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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.

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.

This course will analyze the US political system and its governance, which is built upon the ideas of federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances. We will study the country’s development, its legal and policy-making system, the dynamics between the various actors, and the struggle for power and policy. Within this, we’ll cover political parties, participation, interest groups, social movements, media, campaigns and elections to make sense of the factors that make the USA what it is today.

Note: This course is offered at both the 200 and 300 level.

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.

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

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.

New Zealand experiences many natural hazards caused by the Earth’s natural processes through earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, weather bombs, storm surge, tsunami, flooding and wildfires. Focuses on spatial and temporal occurrences of disasters, hazard preparedness and recovery, and societal responses that affect and, sometimes, compound the magnitude of disasters. Case studies are drawn from contemporary and ancient societies.

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.

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.

Note: This course is offered at both the 200 and 300 level.

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.

Develops an understanding of the role of business in a rapidly changing national and international context. Focuses on factors impacting success and value creation including effective management and leadership, understanding customers, innovation and product development, financial and accounting practices, and strategic planning and decision-making.

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.

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.

Taught by Justice Susan Lamb, Supreme Court of Belize, students will be able to learn directly from an internationally-recognised criminal and humanitarian law expert. A Rhodes Scholar, Susan brings to this course her significant expertise in international criminal law, criminal justice, and the law of armed conflict. You will consider the work of the various boards, units, tribunals, and justice systems which are establish to try perpetrators of genocide and war crimes in fragile and conflict-affected states, including those tackling atrocity crimes in Syria, Iraq and other conflict zones.

This course will draw on several case-studies from the International Criminal Court, as well as other International Criminal Tribunals, including those for the Former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Cambodia. It will also make reference to a number of contemporary situations, such as the conflict in Ukraine.

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.

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.

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

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.

Development of fundamental mathematics concepts including an understanding of arithmetic ideas as expressed in fractions, decimals and percentages, ratio and proportion, and algebraic thinking. Application of these concepts in contexts such as financial literacy, problem solving, and real-life mathematics will form the basis of this course.

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.

This course discusses the origins of Pacific Island populations and ensuing cultural changes beginning over 40,000 years ago to recent times. The course will examine the archaeological sequences of major archipelagos and pay special attention to current theoretical and methodological issues on topics such as colonisation, human impact on ancient environments and the generation of cultural diversity. Students can expect to master a diverse body of knowledge and critically assess current topics in Pacific archaeology that are broadly applicable to all regions of the world.

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.

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.

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.

Offers students the opportunity to improve their mastery of skills necessary for success in university study, including time and workload management, written communication, note taking, academic writing, successful use of the library, and approaches to research. Introduces students to University structures, systems, and resources. Helps students assess their own needs and understand where to secure further support.

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?

Prerequisite: One lower level History, Art History, History of Architecture course or equivalent

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.

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 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 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.

This course aims to provide students with an introduction to different types of business organisations and the environments that they operate within. The module will mainly focus on the factors affecting businesses that are located in advanced economies. Therefore, much of the analysis and discussion will centre around issues that relate to industrial structure, international trade and technological change. Although factors affecting businesses in developing countries/emerging economies will be covered to a certain extent, there will be less of a focus on businesses operating in such environments. Similarly, economic, financial and technological influences on organisations will be emphasized, although political, social, cultural, legal and environmental factors will also be covered through an introduction to PESTLE analysis.

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, 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, ethnicity and gender and asks how the media engages with these changes and presents them to its publics.
Topics include: narratives of social aspiration and social mobility, class labelling, depictions of the upper and elite classes, rhetorics of race, immigration, home and belonging.

Prerequisite: a background in law

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 two course related field trips to Brussels and The Hague.

Prerequisites: a background in politics/ international relations/ history

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 two course related field trips to Brussels and The Hague.

Prerequisite: a background in psychology

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 one course related field trip.

This course will examine the physical and anthropogenic geographical aspects of global environmental change, focusing on natural variations of the environment over time, the impact of human activities on the Earth’s systems, and the projection of future environmental changes.

This class will focus on how to read, experience and develop an understanding of four of the great American poets of the twentieth century. We will strive to develop an understanding of the art of poetry and how poets create a working style. The course will also focus on developing critical reading and writing skills and on presentation skills, since each student will be expected on a regular basis to introduce specific poems for discussion. In recent years the course has studied poets such as Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Wallace Stevens, Marianne Moore, E. E. Cummings, T. S. Eliot, Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Lowell, and John Ashbery.

This course will examine the underlying technologies behind the Blockchain revolution and explore its uses. This will include the current Crypto-Currencies that utilize the technology. Are you curious about what is Bitcoin? What is Ethereum? How does Blockchain work? This is the course to answer these questions. The course will include lectures and research projects.

Students examine social networks, social media platforms and online advertising from both the buyer and seller perspectives thus equipping them with the relevant knowledge, perspectives, and practical skills required to develop marketing strategies that leverage the opportunities inherent in social media and consumer-to-consumer social interactions. Topics may include: identifying available social media marketing channels, building social marketing strategies, tracking strategy effectiveness as well as emerging topics in electronic commerce, mobile marketing, and social media startups. Prerequisite: BUSA 240

The relationship between the United States and China will shape the 21st century,” says President Obama (July 27, 2009). This very important and dynamic relationship will be the focus of the course. Students will learn the historical legacies that link the United States and China, their intercultural communications, their mutual images and stereotypes, and how these perceptions shape their relations today.

Offered under the auspices of Hartwick College’s Honors Program, “Being Seen” provides an opportunity for “in-depth study and discussion of a topic from disciplinary or interdisciplinary perspectives.” Our topic of in-depth study will be cinematic representations of women, as well as the narrative and cinematic techniques that serve to en-gender character and to “frame” women strategically. Some of our cinematic case studies subtly recommend culturally-sanctioned behaviors while villainizing culturally-disruptive behaviors; other case studies posit rebellious behaviors as a viable alternative to culturally-sanctioned modes of comportment.

In this course we will explore the writings of some notable figures in the history of Zen and in ‘the Kyoto school’ of Japanese philosophy, examining the specific ways in which they try to articulate the philosophical underpinnings of Zen to a Western audience. (ILS)

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.

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.

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.

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

This course will examine various aspects of the relationship between food, culture and society in the Mediterranean basin, where eating is not a simple act of survival but rather a cultural and social activity. Looking at the local culture through the lens of food allows us to discover and understand social constructs, values and even the history of Europe, from ancient Greece to the great chefs of the 21st century such as Ferran Adrià. Through this we will discover the similarities and differences between how the Spanish, Italian and Greece societies work.

In this course we offer a cross-cultural perspective that will focus on history, anthropology, sociology, literature, gastronomy and the business that works behind the food industry.

International marketing is more than a simple application of marketing principles to more than one country. In a world that becomes increasingly globalised, marketing strategies become absolutely essential. Both global and international marketing are attached to each other. On one hand, international marketing involves the firm in making one or more marketing mix decisions across national boundaries. On the other hand, global marketing involves the firm in establishing manufacturing facilities overseas and coordinating marketing strategies across the globe. Cross-cultural differences have an important role in both internal and external ways.

This course provides the knowledge of the fundamental concepts of international marketing from a European perspective. It is organised so that each class is either a lecture or a case discussion. In this course you will learn to look at international marketing problems through the lens of an analytical framework.

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.

Prerequisite: One lower level History, Art History, History of Architecture course or equivalent

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.

Pre-requisite: Baking Techniques I or equivalent.

This course offers an advanced approach to pastry production with a survey of the main preparation techniques used in classic dessert production. Starting from previously acquired knowledge students will develop their skills in the production of pastry and pie doughs and they will be introduced to an advanced level of sponge cake recipes. The course will also introduce puff pastry, baked custards, buttercream, sauces and glazes. Soufflés, Bavarian mousse and pâte à bombe-based mousse will be thoroughly covered. Students will learn to use basic finishing methods by applying glazes, filling pastries, creating simple sauces and presenting products for service.

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.

Since ancient times bread has had a significance that goes beyond mere sustenance. Almost every society in the world eats bread in some form and bread has always been considered a symbol of life for all mankind. Bread celebrates life and plays a leading role in traditional celebrations and festivities. This course focuses on traditional Italian specialty breads, made with special, or alternative flours, shaped by local folklore and passed down from generation to generation like the most precious gift. Students will be introduced to natural yeast production and learn how to keep the yeast alive and strengthen it for better leavening as well as the nutritional advantages and flavor development thanks to its use. The course offers a complete survey of traditional specialty breads, specialty flatbreads, sweet breads and rolls with an emphasis on old grain flour, alternative flours and local folklore. In addition to this students will be introduced to special diet baking through lessons on gluten free bread and complements. A special focus is dedicated to Italy’s most famous baked product, pizza: through an in-depth analysis pizza will be explained and enjoyed in all its most popular variations.

This course offers students a combination of two original approaches to Bernardo Buontalenti: discovering the artistic contribution of a genius in Florence’s 16th century intellectual scene, and learning the cultural, political and scientific background that led to the creation of modern ice cream (gelato). The lessons will range from Buontalenti’s childhood at the Medici court to his artistic training spanning the analysis of his Florentine works (ephemeral installations for spectacular events, theatrical sets, and costumes), masterpieces of sculpture, architecture, and monumental gardens. Buontalenti’s eclectic genius also involved the creation of the first ice cream machine. Students will learn about the various production techniques and genesis of sorbet, granita, and gelato from both a historical and technical point of view. Coursework will be organized through a series of practical workshops on various types of frozen desserts, lectures focusing on the artistic works of Buontalenti, and guided visits of major works by Buontalenti in Florence. Visits will include specialized tastings at select artisanal laboratories in Florence. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.

Pre-requisite: Baking Techniques I or equivalent.

This course will give students knowledge of the fundamentals of chocolate starting from an understanding of the ingredient, its history and evolution throughout centuries. The course will cover the chocolate production process from harvest to the finished product, and will focus on the composition of chocolate in all its different types: dark, milk and white. Students will understand the differences between different cocoa percentage in chocolate and their suitable applications in pastry. Emphasis will be placed on basic chocolate tempering techniques, on chocolate bar production, and on the application of special molds for simple pralines and small centerpiece production. The course will also focus on the use of chocolate to create different ganaches, including matching them with the suitable type of pralines or desserts. Students will learn to use traditional and contemporary production methods when creating confections both by hand and with special equipment.

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.

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.

Pre-requisite: Baking Techniques I or equivalent.

This course provides students with fundamental working knowledge of the traditional methods of production for cookies and basic petit fours. The course will explore the preparation and design of cookies and mignardises ranging from Italian traditional cookies and biscuits to international specialties. Topics covered include mixing and make-up methods as well as shaping, baking, filling, finishing and storing. The course will also provide an introduction to petit fours production, with a focus on the description and service of petit fours and basic production techniques. Upon completion of the course students will be confident in choosing the most appropriate cookie for each occasion.

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.

This course will examine excerpts of Dante Alighieri’s greatest passages from the Divine Comedy and other works in relation to the space and history of Florence. Textual analyses will be performed, unpacking the dense symbolism and motifs reflective of the intellectual and moral climate during 14th century Florence. Students will visit churches, piazzas, and palaces within the city and will examine these locations in the context of Dante’s life and surrounding controversy, the accusations and denunciations in his writings, the physical descriptions of the city, and the characters and historical figures present in his works.

Pre-requisite: Baking Techniques I or equivalent.

The aim of the course is to give students the fundamentals of dessert presentation. Starting from fruit cutting skills, students will experience a variety of decoration techniques to be applied to mignons, single portion and tortes. Glazes and gelees, buttercream, whipped cream, icings, chocolate and caramel decorations will be explained and then practiced to gain confidence with the related techniques. Students will experience both classic and contemporary decoration methods, ranging from piping skills to the application of dedicated equipment for royal-icing writing. By the end of the course students will be able to execute the most common decorating and styling techniques and develop their own personal decoration style.

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.

Pre-requisite: Introduction to Marketing.

20th and 21st century development has witnessed the evolution and revolution in business communication. The birth of the web was the inspiration that led to a different form of interaction and engagement between companies and customers, such as a growing customer participation in the creation and development of the business image. This course features web marketing that is based on practices and principles applicable to all sectors and is also suitable for the small and medium-sized enterprises who were previously cut off from traditional mass media promotion for budget reasons. The web will be considered beyond the concept of sites and focus substantially on the social networks. The social aspect of marketing communication online is a striking feature of the web today, where engagement and conversations occur not only between customers but also between companies and customers to stimulate the most powerful communication tool: word of mouth.

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.

This course retraces the historical impact and scientific components of a series of diseases, from the Black Death in Florence and Milan to Influenza, HIV/AIDS, Polio, Ebola, and Covid-19 across the world. It addresses both the distribution and determinants of health-related diseases in specified populations, distinguishing between endemics, epidemics, and pandemics. The course also explores the effects of social mobility on the spread of diseases from antiquity to present-day scenarios. It defines and differentiates across rates, prevalence, and incidence to calculate and predict the spread of diseases.

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.

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.

The object of this course is the encounter between fashion – one of the oldest but ever-changing mode of communication – and contemporary tools for influencing other people’s decisions – digital social networks. The two are strictly intertwined: fashion needs social media influencers as much as social media influencers need fashion. Digital media has completely reconfigured the fashion world: bloggers have usurped famous magazine editors at fashion shows, the retail industry is shifting to online shopping, platforms such as Instagram create new forms of social status and power. Yet, while digital media creates new jobs, it brings forth also unexpected negative consequences and issues.

This course examines how interconnected fashion and influencers are, and guides students to master the potential of social networks regarding the fashion world. Topics will range from an overview of the evolution of fashion trends to the digital tools needed to succeed as a social media influencer. Students will be able to understand the evolution of fashion, its intrinsic relation with the notion of influence, as well as new trends of digital marketing through social networks. To provide students with a hands-on approach, there will be visits to local museums and/or shops as well as an encounter with a Florentine-based influencer. This course encourages independent explorations in Florence, including those for research and content collection for course projects (i.e. Blending Magazine assignment). Students will also analyze high-impact Case Studies related to the course topic. Successful completion of the course requires regular visits and interaction with the FLY CEMI: students will interact with an Instagram Fashion Account for applying concepts related to merchandising and promotion.

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 examines the context in which the Italian fashion system was born. Topics begin from the evolution of fashion from the post-WWII period to the present and address the role and influence of media and culture on factors such as economic and social status, the arts, and other issues that influenced fashion. Students explore fashion’s connection to identity, body, politics, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, class, and how fashion and media are interrelated with these aspects of culture.

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 focuses on the literary panorama of Florence, creating significant connections with the fields of linguistics, history, and socio-politics. Students will gain knowledge about the origins of the Italian language, they will learn about war literature and poetry, discover the key venues wherein literature flourished, explore the works of the locals, and also that of illustrious foreign authors who studied and wrote in Florence, and ultimately uncover the new literature developing in the city. The course is held outside, since Florence is the very setting of its academic content. Therefore, students will gain awareness of the significance of walking in the city so as to develop a new gaze that allows them to travel through various epochs and literary movements. This way, students will undertake an insightful journey through language, history, and narratives.

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.

This course focuses on different aspects of regional food in Italy. Emphasis is placed on how food relates to the local lifestyle. Regional economy and local resources are analyzed and compared. Students are introduced to a diversity of local products. Lectures will be complemented by student cooking labs and/or tastings.

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 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.

Studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet offers many health benefits, especially when combined with exercise. This course includes lectures on various forms of physical and lifestyle activities and an overview of their respective health benefits. The program will also include visits to athletic centers within the local community plus an overview of the nutritional aspects of Italian culinary traditions as an example of Mediterranean diet. The aim of this course is to provide students with a study of fitness and wellness and how their relationship promotes a healthy lifestyle based on the Mediterranean diet. Cooking labs, wine tastings, and physical activity are integral components of the course and will result in the creation of a customized exercise and nutritional program developed by the student. This course also features a field learning component in relevant Italian locations to supplement and enrich academic topics.

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.

iPhoneography is a photography concept that involves the professional use of the iPhone camera. Various iPhone apps and constant connection to the internet (either via wi-fi or cellular data) can turn an iPhone camera into a powerful, self-sustained, hand-held camera and darkroom ready to release information globally in the constantly changing digital market. Students will learn to use the iPhone camera to produce photojournalism essays, portraits, landscape, and fashion images using different iPhone applications and professional post-processing tools. The final images will be published in a dedicated class website and will be delivered to students as fine art prints for their final portfolio. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI. iPhone or iPad with a camera, purchase capacity for up to 7 different applications, (an Apple account with credit card must be activated before course start).

This course investigates the pillars of information security and risk analysis, providing students with the technical and linguistic skills necessary to understand how cyber threats and vulnerabilities are controlled and mitigated by state and non-state actors. Students will become familiar with the political, social, and economic governance of cyberspace, while exploring notions such as security, privacy, transparency, and confidentiality. The exploration of methods employed for information security, such as encryption, will be assessed in relation to ethical considerations. The course comprises the analysis of a variety of case-studies to allow students to interlink theory and practice, and envision the dynamics and impacts of cybersecurity on real-life scenarios.

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.

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.

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.

Prerequisites: Baking Techniques I or equivalent.

Since it was invented, sugar has played a fundamental role in the evolution of pastry as we know it today. Its intriguing and complex chemistry is by far one of the most significant challenges of pastry arts. This course revolves around this fundamental pastry art ingredient, sugar, and its applications in confectionery. Students will experience a full-immersion in the world of sugar, sugar preserves and small pastry decorations. Lessons will focus on the chemistry of sugars, on the suitable sugars for different types of preparations, and on traditional and contemporary confectionery art. Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to produce marmalade and jams, chutneys and Italian mostarda, candied fruits and fruits preserved in syrup. Emphasis will be placed on candies and caramelized fruit production, sugared nuts (pralines) and a wide variety of torrone (nougat).

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.

Pre-requisites: Two semesters of Italian language or equivalent. Italian Language Placement Test required.

This level is for those students who already have an active knowledge of elementary language structures (i.e. the expression of past actions and events, discussion of future plans), can communicate simple and routine tasks, discuss familiar and routine topics and describe his/her background, and can understand clear standard speech on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Upon course conclusion, students will be able to use more complex pronouns both in spoken and written Italian and will have a basic grasp of the following topics: Condizionale, Trapassato Prossimo, Pronomi Relativi, Imperativo and a basic grasp of the four tenses of Subjunctive.

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.

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).

Pre-requisite: Baking Techniques II: Italian Pastry Techniques or equivalent.

This course explores stimulating applications of both classic and contemporary pastry techniques to pastry shop and a la carte restaurant production. The program focuses on three main topics: the use of freezing temperatures through a survey of the possible applications in which cold temperatures and the balance of ingredients play a fundamental role; handling fresh and seasonal fruits in pastry production; the increasing use of ingredients such as thickening and gelling agents in order to create products with unexpectedly smooth textures, a wide variety of gels and contemporary mousses, and pastry applications of molecular gastronomy. Through this experience students will have the possibility to understand the role of specific ingredients in the production of ices in order to serve frozen desserts with a perfect balance between texture and temperature. The course will disclose all the secrets of pastry arts classics like semifreddo, bomba gelato, parfait and bon bons. Special emphasis will be placed on the uses 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. The course offers a full-immersion in the pastry lab production with an important focus on techniques that can be available in a professional environment and allow pastry chefs to develop their creativity in order to reach new unexpected results.

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.

The course focuses on the fundamentals of social work, exploring the values, the code of ethics, and the types of services of this practice-based profession. Various social work spheres are explored throughout the course, including services for the underprivileged, children, older adults, women, disabled individuals, people suffering from mental health issues, drug addicts, and convicts. The course provides tangible illustrations of social work institutions, with particular emphasis placed on the social fabric of Florence, to show how this discipline contributes to the well-being of both individuals and societies. At the same time, the course also investigates social work in relation to globalization and multiculturalism, to showcasing transnational shared goals and objectives.

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.

Pre-requisite: Two semesters of Culinary Arts coursework or equivalent.

Forty years after the first appearance of Molecular Gastronomy, Chefs’ approach to food has dramatically changed. Gastronomists and food historians talk about the last great food revolution of our times; the movement that changed the way we perceive food and started to stimulate new questions and give interesting answers to those that want to enhance their food knowledge. Since then cooking has taken a great step forward, opening paths once impossible to even think about. This course is aimed at non-scientific students who wish to approach the world of scientific application toward cooking and want to improve their knowledge of cooking techniques. A scientist and a Chef will alternate teaching the course giving both technical information and practical suggestions. Students will learn cutting edge techniques to create new textures and amazing effects.

Pre-requisite: Tradition of Italian Food I or equivalent.

The survey of the most representative Italian preparations and ingredients continues as well as a deep analysis and application of Italian cuisine. Traditional preparations, characterizing ingredients and culinary movements will be fully covered during this course. The aim of this course is also to give students a complete overview of Italian cuisine evolution through the knowledge of XIX and XX century cultural influences such as futurism, nouvelle cuisine and present day innovations. This course is meant to help students understand the current Italian culinary trends as a continuous evolution of the different regional cooking traditions. The course will include an overview of the major Italian cuisine chefs styles and how they contributed to the mentioned evolution thanks to creativity and knowledge. Students will learn how to compose a menu in order to express a cooking philosophy and will also experience Italian fine dining standards through the practical application of learned concepts. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.

The basis of this course is the development of creative writing skills by focusing on the genre of travel writing. Students will read and discuss extracts from the great classics of travel writing as well as current travel journalism published in newspapers, magazines, and online. Assignments will focus on developing an individual voice, and honing ideas through revision and drafting. Topics will cover how to write for different audiences and publishing formats. Course projects and activities will interact with the journalism activities of Blending, the magazine and newsletter of FUA’s campus press Ingorda. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.

The course will introduce students to the outstanding richness of the Tuscan wine tradition. Wine typologies representative of the region will be considered throughout the course, which focuses particularly on a detailed study of the most important wine production areas in Tuscany. A general introduction to wine appreciation will be featured along with the analysis of select Tuscan wines and their specific characteristics.

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 module provides an interdisciplinary perspective on sex, sexuality and gender in London from 1880 to the present. Taking approaches from history, sociology, law, politics and literature, it covers topics such as Victorian sex scandals, the gendering of public space; masculinities and femininities; the impact of the law; Queer London; ‘Women’s Work’; the Swinging Sixties’ and ‘sexual liberation’; the making of cultures of sexuality in Soho and policing sexuality in Central London.

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 places communities of colour, often marginalised, at the very centre of London’s history from the Tudors to today. It explores the long and rich history of black and brown communities in London, from immigrant communities originating from Africa, South-East Asia and the Caribbean, to colonial and African-American soldiers in the modern period. In doing so, it raises important question about race, diversity and multi-culturalism. It looks at questions of exclusion and racism; agency and activism; diversity and multi-culturalism. Crucially, it shows students how black and brown communities have shaped – and continue to shape – London.

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 examines both the impact of climate change on cultural expression, and of cultural texts on our attitudes towards the environment. To facilitate these two perspectives, the module intersperses weeks on contemporary climate fiction (cli-fi) with weeks on other, broader texts, from ancient to modern: theatre, visual art, music and cinema. The module will equip students with an ecocritical vocabulary and the facility and opportunity to employ that vocabulary across a range of media and forms.

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.

This module gives an overview of the marketing function and some insight into its practice and associated ethical issues. Examining the range of uses of marketing in different types of organisations, students become familiar with investigating the overall socio-economic and business contexts in which marketers operate. The module introduces themes that will be developed in subsequent modules, such as consumer and organisational buyer behaviour and some of the ‘tools’ available to marketers.

The module offers students the opportunity to learn how the global economies work and the general context in which the business organisations operate. The students will analyse the purpose, structures and ethical and environmental constraints faced by organisations across different industries. At the same time students will study the cultural differences within and between business organisations and as part of learning process will develop research, teamwork and communication skills.

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 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 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.

London has both shaped and been shaped by the history and memory of the Holocaust, whether from the arrival of Jewish children in Waterloo Station in 1943, to the plans in 2021 to build a major Holocaust memorial next to Westminster Parliament. In this module, students will learn about the history and memory of the Holocaust through the sites and memories in London, and in doing so understand how the Holocaust is entangled with global sites, identities and memories. They will think critically about how history tells us not only about the past, but also about the present.

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.

Introduction to interpretation of drama through art of actor. Development of individual insights, skills, and disciplines in presentation of dramatic material to audiences.

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.

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.

This course is a Beginning study of Streetdance, focusing on the foundation and technique of Hip Hop (party dances) and Locking. This level course will focus on the basic grooves of each dance style, while also exploring rhythmic isolated muscle movements & movement precision for several vocabularies. The history and understanding of these Street Dance Styles will be discussed in class to fully understand the essence of all styles learned and its importance and connection to community, specifically how it all began within the POC communities within USA.

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.

General introduction to geological, physical, chemical, and biological processes and history of Earth’s global ocean system.

Pre-Requisite: MATH 31A

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.

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.

Pre-requisite: Course 10 or Linguistics 1 or Sociology 1 or Psychology 10.

Examination of fundamental principles in human communication science. Topics include models of communication, levels of analysis in the behavioral sciences, cultural evolution, new media and big data, political communication, and the nature of art.

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.

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.

Comparative survey of basic concepts and theories in sociology from 1850 to 1920.

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.

Seminar, four hours. Course 116A is requisite to 116B. Recommended: course 107A. Introduction to contemporary digital production through mastery of beat-driven musical textures. Use of digital audio workstations, plugins and hardware, creation of live performance rigs controlling sound and vision. Students develop proficiency in key styles of beat-oriented popular music, including hip-hop, electronic dance music, pop, and experimental rhythm and blues. Principles of analog and digital synthesis, creation of sound libraries, composing for film and digital media. Sound amplification and integration of live performance with digital sound. Electronically submitted final project. P/NP or letter grading.

Lecture, three hours; laboratory, two hours; one optional field trip. Designed for nonmajors. Exploration of biology, evolution, and extinction of dinosaurs and close relatives, in context of history of biosphere. Information from paleontology, biology, and geology. P/NP or letter grading.

Lecture, four hours. Study of entrepreneurial communication from foundations in internal and external communication and development of data analysis, interpretation, and presentational skills utilized in existing, as well as in development of, contemporary innovative businesses. P/NP or letter grading.

Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Introduction to key concepts of entrepreneurship, including new product development, finance, business plan development, and technology commercialization. Basic tools and personal characteristics required for entrepreneurship. Terminology used by lawyers, accountants, venture capitalists, and other investors when forming and financing new companies to be developed as startups, spinouts from existing company, or acquisitions of existing company (or its assets). Assessment of feasibility of business concept and communication of concept to potential investors, employees, and business partners. Discussion of technology feasibility, intellectual property, and licensing. Letter grading.

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.

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.

Introduction to environmental policy and regulation in U.S. Provides basic knowledge and skills needed to work as professional environmental problem solver. Exploration of environmental harms that are subject to regulation, role of science in informing policy and regulation, evolution of environmental regulation, different types of regulatory instruments, regulatory process, and alternative approaches to environmental decision making. Includes California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Proposition 65, California’s long-standing leadership role in air pollution control, and state’s pioneering efforts in regulating greenhouse gas emissions. P/NP or letter grading.

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.

You must be a nursing major to enroll in this course. 

Focused study on K-pop–South Korea’s most significant cultural export. Close attention is paid to global influences that have shaped Korean popular music in earlier decades and in turn, unprecedented global reach of K-pop in recent history. Study is divided into three units: contextualizing K-pop, transnational flows in K-pop, and critical takes on K-pop. Each unit features distinctive case studies, and lectures draw out some of broader linkages between units as they relate to modern Korean history, Cold War geopolitical formations and legacies, modern South Korean state and economy, and spread of Korean popular culture. Study draws on wide array of scholarly articles, journalistic pieces, music videos, webinars, and online resources while foregrounding larger issues that emerge through cultural analysis. P/NP or letter grading.

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.

Lecture, four hours; discussion, one hour. Structure and function of U.S. health care system, health care policy, and issues and forces shaping its future.

Multidisciplinary examination of history of Asians and Pacific Islanders in U.S. Throughout the course students will learn about how intersecting formations of race, class, gender, sexuality, and citizenship, among other identities, forged the experiences of Asian Americans. As a result, students will come away with a greater appreciation for the diversity and complexity of the history and contemporary conditions of Asian Americans.

Lecture, four hours; discussion, one hour. Analysis of forms, practices, and meanings of rock and roll music, broadly conceived, from its origin to present. Emphasis on how this music has reflected and influenced changes in sexual, racial, and class identities and attitudes. Credit for both courses 5 and 185 not allowed. Letter grading.

Exploration of major aspects of society, history, and culture in India through music. There is abundance of incredibly rich musical culture in this region. Introduction to as much diversity as possible, spanning villages to cities and global contexts; high- and low-brow musics; those spanning problematic categories of folk, classical, and popular; and those from powerful as well as oppressed and marginalized peoples. Music as lens to look more deeply into social and cultural world and to explore layers of history ranging form Persianate empires, British Empire, nationhood, and contemporary globalization. Highlights lines of power in particular, notably, those of caste, class, gender, colonialism, and nationalism. Minoritized and disenfranchised people and their music are as prominent as dominant styles and provide contextualization and critique. Satisfies Writing II requirement. Letter grading.

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.

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.

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.

Lecture, four hours; discussion, one hour. Survey of music of Western classical tradition, with emphasis on historical context, musical meanings, and creation of tradition itself. P/NP or letter grading.

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.

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 methods used in contemporary sociological research, with focus on issues of research design, data collection, and analysis of data.

Learning and employment of craft of songwriting. Examination, analysis, and implementation of song structure, lyric and melody writing, arranging, orchestrating, and recording techniques. Evolution of songwriting in modern society since advent of phonograph player/radio; how songs and society affect and reflect one another; how this has informed songs and songwriters. Letter grading.

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.  

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.

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.

Pre-requisite: MATH 33A.

Techniques of proof, abstract vector spaces, linear transformations, and matrices; determinants; inner product spaces; eigenvector theory.

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.

Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Requisite: course 101. Theory of income, employment, and price level. Analysis of secular growth and business fluctuations; introduction to monetary and fiscal policy. P/NP or letter grading.

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.

Lecture, four hours. Not open for credit to students with credit for course 101. Designed for nonscience students; introduction to biology of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, protozoa, algae, fungi), their significance as model systems for understanding fundamental cellular processes, and their role in human affairs. P/NP or letter grading.

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.

Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Introduction to current music industry. Overview of career paths, monetization strategies, organizational behavior, and entrepreneurial thinking. Designed to serve as gateway for music industry degree programs. Students familiarize themselves with basic functions of industry that are covered in greater detail in upper-division coursework. Letter grading.

Survey of traditional and contemporary musical culture.

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.

Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Contributions of sociology to study of politics, including analysis of political aspects of social systems, social context of action, and social bases of power. P/NP or letter grading.

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.

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.

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: PSYCH 115. 

Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Role of race and ethnicity in the U.S., including interplay between racial and ethnic structures and meanings. Special attention to comparison of African American and European American experiences and to transformation of Asian American and Latino communities and the nation generally, wrought by renewal of mass migration in second half of the 20th century. P/NP or letter grading.

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 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.

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.

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.

Lecture, four hours; laboratory, one hour. Emphasis on learning specific skills, incorporating technical description, historical contextualization, subjective reaction, and certain stylistic conventions necessary in writing about music. Satisfies Writing II requirement. Letter grading.

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.

1. Eyewitness memory, which consists of eyewitness identification and (false) memories.
2. Interviewing and interrogation. Within this topic,the students learn about police interrogation techniques, deception detection and (false) confessions.
3. 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.
4. 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.

Sociologists suggest that the origins and causes of social problems lie outside of individuals, even though the effects of such problems influence the behavior of individuals. This course examines a variety of contemporary social problems, such as health and health care, addictions, poverty, unemployment, crime, violence, family issues, racism and ageism. After examining social issues, their causes and consequences, we will discuss possible interventions that could alleviate each problem.

In the relationship between people and physical environments, not all people experience or impact environments in the same way or suffer the same degree. This course investigates how people in different places modify, know about, and are affected by environmental change in various ways according to gender. The theories and case studies covered are selected to encourage an understanding of how gender relations shape and are shaped by the rest of nature. Such an understanding provides the basis for gender-sensitive methodologies that can be crucial to addressing environmental problems.

Augmented reality enhances the experience of the real physical world through the use of digital media including visual and auditory elements that are mediated through technology. This course will explore the creation of augmented reality experiences utilizing the Membit and Artivive smartphone apps. It will also cover useful skills and software for creating digital assets used to build augmented reality experiences.

Technology requirements: 2019 or newer smartphone and  a computer or tablet. Most of the required software/apps for this course are free, but there are a couple that students will need to purchase.

Fears of extra-terrestrial invasion and nuclear apocalypse, of seemingly strange and alien civilizations, and of social, economic, and cultural collapse belie SF’s trash label. This course introduces you to the genre’s deep philosophical dimensions, tracing its progress through the pulp magazine during the late-Nineteenth century fin de siècle and early Twentieth-century inter-war periods in the United Kingdom and the United States respectively, and its later development across the so-called Iron Curtain during the Cold War. This course will also challenge the traditional conventions of Science Fiction – interstellar conflict with alien races – and explore the genre’s diverse progressions: into Ecocriticism, Feminism, sexuality, and the near-future ‘Post-SF’ of the urban and suburban present.

Let’s be honest. You probably aren’t going to read this whole article. But what if it was read to you out loud while driving to work, working out at the gym, or completing chores around the house? Better yet, imagine listening to a smooth, relaxing voice like Morgan Freeman’s. You’d be hanging on to every word, and ready for the next episode immediately after…Welcome to the world of Podcasting.

This module will give you an insight into developing, proposing, pitching and producing audio content to be distributed as podcasts. In this module, we will work on creating a short factual podcast using the power of your voice, soundscapes that transport the listener and seamlessly blended music to create that moment. We will guide you on scripting, voice technique and narrative construction so that your podcast has an impact on your audience.

This module has been designed to help students realise their creative potential by producing original and stimulating short fiction. Teaching will consist of specialist workshops conducted by an expert in the field. In addition to engaging with practical aspects of craft and technique, students will learn how to create believable, compelling characters and how to make them live (and die!) on the page. They will also have the opportunity to visit sites of historic importance and natural beauty to inspire their writing.

Excursion(s): The module includes a live ‘reading’ at a leading local arts centre, where you’ll have the chance to share the stage with a prominent Scottish writer.

Develop a critical understanding of the Celtic world in this interdisciplinary program drawing on archaeological, historical, literary and mythological sources. A unique course that will enable you to develop critical thinking skills in relation to the concept of religion whilst exploring more recent trends within the study of religion such as material religion and implicit religion to develop an in-depth knowledge, understanding and appreciation of Celtic religion, folklore and mythology from Ireland, Scotland and Wales (the Celtic fringe). This course is taught exclusively by a scholar from Ireland who speaks the indigenous language and has training in older forms of the Irish language, although no prior knowledge of the Celtic languages is required or necessary to take and succeed in this course.

From the Classical age to the 21st century, Celts have fascinated and frightened people. This course explores the evolving way Celtic people lived and died, what they believed and why, different ways in which Celtic peoples have been perceived by outsiders, the ways in which Celts have presented themselves to the world and considers why there has been a revival in 21st century of Celtic faiths. In answering these questions you be introduced to the pre-Christian beliefs of the Celtic and Indo-European worlds, to the historical narratives in which such beliefs are embedded, and to the methodology of investigating ancient and medieval belief systems. You will also explore the impact of Christianity in different eras upon the Celtic religions, folklore and mythology through the recurring themes of freedom and independence, especially in relation to the warrior and druid types, signs and symbols and the materiality of the land.

Following an educational field trip to the Scottish Crannog Centre and an ancient stone circle in Aberfeldy you will have the opportunity to consider and respond creatively to the notion of a “sacred landscape” and develop a more in-depth understanding of how legends and mythology become attached to and rooted within sacred sites.

Excursion(s): Course includes one excursion. Details to come.

This module is designed to introduce students to the subject of Criminology through the lens of the Scottish Criminal Justice System. The module begins with an overview of the Scottish Criminal Justice System before examining the major avenues by which the public obtain information about crime – as victims of crime and from the media and official statistics. The module examines the processes that have developed our definitions of crime and the broader social and political context in which this crime occurs. In addition to this, the course provides the opportunity for students to engage in discussion with a Scottish Prison Service Warden, allowing a deeper understanding of punishment in Scotland and the incarceration of offenders.

Excursion(s): This module includes a visit to the Surgeon’s Hall in Edinburgh to discuss the criminal case of Burke and Hare, and the inspiration for Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective, Sherlock Holmes.

The module aims to explore the purposes of education and how this translates into curriculum offerings within the Scottish Education system in the context of the UK. The module will also consider the issues of learners’ identities within pre-school, primary, secondary and further education.

Excursion(s): This module normally will include a visit a local school to observe Scottish education in action.

This module explores contemporary issues and debates that shape world politics today. It starts by introducing International Relations (IR) theory before turning to two broad themes that dominate IR: conflict and peace. We will apply these themes to a case study of the Northern Ireland conflict exploring the key political developments and the transition to a post conflict settlement. This module will also include a workshop that examines the use of wall murals to articulate conflict/post-conflict identity in Northern Ireland.

Excursion(s): This module includes a day trip to St Andrews, where we’ll undertake a tour of Scotland’s Secret Bunker – an underground compound built to safeguard Scotland during the Cold War.

Recent advances in feminist and LGBT+ liberation movements have had a visible and global impact on culture, literature, politics and commerce. This module examines gender and sexuality in a Scottish context. As binary understandings of gender and sexuality are increasingly shown to be outdated and outmoded, developments in our understanding of gender and sexuality are making headlines and becoming a regular part of our daily discourse in both our social and working lives. This course enables students to apply their knowledge of identity politics to a dynamic range of relevant texts.

The texts in this module examine the decline of traditional, industrialist, ‘hard man’ masculinities in Scotland. Through an exploration of dynamic, contemporary and highly acclaimed texts, this course examines broken masculinities, resistant femininities, and resurgent Scottish LGBT+ fictions. A select range of relevant secondary sources will accompany this exploration of primary literature, introducing students to iconic theorists, as well as relevant contemporary critics examining Scottish literature from a gendered perspective.

From the hills covered in purple heather to the glorious light at sunrise, almost every vista is an invitation to the enthusiastic visual journalist. This module will enable you to appreciate the environment and enjoy the natural beauty of Scotland, while learning and developing your skills at landscape photography. You will learn the practice of landscape photography, and also the theory and principles. This module will run as a condensed module with classes running weeks 2-4 of Block 2.

Note: This course is TBC due to unforeseen circumstances. Please check back for updates at a later date. 

From sparkly vampires to blockbuster monsters, gothic tropes appear to be all-pervasive in contemporary culture. As Catherine Spooner claims in Contemporary Gothic (2006), like ‘a malevolent virus, Gothic narratives have escaped the confines of literature and spread across disciplinary boundaries to infect all kinds of media, from fashion and advertising to the way contemporary events are constructed in mass culture’. What this course aims to do is to introduce students to Gothic’s literary expression in the British nineteenth century, before exploring the many ways in which this dark heritage continues to affect contemporary cultural production.

Focusing on three key texts from the nineteenth century, Frankenstein (1818), The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886) and Dracula (1897), this class will discuss their adaptation, appropriation and influence on popular narratives such as those found in fiction, film, tv, fashion and music video. Some of the contemporary texts we will be drawing upon will be Twilight (book & film), True Blood (book & tv), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film & tv), Scream (film), Supernatural (tv), Marilyn Manson (music), Interview with a Vampire (book & film), Blade (film), Blairwitch Project (film) etc.

Excursion(s): A visit to Edinburgh Dungeon and a gothic themed bar are included.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the sociological and analytic study of religion, identity, conflict and violence within a local, national and global context. It will examine issues such as nationalism, colonialism, international affairs and the role of those charged with reporting such conflicts. Extensive attention will be paid to the representation of religious conflict in the arts, such as literature and films, alongside a detailed examination in of the violent groups that have arisen as an apparent reaction to religious fundamentalism as a rising narrative of a new cultural war.

Excursion(s): Students will attend a guided visit to Stirling Castle.

The module aims to provide students with an understanding of the origins, main features and impact of the Jacobite movement, and aims to place Scotland’s experience of Jacobitism within its wider British and European context. It seeks to deepen historical and transferable skills already acquired or to assist students coming to history as a discipline for the first time in acquiring such skills. You will look at the societal changes that occurred in Scotland in the 18th Century, the Jacobite rebellions and the Enlightenment period. You will learn how to collect, evaluate and use sources to support a historical case and evaluate conflicting historical interpretations.

This course is designed to introduce students to key theoretical debates that have emerged in the study of Scotland’s relationship with the film and television industries. Important questions we will consider include: Who is responsible for constructing Scotland’s identity onscreen? How are Scotland and Scottishness depicted? Why do certain representations dominate over others?

The course will begin by exploring ‘Hollywood Scotland’, concentrating on the commercial cinematic representation of Scotland and Scottishness found in Mel Gibson’s Braveheart (1995). This will then be contrasted with a more local construction of Scotland found in the long running television show Taggart (ITV, 1983-2011). The final weeks will conclude by considering filmmaking in contemporary Scotland, first through contemplation of the importance of short films in the Scottish context, focusing in particular on the shorts and careers of Lynne Ramsay, Peter Mullan and Morag McKinnon, and second through examination of the Scottish/Danish co-produced ‘Advance Party’ initiative.

Excursion(s): You’ll have the opportunity to visit a celebrated screen location or meet a Scottish filmmaker.

For the past decade, Scotland’s national status has been ‘both dangled before us and tantalizingly withheld’ (poet Don Paterson). With attention focused on the question of independence, recent debates concerning Scottish culture and identity gain a heightened political charge. Literature has not only reflected but actively shaped such debate. In the year the new Scottish Parliament was established (1998), Christopher Whyte argued that ‘in the absence of elected political authority, the task of representing the nation has been repeatedly devolved to its writers’. But what influence have writers played in recent political change, and to what extent has Scottish culture escaped its own stereotypes?

This course examines the literary and political currents shaping contemporary Scottish identity, introducing students to key twentieth- and twenty-first century texts. We encounter and explain a range of cultural debates concerning language, class, democracy and nationhood, attending to the urgency as well as the complexity of recent Scottish writing.

Excursion: There will be an excursion to Edinburgh, visiting the Scottish Parliament building and Scottish Writers Museum.

As Scotland’s University of Sporting Excellence, the University of Stirling is the perfect place to learn about the integration of culture, management and sport. The aim of this module is to teach you about how sport is managed in Scotland and in the UK mode widely, and about how it is incorporated into the thread of Scottish culture. The module will include a mixture of lectures and seminars accompanied by academic field trips, providing you with an understanding that sport is influenced by cultural traditions, social values and economic factors.

Post-production is the phase in the film production process where stories come together. Images and sound are combined to build the narrative and craft what the viewer will experience. Editing involves technical skills, but crucially it is a creative process, in which each decision will impact the style and substance of the completed film.

In this module, you will learn both the creative and technical aspects of editing. You will be taught by an experienced industry professional, who will guide you through the art of post-production. You will be taught in a small group, using industry standard software and equipment, and working with material both from broadcast shows and award-winning student work. By the end of the module, you will have a confident grasp of technical skills, the techniques of visual storytelling and how sound and pictures come together to create an impact for a viewing audience.

Between 1563 and 1736, during years of political and religious turmoil, around 4,000 people were accused of witchcraft in Scotland. This module will examine this significant aspect of Scottish history, looking at the phenomenon of witchcraft belief as part of early-modern culture, as well as its prosecution. Other themes that will be covered include: religion, popular culture, law and order, illness and death, community tensions and gender issues. We will also consider the continuity and development of ideas about magic and witchcraft.

The module aims to provide students with a thorough understanding of the phenomena of witchcraft belief and prosecution in Scotland between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. The focus of the module will be mostly on social and cultural themes but an understanding of the political, economic and religious context will be important.

Excursion(s): This module will visit the village of Dunning, Maggie Wall’s monument near Dunning, Robert Kirk’s burial site and the Fairy Tree at Aberfoyle, all sites related to early modern witchcraft in Scotland.

In this course students will experience interdisciplinary studies based on global citizenship and cross-cultural understanding. The course content includes class discussions about Japanese lifestyle and culture, global issues, multicultural understanding, cross-cultural communication, peace building, current events as well as current event analysis through the newspaper, and global citizenship as related to culture, environment, politics, drama, music and film. The course will meet independently and will also join other on-going classes at the University related to the course topics together with Japanese students in order to enhance the learning and cross-cultural experience.

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.

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.

This course introduces important issues and major topics in modern international relations and with discussion on Japan and it’s relation to course content. Current events will be discussed and how states interact with each other. Subjects covered will be international cooperation, trade, international law, security, conflict and human rights issues.

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.

This course will provide a general overview of Japanese society and culture in the postwar period. This course will introduce students to the historical background and modern social implications of contemporary Japanese culture. We will explore a wide range of artistic mediums including music, art, manga, animation, fashion, advertising, and film. Topics will include hikikomori (shut-ins that refuse to leave the home for work or school), chronic over-work including karoshi (death from overworking), declining population and the population bomb, and extreme population density in cities. In addition, the concepts of kaizen (continuous improvement), and wa (social harmony) will be introduced and analysed.

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.

The focus of this course is to give an expansive outline of gender, sexuality and society with a specific spotlight on contemporary Japanese society. Class content exposes material from sociologists, historians, journalists, and literary scholars to analyse how gender and sexuality have been socially developed and experienced in post war Japan.

This course has an introductory characteristic and with a special focus on Japanese management style. In this course you will learn: how historical, social and cultural patterns affect the management practices of Japanese organisations; how other factors, such as the legal, political/governmental, economic and technological system, socio-cultural factors enable Japanese companies to operate successfully in an international business context; how Japanese companies develop strategies for international operations; how to improve cross-cultural communication and negotiation skills in an East-meets-West setting.

What makes people healthy or unhealthy? The health of individuals is not only shaped by lifestyle choices or medical treatments, but also, to a large extent, by social conditions. This course offers an introduction to the social determinants of health and the social advantages and disadvantages that people experience based on their social position and social circumstances and how these influence their health and wellbeing. This course is designed to provide participants with an introduction to and appreciation of theoretical perspectives and empirical research on the social determinants of health.

This intensive interprofessional course provides participants with opportunities to develop and strengthen their understanding of the social determinants of health using local, regional, national and global perspectives. Participants critically examine social inequities, root causes and subsequent health consequences in diverse populations, particularly indigenous and/or marginalised populations.

The course is jointly administered by the VIU Faculty of International Education and the VIU Faculty of Health and Human Services. Students will be provided with a total of 42 hours of public health instruction, 4 hours of intercultural studies workshops, and a number of related field trips. Half-day trips include visits to the Canadian Mental Health Association, the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH), the Tillicum Lelum Friendship Centre (indigenous health), and Kiwanis Village (assisted living for older people).

Upon successful completion of the program, students will receive a certificate of completion, and will be awarded 3 CAD credits by VIU.

Prerequisite: Second year standing in an undergraduate degree program

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