning will provide students with the opportunity to develop skills and appreciate the multifold components of Italian Culture through direct experience. Field education will advance student learning as a relationship-centered process.
This course is targeted towards students who are interested in the Italian traditions and the pivotal role that Italy has played in the evolution of food and wine culture. Italy is in fact the oldest wine-producing nation in the world where grapes are grown in almost every region of the country. This course will consider and analyse the various influences and cultural overlaps that this ancient tradition has brought to contemporary Italian culture. The course will also feature an Italian language component in order to better understand and appreciate the elements of contemporary Italian culture which will be discussed during the course.
This class includes field learning hours. Field learning is a method of educating through first-hand experience. Skills, knowledge, and experience are acquired outside of the traditional academic classroom setting and may include field activities, field research, and service learning projects. The field learning experience is cultural because it is intended to be wide-reaching, field-related content is not limited to the course subject but seeks to supplement and enrich academic topics. Students will have the opportunity to integrate theory and practice while experiencing Italian culture, art, and community within the Italian territory. Faculty will lead students in experiencing Italian culture through guided projects and field experiences as planned for the course. Field learning will be developed through classroom preparation, follow up projects, and guided learning outcomes. Field learning will provide students with the opportunity to develop skills and appreciate the multifold components of Italian Culture through direct experience. Field education will advance student learning as a relationship-centred process.
This course includes an Italian language component for beginning language students + 90 field learning hours.
The best way to get to know a city is to explore it by foot, wander its streets, gain confidence with its social life and surroundings, breathe in every corner of it, and be captured by the unique views, perfumes, and, especially in Italy, the food. Jean Brunhes wrote “To eat is to incorporate a territory” mainly because food, its ingredients, and the rituals connected to it, have represented the mirror of society since ancient times.
This course offers a unique opportunity to immerse oneself into Florentine gastronomy and cultural background through neighborhood walks and tastings, using the city as one of most beautiful classrooms. Walking will give students the opportunity to see things that they otherwise would never see and to taste what’s hidden in between the tourist food attractions. Going by foot means to stumble across areas of the city that are not always intended for tourists, maybe less fancy or famous, perhaps calmer and more beautiful, possibly with the best food ever tasted, along with neighborhood stories and curiosities to be discovered in tiny galleries or in hidden food and wine shops. Florence and its treasures are ready to be unveiled.
Classes include tastings in gelaterie, gastronomie, enoteche, visits to food-related city spots, and suggestive walks in the secret Florence. The course is intended to provide academic knowledge through guided field learning activities that include research, on-site involvement, and topic assessment for each food and wine themed walk in Florence. The classroom approach of this course is based on experiencing the city of Florence as the academic space for learning and engagement. Classes are not held in a traditional, frontal-style setting; each lesson is carefully mapped for curricular content and featured locations: lectures, observations, exercises, analysis, and reflections on presented topics are held in relevant sites that are accounted for in the academic planning, syllabus, and related course material.
Coursework and submissions will be regularly assessed on the MyFUA platform through daily assignments in addition to exams, papers, and projects. Learning through the on-site classroom approach fosters a deeper understanding of the cultural environment of Florence and how it is related to the subject of study represented by the course, and allows the overall experience to contribute to the students’ academic and personal enrichment.
The front of house area of any restaurant should be carefully planned in order to balance ambiance with function. Restaurant seating, wait stations, and waiting areas are just a few of the areas to consider when planning a restaurant dining room. The course focuses on all aspects that characterize the front of the house experience. Emphasis is placed on the importance of the front of the house to properly reflect the restaurant concept and the necessity of planning front of the house spaces for efficiency. Furthermore, the course considers the pivotal role of excellent customer service and the training methods of front of the house staff.
This course introduces students to all aspects related to the operations and management of an art gallery and its exhibited content. Students will be involved in curating and promoting art shows and art-related events through community and on-campus exhibitions.
This course offers an innovative way to learn the Italian language and develop environmental consciousness while exploring Florence and its surroundings. Through the study of the relationship between humans and nature, the human role in ecology, and the sustainable management and conservation of natural resources, students will learn basic Italian vocabulary and usage in the form of experiential learning.
The course aims to develop four basic Italian language skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking), while providing experiences and on-site lessons aimed at expanding the connection between individuals and the natural world and developing sustainable lifestyles. Each topic, excursion, and experience will be supported by a structured class of Italian language, providing a great opportunity to explore Florence, its parks, its people, and its traditions from a new perspective while learning and practicing the Italian language.
This course includes an Italian language component for beginning-level students. SLC (Studies with a Language Component) represents an engaging approach to learning that embraces a multi-disciplinary application of cultural education methods. This stimulating approach broadens students’ understanding of their studies and creates a link between their academic careers and the local cultural environment which surrounds them. Through SLC courses, students learn notions of Italian language and terminology as a bridge to better understand and appreciate Italy’s modern, multifaceted society. By being exposed to the Italian language, Students discover different elements of Italian communication and culture and learn the linguistic fundamentals that enable them to engage in simple, everyday conversation. While doing so, they examine the sociological and pedagogical aspects of Italy such as society, politics, education, family, geography, and the environment. SLC is a learning methodology that integrates theory with practice: students learn the culture and language of Italy in class, then experience what they have learned through interaction with the local communities within the city of Florence and its neighborhoods. Diverse student populations benefit from this educational approach.
The garden is a space traditionally associated with food cultivation and recreational activity, both are known to have an influence on wellbeing. This course explores a culture of wellness based on the fundamentals of horticulture therapy and the use plants and green spaces, as well as horticultural and culinary activities to promote wellbeing. Students will explore the traditions related to garden activities to foster cognitive, social, emotional, and physical wellbeing for individuals and specific groups (i.e. the elderly, children, individuals with special needs) in a variety of settings. Adapting horticultural therapy in diverse site conditions from sowing to cultivation and the preparation of food products from the garden harvest will be a focus of this course. Course topics will include principles of horticulture, soils and soil cultivation, plant propagation, and harvesting, and the therapeutic potential of farm to table practices. Students will experience first-hand the restorative powers of green spaces through garden management and cooking labs to examine the benefits of the natural environment as a fundamental outcome of this course. This course includes an Experiential Learning Project with CEMI.
This course explores the meaning of the term “Renaissance” when applied to the period of Italian history from circa 1350 to 1550. The subject will be approached from a variety of standpoints: social, political, economic, intellectual, scientific, and artistic. The focus will be on the concept of Italian Renaissance Humanism and on the relationship between art and society during this period. Lectures will be supplemented by a number of visits to key historical sites in Florence. Field activities and museum visits are an integral part of the course.
This course discusses the origins and development of the Mafia in the context of Italian politics, economics, and society from the nineteenth century to the present day. It analyzes the nature of Mafia activities and their international relevance. Special focus will be given to judicial procedures against the Mafia and the experiences of key individuals and groups contrasting their illegal activities.
This course develops basic conversation, reading, and writing skills. Equal focus will be given to grammatical structures, vocabulary, and conversation skills. Students will develop a vocabulary that will enable them to engage in simple but useful everyday conversations, thus enhancing and supporting their Italian experience. Upon course conclusion, students will be able to express themselves in basic sentences, recognize gender and number in both nouns and adjectives, and begin approaching the Passato Prossimo. Emphasis will be given to the oral expression of practical vocabulary and newly acquired grammar structures. This level is for absolute beginner students who have never studied Italian before.
This intensive six-credit course is intended for students with no prior knowledge of Italian. It will give students the opportunity to experience a total language immersion, learning how to use gradually more complex grammatical structures and vocabulary. Upon course conclusion, students will be able to communicate simple and routine tasks, discuss familiar and routine topics and describe his/her background, and understand clear standard speech on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. The course will start from linguistic fundamentals and essential grammatical structures, including singular and plural forms of articles, adjectives, nouns, and their agreement; regular and some irregular conjugations of -are, -ere, -ire verbs in the Present tense; and simple prepositions. It will then move on to reflexive verbs, conjugation of regular and irregular verbs in the Past, and direct object pronouns. It will finally introduce students to Future and Conditional tenses, possessive adjectives, and indirect object pronouns, along with the continued practice of expanding vocabulary and gradual building of complexity in grammatical structures. All lessons will be taught in Italian.
Pre-requisite: Introduction to Management or equivalent.
This course is designed for students interested in international business ventures and partnerships. Management, leadership, human resource management, organizational skills, and strategies will all be analyzed from a cross-cultural business perspective. A major focus is on strategies adapting managerial skills across cultures. Guest lecturers and on-site visits to international business ventures are an integral part of the course.
This introductory art history course will take students through Italian and European art from the classical Greek and Roman periods up to and including the eighteenth century. Special emphasis will be given to Florentine and Italian art of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries and to the “Golden Age” of the Renaissance. The course is aimed at students who have not taken a history of western art course before. Lectures will alternate with on-site teaching in Florence including architectural walking tours and visits to relevant museums, churches, and palaces.
This course introduces contemporary technologies for producing photographic images. Approaching the medium in its current complex and pluralistic state, students explore a variety of photographic concepts and techniques. The fundamentals of using a digital camera including manual exposure and lighting are stressed. The course also introduces seeing, thinking, and creating with a critical mind and eye in a foreign environment (Italy) to provide understanding of the construction and manipulation of photographic form and meaning. During the first half of the course assignments, lectures, readings progressively build on each other to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of camera functions (manual mode) and processing techniques. The second half of the course will focus on weaving the techniques with specific photographic concepts via assignments. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.
NOTE: This course is for beginners. The first half of the course will be devoted to understanding camera functions and basic printing. During this period assignments will emphasize basic camera functions in manual mode. A DSLR camera plus a lens (focal length of 55mm or wider) with available manual settings is required for this course. A digital 35mm viewfinder camera with available manual settings (24+ megapixels minimum) is also acceptable.
The continuous growth of nutritional awareness worldwide has brought nutrition to be one of the fundamental subjects in constant evolution during the last decades. This course provides students with basic nutrition concepts and focuses on the overview of the requirements and functions of protein, carbohydrates, lipids and the major vitamins and minerals that are determinants of health and diseases in human populations. Emphasis will be placed on the role of nutrition in growth and health through the life cycle and the role of diet in the development of chronic diseases and the maintenance of a good health status thanks to a balanced food consumption. The course offers an overview of food policies, food education and an analysis of nowadays eating habits. Students will also learn the guidelines for the balancing of a vegetarian diet and understand how to read a food pyramid.
This course introduces students to photography with a particular focus on reportage and travel photography perspectives of this medium, offering a chance to explore the world through a camera viewfinder. Key course topics include learning to express a sense of place, capturing mood/feeling, and shooting a variety of subjects ranging from daily life to landscapes, urban settings, cultural portraits, festivals, and rituals. The course will be divided between outdoor field practice and learning introductory digital techniques. This course is recommended for students majoring in Communications, Journalism, and Tourism. Basic photography experience and knowledge will be helpful but not necessary. (not sure if needed) This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.
NOTE: This course is for beginners. The first half of the course will be devoted to understanding camera functions and basic printing. During this period assignments will emphasize basic camera functions in manual mode. A DSLR camera plus a lens (focal length of 55mm or wider) with available manual settings is required for this course. A digital 35mm viewfinder camera with available manual settings (24+ megapixels minimum) is also acceptable.
This foundation course will explore methods, techniques and various aspects of watercolour painting. The unique qualities of watercolour will be explored through direct observation exercises, demonstrations and individual projects. Watercolour techniques will be explored, including developing drawings to form strong compositions, capturing the effects of light, colour-mixing and washes. Students will develop their painting skills, techniques, and aesthetic sensibilities to artistic expression in watercolour medium. The class format consists of studio work with lectures, examples, demonstrations, and individual as well as group critiques. Reading and homework assignments are coordinated with the studio work.
Pre-requisite: Baking Techniques I or equivalent.
Students will study the history and background of various national and regional desserts starting from a focus on the most important and typical Italian ingredients. Special attention will be paid to a detailed analysis of DOP and IGP products that are traditionally used in Italian pastry and their fundamental role for the identity of Italian cakes and tarts. The course will cover the origin of classical desserts and eventual variations from classical methods. Students will study a variety of doughs, batters, fillings and glazes with an emphasis on a thorough understanding of the techniques and proper skills for the execution of classic Italian desserts.
Chef uniform (white chef jacket, chef pants, white apron, white chef hat, kitchen safety shoes) required for this course.
Pre-requisites: One semester of Italian language or equivalent.
This course builds on and extends fundamental skills developed in the beginning-level course. Emphasis is placed on developing fluency skills and integration of language and culture through more extensive reading and writing. Upon course completion, students will be able to express polite requests using the Present Conditional and develop their language ability by using direct and indirect object pronouns. This course is aimed at students who already have a basic vocabulary of Italian and some knowledge of elementary language structures.
This course explores the principal architects, monuments and themes of fifteenth and sixteenth century Italian architecture. The course includes site visits in the city of Florence. Emphasis will be on Renaissance architecture in Florence, but will also include architectural developments in Rome, Urbino, Mantua, Verona and Vicenza. Special topics will include: architectural theory, Medici and papal patronage, urban planning, and church and palace design. A special focus will be dedicated to architects: Brunelleschi, Alberti, Michelozzo, Giuliano Sangallo, Bramante, Antonio Sangallo the Younger, Michelangelo, Giulio Romano and Palladio. Visits to key Renaissance buildings and urban spaces in Florence are included.
Prerequisites: This is an intermediate course. Working knowledge of manual setting is required. Portfolio submission recommended.
The city of Florence, with its backdrop of Medieval and Renaissance buildings coupled with the varied beauty of the Tuscan countryside, will offer students a stimulating range of opportunities for landscape and architectural photography. The course will be divided between outdoor field practice and the exploration of several camera format techniques, lenses as well as printing. By studying influential photographers compositional and artistic issues of parallax, distortion and perspective will be addressed and executed through assignments. A personal vision will be nurtured and guided by the instructor for the final project in a series of landscape/naturalistic/architectural visual context.
A DSLR or viewfinder camera with 24+ megapixels (minimum) is required for this course.
The genius of Leonardo Da Vinci is boundless and this course introduces students to his universal genius through an overview of his life, art, and his remarkable approach to the exploration of nature. Centuries before the scientific method of investigation became a standard for philosophers and scientists, Leonardo had already developed the essential characteristics that are still a part of the methodology today. Yet, his experiential and interdisciplinary approach to the world around him is still a mystery that continues to inspire current generations with the challenge to unveil the layers of his creative powers. In this course, students will have the opportunity to investigate Leonardo’s intellectual evolution, his interest in botanical studies, and his quest to discover the secrets of nature that allowed him to become a master and inspiration of Renaissance art. Leonardo’s unique path will be analyzed through a focus on his youth in Florence, his artistic career in Milan and France and the legacy of his masters, with investigation of his anatomical dissections and the inventions of extraordinary machines, as well as his approach to the mysteries of alchemy and some of his lesser-known interests. Not everybody knows that Leonardo’s genius also involved the study of table manners, the creation of kitchen utensils, and the planning of pioneering kitchen devices that will also be experimented in this course. Discussions on Leonardo’s various studies and their outcomes, guided visits in locations related to his artistic and scientific vocation, field learning activities, and a series of practical workshops on recipes written and inspired by Leonardo’s eclecticism will provide the tools to construct a comprehensive understanding of the man behind the genius. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.
This course offers a comprehensive approach to wellness, nutrition, and fitness from a lifetime perspective. Course topics will examine how healthy lifestyles span across the continuum of lifespans and ages with a focus on how dietary and fitness needs evolve throughout the four main life-stages: childhood, youth, adulthood, and for the elderly. Theoretical core concepts of how dietary and fitness needs are correlated to mental health and adapt according to each life-stage will be addressed along with a comparative focus on the Italian and Mediterranean approach. In addition to in-class lectures, the course features hands-on field experiences in nutrition labs for healthy diets and physical activities held in local Italian fitness facilities. Students will implement course topics and to cultivate student motivation for incorporating them into their own daily lives.
The first of a two-part series on magazine production, this course gives students a professional magazine production experience as an academic course. Students, under the supervision of faculty members, will curate every phase of production brainstorming, design, writing, photos, editing, layouts, production, and distribution of a professional lifestyle magazine produced by the institution. The magazine and its semiannual format will represent the student’s approach to living in Florence and topics such as the arts, gastronomy, travel, style, city scenes, etc. from a cutting edge perspective that seeks to challenge and go beyond the surface of a city. Course projects and activities will interact with the journalism activities of Blending, the magazine of FUA’s campus press Ingorda. This project requires additional hours outside of regularly scheduled class times. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.
Prerequisites: Three semesters of culinary arts or dietetics/nutrition coursework and Cooking Light: Contemporary Techniques for Health Living, or equivalent.
Starting from the previously acquired knowledge of macro and micro nutrients, this course will provide students with the tools to analyze and develop a wide variety of nutritionally balanced meals on a seasonal basis. Students will learn the fundamentals of metabolism and digestion and apply previously acquired cooking methods in order to preserve nutrients, and the possible applications of a wide variety of ingredients to create satisfying dishes while still respecting nutritional concepts. Emphasis will be placed on the analysis of special dietary requirements either depending on dietary special needs or ethical choices. Raw foodism, vegetarian and vegan diet as well as the possible alternatives to guarantee a balanced nutrient intake will be thoroughly covered. The course will give students the tools to design meals on a seasonal basis following the principles of healthy cooking. This course includes experiential learning hours with our Community Engagement Member Institutions (CEMI).
In this foundational open-air painting course, students will explore and familiarize with the pleasures and challenges of painting outdoors. The students will acquire skills in the techniques of Plein Air painting with oil pastels and develop critical skills to evaluate paintings executed in this style. This course will also provide students with an in-depth look at the various materials and products for outdoor painting using wet techniques. Students will be introduced to the history and tradition of this genre; the conceptual in landscape painting will be emphasized with a specific focus on the Italian impressionists also known as the Macchiaioli. Sessions will be held in studio and at different outdoor venues in and around Florence.
This course presents an exploration of food and wine pairing. The topic goes beyond a classic approach to pairing by demystifying the terminology and the methodology of matching wine and food. Whether preparing a meal at home or ordering at a restaurant, students gain an enhanced knowledge of pairing that can create a harmony and synergy between wine and food, which ultimately leads to a sublime connection of the mind, mouth, memories, and experiences. Particular focus will be given to the Italian cultural approach through wine tastings from the major wine areas paired with classic Italian recipes.
Pre-requisite: Culinary Arts Majors only. The Science of Cooking: An Introduction to Molecular Cuisine, or equivalent.
The course is divided into three phases and explores stimulating applications of contemporary cuisine. Precision cooking and texture development apply the latest scientific discoveries to food production and may require special instruments for the achievement of specific results. This course focuses on techniques that can be available in a professional environment and allow chefs to development their creativity in order to reach new and sometimes unexpected results.
- Phase 1, Temperature Application: This phase explores the possible applications in which precise and specific temperatures play a fundamental role. The microbiology as well as the sanitation practices for precision and low temperature cooking will be covered, with a complete overview of contemporary methods, equipment, and procedures used in contemporary kitchens and in food production labs. Special emphasis will be placed on sous-vide cooking through the use of the immersion circulator, applications of liquid nitrogen for different purposes other than freezing, stimulating effects of carbonation on food flavor perception, and the application of frozen food processing with the Pacojet food processor.
- Phase 2, Gels and Thickening Agents: This phase examines how contemporary chefs and food technologists use ingredients in ways that earlier generations would have never imagined. Topics will analyze the increasing use of ingredients such as thickening and gelling agents in order to create sauces with unexpectedly smooth textures, hot and cold gels, firm coating gels, and methylcellulose gels. With the support of a chemist, specific additives will be evaluated, discussed, and tested.
- Phase 3, Gases and Air-Based Preparations: This phase focuses on contemporary techniques of texture changes obtained by incorporating specific gases into foods in order to modify familiar textures, improve presentation methods, and serve unusual and contemporary dishes. Items such as foams, froth, and puffed snacks will be analyzed. Students will examine and test diverse types of foams, both hot and cold with different foaming agents from animal and vegetable sources, as well as learn how to produce light foams, thick fine-textured foams, textured snacks, airs, and froths.
This course includes experiential learning hours with our Community Engagement Member Institutions (CEMI).
This course examines the problems of the financial structures of restaurant management, in parallel with the objectives and techniques of the individual owner. The planning and decision-making tools available to managers in an organization and comparison between single or partnership managements will be discussed. Personnel organization and food preparation plans will be covered. The course is based on a double approach, combining theory and practice: students will be introduced to the basics of restaurant management and will be given the opportunity to discuss their ideas and questions with selected professionals who are successfully running their restaurant businesses in Florence. Extensive site visits to local restaurants be organized. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.
This course spans the history of Italian gardens from the 1200s to the 1700s. The course explores the evolution of the Italian garden landscape starting from the ancient Roman roots and the emergence of herbal gardens in medieval monasteries for medicinal remedies to the flourishing of early Renaissance masterpieces in the great palaces and villas of Italy. The early transformation of the garden from functional to recreational purposes will be examined in religious and humanistic contexts. A second phase of evolution from the recreation to symbols of power will be introduced through the gardens of ruling families and religious figures who combined garden aesthetics with experimentation and horticultural innovation until the late Renaissance. The course will conclude with the waning of the Italian garden in the 18th century, which ceded the domination of Italian gardens to the landscaping practices of France.
This hands-on course will develop the fundamental skills and techniques of sewing and garment construction. Course topics feature the approach to mechanized and manually-processed techniques involved in the creation of simple cotton garments. An understanding of the use of basic patterns, cutting techniques, seams and finishings will allow students to approach simple prototyping projects. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.
The fundamental aspects of accessory design allow students to learn drawing and rendering techniques, which illustrate materials and textures for handbags, belts, gloves, shoes, and hats. Starting from sketches and basic technical drawing techniques, students develop skills that enable them to apply diverse drawing methodologies.
This course provides students with an introduction to the art of yoga and meditation to gain an understanding of the philosophical and spiritual contexts that the discipline is rooted in. The course investigation begins with the notion of awareness, and the acquisition of the term through an overview of the principal asanas and their correct practice. The spiritual aspects of yoga are experienced in the form of various meditation techniques from different philosophies as well as the study of pranayama breathing exercises. Topics also include an examination of yoga props as well as dietary and nutritional guidelines, studied through the lens of yoga philosophy gleaned from sacred texts. The course will cover yoga traditions from ancient times to more contemporary interpretations.
The city of Florence is a veritable mine of food and cultural experiences spanning from the kitchens of the Medici family to the rustic regional cuisine of Tuscany, growing rituals such as aperitivo, and high profile restaurants recognized internationally. The aim of this course is to introduce students to the food, street, and cultural scenes that set Florence apart from other metropolitan cities; encourage the discussion of the historical weight of its storied past on the food culture of today, and construct a topographical map that indicates the pinpoints of Florence’s thriving gastro-cultural activities. Lectures will be complemented by student cooking labs and tastings.
This course includes cooking labs, tastings, and visits. This is a Food and Culture course, not a CA/BP lab course. Food labs emphasize the food culture of Italy and are not based on professional cooking techniques.
Considering the renewed global interest in local sourcing and the growth of Km0 practices (locally produced), the study of sustainable food systems is an essential component in the education of an ethically-minded food industry learner. The course takes its cue from the Italian example based on regionalism and the table as an expression of local territories, and how these factors have influenced the national food industry. It analyzes the industry and the production of food (fish, meat, dairy, fruit, vegetables, and grains) and focuses on packaging, traceability (labels), and distribution while exploring the social aspect of the food supply chain. Sustainability principles will be analyzed, as well as case studies in Italian food and beverage service and retailing. A strong focus is placed on seasonality, food policies, and food education. The course objective is to provide students with a solid conceptual framework in order to analyze the Italian food industry and the food production system from a sustainable perspective. Through the understanding of the broader concept of sustainability, students will be able to explore the social, economic, and environmental implications of food production and consumption and to identify the global threats in terms of public health. Students will develop critical skills by analyzing sustainability as active citizens, consumers, and entrepreneurs. The analysis and rethinking of economic, social, and agricultural alternatives in the current food production system will also be developed. Lectures will be complemented by visits, food tours, tastings, and cooking labs.
This course will introduce students to the world of walking as an artistic, philosophical, political, literary, inspirational – as well as physical – experience. While exploring different types of walking, the concept of “wanderlust” will also be analyzed and discussed from both an anthropological and philosophical perspective, to provide students with a thorough overview of the traveling and walking experience both in natural and urban landscapes. Different types of walking activities will be an integral component of the course, allowing students to reflect upon walking as an act of desire, escape, imagination, freedom, rebellion, and well-being.
The classroom approach of this course is based on experiencing the city of Florence as the academic space for learning and engagement. Classes are not held in a traditional, frontal-style setting; each lesson is carefully mapped for curricular content and featured locations: lectures, observations, exercises, analysis, and reflections on presented topics are held in relevant sites that are accounted for in the academic planning, syllabus, and related course material. Coursework and submissions will be regularly assessed on the MyFUA platform through daily assignments in addition to exams, papers, and projects. Learning through the on-site classroom approach fosters a deeper understanding of the cultural environment of Florence and how it is related to the subject of study represented by the course, and allows the overall experience to contribute to the students’ academic and personal enrichment.
This course introduces students to Italy’s wine culture, tradition, and heritage as well as to the importance of wine within the Italian socio-economic framework and how to read an Italian wine label. The major grape varieties cultivated in Italy will be analysed and an emphasis will be placed on the main wine production techniques in order to understand the winemaking processes for red, white, rosé, Italian sparkling, sweet, and fortified wines. Students will learn the differences among types and styles of wine according to the winemaking choices, developing a critical capability of analysis and classification.
This course has been designed to provide students with an in-depth knowledge of the main wine producing countries of the Old World as France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Hungary, Greece, Slovenia and of course Italy. Students will be guided across Europe to discover the principal wine areas and native grape varieties, with a specific focus on the cultural heritage and winemaking tradition that belong to each country. Course topics include the different appellation systems, soil characteristics, and basics of winemaking process. The course also offers an introduction to wine tasting in order to better understand the original features of the wines from each country.
This is an introductory comparative study of the world’s major religions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and the religions of China and Japan. The course will examine a significant number of specific themes in all religions studied: the nature of this world and universe, the relationship between the individual and the transcendent, ultimate reality, the meaning and goals of worldly life, the importance of worship and rituals, the importance of devotion to the master or guru, ethics, and human action. Excerpts from important texts of each tradition will be analyzed.
This module is an introduction to the visual culture of London, including painting, architecture, photography and contemporary media. Students will visit the major art galleries to examine how art works, exhibitions and cultural organisations can be understood within wider social contexts. The sessions also include museums and historical sites. The classes will explore how these institutions reveal the complex cultural identity and history of London.
Site visits: typical visits include the British Museum, Tate Modern, Victoria and Albert Museum, Museum of London, National Portrait Gallery, Wallace Collection, Tate Britain, Whitechapel Gallery, Serpentine Galleries, Wellcome Collection. Note: these visits are subject to change.
This module is rich in theory from consumer studies, psychology and sociology explaining why consumers behave the way they do and how marketers can use this information. Both customer and organisational decision-making processes are explored.
This module explores London and its criminal areas from the earliest times; changing nature of London criminal ‘underworld’ from modernity to late modernity; notorious criminal families as well as colourful underworld characters will be explored. Finally, the emergence of specialised law enforcement agencies to deal with this newly discovered threat will also be considered
The module offers students the opportunity to learn about business organisations, their purposes, structures and governance in a global context. At the same time students will study the cultural differences within and between business organisations and the ethical constraints facing these organisations. As part of the process of learning about business organisations students will learn effective group and leadership skills and develop the skills necessary to structure a coherent report with conclusions linked to evidence.
The module explores the Ripper murders, social history of the East End, London in the late Victorian era, the representation of the killings in the media, in film and literature, the historiography of the Ripper murders.
Site visits: students will visit the Museum of London, Tate Britain, The Royal London Hospital, The Metropolitan Police Heritage Centre, Sir John Soane’s Museum, The Bishopsgate Institute, the Museum of London Docklands. The students will also go on a walking tour to ‘map’ the Ripper murders and get to grips with the geography of the East End. Note: these visits are subject to change.
This module offers students an introduction to the arts, entertainment, fashion, architecture and history that have made London the world’s most influential and vital cultural hub. From rock legends to the Royal Opera, Shakespeare to shock art and cathedrals to Canary Wharf, this module describes how London emerged from the ashes of war to become the most vibrant and culturally rich city on earth. It aims to give students an overall appreciation of London culture and to teach them the skills they need to write fluent, confident and relevant reviews across a variety of arts and entertainment genres. It will also give students an introduction to the various ways the arts are covered across all media platforms and to the work of some key London artists, designers and performers.
Site visits: Banksy exhibition. Note: site visits are subject to change.
This module provides students with an introduction to marketing and its role in business and society. It gives students an overview of the principles underpinning marketing activities, and is both an introduction to the subject area. The module aims to introduce the key concepts of marketing, an understanding of consumer behaviour, and an evaluation and application of marketing tools in the context of contemporary major social and environmental issues.
This course examines London as the historical setting for monarchy and national ceremonial. As such the course considers Royalty’s central place in British life and examines how its purpose and function have changed over the centuries. It also investigates Royalty’s influence on British history and society and its impact on government, culture and science. Finally the course will consider how the monarchy has adapted – and continues to adapt – to changing times and how critics react to it.
Site visits: as a part of the module, students will be visiting the British Museum, The British Library, National Portrait Gallery, The Museum of London, Imperial War Museum. The students will also tour important royal sites in London. Note: these visits are subject to change.
This module explores the scientific evidence for phenomena widely accepted by the public, but whose scientific validity remains open to challenge including, for example, astrology and near death experiences. It will examine the methods used in the investigation of such popular myths and examine, from a psychological perspective, the factors which underlie how they grow and are sustained. The module involves a critical review of the scientific evidence for these phenomena, and general consideration of the application of scientific method.
Site visits: students will visit the famous Freud Museum. Note: site visits are subject to change.
This module is concerned with an investigation of the city as represented through historical and contemporary photography. Through a series of lectures, workshops, photo walks and gallery visits students gain a critical perspective on the city as a social, cultural, architectural and artistic phenomenon. Through a research and development process they focus on an aspect of the city to represent through their own photographic project.
Site visits: students will have a workshop in the famous Victoria & Albert Museum. In addition, they will visit exhibitions in the Museum of London or Whitechapel and Barbican galleries. Note: these visits are subject to change.
Please note that it is advisable for students to bring their own digital or digital SLR camera for this class. If students do not have a digital or digital SLR camera one can be hired out free of charge from the Photography department based at the Harrow Campus.
*The Harrow Campus is located within zone 4. Most summer school students will purchase a zone 1-2 travelcard so should budget a little extra travel credit to cover zone extensions.
This module aims to provide students with the opportunity to engage with a range of topics and issues in psychology that relate to growing up and living in or visiting a large global city such as London, England. It will bring together research and theory from a number of areas of psychology including social psychology, health psychology, cognitive psychology and forensic psychology. Topics include: Stress & Wellbeing; Crime & Aggression; Loneliness, Pro-social Behaviour and Resilience. Lectures will discuss recent research and seminars will provide students with practical activities, visualisation through documentaries and guided discussions related to each topic.
Site visits: students will visit the Museum of London. Note: site visits are subject to change.
By working in one large and several small groups students devise and produce a factual programme realised in a multi-camera studio. They will also produce a studio-based multi-camera television show and a one 25-minute live magazine programme. Through practice in the studio students learn the procedures and protocols necessary for shooting within a large crew, an ‘as live’ TV studio show.
Students learn how to schedule, source talent, produce a running order, design and build a simple set and work collectively towards the recording of a live show in a proscribed amount of ‘on-air’ time. There is an emphasis on collective responsibility and problem solving. Students write a personal log plus a reflective and a critical analysis of the production process and their finished programme.
Site visits: Students will be shooting at sites around London.
The Harrow Campus is located within Zone 4. Most summer Programme students will purchase a Zone 1–2 travelcard so should budget a little extra travel credit to cover zone extensions
Creating and managing successful brands is a source of competitive advantage to modern organizations. This module provides students with the fundamental understanding of brands, brand positioning and brand portfolio management. It engages students by practical demonstration of the effective use of marketing and branding tools. At the heart of an effective brand strategy, is its seamless integration with the marketing mix. A successful brand plan does not only address how the brand will be communicated but also how it will be protected.
Site visits: Students will visit the Museum of Brands and the Peckham Market. Note: these visits are subject to change.
The course provides a student-centred understanding of the intercultural competencies needed in the professional world of the 21st century. It starts by supporting students in analysing their chosen career, identifying the challenges inherent in performing in a professional multicultural environment. It continues by developing, through interactive activities, skills such as recognising, acknowledging, mediating and reacting to a variety of cultural expectations and norms of behaviour. The course contains throughout a reflective strand, which encourages students to reflect on their internalised culture, unconscious bias and preferred social positioning, and how this might impact their work relations.
Please contact CISaustralia for course information.
Study of psychological disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, schizophrenia) across lifespan, including role of biological, behavioral, social, cognitive, and cultural factors, diagnosis and treatment approaches. Discussion of Stigma and practices that support inclusiveness.
Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Requisite: course 10. Not open for credit to students with credit for course 127B or 127C.
Introduction to interpretation of drama through art of actor. Development of individual insights, skills, and disciplines in presentation of dramatic material to audiences.
Development and practice in acting techniques. Preparation and taping of scenes for analysis.
Pre-requisite: Course 11A
Varied media and subjects to further develop students’ technical and expressive means to implement their ideas. May be repeated for maximum of 20 units.
Causes and effects of high concentrations of pollution in atmosphere. Topics include nature and sources of gaseous and particulate pollutants, their transport, dispersion, modification, and removal, with emphasis on atmospheric processes on scales ranging from individual sources to global effects; interaction with biosphere and oceans; stratospheric pollution.
Pre-requisite: MATH 115A.
Ring of integers, integral domains, fields, polynomial domains, unique factorization.
Pre-requisite: MATH 32B, 33B.
Rigorous introduction to foundations of real analysis; real numbers, point set topology in Euclidean space, functions, continuity.
Introduction to religious beliefs, practices, and sentiments of ancient Egypt to study Egyptian religion as coherent system of thought and sphere of action that once served as meaningful and relevant framework for understanding physical reality and human life for inhabitants of Nile Valley. General principles as well as developments through time (circa 3000 BC to 300 CE). Topics include mythology, temple and cult, magic, and personal piety.
Architecture as vehicle for political and cultural authority, citizenship, ethnic and social identity; its role in defining place and our relationship to natural environment and as vehicle for asserting human control over natural world; its place in world of work and commerce; and its status as professional and aesthetic pursuit.
Study of architecture, sculpture, painting, and minor arts during Predynastic period and Old Kingdom. May be repeated for credit with consent of instructor.
Exploration of role of producer as both artist and business person. Comparative analysis of screenplays and completed films. Emphasis on assembly of creative team and analysis of industrial context, both independent and studio. Screenings viewed outside of class and on reserve at Powell Library.
Overview of history of feminist theory and intersection of gender, class, race/ethnicity from cross-cultural perspectives, with focus on Asian American women’s lived experiences in U.S. Topics include Asian American women’s roles in family life, work, community organization, social change, and cultural creativity. Examination of broader structural forces that affect women in society, such as racialization, immigration, global capitalism, colonialism and post-colonialism, and social movements.
Introduction to basic acoustic principles, practical techniques, and working procedures for equipment used in contemporary music production, including microphones, mixers, recorders, synthesizers, and sequencers. Basic sound processing operations (equalization, compression, distortion, reverberation). Operating principles of most popular systems of music production software and hardware.
Beginning-level study of ballet as movement practice.
Introduction to guitar techniques, accompanying, and arranging for guitar; coverage of note reading and tablature. May be repeated for credit without limitation.
Simple keyboard skills together with basic aspects of music theory and its practical application to keyboard: sight-reading, tonality, chords, scales, cadences, simple compositions, and improvisations. May be repeated for credit without limitation.
Study of modern and/or postmodern movement practice.
Examination of theories and examples of invasion of new environments by plants and animals introduced through natural processes or by human activity.
General introduction to geological, physical, chemical, and biological processes and history of Earth’s global ocean system.
Essentials of contracts, agency, partnerships, corporations, and other select areas of law in a business environment.
Examination of role of business in mitigating environmental degradation and incentives to be more environmentally responsive. Emphasis on corporate strategies that deliver value to shareholders while responding to environmental concerns.
Pre-requisite: MATH 31A.
Introduction to differential calculus of several variables, vector field theory.
Survey of backgrounds, campaigns, and aftermath of this most lethal of all wars in human history–one that victors fought as moral imperative against Axis powers. Flawed Versailles peace of 1919 that ended World War I is starting point for inquiry. Inter-war malaise of Democracies and appeasement together led to outbreak of world war in 1930s, first in China, then in Poland/Western Europe. Student presentations serve as backdrop for identification of turning points of so-called good war itself, World War II. Survey of growing tensions among victors that produced ensuing epoch known as Cold War.
Survey of field of cartography. Theory and construction of map projections, compilation procedures, principles of generalization, symbolization, terrain representation, lettering, drafting and scribing, and map reproduction methods.
Analysis of how following personal lives of media-created celebrities impacts self-esteem, connectedness, and personal relationships from cultural studies and social sciences perspectives, and how entities cultivate celebrity for financial gain. Topics include celebrity gossip and privacy, news sharing, public relations, and impact of social media on fan support, image construction, and damage control.
Introduction to basic principles of cell structure and cell biology, biochemistry, and molecular biology.
Introduction to ceramic materials and processes, with emphasis on personal and cultural expression in ceramic media. Discussion of ceramics in contemporary artistic practice and social history of ceramic art. Letter grading.
Introduction to chemical principles: numbers, measurements, chemical calculations, gas laws, solutions, acids, bases, and salts, molecular structure, and nomenclature. Collaborative learning and problem solving; introduction to chemistry laboratory practice.
Overview of Chicana/Chicano schooling issues in U.S., with special emphasis on several important historical events that exemplify struggle for educational justice and equity that affected Chicana/Chicano education–Mendez versus Westminster (1947) desegregation case and 1968 high school Chicana/Chicano student walkouts. Through oral history projects, documentation of legacy of Sylvia Mendez, who experienced segregation in one Mexican school in 1940s, Sal Castro, Chicano teacher and central figure in 1968 walkouts, and Chicano Youth Leadership Conference (CYLC). Examination of how historical, social, and political forces have impacted Chicana/Chicano educational experiences.
Pre-requisite: Course 10 or Linguistics 1 or Sociology 1 or Psychology 10.
Analysis of fundamental nature of human communication; its physical, linguistic, psychological, and sociological bases. Study of theoretical models explicating process and constituents of communicative act.
Survey of determinants of species-specific behavior, including genetic influences and learning.
Requisite: course 115. Designed for junior/senior majors.
Pre-requisite: MATH 32B, 33B.
Introduction to basic formulas and calculation procedures of complex analysis of one variable relevant to applications. Topics include Cauchy/Riemann equations, Cauchy integral formula, power series expansion, contour integrals, residue calculus.
Pre-requisite: English Composition 3 or 3H or English as a Second Language 36.
Introduction to literary analysis, with close reading and carefully written exposition of selections from principal modes of literature: poetry, prose fiction, and drama. Minimum of 15 to 20 pages of revised writing.
Introduction to development of rap music and hip-hop culture, with emphasis on musical and verbal qualities, philosophical and political ideologies, gender representation, and influences on cinema and popular culture. P/NP or letter grading.
Theories of relation of variations in personality to culture and group life, in primitive and modern societies, and influence of social role on behavior.
Designed for juniors/seniors.
Open to non-majors. Understanding design process, with emphasis on development of visual language; study of historic, scientific, technological, economic, and cultural factors influencing design in physical environment.
Pre-requisite: English Composition 3 or 3H.
Study of British and American detective fiction and literature of detection.
Comparative survey of basic concepts and theories in sociology from 1850 to 1920.
Pre-requisite: Successful completion of Mathematics Diagnostic Test.
Differential calculus and applications; introduction to integration.
With lectures, screenings, and demonstrations, study of principles of digital cinematography. How tools and techniques affect visual storytelling process. Topics include formats, aspect ratios, cameras, lenses, special effects, internal menu picture manipulation, lighting, composition, coverage, high definition, digital exhibition, filtration, multiple-camera shooting.
Study of Roman life and culture from time of city’s legendary foundations to end of classical antiquity. Readings focus on selections from works of ancient authors in translation. Lectures illustrated with images of art, architecture, and material culture. Knowledge of Latin not required.
Study and analysis of Disney’s animated features. Evaluation of why Disney’s animated features have dominated until recently and ramifications of this dominance on animation and society.
Investigation of diversity in American society as manifested in dramatic works and theatrical presentations.
Intended for Theater minors and other non majors. Exploration and development of creative writing skills for one or more of various forms of entertainment media.
For drawing, exploration of relationship between concept and image creation while fostering development of sound drawing and observation skills. For color, exploration of development of fundamental skills in mixing and applying pigments with brush on watercolor paper, as well as use of computer as tool for working with colors. Combination of painting and software to be predominant way of exploring and presenting ideas regarding color. Studio, six hours; outside study, six hours.
Seminar, four hours. Development of positive social behaviors and their enhancement. Broad overview of children’s psychological development, with emphasis on personal, social, and emotional attributes of preschool and elementary school child. Aspects of prosocial behavior and aggression. Enhancement of prosocial behavior and modification of such negative behaviors as aggression. Review and evaluation of contemporary educational programs for promoting positive social behaviors in elementary schools. Methodological aspects of child development. Overview of early childhood education and issues related to role of family, school, and television in child development.
Study of Earth’s physical environment, with particular reference to nature and distribution of landforms and climate and their significance to people.
Broad introduction to theoretical traditions in development studies, with focus on interactions between states, markets, and cultural value systems, with selected case studies in developing nations.
Changing European economy after World War I and II and in 1990s; impact of fourth and fifth Industrial Revolutions; Great Depressions of century during 1930s, 1970s, and 1980s; and changing modernization strategies; import-substituting industrialization in peripheries; Soviet modernization dictatorship in East Central Europe and its collapse; integration process of second half of century and rise of European Union; modernization model at end of century.
Seminar, four hours. Research seminar providing overview of high-profile legal controversies that shape so many policy debates at both K-12 and higher education levels. Major areas of focus include campus safety, religion and schools, educational quality and law, broad based right to equal educational opportunity, and Internet-related issues and concerns.
Contact CISaustralia for course description.
Pre-requisite: Satisfaction of Entry-Level Writing Requirement.
Rhetorical techniques and skillful argument. Analysis of varieties of academic prose and writing of minimum of 20 pages of revised text.
Environmental planning is more than simply finding problems and fixing them. Each policy must be negotiated and implemented within multiple, complex systems of governance. Institutions and politics matter deeply. Overview of how environmental governance works in practice and how it might be improved.
Exploration of history and origin of major environmental ideas, movements or countermovements they spawned, and new and changing nature of modern environmentalism. Introduction to early ideas of environment, how rise of modern sciences reshaped environmental thought, and how this was later transformed by 19th-century ideas and rise of American conservation movements. Review of politics of American environmental thought and contemporary environmental questions as they relate to broader set of questions about nature of development, sustainability, and equity in environmental debate. Exploration of issues in broad context, including global climate change, rise of pandemics, deforestation, and environmental justice impacts of war.
Examination of human sexual relations and social behavior from evolutionary perspective. Emphasis on theories and evidence for differences between men and women in their patterns of growth, maturation, fertility, mortality, parenting, and relations with members of opposite sex. P/NP or letter grading.
Exploration of identity as means of understanding cultural formations, dominant/non-dominant power dynamics, and systems of visual representation. Intersectional approach to explore how ability and sexuality intersect, overlap, and change notions of identity. Use of scholarly texts from disability studies, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender studies, popular culture, performance, and film to investigate factors that shape ability and sexuality as basis for identity. May be repeated for credit with topic or instructor change.
Introduction to strains of German philosophy and political thought that focus on cosmopolitanism. Exploration of different historical and philosophical engagements with cosmopolitan projects.
Practical application of film editing techniques, how they have evolved, and continue to evolve. Examination of history of editing, as well as current editing trends, terminology, and workflow.
Through discussions, screenings, demonstrations, and guests, exploration of script, previsualization, directing actors, directing camera coverage in relationship to story, practical on-set directing, and directing for camera.
Pre-requisite: Management 120B.
Comprehensive study of concepts and procedures used to interpret and analyze balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows. Calculation and interpretation of financial ratios and credit analysis. Valuation theory using both discounted cash flows and residual income model.
Examination of issues of environmental and public health effects of intensive and extensive agriculture, influence of corporations on government, animal ethics, food deserts and urban gardening, and food insecurity. Focus on representation of such issues in documentaries, public lectures, memoirs, novels, and visual art, as well as on initiatives to address such problems through policy and activism.
Introduction to French culture and literature through study of films of cultural and literary significance.
Epidemiology is interdisciplinary science with goal of identifying and describing patterns of disease occurrence, identifying determinants of disease, and evaluating disease prevention and health care treatment efforts. With its focus on human populations, epidemiology is directly linked with public health research, policy, and practice. Introduction to fundamental definitions, concepts, methods, and critical thinking used in epidemiologic study. Designed to lay foundation for future study to evaluate factors related to health outcomes in human populations using epidemiologic principles.
Pre-requisites: High School Chemistry or equivalent background and High School Mathematics.
Introduction to physical and general chemistry principles; atomic structure based on quantum mechanics; atomic properties; trends in periodic table; chemical bonding (Lewis structures, VSEPR theory, hybridization, and molecular orbital theory); coordination compounds; properties of inorganic and organic acids, bases, buffers.
Principles of Mendelian inheritance and population genetics. Introduction to principles and mechanisms of evolution by natural selection, population, behavioral, and community ecology, and biodiversity, including major taxa and their evolutionary, ecological, and physiological relationships.
Questions of population, resource use, Third World poverty, and environment. Analysis of global economic restructuring and its connections to changing organization of production and resulting environmental impacts. Case studies from Africa, Latin America, Asia, and U.S.
Development of world music or world beat, including its meaning and importance to contemporary culture as well as its history and impact.
Good food is healthy, sustainably produced, and culturally meaningful. Introduction to basic concepts and history of food systems, food science and nutrition, fair and sustainable food production, natural resources and environmental issues including climate change and biodiversity, agriculture and food policy and law, food distribution and access, cultural identity and artistic engagements with food.
Comparative study of governmental and political development, organization, and practices.
Impact of environment and lifestyle on individual health examined from geographical perspective, with examples from both developed and developing countries.
Designed for juniors/seniors. Examination of Chicano/Latino health status through life expectancy, causes of death, reportable diseases, services utilization, provider supply, and risk behaviors within demographic/immigration changes. Binational review of health effects in U.S. and Mexico.
Survey of history of American musical: its composers, writers, and performers from musical’s emergence in immigrant cultures to Broadway and Off-Broadway. With its roots in British music halls and comic opera, Viennese operetta and African American jazz, American musical theater emerged as vivid and popular art form with its own culture and identity.
Survey of architectural and urban history from 1600 to present in global context. Exploration of buildings, cities, spaces, artifacts, landscapes, and ideas through their relation to geopolitical conditions and through their relation to theories of design.
Multidisciplinary examination of history of Asians and Pacific Islanders in U.S.
Economic, social, intellectual, and political development of California from earliest times to present.
Cultural, scientific, and social context that shaped modern medicine from Renaissance to Romantic era. Topics include establishment of anatomy, physiology, and modern clinical medicine, mapping of human body, medical approach to mental illness, rise of anatomo-clinical method at Paris School.
Overview of major theoretical, conceptual, and empirical traditions in study of human development. Exploration of how diverse cultural, social, socioeconomic, and historical contexts interact with biological, cognitive, and psychological processes to affect individuals during key developmental periods (such as early childhood, childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, and late adulthood). Topics may include historical changes in families, schools, neighborhoods, and workplace; economic conditions of families, schools, and neighborhoods; enduring effects of childhood on adult well-being; and impact of ascribed characteristics such as gender, race, and nationality on individuals’ environments, pathways, and outcomes.
Pre-requisite: English Composition 3.
Specialized study of work of one single Anglophone poet, dramatist, prose writer, or novelist. May be repeated for credit with topic or instructor change.
Pre-requisite: Management 1B.
Intermediate-level course in theory and practice of financial accounting. Underlying concepts of asset valuation and income measurement. Measurement and reporting of current and long-term assets, including cash and marketable securities, inventories, plant assets and depreciation, and intangibles.
Relations of China with its neighbors and other powers, with emphasis on contemporary interests and policies of China vis-à-vis U.S.
Examination of information technology in society, including Internet, World Wide Web, search engines (e.g., Google, Yahoo, Lycos), retrieval systems, electronic publishing, and distribution of media, including newspapers, books, and music. Exploration of many of these technologies, social, cultural, and political context in which they exist, and how social relationships are changing.
Introduction to how social scientists think about, study, and treat intimate relationships, with emphasis on understanding how relationships change over time. Topics include attraction, relationship formation, conflict resolution, social support, sex, role of individual differences, and external circumstances.
Lecture, three hours. Requisites: courses 10, 100A. Limited to juniors/seniors.
Basic institutions and processes of democratic politics. Treatment of themes such as constitutionalism, representation, participation, and leadership coupled with particular emphasis on the American case.
Pre-requisite: Linguistics 20 with a grade of B- or better.
Not open for credit to students with credit for course 103. Basics of articulation and acoustics of phonetic categories used in world’s languages, including English in comparison with other languages. Practice in speech-sound perception and transcription using International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). Applications to language learning/teaching and other fields.
Students acquire understanding of practical and aesthetic challenges undertaken by artists and professionals in making of motion pictures and television. Examination of film as both art and industry: storytelling, sound and visual design, casting and performance, editing, finance, advertising, and distribution. Exploration of American and world cinema from filmmaker’s perspective. Honing of analytical skills and development of critical vocabulary for study of filmmaking as technical, artistic, and cultural phenomenon.
Pre-requisite: English Composition 3 or 3H or English as a Second Language 36.
Knowledge of Asian languages not required. General survey of Buddhist worldview and lifestyle, with focus on those religious doctrines and meditative practices most essential to various Asian traditions of Buddhism. Particular attention to problems involved in study of religion.
Interdisciplinary survey of diverse historical experiences, cultural factors, and ethnic/racial paradigms, including indigenousness, gender, sexuality, language, and borders, that help shape Chicana/Chicano identities. Emphasis on critical reading and writing skills.
Recommended preparation: one to two years of college-level Chinese. Introduction to Chinese sound system, writing system and its reform, regional differences, major structural features, language in society and in cultural practices.
Knowledge of Chinese not required. General survey of religious life in China, with emphasis on everyday religious practice over doctrine, and themes common to Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism.
Survey of urban history and evolution in U.S., urban social theory, current growth trends, system of cities, urban economy and economic restructuring, traditional and alternative location theories, urban transportation, and residential location and segregation.
Introduction to fields of mass communication and interpersonal communication. Study of modes, media, and effects of mass communication, interpersonal processes, and communication theory.
Limited to students in Public Health minor and graduate students.
Introductory course to provide non-Community Health Sciences M.P.H. students and qualified undergraduate students with broad and comprehensive overview of concepts, empirical research, and public health practice in community health sciences, with emphasis on social context and determinants of population health and principles of planning interventions to protect and improve public health. Ways to define and measure health and illness, social construction of illness, social and behavioral determinants of health, and health disparities, including socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, gender, and age. Social and behavioral theories of health-related behavior change, health promotion strategies and methods, and public policy. Case studies of evidence-based health promotion programs provided.
Pre-requisite: Satisfaction of Entry-Level Writing Requirement.
Designed to introduce fundamentals of creative writing and writing workshop experience. Emphasis on poetry, fiction, drama, or creative nonfiction depending on wishes of instructor(s) during any given term. Readings from assigned texts, weekly writing assignments (multiple drafts and revisions), and final portfolio required. Not open for credit to students with credit for course 20.
Pre-requisite: MATH 31A, 31B.
Discrete structures commonly used in computer science and mathematics, including sets and relations, permutations and combinations, graphs and trees, induction.
Elements of Earth science; study of Earth materials; nature and interpretation of geologic evidence; study of geologic processes; historical aspects of geology. Mandatory field trips introduce students to solving of geologic problems in field.
Students will be required to attend lectures and laboratories. Additional lab fees apply.
Systematic introduction to ethical theory, including discussion of egoism, utilitarianism, justice, responsibility, meaning of ethical terms, relativism, etc.
Pre-requisites: Course 101 / Co-requisite: Course 106GL
Enrollment priority to Business Economics majors. Introduction to basic ideas of game theory and strategic thinking. Discussion of ideas such as dominance, backward induction, Nash equilibrium, commitment, credibility, asymmetric information, and signaling, with application to examples from economics, politics, business, and other real-life situations.
Introduction to key concepts in study of sex and gender. Exploration of topics such as gender socialization, body image, sexualities, masculinities, and women’s subordination. Special emphasis on interaction of gender with other identity markers such as race, nation, ethnicity, sexuality, class, and other differences.
Introduction to fundamental principles and concepts necessary to carry out sound geographic analysis with geographic information systems (GIS). Reinforcement of key issues in GIS, such as geographic coordinate systems, map projections, spatial analysis, and visualization of spatial data. Laboratory exercises use database query, manipulation, and spatial analysis to address real-world problems.
Structure and function of American healthcare system; issues and forces shaping its future.
Areas of health, illness, treatment, and delivery of treatment that can be elucidated by understanding of psychological concepts and research, psychological perspective on these problems, and how psychological perspective might be enlarged and extended in medical area.
Southeast Asia region is made up of 11 modern nation-states that encompass amazing diversities. As such, its histories reflect these diversities; and writing of those histories involves and includes variety of views and approaches. As it is with writing history of any people, there are competing interpretations. In Southeast Asian histories, among areas of conflicting views are history from below versus from above; those of colonial powers versus those of colonized peoples; peasants versus elites; nationalist versus anticolonialist movements; and many more. Dichotomies are not always so marked–there can be nuanced differences. Introduction to historical practice through cross-section and overview of Southeast Asian historiography, and examination of competing visions of various aspects of Southeast Asian history.
Structural presentation of human body, including musculoskeletal, nervous, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, renal, and reproductive systems. Laboratory uses virtual cadaver dissection and examination.
Exploration of historical and contemporary context of socioeconomic inequalities between Global South and Global North. Focus on cultural, political, and economic realities of developing world, which includes countries of Asia, eastern Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Latin America.
Introduction to international and area studies from interdisciplinary framework, covering themes related to international politics and markets, as well as international societies and cultures, to illuminate and clarify profoundly international character of world we live in and to introduce set of contemporary issues and challenges that cross borders and affect every region of world.
Genesis of Islam, its doctrines, and practices, with readings from Qur’an and Hadith; schools of law and theology; piety and Sufism; reform and modernism.
Assumptions about work, including why some work is favored, whether those with good jobs really are better people than those without, and how this understanding of work and value came to be common sense. Unpacking of these and other assumptions about work, value, and power, with focus on low-wage workers, their communities, and their place in contemporary society.
Pre-requisite: Life Sciences 2 or 7B.
Introductory life sciences laboratory designed for undergraduate students. Opportunity to conduct wet-laboratory and cutting-edge bioinformatics laboratory experiments. Students work in groups of three conducting experiments in areas of physiology, metabolism, cell biology, molecular biology, genotyping, and bioinformatics.
Pre-requisite: English Composition 3 or 3H or English as a Second Language 36.
Exploration of skills and conditions involved in successful second and foreign language learning; application of this knowledge in development of framework for teaching second and foreign languages.
Introduction to history, politics, culture, and scientific study of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgendered, and queer people; examination of sexuality and gender as categories for investigation; interdisciplinary theories and research on minority sexualities and genders.
Introduction to theory and methods of linguistics: universal properties of human language; phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, and semantic structures and analysis; nature and form of grammar.
Introductory study of philosophical issues about nature of the mind and its relation to the body, including materialism, functionalism, behaviorism, determinism and free will, nature of psychological knowledge.
Study of some classical or contemporary works in political philosophy. Questions that may be discussed include What is justice? Why obey the law? Which form of government is best? How much personal freedom should be allowed in society?
Exposition and analysis of selected political theorists and concepts from Plato to the present.
Overview of principal topics of contemporary policy analysis, developing their applications with examples from instructor’s own research, visitors, small student projects, or field trips.
Origin and development of major U.S. social welfare programs and policies guiding them, with emphasis on analysis of policy developments/issues related to provision of social welfare services. Study of historical and current responses of profession to major social problems.
Introduction to methods used in contemporary sociological research, with focus on issues of research design, data collection, and analysis of data.
Interdisciplinary survey designed as introduction to modern Southeast Asia.
Summary, for general undergraduates, of what is known about human language; unique nature of human language, its structure, its universality, and its diversity; language in its social and cultural setting; language in relation to other aspects of human inquiry and knowledge.
Relationship of built environment to natural environment through whole systems approach, with focus on sustainable design of buildings and planning of communities. Emphasis on energy efficiency, renewable energy, and appropriate use of resources, including materials, water, and land.
Exploration of theater in production, with emphasis on collaborative role of theater artists and active role of audience. Understanding of and access to live theatrical event and enhanced appreciation of value of theater to society; development of critical skills through consideration of representative examples of theatrical production from Europe, America, Asia, and Africa.
Introduction to history of the West and its connections to rest of world from 843 to 1715. Profound social, political, cultural, and intellectual changes that affected development of modern world. Topics covered include economic, social, and cultural aspects of feudal system; relationship between Church and empire; new religious movements (including the Reformation); formation of nation-states; relationship between Western Europe and non-European and non-Christian people and traditions.
Designed for non majors. Survey of genetic, evolutionary, physiological, pharmacological, and experiential factors affecting behavior. Using comparative approach where appropriate, emphasis on relevance of biological mechanisms to understanding of humans and their interaction with their environment.
Lecture, four hours. General introduction including topics in cognitive, experimental, personality, developmental, social, and clinical psychology; six hours of psychological research and a grade of C or better required of all departmental premajors.
Structural analysis of feature films and development of professional screenwriters’ vocabulary for constructing, deconstructing, and reconstructing their own work. Screenings of films and selected film sequences in class and by assignment.
Survey of characteristics of social life, processes of social interaction, and tools of sociological investigation.
Examination of key issues (work, housing, and neighborhoods) in urban poverty, with particular focus on Mexican and Central American immigrant populations in Los Angeles. Exploration of major theoretical models that explain urban poverty and application of them in comparative context while exploring differences between Mexican and Central American immigrants. Social conditions and forces that help us understand lives of poor people in comparative context while looking at differences between two major Latino-origin populations in Los Angeles. Critical analysis of new forms of urban poverty in contemporary American society.
Survey of development of jazz in American culture. Discussion of different compositional/performance techniques and approaches that distinguish different sub-styles of jazz from one another, as well as key historical figures that shaped development of jazz from its early years through modern jazz. Important historical social issues (segregation, Depression, World War II, Civil Rights Movement) that intersect with history of U.S. and jazz music.
Exploration of social production of knowledge about gendered subjects and gender systems. Students engage key issues in feminist theory and feminist epistemology. How do feminist scholars identify and frame research questions? How is knowledge about marginalized subjects produced? How has feminism challenged dominant understandings of knowledge, rationality, objectivity, and scientific method? How have social movements sought to challenge traditional modes of knowledge production?
Pre-requisite: Linguistics 20, 119A or 120A, 119B or 120B.
Central issues in language comprehension and production, with emphasis on how theories in linguistics inform processing models. Topics include word understanding (with emphasis on spoken language), parsing, anaphora and inferencing, speech error models of sentence production, and computation of syntactic structure during production.
Pre-requisite: English Composition 3 or 3H or English as a Second Language 36.
Prior knowledge of foreign languages not required. Introduction to language from sociological perspective of gender. Use of research and examples in English and other languages to explore nature of male and female “genderlects” and gendered language, as reflected in lexicon, language behavior, phonetics and intonation, and language acquisition and linguistic change.
Language as social phenomenon. Introduction to several angles from which language use can be critically examined as integral to interactions between individuals and between social groups. P/NP or letter grading.
Exploration of range of topics related to study of language and social interaction in both mundane and professional settings, particularly how language affects social lives and how social organization affects use of language. Topics include different approaches to study of language in social interaction (theories and research methodologies), issues regarding language and social identity (such as socioeconomic status, race, gender, and situational identity), and issues concerning language and culture (such as cross-cultural misunderstanding and language socialization). Satisfies Writing II requirement. Letter grading.
Overview of Mexican, Central American, and Latina/Latino immigration to U.S., examining social, political, and economic contexts out of which different waves of Latin American immigration have occurred.
Introduction to basic principles of criminal law. How to read and interpret judicial cases and provisions of penal code to learn how American criminal justice system works. Discussions structured to simulate experience of typical law school classroom.
Specific topics may include law in preindustrial and industrialized societies, legalization of contemporary social relations, participants’ experiences of legal processes, lay perceptions of justice, social movements toward equal justice, roles of lawyers and judges, social impact of court decisions.
Proven methods for motivating, and inspiring best performance, persuading, and influencing others; leading high-performance teams; creativity and innovation; decision-making, and negotiating skills, both one-on-one and in groups. Organizational examples, simulations, and in-class exercises.
Life on Earth and prospects for life elsewhere in context of evolution of universe from simple to complex. Course material primarily from astronomy and biology but includes some chemistry, geology, and physics. Selected topics treated in some depth, but with little or no formal mathematics.
Pre-requisite: MATH 33A.
Techniques of proof, abstract vector spaces, linear transformations, and matrices; determinants; inner product spaces; eigenvector theory.
Pre-requisite: MATH 3B or 31B or 32A.
Introduction to linear algebra: systems of linear equations, matrix algebra, linear independence, subspaces, bases and dimension, orthogonality, least-squares methods, determinants, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, matrix diagonalization, and symmetric matrices.
Pre-requisite: MATH 33B.
Dynamical systems analysis of nonlinear systems of differential equations. One- and two- dimensional flows. Fixed points, limit cycles, and stability analysis. Bifurcations and normal forms. Elementary geometrical and topological results. Applications to problems in biology, chemistry, physics, and other fields.
Pre-requisite: English Composition 3 or 3H.
Exploration of place of literary imagination in making of cities, with focus on questions of cultural exchange, development, migration, urban rebellion, and style. Topics may include meaning of urban space and time, city as urban village or cosmopolitan hub, segregated dystopia or postmodern future, and impact of exile, tourism, and migration in making of cities. May be repeated for credit with topic or instructor change.
Examination–through poetry, novels, stories, music, and film–New York underground, whether that be of avant-garde artists, people living on edge of respectability (such as hustlers or punks), or people otherwise marginalized by dominant cultural norms. Students read stories and watch feature films that depict this underground; but also look at material produced by artists that challenged cultural and aesthetic norms. Writers and artists include Glenn Branca, Frank O’Hara, Martin Scorsese, Patti Smith, Andy Warhol, David Wojnarowicz, and many others.
Pre-requisite: English Composition 3 or 3H or English as a Second Language 36.
Study and discussion of major literary texts usually overlooked in courses that focus only on canon of Western literature, with emphasis on literary analysis and expository writing. Texts from at least three of following areas read in any given term: African, Caribbean, East Asian, Latin American, and Middle Eastern literature. Texts may include works by authors such as Ngugi, Desai, Kincaid, Emecheta, El Saadawi, Achebe, Pak, Can Xue, Neruda, and Rushdie. Satisfies Writing II requirement.
Recommended for students who plan to pursue more advanced studies in logic. Elements of symbolic logic, sentential and quantificational; forms of reasoning and structure of language.
Pre-requisite: Course 1B, one statistics course.
Nature, objectives, and procedures of cost accounting and control; job costing and process costing; accounting for manufacturing overhead; cost budgeting; cost reports; joint-product costing; distribution cost; standard costs; differential cost analysis; profit-volume relationships and break-even analysis.
Pre-requisite: MATH 115A.
Quantitative modeling of strategic interaction. Topics include extensive and normal form games, background probability, lotteries, mixed strategies, pure and mixed Nash equilibria and refinements, bargaining; emphasis on economic examples. Optional topics include repeated games and evolutionary game theory.
Pre-requisite: MATH 33A, 33B.
Introduction to fundamental principles and spirit of applied mathematics. Emphasis on manner in which mathematical models are constructed for physical problems. Illustrations from many fields of endeavor, such as physical sciences, biology, economics, and traffic dynamics.
Theoretical and empirical overview of Chicana/Chicano educational issues in U.S., with special emphasis on disentangling effects of race, gender, class, and immigrant status on Chicana/Chicano educational attainment and achievement. Examination of how historical, social, political, and economic forces impact Chicana/Chicano educational experience.
Designed for beginners; prior experience with meditation not required. Introduction to mindfulness, including basic mindfulness meditation practices, both sitting and moving, ways to deepen positive emotions like gratitude, kindness, and joy, and methods for integrating more awareness and creativity into ordinary activities. Examination of varying meditative traditions as well as emerging science on beneficial effects of mindfulness practice for mental and physical health. Beneficial effects include reduced stress, improved attention, reduced emotional reactivity, and greater mind-body awareness. Learning and development of practical skills of relational mindfulness in interactions with others.
Exploration of developments in painting, sculpture, photography, film, museums, and exhibitionary culture across Indian subcontinent from 1850 to 2000. This dynamic period saw rise and fall of colonial empires; emergence of nationalism(s); global conflict; and crises of territory, migration, and displacement in South Asia. Topics examined include artistic responses to empire and colonial patronage, relationship of modern art practices to notions of indigeneity, tradition and subaltern, and aesthetic cultures of nation-building in India and Pakistan.
Pre-requisite: Course 102
Principles of money and banking in U.S.; legal and institutional framework; money supply process; instruments, effects, and practice of monetary policy.
Introduction and integration of traditional design tools, camera, and digital technologies for application to visual thinking and fundamentals of design. Studio, six hours; outside study, six hours.
Exploration of ways music is mediated to people by industry, technologies, and corporations. Survey of leading theorists of media and exploration of case studies.
Survey of traditional and contemporary musical culture.
Pre-requisite: MATH 33A, 33B.
Selected topics in differential equations. Laplace transforms, existence and uniqueness theorems, Fourier series, separation of variable solutions to partial differential equations, Sturm/Liouville theory, calculus of variations, two-point boundary value problems, Green’s functions.
Pre-requisite: MATH 3B.
Multivariable modeling, matrices and vectors, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, linear and nonlinear systems of differential equations, probabilistic applications of integration.
Origins and nature of English vocabulary, from Proto-Indo-European prehistory to current slang. Topics include Greek and Latin component in English (including technical terminology), alphabet and English spelling, semantic change and word formation, vocabulary in literature and film.
Examination of evolving economic structures and business practices in contemporary Hollywood film industry, with emphasis on operations of studios and independent distribution companies, their development, marketing, and distribution systems, and their relationship to independent producers, talent, and agencies.
Exploration of ways in which human activity impacts natural environment and how modification of environment can eventually have significant consequences for human activity. Examination, using case studies, of real environmental problems that confront us today.
Basic overview of brain function and consideration of some management methods that exist already, and what future may hold. New methods for predicting our own futures and modeling what if scenarios that might alter risks and benefits of different courses of action, based on individual genetic background and other elements of personal history and environmental exposures. Introduction to key principles from science of behavior change, illustrating how important health-related behavioral habits are and how difficult these can be to change and why. Coverage of series of topics that center on personal enhancement of well-being through consideration of stress management, long-term goal and value identification, mapping of long-term goals onto immediate actions, reinforcement learning, meditation, neurofeedback, and time management. Critical appraisal of tools to help students distinguish scientifically validated procedures.
Genealogy of autism as diagnostic category and cultural phenomenon from its historical roots as new, rare, and obscure condition in early 1940s to its current contested status as minority identity and/or global epidemic. Examination of material sourced from various fields and disciplines invested in autism, including psychology, neuroscience, arts and humanities, popular media, anthropology, activism, and critical autism studies. Students encounter and analyze multiple perspectives on autism and put them in conversation with one another. Attention paid to way people on spectrum define, explain, and represent their own experiences of autism and discussion of what ramifications of these multiple framings are in context of autism intervention strategy and disability policy today.
Creation of critical framework for understanding concept of disability from sampling of disciplinary perspectives. Organized around productive and central tension in disability studies–between disability as lived subjective experience that is both individual and communal, and disability as objective, medical, legal, and sometimes stigmatized category. Students encouraged to make connections between units and to create their own perspectives on disability in field that defines itself by how it changes. Not open for credit to students with credit for course 101.
Examination, through study of recent philosophical writings, of such topics as nature of law, relationship of law and morals, legal reasoning, punishment, and obligation to obey law.
Preparation: one 4-unit psychology course, one philosophy course. Selected philosophical issues arising from psychological theories. Nature of perception and issues about perceptual psychology and development of important types of representation (e.g., of body, cause, agency) in early childhood. Relevance of computer simulation to accounts of thinking and meaning; relations between semantical theory and learning theory; psychological aspects of theory of syntax.
Pre-requisite: Linguistics 20, Linguistics 103.
Introduction to phonological theory and analysis. Rules, representations, underlying forms, derivations. Justification of phonological analyses. Emphasis on practical skills with problem sets.
Pre-requisite: Life Sciences 7B.
Organization of cells into tissues and organs and principles of physiology of organ systems. Introduction to human genetics and genomics.
Overview of planning history, theory, and contemporary issues that affect low-income communities, communities of color, and underserved neighborhoods, particularly in Los Angeles area. Field of planning offers distinct perspectives and opportunities for improving vulnerable communities. Topics range from discussion of intersection between race and income, critical race theory, community development, residential segregation, spatial mismatch, and environmental justice to social justice.
Contact CISaustralia for course description.
Introduction to study of strategic interaction in political applications. Use of game theory and other formal modeling strategies to understand politics.
Consideration of how feminist social movements have identified and challenged gender-based subordination and ways feminist theorists have conceived and critiqued traditional theories of power. How have women’s and other social movements defined and challenged social, political, and economic subordination? How have feminist theorists addressed subject of power? How do empire, colonialism, liberalism, neoliberalism, and globalization produce distinctive forms of gendered violence, gendered knowledge, and gendered subjectivities? How are gender and sexuality produced and regulated by law, nation, and economy?
Pre-requisite: Successful completion of Mathematics Diagnostic Test.
Linear and polynomial functions and their graphs, applications to optimization. Inverse, exponential, and logarithmic functions. Trigonometric functions.
Course in music fundamentals, including musicianship, theory, and terminology.
Introduction to financial accounting principles, including preparation and analysis of financial transactions and financial statements. Valuation and recording of asset-related transactions, including cash, receivables, marketable securities, inventories, and long-lived assets. Current liabilities.
Intended for students interested in conceptual structure of scientific archaeology. Archaeological method and theory with emphasis on what archaeologists do and how and why they do it. Consideration of field strategies, formation processes, chronological frameworks, and other crucial principles of archaeological analysis and interpretation. P/NP or letter grading.
Introduction to principles of economic analysis, economic institutions, and issues of economic policy. Emphasis on allocation of resources and distribution of income through price system.
Pre-requisite: Satisfaction of Entry-Level Writing.
Examination of foundations of communication and public speaking. Consideration of number of basic theories related to study of communication and development of skills to enable composition and delivery of speeches in accordance with specific rhetorical concepts. Improvement of ability to analyze, organize, and critically think about communicative messages while becoming better equipped to articulate ideas.
Critical analysis of contemporary entertainment industries and practical approach to understanding and implementing producer’s role in development of feature film and television scripts. Through scholarly and trade journal readings, in-class discussions, script analysis, and select guest speakers, exposure to various entities that comprise feature film and television development process. Basic introduction to story and exploration of proper technique for evaluating screenplays and teleplays through writing of coverage.
Broad overview of scientific study of sexual behavior, with emphases on evolutionary, biological, psychological, and social considerations. Topics include historical antecedents of sex research, evolution of sex, influence of sex hormones on brain and behavior, sexual development, and roles of genes and hormones on sexual orientation.
Lecture, three hours. Requisite: course 115.
Basic statistical procedures and their application to research and practice in various areas of psychology.
Lecture, four hours. Requisites: course 10 with a grade of C or better, and one course from Mathematics 2, Program in Computing 10A, Statistics 10, or one term of calculus. Designed for pre-majors.
Consideration of psychological literature relevant to understanding contemporary sex differences. Topics include sex-role development and role conflict, physiological and personality differences between men and women, sex differences in intellectual abilities and achievement, and impact of gender on social interaction.
Application of policy analysis to issues and solutions concerning homelessness. Guest lectures from local policymakers.
Application of policy analysis, including critical analysis, problem solving, and substantive policy research, to develop knowledge and understanding about drug and crime policy, with focus on cannabis. Guest lectures by instructors and guest academics and practitioners, with readings from academic literature and policy reports.
Introduction to Quran, its early history, and form and function as scripture in Muslim history, civilization, and culture. Focus also on Quranic interpretation, its relationship to Islamic law, and Quran in contemporary discourses such as human rights, feminism, and contemporary reform movements. Primary sources include excerpts from Quran, Quranic interpretation, and selected writings of Muslim thinkers and reformists. Strong focus on analytical and writing skills through in-class assignments and discussion.
Introduction to varieties of religious experience in Los Angeles and its environs. Presentations, required readings, and (where possible) site visits to examine selected faiths and spiritual practices throughout Southern California and provide deeper understanding of myriad ways that sacred is made manifest and encountered. Foundational academic orientations within study of religion (anthropological, historical, psychological, sociological, etc.) used as framework to examine and interpret almost unparalleled religious diversity of City of Angels. Recognizing that spiritual traditions are crucial reflection of region’s ever-changing demographics, emphasis on role of ethnicity, gender, nationality, and race in shaping of religious landscape.
Pre-requisite: English Composition 3 or 3H.
Study of science fiction and speculative literatures.
Pre-requisite: Course 23
Changing topics in contemporary art (post-1945) that reflect interests of individual regular and/or visiting faculty members.
Course Description Coming Soon!
Period between 1300 and 1700 witnessed advent of technologies that democratized knowledge and experience (print); new doctrines concerning individual’s direct experience of God (Lutheranism); and reformulations of identity, prompted by overseas voyages to previously unknown lands inhabited by previously unknown peoples. These transformations refashioned how art was produced and perceived, and in certain cases were by-products of innovations that originated within artistic practice. Introduction to some of new ideas, mediums, genres, confessional identities, techniques, and materials that emerged in northern Europe between 14th and 17th centuries.
Analysis of variety of contemporary sex work both in U.S. and abroad from feminist perspective. Examination of how race, class, and gender alter experience and perception of erotic labor, and consideration of critically feminist responses by range of authors to sex work. Topics include brothels, phone sex, strip clubs, sex tourism, military prostitution, and international traffic in persons. Reading of texts by sex workers, as well as articles from current philosophical and policy debates about prostitution.
Pre-requisite: Satisfaction of Entry-Level Writing Requirement.
Survey of Shakespeare’s plays, including comedies, tragedies, and histories, selected to represent Shakespeare’s breadth, artistic progress, and total dramatic achievement. Not open for credit to English majors or students with credit for course 150A or 150B.
Pre-requisite: One course from Geography 3, Geography 4, Anthropology 3, Gender Studies 10 or Sociology 1.
Exploration of how, why, and to what ends human trafficking has been conceptualized as global problem that warrants international response. Examination of recent activist, governmental, scholarly, and media responses, and reflection on what is and is not accomplished by them. Questions of human trafficking are implicitly geographical, requiring consideration of ways freedom is spatially defined and how movement across borders is encouraged and regulated. How questions of labor, migration, sexuality, rights, ethics, embodiment, representation, and governance pertain to human trafficking. What people mean when they speak of human trafficking as slavery. Meanings of slavery and freedom in world today using examples from U.S. and Europe, with focus on Philippines as case study for exploring both contemporary examples and historical forms of enslavement.
Pre-requisite: Satisfaction of Entry-Level Writing Requirement.
Study of social media as platform for storytelling, with core focus on three distinct cultures: U.S., China, and Russia. History, form, and various functions of social media. Examination of how we tell stories about ourselves and how we interpret digital narratives we see, hear, or read from organizations near and far. Analysis of networked narratives encountered online.
Interrelationships between the individual and his social environment. Social influences on motivation, perception, and behavior. Development and change of attitudes and opinions. Psychological analysis of small groups, social stratification, and mass phenomena.
Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Requisites: courses 10, 100A. Designed for juniors/seniors.
Sociological theories of social origins, organization, and meanings of crime and criminal behaviors.
Sociological theories and explanations of social conditions shaping and producing emotional experiences; effects of individual expression of emotions on social conditions; relations between thought, sensations, and emotions; self and emotions; social construction of emotions.
Enforced requisite: Gender Studies 10 or Sociology 1.
Examination of processes by which gender is socially constructed. Topics include distinction between biological sex and sociological gender, causes and consequences of gender inequality, and recent changes in gender relations in modern industrial societies.
Studies in relationship between mass communication and social organization. Topics include history and organization of major media institutions, social forces that shape production of mass media news and entertainment, selected studies in media content, and effects of media on society.
Properties of sun, planets, asteroids, and comets. Astronomical observations relevant to understanding solar system and its origin. Dynamical problems, including examination of fallacious hypotheses. Meteoritic evidence regarding earliest history of solar system. Chemical models of solar nebula. Space exploration and its planning.
Exploration of young but quickly growing profession of music therapy in health care industry. Students gain comprehensive understanding of music therapy, what it takes to become board-certified music therapist, and standards of practice and research. Students gain ability to define music therapy and advocate its services within community, and general understanding of how to assess and carry out music therapy session. Students participate in classroom activities that include simple songwriting, lyric analysis, instrumentation, and discussion. Prior music training not required. Includes homework, research assignments, and quizzes. In final group project, students work together to assess hypothetical client and create two session plans with clearly stated objectives.
Study of complex problems in voice, movement, and acting.
Topics of special interest to undergraduate students. Specific subjects may vary each term depending on particular interest of instructors or students. Focus on proven methods for succeeding in one-on-one interactions, small groups, and large audiences. Topics include accelerating trust and rapport, best question-asking strategies, executive communication skills, strengthening leadership presence, strengthening one’s relationships, network and reputation, and staying poised under pressure.
Since creation of International Olympic Committee in 1894, athletes with disabilities have had, and been denied, formal opportunities to compete with able-bodied athletes. Overview of some major topics of discussion concerning intersections of athletic competition and disability, addressing variety of perspectives and themes on disability and sport, such as passing, sports integration, competition versus charity, and masculinity. Sources include readings, film, television, and biographical writings that address sports, body and disability generally, and Special Olympics specifically.
Pre-requisites: Mathematics 31A, 31B.
Introduction to probability and statistics for economists, with emphasis on rigorous arguments. Not open to students with credit for former Statistics 11.
Focus on women writers that may include historical, regional, national, or thematic emphasis, with possible topics such as authorship, self-writing, sexuality, gender, and genre. May be repeated for credit with topic or instructor change.
Pre-requisite: Management 1B.
Study of fundamental income tax problems encountered by individuals and other entities in analyzing business, investment, employment, and personal decisions. Special emphasis on role of tax rules in capital transactions and decision making.
Exploration of techniques, methods, and process of music production and larger issues in art of making music. Students learn how to foster and capture performance and emotion in music through variety of methods and tools, including artistic direction in studio and choices made in sound, arrangement, and application of technology.
Introductory workshop in genre(s) of instructor choice, that may include mixed genres, playwriting, screenwriting, literary nonfiction, or others. Enrollment in more than one section per term not permitted. May be repeated for maximum of 10 units. May not be used to satisfy workshop requirements for English creative writing concentration.
Pre-requisite: Gender studies 10 or one philosophy course.
Examination in depth of different theoretical positions on gender and women as they have been applied to study of philosophy. Emphasis on theoretical contributions made by new scholarship on women in philosophy. Critical study of concepts and principles that arise in discussion of women’s rights and liberation. Philosophical approach to feminist theories. May be repeated for credit with consent of instructor.
Ways in which issues of disability are affected by gender, with particular attention to various roles, positions, and concerns of women with disabilities. Approach is intersectional, exploring how social categories of class, race, ethnicity, religion, age, sexuality, nationality, and citizenship affect and are affected by gender and disability. Topics may include law (civil rights, nondiscrimination), representation (arts, literature), education, public policy, health. May be repeated for credit with topic and instructor change.
Study of selected philosophers or themes in history of philosophy from different periods (e.g. ancient and medieval, medieval and early modern).
Special topics in history of Middle Ages, including religion in society, justice and law, politics of war and diplomacy, economic upheaval and renewal, and cultural representations. May be repeated for maximum of 16 units with topic and/or instructor change.
Middle Ages played critical role in construction of modern Western sexual and gender identities, as well as its conception of love and romance. Through close reading of primary sources, exploration of treatment of sex and sexuality in Middle Ages. Topics include love and romance, gender relations, homosexuality, marriage and adultery, gynecology and medicine, prostitution, masturbation, sexual deviancy, and eroticism.
Study of geographical aspects of transportation, with focus on characteristics and functions of various modes and on complexities of intra-urban transport.
Focus on three typographic basics: letter, text, and grid. Introduction to fundamentals of typography. Assignments designed to develop understanding of form, scale, and shape of letters as single elements and as texture in layout. Emphasis on grid (structure and layout) and information hierarchy to create successful typographic messages. Studio, six hours; outside study, six hours.
Musical experience helpful, but not required. Brief historical survey of film music, with strong emphasis on recent development: Japanese animation, advertising, and MTV, as well as computer tools and digital scoring methods. Designed to inspire and inform those interested in movie music.
Explanation of types of communication that occur in close relationships, especially romantic relationships. In-depth coverage of variety of relationship topics, including intimacy, stages of intimate relationships, why we choose to get involved with some people as opposed to others, flirting, and self-disclosure.
Designed for junior/senior social sciences majors. Introduction to modern industrial cities and urban life. Examination of notion of urban space in context of social relations by drawing from historical and cross-cultural urban ethnographies. Urban space is created according to needs of capital and actions of urban subjects. Exploration of ways in which class, gender, race, and geography shape or contest perspectives and priorities on urban issues. P/NP or letter grading.
Examination of potentialities and challenges of 21st-century urban revolution in global context. Introduction of theoretical frameworks and conceptual methods used by urban studies and planning to study cities and urban transformations, and historical and contemporary analysis of urbanization to learn about key urban processes such as agglomeration, segregation, gentrification, and suburbanization. Students learn about institutions and policies governing transportation and housing, and forms of community organizing and civil society that seek to redress urban inequalities. Introduction to key theories of space and utopian visions of urbanism.
Description and analysis of urbanization and urbanism in the U.S. and world.
Voice instruction for singers at beginning to intermediate level. Exploration of fundamentals of vocal technique, including overview of basics of proper breath control, resonance, care of voice, diction, and interpretation. Beginning vocal repertoire used as vehicle for understanding these concepts. May be repeated for credit without limitation.
Analysis of tropical ecosystems of eastern Africa, including wildlife communities, vegetation, climate, and human impact. Discussion of national park systems and their natural and anthropogenic ecological dynamics.
Historical issues and critical approaches to women and cinema that may include authorship, stardom, female genres, and images of women in Hollywood cinema, alternative cinema, and independent cinema from silent era to present.
Development of critical reading and writing skills necessary for academic success. Students engage assigned readings in conversation with week’s leading question. Generation and continuous development of paper topic as result of in-class discussions and formal writing exercises. Small writing groups assist students in understanding relationship between how written thoughts are presented and how they are comprehended by different readers. Students gain understanding of writing process, including topic conceptualization, objective of writing project, organization of thoughts and resources, selection of objects of study, personal writing style, etc.
Beginning-level study of yoga.
The aim of the course is to familiarise students with applications of psychology to the legal system and to raise awareness about the problems that arise when psychology is applied to law in practice.
In the course of 3 weeks, students will take part in an intensive educational program that covers the most important topics in the field of Forensic Psychology. During the course four main themes within the field of forensic psychology will be addressed.
- Eyewitness memory, which consists of eyewitness identification and (false) memories.
- Interviewing and interrogation. Within this topic,the students learn about police interrogation techniques, deception detection and (false) confessions.
- Cognitive biases in the legal context. Students will get acquainted with the interpretation and reliability of forensic evidence and the role of biases in experts’ decisions.
- Association of mental illness and crime. Within this topic students will examine the psychopathic mind and the psychology of sex offenders.
Different case studies, tools and experiments will be discussed in order to allow the students to get acquainted with the methods used in this discipline. In each tutorial, research articles and case material descriptions related to a theme will be studied and discussed. The examination will consist of question-based tests taken throughout the course, a final symposium where students will present and discuss topics related to Forensic Psychology and a final paper.
This intensive course includes:
- Weekend excursion to Cologne and Düsseldorf – includes guided tour at NSDOK museum, group dinner, guided tour of Düsseldorf palace (to be confirmed)
- Weekend excursion to The Hague and Amsterdam – visits to MICT, Anne Frank house, guided walking tour of Amsterdam, Zaanse Schans open air museum visit (to be confirmed)
We live in exciting times where leaders need to prove what they are worth.
Governments and companies are confronted with issues such as increasing speed of innovation, cultural diversity, health issues, increase in refugees, rising energy costs and stricter regulations on CO2 emissions, etc. These issues are connected to a world of rapidly changing technological, political, economic, climate and environmental developments. Who do we trust to guide us through all these crises?
Leadership is about putting dots on the horizon, creating a shared vision, leading the change and working together with the followers towards new perspectives. Leadership is about understanding that crises are an opportunity for change.
This course deals with leadership and change in both a global and business context. It confronts students with current important issues with the aim to develop knowledge and to improve leadership skills to deal with these issues in a creative way. Understanding the system at hand is important, but also understanding how leadership has an impact on the system.
To make optimal use of a vision it must be converted into a strategic operation for companies (Collins & Porras, 1996). The blend between vision, strategy, leadership and co-workers means that entrepreneurs must act like leaders with a clear indication of the direction to mobilise the organisation in order to achieve goals and at the same time maintain employee motivation.
We will introduce examples of leadership that changed the rules of the game, such as Al Gore who tries to create awareness of the impact of climate change or Ellen MacArthur’s ambition to change the world towards a circular economy by building a framework for an economy that is restorative and regenerative by design. And Jamie Oliver, the British Chef who tried to change the food culture.
We think that leadership is not only about charisma or personal characteristics, but about personal dedication to a goal or vision far beyond personal interests. This type of leadership is embedded ‘in context’. This implies that leadership is not a personal characteristic but a part of a relationship among people in a community where qualities like trust, playfulness, and creativity are involved. Students are invited to share and discuss their personal leadership experiences and inspirations.
This intensive course includes:
- Weekend excursion to Cologne and Düsseldorf – includes group dinner and guided tour of Düsseldorf palace (to be confirmed)
- Weekend excursion to The Hague and Amsterdam – visits to Anne Frank house, guided walking tour of Amsterdam, Zaanse Schans open air museum (to be confirmed)
This course aims to establish a strong foundation in basic structures and principles, encouraging further study. Foundational elements include: pronunciation, intonation, basic grammar rules and basic vocabulary. The course blends both traditional materials and methods of instruction with active participation and activities.
This course is for learners who already have some knowledge of French, recent or not. In this course, instructors will make students talk about their field of interest and will quickly use what is said in the class to create the content of the course. Topics of instruction include pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar, all with each student’s abilities and interests in mind.
This course covers a variety of topics including: Entrepreneurship in Europe, Introduction to Social Business, Business Planning, Disruptive Methods, Entrepreneurial Failure and Success, Pan-European Business Development as Entry Strategy, Business Model Generation, Digital Strategy, Cross-Cultural Management, and Company / Corporate Visits.