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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

College is often a time for students to both learn skills to earn a livelihood and ask big questions about one’s purposeful vocation in life. This seminar will explore alignment and conflict between these two important goals. On one hand, participants will examine personal fit within a market economy. On the other hand, they will examine the work they may feel called by their heart, faith, and/or society to do. In doing so, participants will read about, watch, and meet  professionals who are grappling with similar tensions between money, which they need to live, and meaning, which they need to flourish. The seminar provides students with the opportunity to examine “common good” endeavors in the for-profit and/or non-profit sectors. In the process, students will inquire about the possibility of developing themselves as principled leaders and finding meaningful work that also sustains them, their families, and the common good. While much of the course content involves philosophical reflection, much of the course outcomes are practically oriented toward personal and professional development. Prerequisites: Junior standing. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The wallpaper in The Yellow Wallpaper looks like mushrooms. Frederick Douglass repeatedly compares a specific despair he felt while enslaved to being trapped in the earth. The falling Usher mansion gets swallowed by a lake in Poe’s famous story. While none of these well-known texts have been considered "nature writing," ecocriticism has recently introduced a concept of the "ecogothic" to account for such moments where nature gets linked to fear and anxiety, violence and horror. It’s argued that the ecogothic dread is born not just of the desire to survive and to thrive in a hostile, outdoor environment, but of something far more sinister. That is, a desire to more than thrive, a desire for control over other things, other beings, and ultimately other human beings. With this in mind and some help from geography, history, and Black and queer ecocriticism, we will look at how an idea of "the natural world" as well as binaries like self/other, human/animal, and living/dead were forged not merely alongside but with those of race, gender, and sexuality. Our literary focus will be American and transnational literary texts of the long 19th century that wrestle with and resist these dark desires and may include narratives of captivity and enslavement like Mary Prince’s, short stories by the likes of Poe, Hawthorne, and Chesnutt, and even the work of authors seemingly enchanted by nature such as Dickinson and Thoreau. This course satisfies a Signature Work requirement, a Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice requirement, a WAC Writing in the Discipline requirement, and an early American Literature requirement for English majors. Prerequisite: Five English courses at or beyond ENGL 211, including ENGL 280, or instructor permission for all other majors/minors.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This course is an introduction to the issues surrounding social conflict. It centers on equipping students with the theory and skills of conflict analysis and processes of engaging in conflict on the global, local and interpersonal levels. It contrasts a traditional conflict resolution model with conflict transformation, a paradigm that appreciates how conflict and violence are connected to underlying issues of justice. The course introduces students to a wide range of conflict transformation processes such as negotiation, mediation, dialogue, facilitation, restorative justice and conflict advocacy. It provides students with the opportunities to participate in these processes and explore potential vocational paths in the field of conflict transformation. As a component of the practice of the skills taught in this course, students organize and lead the annual World Cafe, a university-wide interdisciplinary dialogue. Throughout, the course engages students in a process of rigorous reflection of the ethics involved in engaging conflict. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing

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

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

An examination of the history, primary texts, and philosophical problems that form the basis of Buddhist philosophy in India, China, Japan, and the West. Metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical themes will be considered. Prerequisite: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A philosophical examination of the mind from both classical and contemporary perspectives. Content that may be covered includes: the relation between the mind and the body/brain, theories of the soul and how it relates to mind and brain, theories of personal identity over time, free will, mental causation, functionalist theories of intelligence, computer/artificial intelligence, and the nature of consciousness. The course considers reflection on these topics from within both Catholic intellectual tradition and other traditions and perspectives, and engages contemporary philosophical work informed by brain and computer science. Prerequisite: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197.

A philosophical examination of the mind from both classical and contemporary perspectives. Content that may be covered includes: the relation between the mind and the body/brain, theories of the soul and how it relates to mind and brain, theories of personal identity over time, free will, mental causation, functionalist theories of intelligence, computer/artificial intelligence, and the nature of consciousness. The course considers reflection on these topics from within both Catholic intellectual tradition and other traditions and perspectives, and engages contemporary philosophical work informed by brain and computer science. Prerequisites: PHIL 110, PHIL 115, or PHIL 197; and Honors.

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

Who has the authority to make laws? What makes for good law? What is the connection between your earlier exploration in The Person and the Good, and these questions? What is justice? Can there be such a thing as private property? How are these ideas related to “the common good” that we keep hearing so much about? What notions of authority and justice have, in the real world, led to oppression and misery rather than human happiness? This course will consider both classical and contemporary reflection on these topics, including from authors within Catholic intellectual tradition in conversation with other traditions and perspectives. Prerequisites: PHIL 110 or PHIL 197; and at least 80 credits completed by the start of the course.

Why have Americans, despite their polarizations and one civil war, been able to work together for most of their 250 year history? Does today’s polarization threaten the very existence of American democracy? What is American democracy? How does it function? Upon what view of justice and the common good does it depend? Is the rule of law important? Are unalienable rights important? Does it depend on a culture shaped on the values of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and its amendments, the U.S. Supreme Court or religious beliefs? What are the principles that work best to alleviate social ills especially poverty, discrimination, and abortion? The course will consider both classical and contemporary reflection on such topics, including from authors within Catholic intellectual tradition in conversation with other traditions and perspectives. Prerequisites: PHIL 110 or PHIL 197; and at least 80 credits completed by the start of the course.

Who (or what) is worthy of our moral consideration? Should we care about the well-being of animals? Plants? Species? Ecosystems? If so, what should we do about it? Should we be willing to sacrifice human interests for the sake of the interests of other beings? What habits will we have to give up—or take on—to be responsible stewards of the environment? What difference might it make if we view the natural environment as God’s creation? What insights can we gain by considering approaches from Catholic intellectual tradition in dialogue with other traditions and perspectives? Prerequisites: PHIL 110 or PHIL 197; and at least 80 credits completed by the start of the course.

This Signature Work section of Minds, Brains, and Computers is a philosophical examination of the mind from both classical and contemporary perspectives. Content that may be covered includes: the relation between the mind and the body/brain, theories of the soul and how it relates to mind and brain, theories of personal identity over time, free will, mental causation, functionalist theories of intelligence, computer/artificial intelligence, and the nature of consciousness. The course considers reflection on these topics from within both Catholic intellectual tradition and other traditions and perspectives, and engages contemporary philosophical work informed by brain and computer science. Prerequisites: PHIL 110 or PHIL 197; and at least 80 credits completed by the start of the course.

Develop a critical and creative perspective on medicine and health care through philosophical exploration of their history, foundations, and purposes. Study important episodes and developments in the history of the theory and practice of medicine and explore philosophical analyses of and arguments about the nature of medical knowledge, health, disease, and health care. Prerequisites: PHIL 110 or PHIL 197; and at least 80 credits completed by the start of the course.

PHIL 301 is a signature work course in philosophy, open to all students.  Topics vary from section to section, but all sections focus on issues relevant to our university’s mission.  Various sections will, therefore, focus on questions concerning such things as the nature and dignity of human beings, what makes for a meaningful human life, the compatibility of faith and reason, what makes for a just society, or the application of ethical principles, to a variety of settings and professions, for the sake of the common good.  The course provides students the opportunity to reflect on and integrate knowledge acquired throughout their academic career, and to approach problems through multiple disciplinary lenses.  Prerequisites: PHIL 110 and at least 80 credits completed by the start of the course. Prerequisites: PHIL 110 and 80 credits completed

This Signature Work section of Honors: Minds, Brains, and Computers is a philosophical examination of the mind from both classical and contemporary perspectives. Content that may be covered includes: the relation between the mind and the body/brain, theories of the soul and how it relates to mind and brain, theories of personal identity over time, free will, mental causation, functionalist theories of intelligence, computer/artificial intelligence, and the nature of consciousness. The course considers reflection on these topics from within both Catholic intellectual tradition and other traditions and perspectives, and engages contemporary philosophical work informed by brain and computer science. Prerequisites: Honors; and PHIL 110 or PHIL 197; and at least 80 credits completed by the start of the course.

The highest branch of philosophy, and the branch of philosophy that most helps us reach our natural end as human persons, is natural theology or philosophy of God. Natural theology is the project of arguing for the existence of God, and uncovering as much as possible about God’s nature, without relying on any putative supernatural revelation – instead relying on natural reason alone. In this course we will take a deep dive into the natural theology of St. Thomas Aquinas, by engaging in a close reading of Book 1 of his Summa contra Gentiles. Prerequisites: PHIL 365; and at least 80 credits completed by the start of the course.

Natural theology is the project of arguing for the existence of God, and uncovering as much as possible about God’s nature, without relying on any putative supernatural revelation – instead relying on natural reason alone. In this course we will take a deep dive into the natural theology of St. Thomas Aquinas, by engaging in a close reading of Book 1 of his Summa contra Gentiles. We will also briefly explore work from contemporary analytic philosophers on the fine-tuning argument, reformed epistemology, the problem of evil, and Pascal’s Wager. The mode of instruction will alternate between seminar-style discussion (on Tuesdays) and Socratic lecture (on Thursdays). Prerequisites: PHIL 365; and at least 80 credits completed by the start of the course.

Action to achieve social justice depends, ultimately, on an understanding of what social justice is. What makes a society just? How is a just society ordered? What does social justice look like up close? If our society is not currently just, how may we justly make it so? This Signature Work section of Philosophies of Social Justice considers competing (though sometimes overlapping) accounts of social justice that are of continuing relevance today, such as those found in the traditions of classical liberalism, socialism, Catholicism, and critical theory. One goal is to understand where such accounts agree, where they disagree, and why. Another goal is to appreciate how such traditions have animated and continue to animate the pursuit of justice, especially for marginalized persons in the United States. Prerequisites: PHIL 110 or PHIL 197; and at least 80 credits completed by the start of the course.

Action to achieve social justice depends, ultimately, on an understanding of what social justice is. What makes a society just? How is a just society ordered? What does social justice look like up close? If our society is not currently just, how may we justly make it so? This course considers competing (though sometimes overlapping) accounts of social justice that are of continuing relevance today, such as those found in the traditions of classical liberalism, socialism, Catholicism, and critical theory. One goal is to understand where such accounts agree, where they disagree, and why. Another goal is to appreciate how such traditions have animated and continue to animate the pursuit of justice, especially for marginalized persons in the United States. Prerequisites: PHIL 110 or PHIL 197; and at least 80 credits completed by the start of the course.

The highest branch of philosophy, and the branch of philosophy that most helps us reach our natural end as human persons, is natural theology or philosophy of God. Natural theology is the project of arguing for the existence of God, and uncovering as much as possible about God’s nature, without relying on any putative supernatural revelation – instead relying on natural reason alone. In this course we will take a deep dive into the natural theology of St. Thomas Aquinas, by engaging in a close reading of Book 1 of his Summa contra Gentiles. Prerequisite: PHIL 365.

Natural theology is the project of arguing for the existence of God, and uncovering as much as possible about God’s nature, without relying on any putative supernatural revelation – instead relying on natural reason alone. In this course we will take a deep dive into the natural theology of St. Thomas Aquinas, by engaging in a close reading of Book 1 of his Summa contra Gentiles. We will also briefly explore work from contemporary analytic philosophers on the fine-tuning argument, reformed epistemology, the problem of evil, and Pascal’s Wager. The mode of instruction will alternate between seminar-style discussion (on Tuesdays) and Socratic lecture (on Thursdays). Prerequisite: PHIL 365.

This is an intermediate level Spanish language and culture course for students who plan to work in health-related careers such as medicine, nursing, medical translation/interpretation, physical therapy, or health education. The course provides students with the medical Spanish terminology and intercultural competence to improve their interactions with Spanish-speaking patients and clients. Prerequisites: SPAN 211 or its equivalent with a grade of C- or better; placement beyond the SPAN211 level

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

An introduction to both contemporary and historical Hispanic linguistics. Descriptive Spanish phonetics and phonology. History of the Spanish language with emphasis on historical sound-change phenomena. Systematic study of dialectal variation in both Spain and Spanish America. Prerequisites: Successful completion of SPAN 301 and 305 or their equivalents with a C- or better in each course, (may be taken simultaneously with SPAN 305).

An introduction to Spanish and Spanish American narrative, drama and poetry. Strongly recommended for students who minor in Spanish. The course is designed to teach students the skills of critical reading and literary analysis. Prerequisites: Successful completion of SPAN 300, 301, 305 or their equivalent with a C- or better in each course.

This course will introduce students to foundational concepts in science and its social impacts through discussion of the scientific method, boundaries of science, media construction of science, and the contribution of science in trust building and decision-making in various contexts. The course is designed to help students gain understanding and knowledge of contextual factors that shaped science and the uneven impacts on traditionally marginalized groups. Coursework will help students develop diverse and critical perspectives of communication about science concerning marginalized communities. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing 

This section involves the student in an intensive historical, literary, and theological reading of major portions of the New Testament in the Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts and from the perspective of modern methods of biblical interpretation. In addition, the course explores the New Testament as a foundational document for modern Christian traditions in the development of doctrine, in the expressions of worship, and in the articulation of moral principles.

This section involves the student in an intensive historical, literary, and theological reading of major portions of the New Testament in the Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts and from the perspective of modern methods of biblical interpretation. In addition, the course explores the New Testament as a foundational document for modern Christian traditions in the development of doctrine, in the expressions of worship, and in the articulation of moral principles.

Genesis and Human Nature investigates the foundational narrative —the biblical story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden — as well as its “afterlife” in ancient Judaism, early Christianity, classical Islam, the European Renaissance and modernity. From these texts emerge key issues that frame the human experience: questions of human origins, humanity's place in the cosmos, constructions of gender, and perspectives on sin and punishment. Through engagement with these texts and concepts, students will wrestle with some of the core texts in the western tradition.

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

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

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

This section journeys through the whole Christian story, from creation through the drama of sin and salvation to the hope for the age to come. It explores how Christian belief sheds light on contemporary issues such as food sustainability, racial justice, or human cloning. This section journeys through the whole Christian story, from creation through the drama of sin and salvation to the hope for the age to come. It explores how Christian belief sheds light on contemporary issues such as food sustainability, racial justice, or human cloning.

This section journeys through the whole Christian story, from creation through the drama of sin and salvation to the hope for the age to come. It explores how Christian belief sheds light on contemporary issues such as food sustainability, racial justice, or human cloning.

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

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

This course will analyze and evaluate the coverage of religion and religious issues in the mass media (primarily in newspaper and magazines) and analyze religiously-inspired or religiously-themed media products (primarily in films, radio, television programs, and books). This course attempts to develop skills in detecting the religious thread in the tapestry of modern culture, interpreting the theological content in popular culture, critically analyzing the coverage of religion in the news, and appreciating the ways in which the finest examples of religiously-themed popular culture have advanced the theological conversation of which all modern believers are a part.

Is beauty "in the eye of the beholder"? Are "beauty" and "prettiness" synonymous? Are "beauty" and "ugliness" opposites? Might beauty still be considered a transcendental aspect of being along with the true and the good? Is it possible that Beauty is a name for God, or a means by which God reveals God's self in the created order? This course examines a variety of theological approaches to these questions, both ancient and modern. It also explores the implications of varying answers to these questions for the arts, and for lives of faith. 

This section is an introduction to the interrelationship between Christian theology (the understanding of the Christian faith), and the natural sciences. It explores the relationship between scientific and theological methods and modes of knowledge, and considers some of the central topics of Christian theology - God, creation, providence, resurrections, and afterlife - in the light of modern scientific evidence and theories.

This section examines Christian theological and moral reflection on the relation between human activity and the natural environment. It will address environmental issues that are of mutual concern to theologians and the natural or social sciences; thus it will study scientific analysis along with theological perspectives. The course will also review contemporary practices and/or policies that address environmental problems.

This course will invite students to engage traditions of Latin American and U.S. Black liberation theologies in their origins and developments, theological content, and transformations in the contemporary period. In resistance to a dominant narrative that categorizes liberation theologies as past or fatally flawed phenomena, this course will trace how liberationist methods and praxes have survived bad-faith critics while responding and adapting to methodological problems and blind spots. Students will be invited to apply a liberationist hermeneutic to their own contexts and evaluate for themselves if this way of doing theology continues to hold promise today.

This course will invite students to engage traditions of Latin American and U.S. Black liberation theologies in their origins and developments, theological content, and transformations in the contemporary period. In resistance to a dominant narrative that categorizes liberation theologies as past or fatally flawed phenomena, this course will trace how liberationist methods and praxes have survived bad-faith critics while responding and adapting to methodological problems and blind spots. Students will be invited to apply a liberationist hermeneutic to their own contexts and evaluate for themselves if this way of doing theology continues to hold promise today.

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

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

In this course, students will explore approaches to theology that emerge out of diverse cultural contexts. Sections may focus on biblical interpretation, dynamics of church life, mission work, or transnational solidarity through the eyes of the marginalized, or they may focus on efforts to articulate and bear witness to the gospel amid new cultures and historical challenges, according to the instructor’s discretion. Sections may focus on experiences of marginalization and oppression as a source for theological reflection for women (giving rise to feminist/womanist/mujerista theologies, for example), or for people of color or indigenous peoples (giving rise to Latin American, African-American, Minjung, and South African liberation theologies, for example), or for economically exploited classes (also giving rise to liberation theologies). This course will thus provide an opportunity to learn how the global Christian community is gaining fresh insights into the gospel that were missed when the dominant perspective on theology reflected primarily the experience of European men, or to learn how claims by Christians have at various times served both to challenge and to reinforce systems of power and privilege.

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

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

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

In the last two decades, Islam and Muslims have become a major topic of discussion in American and European media, politics, and society. A constant refrain in this discussion is the question of the compatibility of Islam and Muslims with modern, secular, Western ideas and values. This course will complicate this sort of questioning by examining the complexity and diveristy of the relationships between Islam, modernity, and the West. It will look examine the rise of modern ideas and values in Europe, their challenge to Christianity, and their worldwide spread through colonialism and globalization, and trace the history of Muslim intellectual and theological responses to modernity. It will examine Muslim modernist, traditionalist, reformist, fundamentalist, and Islamist movements and figures from the eighteenth century to the present and focus on how Muslim thinkers have responded to such modern issues as colonialism, modern science and technology, democracy, gender, human rights, the environment, and living in a pluralistic world.

This section examines the theological themes of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Lakota traditions. These themes will be studied alongside Christianity, clarifying similarities and differences.

This section examines the theological themes of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Lakota traditions. These themes will be studied alongside Christianity, clarifying similarities and differences.

This section examines the theological themes of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Lakota traditions. These themes will be studied alongside Christianity, clarifying similarities and differences.

If to work is to share in the creative activity of God, then what specific challenge does this pose for an attorney given the grinding realities of the legal profession? If to be a professional is to live out a tripartite relationship between self, client, and a higher standard, then how does an attorney determine, much less respond to such a standard? Through a close reading of a variety of theological texts, treaties, case studies and rules of professional conduct, this course will address these questions and, in so doing, attempt to fashion a paradigm for the Christian practice of law. Within this paradigm, emphasis will be placed on the meaning of justice, law, rights and responsibilities. An ethic of care that fosters the development of a compassionate world and a common life will be emphasized.

What is a good health care professional? This course pursues this question and possible answers to it, from a historical, moral, and theological point of view. Reading and discussion will be guided by a detailed investigation of the scientific/technological, economic, and cultural forces that are presently complicating our traditional understanding of health care. Emphasis throughout will be on the Christian tradition of moral inquiry as a resource for responding to this question.

Open to all students, not only theology majors, the signature work in theology course is designed as a capstone experience to integrate a student’s entire college career, bringing fullness of expression to the University’s efforts through the liberal arts core to educate morally responsible leaders who, grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition, think critically, act wisely, and work skillfully to advance the common good. There are two types of signature work in theology: signature work that is focused on contemporary challenges, or signature work that is focused on faith and the professions. Signature work that is focused on contemporary challenges will invite students to conduct research and/or experiential learning around matters of pressing concern according to the instructor’s discretion, such as fostering understanding across lines of religious difference; cultivating interfaith leadership; searching for beauty; establishing justice and peace; or responding to contemporary challenges such as environmental sustainability, immigration, or mass incarceration. Signature work that is focused on vocation may explore the integration of theology with a profession of the instructor’s choosing, such as the management professions, the legal professions, the medical professions, the public health professions, the psychological professions, or the engineering professions. Prerequisites: THEO 100 and a student must have at least 80 credits completed.

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

Open to all students, not only theology majors, the signature work in theology course is designed as a capstone experience to integrate a student’s entire college career, bringing fullness of expression to the University’s efforts through the liberal arts core to educate morally responsible leaders who, grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition, think critically, act wisely, and work skillfully to advance the common good. There are two types of signature work in theology: signature work that is focused on contemporary challenges, or signature work that is focused on faith and the professions. Signature work that is focused on contemporary challenges will invite students to conduct research and/or experiential learning around matters of pressing concern according to the instructor’s discretion, such as fostering understanding across lines of religious difference; cultivating interfaith leadership; searching for beauty; establishing justice and peace; or responding to contemporary challenges such as environmental sustainability, immigration, or mass incarceration. Signature work that is focused on vocation may explore the integration of theology with a profession of the instructor’s choosing, such as the management professions, the legal professions, the medical professions, the public health professions, the psychological professions, or the engineering professions. Prerequisites: THEO 100 and a student must have at least 80 credits completed.

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

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

What is Italian cinema, and what do diverse directors like Fellini, Wertmüller, and Antonioni have to say about topics like fascism, love, and existential despair? Covering everything from neorealism to spaghetti westerns, this course will introduce students to film theory and demonstrate how to close-read movies and analyze them through writing. Potential films include LA DOLCE VITA, ROME OPEN CITY, and ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST. This course counts as an ENGL 200-level elective for English majors/minors, an ENGL 211+ allied course for select business majors, a History/Criticism/Theory course for Film Studies majors and minors, and a WAC Writing Intensive requirement. It also satisfies both the Integration in the Humanities and the Global Studies requirements. Prerequisites: None. NOTE: This course is cross-listed with FILM 297: there are 10 seats on the ENGL 297 side and 10 seats available on the FILM 298 side.

Historically, technical and professional writers have been principally responsible for contributing documentation to technological products and processes. Among the primary reasons for needing to create documentation are 1) ensuring that users understand and can work products safely and 2) complying with regulations that help to meet these goals. With that in mind, this course asks students to consider the following questions: How are individuals impacted by technological products and processes? Who is responsible for creating technological processes and products and what responsibilities they have to users who come from marginalized communities? How do marginalized users of technology usurp technological affordances to create, build, and communicate within a community network? Specifically, we will explore how women, LGBT individuals, and BIPOC communities are depicted, represented and affected by technologies when there is a disconnect between technology designers and users. In addition, students will come away with a better understanding of how marginalized communities circumvent constraints to accomplish their own goals through the use of technologies across various contexts (medical, health, communication, political, etc.). Exploring these domains will help students to pay better attention to user needs as they pursue post-graduation opportunities across such disciplines as writing, engineering, health, business, and law. This course satisfies a WAC Writing in to Learn requirement. an Integrations in the Humanities requirement, and the Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice requirement. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

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

What is Italian cinema, and what do diverse directors like Fellini, Wertmüller, and Antonioni have to say about topics like fascism, love, and existential despair? Covering everything from neorealism to spaghetti westerns, this course will introduce students to film theory and demonstrate how to close-read movies and analyze them through writing. Potential films include LA DOLCE VITA, ROME OPEN CITY, and ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST. This course counts as an ENGL 200-level elective for English majors/minors, an ENGL 211+ allied course for select business majors, a History/Criticism/Theory course for Film Studies majors and minors, and a WAC Writing Intensive requirement. It also satisfies both the Integration in the Humanities and the Global Studies requirements. Prerequisites: None. NOTE: This course is cross-listed with ENGL 297: there are 10 seats on the FILM 297 side and 10 seats available on the ENGL 297 side.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A philosophical examination into the origin, nature, purpose, and legitimacy of government and law, especially as these relate to the good of individuals and the common good. Possible questions include: Are human beings by nature political animals? What justifies political and legal authority? What sorts of political regimes can be just and legitimate? Is there a best type of government? Are there universal human rights and, if so, where do they come from? What are the respective roles of legislator, executive, and judge? Can civil disobedience ever be justified? Can violent revolution? Should government and law take stands on questions of morality, religion, and the meaning of life or try to remain neutral in these matters? The course will consider both classical and contemporary reflection on such topics, including from authors within Catholic intellectual tradition in conversation with other traditions and perspectives. Prerequisite: PHIL 110 or PHIL 115.

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

A consideration of the ethical dimensions of human interaction with the environment, including inquiry into the scope and justification of our obligations concerning the environment. Possible topics include: the question of who all (or what all) count as the proper objects of moral consideration, animal welfare, species preservation, conservation, climate change, environmental racism, population pressure, sustainability, and what it means to say that human beings are charged with the care of Creation. Special attention will be given to reflection on these topics from within Catholic intellectual tradition, in dialogue with other traditions and perspectives. Prerequisite: PHIL 110 or PHIL 115.

This Signature Work section of Disability and Human Dignity is a comprehensive introduction to the most pressing issues and questions concerning disability. Students will encounter and critically evaluate longstanding stereotypes and biases about the disadvantages of disability. This course examines disability primarily from a philosophical perspective, yet readings from other disciplines will also be used throughout the course. Some of the central questions examined in the course include: What is disability? Is disability merely a medical condition? In what ways do societal barriers disable? How does economic class impact access to educational, medical and social resources? Does disability itself make a person worse off or is it only social stigmatization and lack of accommodation that makes the lives of those with disabilities worse? How have those with disabilities been disadvantaged in the US? What is the basis for human dignity? What conceptual frameworks allow us to uphold the dignity of those with severe disabilities? Which behaviors and assumptions threaten the equality and dignity of those with disabilities? Prerequisites: PHIL 110 or PHIL 115; and at least 80 credits completed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

ARTH 265 Art and Archaeology of Ancient Mesoamerica: This course introduces students to the art, architecture, and archaeology of the Aztecs, Maya, Olmec, Zapotecs, and their contemporaries in Pre-Columbian America. Participants will explore the rich cultural history of this region (that includes parts of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador), and investigate how the art, architecture, and archeological remains of Mesoamerican peoples can be used to expand our knowledge of their religious practices, ideology, and societal institutions

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

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

Modernist artists strove to find a visual language of expression appropriate to their time; yet many contemporaries found their works incomprehensible, as do many people today. An open-minded and historically informed investigation of modern art helps to make sense of it. This course will explore the history of European painting and sculpture from 1880 to 1940. It will consider the many movements that characterized modernism, such as Post-Impressionism, Symbolism, Fauvism, Cubism, Futurism, Expressionism, Dada, Surrealism, and Constructivism. Issues to be addressed include the rejection of tradition, the development of abstraction, the impact of World War I and its aftermath, the influence of science and technology on art, and the fate of modernism under Hitler's and Stalin's regimes. Particular attention will be paid to the theoretical underpinnings of modern art.

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

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

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

What makes a text a work of Catholic literature? How do Catholic writers struggle with the existential questions of meaning, purpose, or suffering in a unique fashion? How do the themes they engage—such as forgiveness, redemption, or the power of grace in the world—place them within the Catholic tradition? Is there a sacramental imagination or incarnational theology at the root of a work of Catholic literature? Such questions will be explored in a chronological framework through extensive readings of representative texts of Catholic literature in both English and translation from the medieval era through the present. This course satisfies an Integration in the Humanities requirement and a WAC Writing to Learn requirement; it also satisfies a Traditions 200-level course requirement for Catholic Studies majors and a Historical Perspectives requirement for English majors. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190. NOTE: This is a cross-listed class with English, with 10 seats available on the CATH 222 side and 10 seats available on the ENGL 222 side.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Since the days of Leonardo da Vinci, writers of natural history have straddled science and literature in their attempts to understand the world. We'll read and analyze the works of great naturalists and incorporate some of their strategies--empirical observation, reporting, academic research, memoir--into our own writing. Authors may include Italian biologist Francesco Redi; French naturalist Jean-Henri Fabre; U.S. poet Robert Frost; and others. This course satisfies the WAC Writing Intensive requirement, an Integration in the Humanities requirement, and counts towards the Sustainability minor. Please note that ENGL 201 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 202, 203, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

Since the days of Leonardo da Vinci, writers of natural history have straddled science and literature in their attempts to understand the world. We'll read and analyze the works of great naturalists and incorporate some of their strategies--empirical observation, reporting, academic research, memoir--into our own writing. Authors may include Italian biologist Francesco Redi; French naturalist Jean-Henri Fabre; U.S. poet Robert Frost; and others. This course satisfies the WAC Writing Intensive requirement, an Integration in the Humanities requirement, and counts towards the Sustainability minor. Please note that ENGL 201 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 202, 203, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

A survey of Irish Studies – history, literature, politics, and culture – in translation and in English from pre-historical times to the present. Though emphasis will be on the last 100 years and Ireland’s place in Europe, the course will do so through the study and consideration of selected works from nearly 2500 years of Irish writing. Likely authors to be read include Swift, Edgeworth, Yeats, Joyce, Heaney, Boland, O'Brien, and Doyle. This course satisfies an Integration in the Humanities requirement, a Global Perspectives requirement, and a WAC Writing to Learn requirement. It also satisfies a requirement for the minor in Irish Studies. Prerequisite: None. NOTE: This is a cross-listed course with Irish Studies. There are 10 seats on the ENGL side and 10 seats on the IRST side.

This course explores films directed by Martin Scorsese as well as the literature that inspired his screenplays, from nonfiction by Nicholas Pileggi and David Gran to fiction by Edith Wharton to critical articles and interviews examining Scorsese’s oeuvre. As an auteur survey, we will look at Scorsese’s early short films and break out films like Mean Streets (1973) and Taxi Driver (1976) and then continue with Scorsese’s films in the late twentieth and early twenty-fist centuries. Thematically, these films frequently feature organized crime and systemic corruption in America, exploring how crime functions within and outside the law (Casino, 1995; The Departed, 2006). Stylistically, many have been groundbreaking in their use of first-person voice over narration, a narrative device used in many noir films of the 1940s but with new vitality in films like Good Fellas (1990) and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). In addition, historical dramas like Gangs of New York (2002) and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) explore crime in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries of America, illustrating a continuum of corruption into the present day. Scorsese’s films never shy away from the violence of American greed, whether it’s New York in the 1860s or the Gilded Age or the Great Depression, whether it’s in Oklahoma or on Wall Street or inside a boxing ring. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies the WAC Writing Intensive requirement, an Integration in the Humanities requirement, and a Film Studies major/minor requirement. Please note that ENGL 202 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 203, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190. NOTE: This is a cross-listed course with ten seats available on the FILM 297-W01 side and ten seats available on the ENGL 202-W01 side.

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

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

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

The Midwest is a geographically sprawling region with astounding environmental diversity and a long history of continuous inhabitation and cataclysmic change - from indigenous societies to colonization, from an agricultural utopia to sprawling urban landscapes. It is home to environmental features essential to the American imagination – the Mississippi, the Great Plains, the Great Lakes. Stories and cultures of its inhabitants have celebrated its beauty and diversity and have born witness to, and often participated in, its transformation. This course will take an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the connection between environment and culture in the American Midwest. We’ll study literature, film, history, and works from social and environmental science to help us understand the complexity of Midwest environments and the ways humans have changed and been changed by them. We’ll explore basic principles of critical theory and apply these theories to better understand how race, class, gender, and ecological orientation shape the stories we tell about place. We’ll pay particular attention to patterns in stories and environmental knowledge about the Midwest that help us make sense of change and prepare for the environmental changes becoming a part of our everyday experience. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies the WAC Writing Intensive requirement, an Integration in the Humanities requirement, and counts towards the Sustainability minor. Please note that ENGL 202 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 203, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

This course will explore the unique perspectives and literary achievements of Minnesota authors. By examining these diverse voices and their cultural and historical points of view, students will gain a deeper understanding of the great contributions these authors have made to the American literary canon. Possible texts include: The Sentence by Louise Erdrich, Somewhere in the Unknown World by Kao Kalia Yang, Until They Bring Back the Streetcars Back by Stanley Gordon West, and Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger. This course satisfies the WAC Writing Intensive requirement and an Integration in the Humanities requirement. Please note that ENGL 203 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 202, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

Bernard Malamud (author of THE NATURAL) once wrote: "The whole history of baseball has the quality of mythology." This course will examine baseball literature as we read from a variety of writings about our baseball heroes, both the men and the women, who played the game that we call "our national pastime." We will look at our country's romanticism with baseball and how writers who wrote about it helped give the sport its mythological dimensions. Selections will include essays, short stories, and poetry by authors who loved the game. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies the WAC Writing Intensive requirement, an Integration in the Humanities requirement, and counts towards the Sports Studies minor.. Please note that ENGL 203 is non-repeatable; students wishing to take a second 200-level Texts in Conversation course will need to register for ENGL 201, 202, or 204. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190.

How has the category of “English literature” expanded as a result of global changes over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries? How have authors responded to fundamental upheavals in the individual, religion, the British Empire, the role of women, and the value of poetry and art? Such questions will be explored in a chronological framework through extensive readings in the British literary tradition from approximately 1789 to the present. Threaded throughout the literature are themes such as revolution and reform, authorship, war, nationality and race, and the relationships between literature and other arts. This course fulfills the Historical Perspectives requirement in the English major. Prerequisites: ENGL 121 or 190. 

How did the modern warfare of World War I change those who fought and those who stayed at home? Why did so many of the best American artists flee to Paris? How did the traditionalism and stability of the 1950s lead to the radicalism and rebellion of the 60s? How has technology, from the typewriter to the internet, reshaped literature? Such questions will be explored in a chronological framework though extensive readings in American literature from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present. Threaded throughout the literature are themes such as progress and innovation, war, the “lost generation,” the New Woman, race, and conformity and individuality. This course fulfills the Historical Perspectives requirement in the English major. Prerequisites: ENGL 121 or 190. 

What makes a text a work of Catholic literature? How do Catholic writers struggle with the existential questions of meaning, purpose, or suffering in a unique fashion? How do the themes they engage—such as forgiveness, redemption, or the power of grace in the world—place them within the Catholic tradition? Is there a sacramental imagination or incarnational theology at the root of a work of Catholic literature? Such questions will be explored in a chronological framework through extensive readings of representative texts of Catholic literature in both English and translation from the medieval era through the present. This course satisfies an Integration in the Humanities requirement and a WAC Writing to Learn requirement; it also satisfies a Historical Perspectives requirement for English majors and a a Traditions 200-level course requirement for Catholic Studies majors. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190. NOTE: This is a cross-listed class with Catholic Studies, with 10 seats available on the ENGL 222 side and 10 seats available on the CATH 222 side.

This course introduces students to principles and skills necessary for writing in professional settings. It includes study of rhetoric, ethics, and information design in workplace writing; examination of the roles of professional writers; close readings of texts and documents that model professional techniques; and practice composing in a variety of professional genres. The course will include instruction in ethical communication, rhetorical context, document design, communication technologies, precision, concision, and tone. This course fulfills the Theory and Practice requirement in the English major. Prerequisites: ENGL 121 or 190.  

As video games have become increasingly complex, there’s a stronger need than ever for video game writers and narrative designers. But what is a narrative designer? In this course, students will study how professionals write video games and then attempt to do so themselves. Using a variety of simple-to-learn programs, students will collaborate in small development teams in addition to writing their own meaningful video games. Examples such as GONE HOME or UNDERTALE will be analyzed in class. Prerequisites: ENGL 121 or 190

This course is an introduction to the systematic study of the English language, with an emphasis on connections between academic linguistics and relevant social and educational questions. Students will study the English sound system through phonetics and phonology, how words are formed through morphology, how words combine to create clauses and meaning through syntax and semantics. After learning the linguistic tools to describe the English language, students will examine the contexts of language production in real life through the study of U.S. dialects, historical and ongoing changes in English, and various social interactions in language. This course fulfills the Theory and Practice requirement in the English major. Prerequisites: ENGL 121 or 190.  

This course traces the genealogies of abolition from the efforts to end slavery in this country through contemporary calls to abolish the prison industrial complex. Briefly, in its contemporary incarnation, Abolition is a political method and practice that calls into question existing punishment systems and political and economic formations that perpetuate violence. In this course, we will explore the work of those who practice this philosophy, extending their invitation to dream boldly and lead with care and accountability in how we respond to harm and violence. We will engage literature that helps us understand the essence of abolition and why people across generations have found it useful. We will also familiarize ourselves with contemporary abolitionist practices in the world and invite our learning community to interrogate collectively root causes of violence and imagine a world we long for. We will read essays by Gloria Anzaldúa, W.E.B. DuBois, Angela Davis, Nick Estes, Fred Moten, Ruth Wilson Gilmore, Mariame Kaba, and David Walker, and fiction, poetry, and plays by Octavia Butler, Natalie Diaz, Audre Lorde, Toni Morrison, Colson Whitehead, and August Wilson, among others. This course satisfies an Integration in the Humanities requirement; the Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice requirement, a WAC Writing to Learn requirement, and major/minor requirements for English and Justice and Peace Studies students. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190. NOTE: This course is cross-listed with JPST 298-L01; there are 12 seats on the ENGL 337-L01 side and 8 seats on the JPST 298-L01 side.

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

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

This course explores films directed by Martin Scorsese as well as the literature that inspired his screenplays, from nonfiction by Nicholas Pileggi and David Gran to fiction by Edith Wharton to critical articles and interviews examining Scorsese’s oeuvre. As an auteur survey, we will look at Scorsese’s early short films and break out films like Mean Streets (1973) and Taxi Driver (1976) and then continue with Scorsese’s films in the late twentieth and early twenty-fist centuries. Thematically, these films frequently feature organized crime and systemic corruption in America, exploring how crime functions within and outside the law (Casino, 1995; The Departed, 2006). Stylistically, many have been groundbreaking in their use of first-person voice over narration, a narrative device used in many noir films of the 1940s but with new vitality in films like Good Fellas (1990) and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). In addition, historical dramas like Gangs of New York (2002) and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) explore crime in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries of America, illustrating a continuum of corruption into the present day. Scorsese’s films never shy away from the violence of American greed, whether it’s New York in the 1860s or the Gilded Age or the Great Depression, whether it’s in Oklahoma or on Wall Street or inside a boxing ring. The writing load for this course is a minimum of 15 pages of formal revised writing. This course satisfies the WAC Writing Intensive requirement, an Integration in the Humanities requirement, and a History/Theory requirement for Film Studies majors and minors. Prerequisite: ENGL 121 or 190. NOTE: This is a cross-listed course with English; 10 seats are on the FILM 297-W01 side and 10 seats are on the ENGL 202-W01 side.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A survey of Irish Studies – history, literature, politics, and culture – in translation and in English from pre-historical times to the present. Though emphasis will be on the last 100 years and Ireland’s place in Europe, the course will do so through the study and consideration of selected works from nearly 2500 years of Irish writing. Likely authors to be read include Swift, Edgeworth, Yeats, Joyce, Heaney, Boland, O'Brien, and Doyle. This course satisfies an Integration in the Humanities requirement, a Global Perspectives requirement, and a WAC Writing to Learn requirement. It also satisfies a requirement for the minor in Irish Studies. Prerequisite: None. NOTE: This is a cross-listed course with English. There are 10 seats on the IRST side and 10 seats on the ENGL side.

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

Major aspects of world and local conflict, theories of social science relating to conflict and violence, and various proposals for solutions. Among the aspects of conflict studied are cultural differences, scarcity of resources, economic and social structures, international trade, the arms race, corruption, oppression and war. Proposed solutions assessed include development, structural changes, world governance, multinational agencies, military power, civilian-based defense, active nonviolence for social change, conflict resolution, disarmament, cultural exchange, religious revival and prayer. These topics are considered in the light of theory, history, and literature. Students apply these concepts by investigating one country or geographic area in depth through a semester long research project. Usually offered every semester.

Major aspects of world and local conflict, theories of social science relating to conflict and violence, and various proposals for solutions. Among the aspects of conflict studied are cultural differences, scarcity of resources, economic and social structures, international trade, the arms race, corruption, oppression and war. Proposed solutions assessed include development, structural changes, world governance, multinational agencies, military power, civilian-based defense, active nonviolence for social change, conflict resolution, disarmament, cultural exchange, religious revival and prayer. These topics are considered in the light of theory, history, and literature. Students apply these concepts by investigating one country or geographic area in depth through a semester long research project. Usually offered every semester.

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

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