MSU offers a range of courses focused broadly on Europe. The list below was compiled in Fall 2024 and is updated periodically.
Arts and Letters
AL 431: European Fairy Tale Tradition
Summer Semester – 3 credit hours
Integrative exploration of fairy tale genre through time and cultures, introduced through multiple disciplines within Arts and Letters.
Agricultural Technology
AT 101: Spanish for the Agricultural Industry
Spring Semester – 2 credit hours
Practical Spanish language and culture related to the agricultural industry.
Classical Studies
CLA 190: Introduction to Classics
Fall of odd years – 3 credit hours
Introduction to classical Greek and Roman culture and to the methods of studying the ancient world. Topics from history, literature, epigraphy, papyrology, medicine, religion, and technology.
CLA 491: Topics in Classical Studies
Spring of even years – 3 credit hours.
Special topics supplement regular course offerings.
Economics
EC 340: Survey of International Economics
Fall, Spring, & Summer Semesters – 3 credit hours
Comparative advantage. Costs and benefits of trade. International economic policies. Balance of payments. Foreign exchange markets. The international monetary system. Contemporary trade and international currency issues.
EC 440: International Trade (W)
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Neoclassical and modern theories regarding trade patterns and commercial policies. Applications of theory to United States policy. Contemporary issues involving international trade of goods, services, and productive factors.
EC 441: International Finance (W)
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Neoclassical and modern theories pertaining to balance of payments and exchange rate determination. Macroeconomic performance under alternative exchange rate regimes. Contemporary issues involving international monetary arrangements.
English
ENG 205: Topics in British Literatures
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Selected texts from British literatures drawn from a variety of genres and historical periods, reflecting the diversity of human experiences and the continuity of human concerns.
ENG 206: Topics in Global Literatures
Fall & Spring Semesters - 3 credit hours
Selected texts of various genres from literatures across the globe written in English, reflecting the diversity of human experience.
ENG 218: Introduction to Shakespeare
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Selected plays from different periods and genres of Shakespeare's career.
ENG 315: Readings in British Literatures
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Extensive readings of texts from the British Isles and Empire, selected across genres, historical periods, and/or regions.
ENG 316: Readings in Irish Literature and Culture
Spring & Summer Semesters – 3 credit hours
Extensive readings of texts by Irish writers selected across genres, periods, and/or regions.
ENG 318: Readings in Shakespeare
|Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Extensive readings in Shakespeare’s works across genres, considered in relation to historical, cultural, and performance contexts.
ENG 356: Readings in Jewish Literature
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Extensive readings in a range of genres by Jewish writers, including fiction, poetry, drama, memoir, and/or film. Cultural and artistic contexts of Jewish literature.
ENG 368: Studies in Medieval/Early Modern Literature
On demand – 3 credit hours
Extensive reading and research in literary texts in English in multiple genres. Focused on one or more periods from ca. 650 to 1660.
ENG 426: Seminar in Drama or Performance Studies
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Advanced analysis in American, British, Continental European or World drama or in performance studies. Topics vary.
ENG 452: Seminar in 20th and 21st Century British Literature
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Advanced analysis in literary culture of Britain, Ireland, and other countries influenced by England, exclusive of the United States, from the modern and contemporary eras. Topics vary.
ENG 454: Seminar in Medieval Literature and Culture
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Advanced analysis in texts and cultural contexts of late medieval Britain. Chaucer, Langland, the Gawain-poet, Arthurian romance, mystical writers, drama. Some selections in Middle English. Topics vary.
ENG 457: Seminar in 18th-Century British Literature
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Advanced analysis in British writing from 1660-1837, considering issues such as decline of the epic, emergence of satire, rise of the novel, romanticism, and revolutionary discourse. Topics vary.
ENG 458: Seminar in 19th-Century British Literature
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Advanced analysis in British texts, culture and society from 1789-1914, considering issues such as the development of empire, scientific culture, revolution, nationalism, the woman question, aestheticism. Topics vary.
ENG 460: Seminar in Global and Postcolonial Literature
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Advanced analysis in textual cultures of colonial/postcolonial societies. Theories of colonial discourse, postcolonialism, globalization. Literary or visual materials from Africa, Latin America, Asia, or diaspora. Topics vary.
ENG 462: Seminar in Transatlantic Literature
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Advanced analysis in the formation of modern literature within a transatlantic zone of cultural transfer, displacement, and movement, from the seventeenth century to the present. Topics vary.
ENG 893: Interdisciplinary Seminar
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 3 credit hours
Examination of a theme, topic, or genre from several different national and disciplinary perspectives in the appropriate cultural and socio-historical context. Significant texts and important critical analysis selected from Great Britain, Spain, France, Germany, the Americas, and others.
Film Studies
FLM 400: Seminar in the History of Film
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Selected movements or traditions in film history. Silent film, studio film, New Wave, or British film.
French
FRN 101: Elementary French I
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 4 credit hours
Practice in using and understanding French to develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and cultural topics.
FRN 102: Elementary French II
Fall & Spring Semesters – 4 credit hours
Further practice in using and understanding French to develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and cultural topics.
FRN 103: Intensive Elementary French Abroad I
Summer Semester – 3 credit hours
Build foundations for continued development in competency in the spoken and written French language through a variety of texts, videos, and multimedia to present contemporary culture in the French-speaking world.
FRN 104: Intensive Elementary French Abroad II
Summer Semester – 3 credit hours
Expand knowledge to ensure continued development in competency in the spoken and written French language through a variety of texts, videos, and multimedia to present contemporary culture in the French-speaking world.
FRN 201: Second-Year French I
Fall & Spring Semesters – 4 credit hours
Intermediate-level review and development of aural comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Topics in the cultures of the French-speaking world.
FRN 202: Second-Year French II
Fall & Spring Semesters – 4 credit hours
Further review and development of aural comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Topics in the cultures of the French-speaking world.
FRN 203: Intensive Intermediate French Abroad I
Summer Semester – 3 credit hours
Develop ability to produce more authentic and more accurate French speech, to comprehend more sophisticated structures in written and oral form, and to broaden understanding of contemporary culture and society in the French-speaking world through a variety of texts, videos, and multimedia.
FRN 204: Intensive Intermediate French Abroad II
Summer Semester - 3 credit hours
Continuation of FRN 203.
FRN 210: Delving into the History of France
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Discovering key moments in the history of France. Reading and discussing written works (from pop culture and/or literary productions) and/or studying other media focusing on historical events (including but not limited to films, songs, paintings, comics, etc.) in their context.
FRN 220: Delving into the Minorities in the Francopshere
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Study of minority populations in the French-speaking world. Reading written works (from pop culture and/or literary productions) and/or studying other media by or about minorities and discussing these productions (including but not limited to films, songs, blogs, graffiti, etc.) in their context.
FRN 230: Delving into French Pronunciation
Fall & Spring Semesters – 1 credit hour
Discovering key elements in French pronunciation; focusing on discriminating similar sounds in listening and speaking; enhancing oral comprehension of French
FRN 240: Delving into French Readings
Fall & Spring Semesters - 1-3 credit hours
Discovering the literature of the French-speaking world through the reading and discussion of selected literary texts. Reading written literary productions and interpreting them. Discovering the time period and context in which they were written.
FRN 250: Delving into the Francosphere
Fall & Spring Semesters - 1-3 credit hours
Discovering the diversity of the French-speaking world. Reading written works (from pop culture and/or literary productions) and/or studying other media productions (including but not limited to films, songs, blogs, graffiti, etc.) produced in or about the French-speaking world. Discovering the context in which they were written.
FRN 290: Independent Study
Fall & Spring Semesters - 1-4 credit hours
Special projects arranged by an individual student and a faculty member in areas supplementing regular course offerings.
FRN 310: Stepping into the 20th Century and Beyond
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 3 credit hours
Key moments in the history of France, from the French Revolution onward. Impact of historical events on the contemporary French-speaking world.
FRN 320: Exploring Diversity and Minorities in the Francosphere
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 3 credit hours
Exploration of diverse perspectives in the French-speaking world. Study of the cultures and arts from various geographical regions, historical periods, and minority groups.
FRN 321: Oral Expression
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Present-day spoken French. Discussions on various aspects of French culture and social interaction, mastery of advanced vocabulary. Readings chosen from current magazines and newspapers and complemented by Web exercises and video materials.
FRN 330: Progressing in French Pronunciation
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 3 credit hours
Practice and analysis of topics related to the pronunciation of the French language. Focus on the development of oral comprehension skills as well as pronunciation accuracy.
FRN 340: Connecting with the Literatures of the Francosphere
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 3 credit hours
Study of the rich diversity of literature written in the French language. Literary works from Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia will expose students to the literary expressions and histories of these cultures.
FRN 350: Connecting with the Cultures of the Francosphere
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 3 credit hours
Initiation into the cultures of the French-speaking world through the study of cultural, literary, media and multimedia materials. Exploration of the Francophone heritage of the following regions: The United States, Canada, the French Caribbean, Africa and Asia. Identification of the complex past and present links between various Francophone regions and the United States.
FRN 391: Special Topics in Study Abroad
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 3 credit hours
French language, literature, culture, or professional studies while studying abroad.
FRN 415: Introduction to French Studies I: Metropolitan France
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Aspects of the culture of France in its many manifestations: literary, artistic, musical, linguistic. Emphasis on historical and social analysis of French cultural artifacts.
FRN 416: Introduction to French Studies II: Francophone Cultures
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Exploration of French culture in the Francophone world outside metropolitan France.
FRN 420: French for Professional Uses
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
French language skills to different professional career trajectories. Topics will vary depending on the semester including translation, French for the business world, economics, the industry of French culture or tourism.
FRN 425: Advanced Studies in French Language
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
To broaden advanced students' capacities for self-expression. Accurate form and appropriate expression through translation, composition, or creative writing. Examination of contrasting styles of expression in view of developing nuances.
FRN 430: Perspectives in the French Language
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 3 credit hours
Issues in French linguistics and the French language, including syntax, phonology, morphology, regional variation, stylistic variation, acquisition, historical evolution, translation. Topics will vary depending on the semester.
FRN 440: Perspectives in Literature and the Arts of the Francosphere
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 3 credit hours
Literary genres and artistic movements in the Francosphere from the Middle Ages to the 21st century. Historical, political, and societal contexts of these literary and artistic movements. Topics will vary depending on the semester.
FRN 445: Theme-Based Seminar
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Organized by themes such as: Francophone women, the uses of myth, the individual and society. Texts may be of diverse literary and artistic forms and from different historical periods.
FRN 446: History-Based Seminar
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Organized by century or artistic period. Examination of the historical, intellectual, and artistic climate surrounding texts.
FRN 447: Genre-Based Seminar
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Based on significant literary or artistic genre such as poetry, novel, short story, essay, theater, film or musical theater from either a synchronic or diachronic perspective.
FRN 450: Perspectives in the Cultures of the Francosphere
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 1-4 credit hours
In-depth exploration of societies and cultures of the French-speaking world. Analysis of the histories, cultural practices, literary and artistic productions, politics, and language of various Francophone regions. Topics will vary depending on the semester.
FRN 490: Independent Study
Fall & Spring Semesters – 1-4 credit hours
Special projects arranged by an individual student and a faculty member in areas supplementing regular course offerings.
FRN 491: Special Topics in Study Abroad
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 3 credit hours
French language, literature, culture, or professional studies while studying abroad. Topics will vary.
FRN 492: Senior Writing Project
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 1 credit hour
Research and preparation of a paper on an interdisciplinary subject that synthesizes at least three areas of a major's undergraduate education. Students work under the supervision of a faculty member.
FRN 800: Reading French
Summer Semester – 3 credit hours
Intensive study of French for students needing a reading knowledge of the language. Focus on reading comprehension of French and translation into English.
FRN 805: Evolution of the French Language
Fall of even years – 3 credit hours
Diachronic examination of the phonological, morphological, and syntactic developments of French as it evolved from Latin.
FRN 806: Topics in French Linguistics
Spring of even years – 3 credit hours
Key issues in theoretical and applied French linguistics. Syntax, morphology, phonology, and semantics. Foreign language acquisition.
FRN 810: Understanding the Early Modern Culture in the Francosphere
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Literary, philosophical, historical, scientific and/or political approaches to the Early Modern Period through cultural artifacts from that period and its contemporary interpretation, including literary texts, theater, art, graphic novels, and film. Understanding the development of humanist and religious perspectives on the world as well as debates regarding society.
FRN 815: Studies in 16th-Century French Literature
Fall of odd years– 3 credit hours
Works of major prose writers and poets of the Renaissance and Reformation.
FRN 820: Minority Perspectives in the Francosphere
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Topics related to cultural expressions and linguistic studies of the experience of minority groups as defined by gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, race, class, disability, national and regional origin, age, etc. in the French-speaking world.
FRN 830: Language(s) in the Francosphere
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Topics related to the French language and/or other languages spoken in the French-speaking world, such as a historical perspective, a focus on minority languages and their legal status, an analysis of cultural productions focused on language and language ideology, a linguistics description of the French language in one or more specific countries.
FRN 840: Understanding France through Literary and Cultural Productions
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Major movements of literature, cinema, and the visual arts from the 19th to the 21st century in metropolitan France, as well as their social, philosophical, historical, scientific and/or political contexts. Understanding the development of modern and post-modern cultures from that period as well as their present interpretations, through literary texts, theater, art, graphic novels, and film.
FRN 850: Francophone Postcolonial and Cultural Studies
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
History, theory and practice of postcolonial thought within the Francophone world, as it intersects with other 20th-century strands of cultural studies. Overview of fundamentals of interdisciplinary study and methods of inquiry into the field of culture in the French-speaking world and its complex interactions with various contemporary social, political, economic, and global phenomena and institutions.
FRN 855: Interdisciplinary Topics in Film Studies
Spring of even years – 3 credit hours
Topics in film studies that engage other disciplines and fields through historical, cultural, and formal content.
FRN 890: Independent Study
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 1-3 credit hours
Special projects, directed reading, and research arranged by an individual graduate student and a faculty member in areas supplementing regular course offerings.
FRN 891: Special Topics in French
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 3 credit hours
Special topics supplementing regular course offerings proposed by faculty on a group-study basis.
FRN 893: Interdisciplinary Seminar
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 3 credit hours
Examination of a theme, topic, or genre from several different national and disciplinary perspectives in the appropriate cultural and socio-historical context. Significant texts and important critical analysis selected from Great Britain, Spain, France, Germany, the Americas, and others.
FRN 896: Ph.D. Exam Preparation in French and Francophone
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Preparation for the Ph.D. exam through creation of an article proposal.
FRN 898: Master's Research Project
Spring of every year– 3 credit hours
Research-based project with pedagogical or other practical application (e.g., software, innovative teaching modules, video).
FRN 899: Master’s Thesis Research
Spring of every year – 4 credit hours
Open to graduate students in the College of Arts and Letters or in the Department of Romance and Classical Studies or in the French Major.
FRN 999: Doctoral Dissertation Research
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 1-24 credit hours
Doctoral dissertation research.
Geography
*GEO 336: Geography of Europe
Fall of even years – 3 credit hours
Major regions and nations, including their physical resources, peoples, political structures, and economies.
GEO 412: Glacial Geology and the Record of Climate Change
Spring of every year – 4 credit hours
In-depth analysis of glacial geology and the record of climate change, with emphasis on North America and Europe. Field trip required.
Greek
GRK 101: Elementary Classical Greek I
Fall of even years – 4 credit hours
Fundamentals of orthography, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and syntax. Translation of elementary readings.
GRK 102: Elementary Classical Greek II
Spring of odd years – 4 credit hours
Fundamentals of vocabulary, grammar, and syntax. Translation of elementary readings.
GRK 290: Independent Study
Fall & Spring Semesters – 1-4 credit hours
Special projects arranged by an individual student and a faculty member in areas supplementing regular course offerings.
GRK 421: Senior Seminar: Sophocles (W)
Spring of odd years – 3 credit hours
Intense study of two tragedies of Sophocles.
GRK 490: Independent Study
Fall & Spring Semesters – 1-4 credit hours
Special projects arranged by an individual student and a faculty member in areas supplementing regular course offerings.
German
GRM 101: Elementary German I
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
German language, civilization, and culture for beginning students. Work on all language skills with emphasis on speaking
GRM 102: Elementary German II
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Further study of German language, civilization, and culture for beginning students. Continued work on all language skills with emphasis on speaking.
GRM 115: Intensive First Year German
Summer Semester – 5 credit hours
Intensive study of German language, civilization, and culture for beginning students. Continued work on all language skills with emphasis on speaking.
GRM 201: Second-Year German I
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Intermediate-level development of all language skills. Reading, viewing, and discussion of a broad range of cultural materials from the German-speaking world.
GRM 202: Second-Year German II
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Further intermediate-level work on all language skills, based on topics such as popular music, literature, film, current events, and culture. Transition course to advanced work in German studies.
GRM 215: Intensive Second Year German
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 5 credit hours
Intensive intermediate-level work on all language skills, based on topics such as popular music, literature, film, current events, and culture. Transition course to advanced work in German studies.
GRM 250: German Literature and Culture in English
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Selected representative texts or themes in the cultures of German-speaking countries.
GRM 290: Independent Study
Fall & Spring Semesters – 1-4 credit hours
Special projects arranged by an individual student and a faculty member in areas supplementing regular course offerings.
GRM 291: Special Topics in Intermediate German
Fall & Spring Semesters – 1 credit hour
Special topics supplementing regular course offerings for students transitioning to 300-level German courses or those taking German as electives.
GRM 301: Third-Year German: Global Germany
Fall & Spring Semesters– 3 credit hours
Advanced speaking, listening comprehension, reading, and writing skills. Intensive work with authentic texts dealing with contemporary issues in the German-speaking world. Selected review of grammar and syntax. Focus on the creation of German identity through migration, immigration, and exile.
GRM 302: Third-Year German: Nature in Germany
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Advanced speaking, listening comprehension, reading, and writing skills. Intensive work with authentic texts dealing with contemporary issues in the German-speaking world. Selected review of grammar and syntax. Focus on the natural world and our often unnatural technologies that interfere with our ecological order. Intensive work with texts and films dealing with forests, gardens, plants, natural explorers, pollution and atomic disaster.
GRM 303: Third-Year German: German Genders
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Advanced speaking, listening comprehension, reading, and writing skills. Intensive work with authentic texts dealing with contemporary issues in the German-speaking world. Selected review of grammar and syntax. Focus on the exploration of gender in German culture, from linguistic forms to social roles.
GRM 304: Third-Year German: German Media
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Advanced speaking, listening comprehension, reading, and writing skills. Intensive work with authentic texts dealing with contemporary issues in the German-speaking world. Selected review of grammar and syntax. Focus on German media throughout history. Intensive work with films, images, written texts, advertising, news, social media, video games, and other forms of expression.
GRM 311: Business German
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Development of proficiency through readings, discussions, and assignments based on materials dealing with the German economic system and Germany in world trade. Taught in German.
GRM 325: Third-Year German: Oral Communication
Spring & Summer Semesters – 3 credit hours
Development of listening comprehension and oral communication in German beyond the intermediate level. Expansion of vocabulary, use of idiomatic expressions and review of grammatical structures relevant for speaking.
*GRM 341: German Literature and Culture Before 1918
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Historical, social, and cultural developments in the German-speaking world before 1918 as revealed in textual material in German, including literature, essays, and film.
*GRM 342: German Literature and Culture since 1918
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Historical, social, and cultural developments in the German-speaking world since 1918 as revealed in textual material in German, including literature, essays, and film.
GRM 420: Advanced German (W)
Fall & Summer Semesters – 3 credit hours
Advanced language skills using a variety of media. Review of grammar and syntax with attention to idiomatic usage and stylistic variation. Major writing project.
*GRM 435: 18th and 19th Century German Literary Studies (W)
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Literary and cultural texts from a given period before 1919 such as the Enlightenment, Romanticism. Representations of cultural identity, social issues and intellectual debates through literature and other texts. Major writing project.
*GRM 445: 20th Century and Contemporary German Literary Studies (W)
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Literary and cultural texts from a given period since 1919. Representations of cultural identity, social issues and intellectual debates through literature, film and other texts. Major writing project.
*GRM 455: Major Themes in German Cultural History (W)
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Evolution of key cultural issues. Use of cultural artifacts in tracing developments across time. Topics such as nationalism, minorities in Germany, literary genres, literacy and popular cultures. Major writing project.
GRM 460: Linguistic Analysis of Modern German
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Analysis of grammatical, lexical, phonological and cultural aspects of German and comparison with English. Course taught in German.
GRM 490: Independent Study
Fall & Spring Semesters – 1-4 credit hours
Special projects arranged by an individual student and a faculty member in areas supplementing regular course offerings.
*GRM 491: Special Topics in German Studies
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 1-4 credit hours
Special topics supplementing regular course offerings proposed by faculty on a group study basis.
*GRM 492: Capstone Project
Fall & Spring Semesters – 1 credit hour
Preparation of a paper or project that synthesizes the student's academic experiences in the major(s). Integration of linguistic, cultural and literary studies in German.
GRM 493: International Internship
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 1-4 credit hours
Experience of German life and language through participation in an approved international internship program.
GRM 499: Senior Thesis Research
Fall & Spring Semesters – 1-4 credit hours
An individual research project supervised by a faculty member that demonstrates the student's ability to do independent research and submit or present a major paper.
GRM 803: Foundations of Contemporary Language Teaching
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Theoretical and research foundations for communicative and proficiency-oriented instruction of World languages with implications for the classroom.
GRM 805: The German Language: Relationships, Development, and Varieties
Spring of odd years – 3 credit hours
Methodology and sources in the linguistic study of German. Periodization, phonology, morphology, syntax, and lexicon. Dialects, social variants, and expatriate German. Relationship to other languages.
GRM 815: The Scholarship and Practice of Teaching German Culture
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Methodologies for teaching culture in the foreign language classroom. Definitions of culture and the interrelatedness of language and culture. Practical application of theory in the development of strategies for teaching culture in the German classroom.
GRM 820: German Literature and Culture: Theory and Practice
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Theoretical approaches to the study of literature and culture and their application. Research methodologies for literary and cultural studies.
GRM 862: German Studies: Constructions of Identity
Fall of odd years – 3 credit hours
Aesthetic representations of cultural strategies and theories of self-definition in selected historical periods. Theories of subjectivity. Development of the bourgeois individual. Identity and gender.
GRM 863: German Studies: Constructions of Community
Spring of even years – 3 credit hours
Aesthetic representations of group identification in selected historical periods. Nationalism. Concept of the Kulturnation. Role of religious, regional, or linguistic affiliations. Formation of communities based on ethnicity, class, and gender.
GRM 864: German Studies: Cultural Norms and Values
Fall of even years – 3 credit hours
Literary and non-literary texts as affirmation, subversion, or critique of aesthetic and social norms in selected historical periods. Role of the artist or intellectual in society. "High" versus "low" culture. Consumerism.
GRM 865: German Studies: Culture in Context
Spring of odd years – 1-9 credit hours
Society and the dissemination of cultural knowledge, practices, and values in selected historical periods. Educational and political institutions and cultural politics. Literary and cultural marketplace.
GRM 890: Independent Study
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 1-6 credit hours
Special projects, directed reading, and research arranged by an individual graduate student and a faculty member in areas supplementing regular course offerings.
GRM 891: Special Topics in German Studies
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 1-6 credit hours
Special topics supplementing regular course offerings proposed by faculty on a group study basis for graduate students.
GRM 892: Seminar
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Directed original research on current topics in German studies.
GRM 893: Interdisciplinary Seminar
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 3 credit hours
Examination of a theme, topic, or genre from several different national and disciplinary perspectives in the appropriate cultural and socio-historical context. Significant texts and important critical analysis selected from Great Britain, Spain, France, Germany, the Americas, and others.
GRM 898: Master's Research Project
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 1-6 credit hours
Directed research in support of Plan B master's degree requirements.
GRM 899: Master's Thesis Research
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 1-6 credit hours
Directed research leading to a master's thesis, used in partial fulfillment of Plan A master's degree requirements.
GRM 990: Doctoral Independent Study
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 1-6 credit hours
Special projects, directed reading, and research arranged by an individual doctoral student and a faculty member in areas supplementing the regular course offerings.
GRM 991: Special Topics in German
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 1-6 credit hours
Special topics supplementing regular course offerings proposed by faculty on a group study basis for doctoral students.
GRM 999: Doctoral Dissertation Research
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 1-36 credit hours
Doctoral dissertation research.
History of Art
*HA 101: Western Art from the Paleolithic to Medieval Era
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Introductory survey of Western Art from the Paleolithic to the Medieval era. Key works, monuments, and stylistic trends.
*HA 102: Western Art from the Renaissance to Contemporary
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Introductory survey of Western Art from the Renaissance to the Contemporary era, focusing on key works, monuments, and stylistic trends.
*HA 209: Ancient Art
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
The arts of antiquity: painting, sculpture, and architecture in Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome until Constantine the Great.
HA 220: Renaissance Art
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Arts of the European Renaissance (14th - 16th centuries) studied in a global historical context. Early and High Renaissance, Reformation, Mannerism, and Counter-Reformation.
HA 231: Baroque and Rococo Art
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Painting, sculpture, architecture, decorative and ephemeral arts in and beyond Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries.
*HA 240: Modern Art
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
The rise of modernism and its domination over tradition in 19th and 20th century art. Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, Cubism, Expressionism, Surrealism and Abstraction, and Post-Modern art.
*HA 401: Greek Art and Archaeology
Fall Semester – 4 credit hours
Arts of Greek antiquity. The Bronze Age to the Roman conquest, including archaeological sites.
*HA 402: Roman Art and Archaeology
Fall & Spring Semesters – 4 credit hours
Arts of ancient Rome from the foundation of the city to the fall of the empire, including archaeological sites.
*410: Selected Topics in Medieval Art
Fall & Spring Semesters – 4 credit hours
Issues in the study of Medieval Art. Extensive experience with museum collections.
*HA 446: Impressionism
Fall & Spring Semesters – 4 credit hours
European art from the mid-nineteenth century through World War I. Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Degas, Van Gogh, Seurat, Rodin, and others.
*HA 450: Selected Topics in Modern Art
Fall & Spring Semesters – 4 credit hours
Origins of modernism and the major Western artistic movements of the twentieth century in their historical contexts.
HA 810: Seminar in Medieval Art
Spring of odd years – 3 credit hours
Intensive investigation of a topic in Early Christian, Byzantine, or Medieval art.
HA 820: Seminar in Italian Renaissance Art
Spring of even years – 3 credit hours
Intensive investigation of a topic in Italian art of the 14th, 15th, or 16th centuries.
HA 830: Seminar in Baroque Art
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Selected topics in the history of European art of the seventeenth and/or early eighteenth centuries.
History
HST 205: The Ancient Mediterranean and the Medieval World
Fall Semester – 4 credit hours
Major political, cultural, social and economic developments and themes from the ancient civilizations to the late Middle Ages. Mesopotamia and Egypt. Greece and Rome. Charlemagne and the Franks. Normans and Crusaders. Popes and feudal monarchs. Bubonic plagues. The early Renaissance.
HST 206: European History since 1500
Fall & Spring Semesters – 4 credit hours
Major topics in European history from 1500 to present including Reformation, Renaissance, Enlightenment, the French Revolution, social, political changes in nineteenth century, nature of twentieth century.
HST 281: Atlantic Slavery
Spring of even years – 3 credit hours
Slavery and human trafficking in western Europe, Africa and the Americas from the fifteenth century to the present.
HST 293: Witches, Demons and the Occult in Pre-Modern Europe
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Witch hunts in Europe in their religious and social contexts. European beliefs about magic, demonology and the occult from the late Middle Ages to c. 1700.
HST 294: History of Catholicism, Late Antiquity to the Present
Spring of odd years – 3 credit hours
Roman Catholicism. Changing structures of administration, instruments of repression, and responses to and impact on social, cultural and political transformations. Missionary movements, orders and councils.
HST 295: The Nazis
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Genesis of National Socialism and its trajectory as a political movement and dictatorship. Life in the Third Reich. Regime's military and genocidal aims. Role of Adolf Hitler.
HST 301: Indigenous-European Encounters in North America
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
European-Indigenous encounters and long-term perspectives on Indigenous and European contact: expectations, stereotypes and mythologies about the Indigenous peoples of North America and Africa within expanding slave systems. Indigenous roles in settler colonial societies in the Caribbean, New France, New England and the Colonial South.
HST 330: Ancient Greek History to 200 BCE
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Major social, cultural and political themes in the history of ancient Greece from the Bronze Age to Alexander the Great. Minoan and Mycenaean civilization, rise of the polis, Athenian democracy, Persian and Peloponnesian Wars, Alexander's empire. Consideration of art, architecture, literature, religion, women, and gender.
HST 331: Ancient Roman History 200 BCE to 500 CE
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Social, economic, and political history of Rome from its origins until the collapse of the Mediterranean empire.
*HST 332: Medieval Europe
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Europe in the Middle Ages. End of the Western Roman Empire. Germanic kingdoms. Islam and the Mediterranean. The Christian church in the early Middle Ages. Carolingian empire and renaissance. The Vikings. Medieval learning. Chivalry. Formation of states. Feudal tenure. Economic revival and growth of towns. Hundred Years War. The Black Death. Popular Rebellion. Religion and Spirituality.
HST 334A: Renaissance and Reformation Europe
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Western Europe from 1450 to 1575. Intellectual developments of the Renaissance. Religious trends of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. Political and imperial history.
HST 334B: Seventeenth-Century Europe
Spring of odd years – 3 credit hours
European history from 1575 to 1715. Rise of modern states. Thirty Years' War. Absolutism and revolt. Growth of Empire. Scientific revolution.
*HST 335: Europe in the Age of Revolution, 1700-1870
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
European political, social, economic, and cultural developments from the Old Regime to German unification. Topics include the French Revolution, the Industrial Revolution and the Revolutions of 1848.
*HST 338: European Power, Culture and Thought: The Modern Era
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Ideas in historical context, 1750-1980. Enlightenment, revolution, conservatism, romanticism. Liberalism, socialism, Marx. Science, realism; anti-positivism, Nietzsche, Freud. Modernism in art and social theory. Feminism. World Wars, Fascism, Communism. Existentialism, structuralism, post-modernism.
*HST 340: England and Its Culture to 1688
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Political, social, economic, religious, and intellectual developments from the Anglo-Saxons to the revolution of 1688.
HST 344: Russia in the Twentieth Century
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
End of Imperial Russia. Soviet Union from the 1917 Revolution to 1991. Post-Soviet Russia and other successor states. Bolshevism, Stalinism, social transformation and identities.
*HST 347: Modern France
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Politics and society from the French Revolution to the present. Impact industrialization. Changing political culture. Role of gender in society.
HST 355: Spain and the Muslim World
Fall of odd years – 3 credit hours
Spain and Portugal within and in relation to the Muslim world, especially North Africa, from the thirteenth century to approximately 1700. Muslim Iberia. Convivencia and Reconquista. Jewish communities. Expulsions and forced conversions. Moriscos and Conversos. Renegades and mercenaries. Captivity and ransom. Trade, diplomacy and warfare.
HST 387: The First World War
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Causes of World War I, conduct of the war, and its consequences. Political, diplomatic, economic and social factors. Technological and cultural aspects.
HST 388: World War II: Causes, Conduct and Consequences
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Causes of World War II, conduct of the war and its consequences. Political, diplomatic, economic and social factors as well as technological and artistic aspects.
*HST 392: History of the Holocaust
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Nazi persecution and genocide in Europe, 1933-1945. Jewish experience within broader context. Perpetrators, victims, bystanders, and resistors. Post-Holocaust memory, film, literature, and philosophical implications.
HST 397: Global Soccer
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Soccer’s evolution from British sport to global cultural phenomenon. The World Cup, nationalism, fans, playing styles, migration, women’s game, media, business.
HST 411: European Jewish History
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
European Jewry since medieval era. Napoleonic emancipation, Jewish liberalism, assimilation, Zionism, anti-Semitism, and recent issues.
HST 425: American and European Health Care since 1800
Spring Semester – 4 credit hours
Social and cultural transformation in health care delivery since 1800, primarily in North America and western Europe. Therapeutic revolutions. Medical education and professionalization. Social and alternative medicine. Managed care.
*HST 452: Special Topics in European History
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Experimental courses and courses taught by visiting faculty
HST 481: Seminar in Ancient History (W)
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
A specific problem or theme in the history of Greece and Rome.
*HST 482: Seminar in Medieval History (W)
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
A specific problem or theme in medieval social, cultural, intellectual, legal, and political history, 500-1300.
**HST 483: Seminar in Modern European History (W)
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
A specific problem or theme in European social, political, cultural, or economic history since 1300.
HST 822: Seminar in Early Modern European History
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Political, social, and economic history of Europe from 1500-1800. Major interpretations and research methods. Topics vary.
HST 823: Seminar in Modern European History
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Political, social, and economic history of Europe after 1800. Major interpretations and research methods. Topics vary.
Integrated Studies in Arts and Humanities
IAH 202: Europe and the World (I)
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 4 credit hours
Cultural encounters and political relationships between Europeans and people(s) from other regions of the world since 1500 as shown through study of written texts, literature, the visual arts, music, and other forms of expression. Examples from Europe and several continents.
Interior Design
IDES 344: History of Interior Design: Ancient Through Rococo
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Historical development of furniture, textiles, and other decorative arts in interior design and architecture.
Italian
ITL 101: Elementary Italian I
Fall & Spring Semesters – 4 credit hours
Practice in using and understanding Italian to develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and cultural topics.
ITL 102: Elementary Italian II
Fall & Spring Semesters – 4 credit hours
Further practice in using and understanding Italian to develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and cultural topics.
ITL 201: Second-Year Italian I
Fall Semester – 4 credit hours
Intermediate-level review and development of aural comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Topics in Italian culture.
ITL 202: Second-Year Italian II
Spring Semester – 4 credit hours
Further review and development of aural comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Topics in Italian culture.
ITL 250: Topics in Italian Cultures for English Speakers
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 3 credit hours
Analyze diverse forms of culture from Italy and from other countries where Italian is spoken. Read and discuss written and audiovisual materials such as Italian newspapers, films, and TV, among others. Course is conducted in English, but some primary materials are in Italian. Basic introduction in Italian to understand primary materials.
ITL 290: Independent Study
Fall & Spring Semesters – 1-4 credit hours
Special projects arranged by an individual student and a faculty member in areas supplementing regular course offerings.
ITL 320: Advanced Grammar and Composition
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Composition in a variety of styles and modes. Review of grammar. Extensive practice in writing.
*ITL 330: Italian Culture and Civilization
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Diverse aspects of political, social, economic, intellectual, artistic, and literary life of Italy. Class discussion in Italian of readings, films, television programs, and musical selections.
ITL 350: Introduction to Italian Literature
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Italian literature from its origins to the present. Reading and discussion in Italian of representative works from all genres.
ITL 400: Reading Italian
Summer of odd years – 3 credit hours
Intensive study of Italian for students in need of reading knowledge of the language for their disciplines.
ITL 490: Independent Study
Fall & Spring Semesters – 1-4 credit hours
Special projects arranged by an individual student and a faculty member in areas supplementing regular course offerings.
Journalism
JRN 365 (335): International News and Government Dynamics
Spring & Summer Semesters – 3 credit hours
Explores the importance of journalism in the process of building governments in different countries. Compares features of global media and coverage in international contexts. Regions rotate each year: Latin America and the Caribbean; Africa and the Middle East; Asia and the Pacific; and Europe. Historical influences and impact of government-media relations and types of media and technology outlets.
JRN 365 (475): International News and Government Dynamics
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Comparative features of global media and coverage within regional contexts that rotate each year: Latin America and the Caribbean; Africa and the Middle East; Europe; or Asia and the Pacific. Historical influences and impact of state-press relations and communications technologies.
JRN 484: Sports Journalism Education Abroad
Summer of even years – 6 credit hours
Examine European sporting cultures (ancient and modern) in Paris and Rome. Study how sports journalism operates in both cities through experiential learning by attending tours, guest lectures, experiencing live sporting events and seeing sports journalism in action.
JRN 486: British and Irish Mass Media Education Abroad
Summer Semester – 6 credit hours
Examine the rapidly changing world of media and communication in London, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. Themes studied are traditional and digital media, marketing and advertising, journalism, broadcasting and public relations.
MSU College of Law
LAW 535M: Topics in European Private Law and Intellectual Property law
Summer Semester – 0-4 credit hours
Concepts in European private law and intellectual property law.
LAW 545C: Constitutional Law of the European Union
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 0-6 credit hours
Introduction to the evolution of the European Communities and European Union.
LAW 545J: Political Systems and Human Rights in Central and Eastern Europe
Fall & Spring Semesters – 0-6 credit hours
Political systems in countries where human rights are not respected.
LAW 548C: European Union Law
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 1-4 credit hours
An introduction to legal institutions of the European economy.
LAW 810B: Food Regulation in the European Union
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 0-6 credit hours
Food law and regulation in the European Union.
Latin
LTN 101: Elementary Latin I
Fall Semester – 4 credit hours
Fundamentals of vocabulary, grammar, and syntax. Translation of elementary readings.
LTN 102: Elementary Latin II
Spring Semester – 4 credit hours
Continued study of the fundamentals of vocabulary, grammar, and syntax. Translation of elementary readings.
LTN 206: Nepos and Latin Prose
Fall of even years– 3 credit hours
Selected lives of Cornelius Nepos in the original Latin, with readings in other early and Republican prose authors.
LTN 208: Catullus and Lucretius
Spring of odd years – 3 credit hours
Readings from Catullus's poems and from Lucretius's "De Rerum Natura" in Latin with additional readings.
LTN 211: Livy and Roman Historiography
Fall of odd years – 3 credit hours
Selections from Livy's "Ab Ubre Condita" in the original Latin.
LTN 221: Virgil and Latin Poetry
Spring of even years – 3 credit hours
Readings from Virgil's "Eclogues", "Georgics", and "Aeneid" in Latin. Additional readings from other Latin poets of the later Republic and Augustan periods.
LTN 290: Independent Study
Fall & Spring Semesters – 1-4 credit hours
Special projects arranged by an individual student and a faculty member in areas supplementing regular course offerings.
LTN 406: Senior Seminar: Tacitus (W)
Fall of even years – 3 credit hours
Advanced study of the works of Tacitus in the original Latin.
LTN 408: Senior Seminar: Virgil (W)
Spring of even years – 3 credit hours
Advanced study of the works of Virgil in the original Latin.
LTN 421: Senior Seminar: Horace (W)
Spring of even years – 3 credit hours
Advanced study of the works of Horace in the original Latin.
LTN 490: Independent Study
Fall & Spring Semesters – 1-4 credit hours
Special projects arranged by an individual student and a faculty member in areas supplementing regular course offerings.
LTN 499: Senior Thesis
Fall & Spring Semesters – 1 credit hour
Senior thesis capstone under the direction of a faculty member.
James Madison College
*MC 230: Cultures and Politics in Comparative Perspective
Fall Semester – 4 credit hours
Interdisciplinary and comparative approaches to analysis of culture and politics. Whole culture, structuralist, post structuralist, and interpretive theories of culture. Analysis of the relationship of political regimes, cultural diversity, identity, and representation, and case studies.
*MC 270: Classical Republicanism
Fall Semester – 4 credit hours
Theory and practice of popular government in classical Greece and Rome. Rebirth of such forms in the cities and monarchies of Medieval and Renaissance Europe.
*MC 271: Constitutionalism and Democracy
Spring Semester – 4 credit hours
Origins and development of liberal constitutionalism and its democratization. Theory and practice of the modern state, especially the American variant.
*MC 280: Social Theory and Social Relations
Fall Semester – 4 credit hours
Classical and contemporary theories of social structure, intergroup process, inequality, and social change. Class, ethnicity, race, gender, social stratification, social mobility and conflict.
*MC 321: The Cold War: Culture, Politics and Foreign Policy
Spring of odd years – 4 credit hours
Cultural representations to explore the Cold War's balance of power politics and domestic consequences.
*MC 324E: Regional Politics, Cooperation, and Conflict in Europe
Summer Semester – 4 credit hours
Sources and consequences of conflict and cooperation in Europe. Government policies to promote security, democracy, and growth.
**MC 325: State and Society in Comparative Perspective
Spring Semester – 4 credit hours
Comparison of political systems and social-economic structures in capitalist and state-socialist societies. Political history, institutions, culture, and current policy issues.
*MC 329: European Security: Challenges and Strategies
Summer Semester – 4 credit hours
Evolution of challenges facing Europe in post-cold war period. Critical examination of alternative policies and structures proposed in response to these challenges.
*MC 331: Encounters With Post-Communism
Spring of odd years – 4 credit hours
Interdisciplinary approach to the study of the cultural politics of post-communism and of international relations with countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.
MC 358: Politics of the U.S.S.R. and Its Successor States
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Political history, communist ideology, state institutions, and political processes in the Soviet Union and its successor states.
*MC 370: Radical Challenges to Liberal Democracy
Fall Semester – 4 credit hours
Criticisms of constitutionalism and liberal democracy. Theory and practice of 19th and early 20th century attempts to perfect or transcend bourgeois life through radical reform or revolution.
*MC 371: Beyond Liberal Democracy? New Directions in Political Theory
Spring Semester – 4 credit hours
The contemporary status of liberal democracy. Theory and practice of late 20th century attempts to perfect, transcend, or undermine liberal democracy in light of crisis of rationalism.
**MC 386: Women and Power in Comparative Perspective
Fall Semester – 4 credit hours
Application of feminist theory to questions of gender and power in different economic and political systems and geographic areas.
*^MC 387: Jews and Anti-Semitism
Spring Semester – 4 credit hours
Comparative history and sociology of modern Jewish experiences. Anti-Semitism and intergroup relations; the Holocaust and responses to the Holocaust; assimilation and pluralism in the U.S.
**MC 388: Sexual Politics: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives
Fall Semester – 4 credit hours
Sexuality and gender in nineteenth and twentieth century history and politics. Social change, social movements, and sex roles.
**MC 390: Advanced Topics in Public Affairs
Fall, Spring, & Summer Semesters – 4 credit hours
Issues in international relations, political theory and constitutional democracy, social relations and policy, and comparative cultures and politics.
MC 441: Islam and World Politics
Spring of even years – 4 credit hours
Manifestations of political Islam within key Muslim countries such as Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Pakistan. Use of political Islam by states and groups as an instrument to advance their international goals.
**MC 492: Senior Seminar in International Relations (W)
Fall & Spring Semesters – 5 credit hours
Major issues and theories of international relations.
**MC 493: Senior Seminar in Comparative Cultures and Politics (W)
Fall & Spring Semesters – 5 credit hours
Advanced study of selected issues in the study of comparative cultures and politics.
**MC 497: Senior Seminar in Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy (W)
Fall & Spring Semesters – 5 credit hours
Selected problems in political theory and constitutional democracy. Relationship between theory and politics. Analysis of key thinkers. Case studies.
**MC 498: Senior Seminar in Social Relations (W)
Fall & Spring Semesters – 5 credit hours
American social relations and policy. Theoretical issues. Analysis of key thinkers. Case studies.
Mathematics
MTH 458: Computational Methods in Mathematical Finance and Insurance
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Utilize modern computational methods to price contracts in insurance and mathematical finance. Rational valuation of derivative securities using put-call parity and calculation of European and American options. Introduce hybrid contracts and features, such as equity-indexed annuities.
Mathematics Education
MTHE 430: History of Mathematics
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Development of mathematical thought from ancient times to the present, selected from Egyptian, Babylonian, Mayan, Greek, Indian, and Arab contributions to mathematics and to the context of today's school mathematics curriculum.
Music
MUS 143: English Diction for Singers
Fall Semester – 1 credit hour
English lyric diction. Rules of pronunciation. Performance of English language songs in class.
MUS 144: Italian Diction for Singers
Spring Semester – 1 credit hour
Italian lyric diction. Rules of pronunciation. Performance of Italian language songs in class.
*MUS 211: History of Western Music to 1750
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Music from ancient Greece through the Baroque. Literature and theory of plainsong, instrumental and vocal traditions, and vocal polyphony before 1750 in sociopolitical context.
*MUS 212: History of Western Music Since 1750
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Literature of the cultivated tradition and its theory in sociopolitical context.
MUS 248: German Diction for Singers
Fall Semester – 1 credit hour
German lyric diction. Rules of pronunciation. Performance of German art songs in class.
MUS 249: French Diction for Singers
Spring Semester – 1 credit hours
French lyric diction. Rules of pronunciation. Performance of French art songs in class.
MUS 415: Art Song Literature: German
Fall of even years – 2 credit hours
Standard art song repertoire with emphasis on German Lieder. Performance of art songs in class.
MUS 416: Art Song Literature: French, Spanish, and Italian
Spring of odd years – 2 credit hours
Standard art song repertoire with emphasis on French, Spanish, and Italian art songs. Performance of art songs in class.
MUS 417: Art Song Literature: British and American
Fall of odd years – 2 credit hours
Standard art song repertoire with emphasis on British and American art songs. Performance of art songs in class.
MUS 418: Opera and Oratorio Aria Repertoire
Spring of even years – 2 credit hours
Opera and oratorio arias of Handel, Rossini, Mozart, Puccini, Verdi, Gounod, Saint-Saens, Massenet, Menotti, and Previn.
MUS 419: Baroque Music
Spring of odd years – 2 credit hours
Developments in musical forms and styles from 1600-1750.
*MUS 420: Music of the 18th Century
Spring of even years – 2 credit hours
Late baroque and early classical traditions: styles, genres, forms, theories, aesthetics, performance practices, instruments, and masterworks in sociopolitical context. Aural and score analysis of representative works.
*MUS 421: Music of the 19th Century
Spring of odd years – 2 credit hours
Late classical and romantic period traditions: styles, genres, forms, theories, aesthetics, performance practice, instruments and masterworks in sociopolitical context. Aural and score analysis of representative works.
*MUS 422: Music of the 20th Century
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Twentieth-century styles, genres, forms, theories, aesthetics, performance practices, instruments and masterworks in sociopolitical context. Aural and score analysis of representative works.
*MUS 423: History of Opera
Fall of odd years – 2 credit hours
Musical, cultural, and social significance of opera since 1600.
MUS 427: Early Music
Spring of odd years – 2 credit hours
Exploration of musical styles of the Middle Ages and Renaissance globally. Understanding how contact between different cultures resulted in new musical practices.
MUS 874: Schenkerian Analysis
Fall Semester – 2 credit hours
Thought, works, and influences of Heinrich Schenker. Techniques of linear analysis emphasizing the role of long-range voice-leading musical structure.
MUS 935: Seminar in 18th Century Music
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Research on topics in eighteenth-century music.
MUS 977: Schenkerian Analysis II
Spring of even years – 3 credit hours
Continuation of MUS 874. Analysis of complete compositions or movements from multi-movement works. Compositions to be studied will include ternary-and sonata-form pieces. Repertoire of styles will range from Baroque to Romantic. Making voice-leading graphs to become more familiar with Schenker’s writings and the secondary literature.
Philosophy
*PHL 210: Ancient Greek Philosophy
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Philosophical problems of existence, knowledge, and action as addressed in selected readings from the Presocratics, Plato, Aristotle, and Hellenistic philosophers.
*PHL 211: Modern Philosophy
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Philosophy from the Renaissance through the nineteenth century, including selections from Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Leibniz, Berkeley, Hume, Kant, Nietzsche, and other prominent figures.
*PHL 220: Existentialism
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 3 credit hours
Husserl, Jaspers, Kierkegaard, Marcel, Nietzsche, Sartre, and de Beauvoir. Topics such as hope, anxiety, bad faith, subjectivity, freedom, social being, phenomenological method.
PHL 247: Aesthetics
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Aesthetic theories, philosophies of art, the role of art and aesthetics in culture and society. Discussion of major positions within the history of aesthetics, and contemporary problems and figures such as Plato, Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Gadamer, Adorno, Langer, and Danto.
PHL 340: Ethics
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Inquiry through the writings of some important theorists, their critics and their contemporary followers. Aristotle, Hume, Kant, Mill, Sidgwick.
*PHL 357: Philosophy of Karl Marx
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Marx's philosophical thought and its bearing on science, religion, art and politics.
PHL 410: Socrates and Plato Seminar
Fall of odd years – 4 credit hours
A selection of themes (ontology, epistemology, method, ethics) from Plato’s Socratic and constructive dialogues. Variable by term in content.
*PHL 411: Aristotle Seminar
Spring of every year – 4 credit hours
Aristotle's major works and his major contributions to the metaphysics, psychology, ethics, the arts, and politics. Variable by term in content.
*PHL 413: Seminar in Early Modern Philosophy
Fall of even years – 4 credit hours
Topics selected from among the works of 17th and 18th century philosophers, e.g., Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Leibniz, Berkeley, and Hume. Variable by term in content.
PHL 415: Kant Seminar
Spring of odd years – 4 credit hours
A seminar in Immanuel Kant’s critical philosophy in metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, political philosophy, aesthetics, or other areas. Variable by term in content.
*PHL 416: Hegel Seminar
Spring of even years – 4 credit hours
Hegel's dialectic and its bearing on both the history of philosophy and issues about science, politics, art and religion.
*PHL 417 Seminar in 19th Century Philosophy
Fall of odd years – 4 credit hours
Selections from Post-Hegelian German philosophy, Mill and Utilitarianism, early African-American philosophy, Nietzsche and proto-existentialism, or American Pragmatism. Variable by term in content.
*PHL 421: Topics in European and Continental Philosophy
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Discussion of movements, issues, or figures in Continental and European Philosophy. Variable by term in content.
Political Science
**PLS 342: Comparative Political Economy
Fall of odd years – 3 credit hours
Democratic politics and the linkages among political, social, and economic conceptions of equality in developed and developing countries.
*PLS 356: Politics of Europe and the European Union
Fall & Summer Semesters – 3 credit hours
Governmental institutions and processes, political socialization, and political culture in Western Europe and the European Union.
PLS 357: Politics of English Speaking Democracies
Summer Semester – 3 credit hours
Political institutions, political actors, and political culture in Britain, Australia, or Canada.
*PLS 372: Modern Political Philosophy
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Major themes of modern political philosophy as represented by such thinkers as Machiavelli, Hobbes, Rousseau, Marx, and Nietzsche.
*PLS 422: Seminar in Political Science (W)
Fall & Spring Semesters – 4 credit hours
Variable topics including legislative behavior, policy analysis, political development, human rights, international conflict, foreign policy, international political economy, and constitutionalism.
Portuguese
PRT 150: Intensive Beginning Portuguese
Fall Semester – 5 credit hours
Development of listening, speaking, reading, writing skills, and cultural knowledge.
PRT 250: Intensive Intermediate Portuguese
Spring Semester – 5 credit hours
Continued development of listening, speaking, reading, writing skills, and cultural knowledge.
PRT 290: Independent Study
Fall & Spring Semesters – 1-4 credit hours
Special projects arranged by an individual student and a faculty member in areas supplementing regular course offerings.
PRT 320: Advanced Portuguese
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Conversation, reading, and writing to develop proficiency: reading, listening, speaking and writing through a variety of cultural material. Topics will vary.
*PRT 350: Introduction to Literary Analysis (W)
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Reading and analysis of canonical poetry, drama, and prose of the Portuguese-speaking world. Topics will vary.
PRT 400: Reading Portuguese
On demand – 3 credit hours
Intensive study of Portuguese for students in need of reading knowledge of the language for their disciplines.
PRT 490: Independent Study
Fall & Spring Semesters – 1-4 credit hours
Special projects arranged by an individual student and a faculty member in areas supplementing regular course offerings.
Religious Studies
REL 250: Religion and the Arts
Spring of even years – 3 credit hours
Exploration of the ancient but ongoing interaction of art and religion across time and religious traditions, with particular attention to artworks that have played a role in social movements for equality and freedom.
*REL 275: Magic and Mysticism: An Introduction to Esoteric Religion
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Surveys esoteric traditions in Europe, England and North America including alchemy, magic, Jewish and Christian mysticisms, and secret or semisecret groups like Freemasonry. Transdisciplinary investigation of religion, science, literature, art and history.
REL 294: History of Catholicism, Late Antiquity to the Present
Spring of odd years – 3 credit hours
Roman Catholicism. Changing structures of administration, instruments of repression, and responses to and impact on social, cultural and political transformations. Missionary movements, orders and councils.
REL 310: Judaism
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Jewish life, thought, and institutions. Jewish calendar. Second Temple and Rabbinic periods. Talmud and Midrash. Jewish life in Europe and America. Hasidic, Reform, Orthodox, and Conservative movements. Anti-Semitism, Zionism, and the Holocaust. Current issues.
Romance Languages
ROM 801: Topics in Applied Romance Linguistics
Spring of even years – 3 credit hours
Major issues in applied linguistics and their relationship to Romance languages.
ROM 802: Topics in Theoretical Romance Linguistics
Spring of odd years – 3 credit hours
Topics such as a comparison of the linguistic grammars of the Romance languages, and their external and internal history.
Sociology
SOC 815: Classical Sociological Theory
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Nineteenth- and early twentieth-century sociological theory from Marx to Pareto in socio-historical context. Development of contemporary sociology theory and research from the classics.
Spanish
SPN 101: Elementary Spanish I
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 4 credit hours
Introduction to the practice of using and understanding Spanish to develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and cultural topics.
SPN 102: Elementary Spanish II
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 4 credit hours
Further practice in using and understanding Spanish to develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and cultural topics.
SPN 150: Review of Elementary Spanish
Fall & Spring Semesters – 5 credit hours
Review of elementary-level Spanish for students who have some previous study of Spanish and who need to strengthen communication skills and knowledge of Spanish language and culture.
SPN 201: Second Year Spanish I
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 4 credit hours
Intermediate-level review and development of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Topics in the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world.
SPN 202: Second-Year Spanish II
Fall & Spring & Summer Semesters – 4 credit hours
Further review and development of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Topics in the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world.
SPN 250: Review of Intermediate Spanish
Fall & Spring Semesters – 6 credit hours
Intermediate-level Spanish. Development of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Topics in the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. Communication skills and cross-cultural understanding.
SPN 290: Independent Study
Fall & Spring Semesters – 1-4 credit hours
Special projects at the intermediate level arranged by an individual student and supervised by a faculty member in areas supplementing, but not replacing, regular course offerings.
SPN 310: Basic Spanish Grammar
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Instruction and practice in the basic structural patterns of Spanish.
*SPN 320: Cultural Readings and Composition (W)
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Readings from texts that discuss or embody Hispanic culture, and writing based on those readings.
SPN 330: Phonetics and Pronunciation
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Phonetic description of the sound system of Spanish, developed linguistically and applied to the improvement of pronunciation and spoken Spanish.
SPN 342: Media and Conversation
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Discussion in Spanish via journalistic and entertainment media and exposure.
SPN 350: Introduction to Reading Hispanic Literature (W)
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Close reading of poetry, drama, and prose.
*SPN 412: Topics in Hispanic Culture
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Analysis of diverse forms of cultural expression in the Spanish-speaking world.
SPN 420: Spain and its Literature
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Survey of literature written in Spain from the Middle Ages to the present.
SPN 432: Latin America and its Literature
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Survey of literature written in Spanish-speaking Latin America from the Colonial Period to the present.
SPN 440: The Structure of Spanish
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Overview of linguistic approaches to understanding the Spanish language.
SPN 452: Topics in Spanish Language I
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Improvement of language skills through applied practice.
*SPN 462: Topics in Spanish Literature
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Thematic topics in Spanish literature.
SPN 472: Topics in the Literatures of the Americas
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Thematic topics in the literature of the Spanish-speaking Americas.
SPN 482: Topics in Spanish Linguistics
Fall of odd years – 3 credit hours
Advanced study of the structure and usage of Spanish.
SPN 490: Independent Study
Fall & Spring Semesters – 1-4 credit hours
Special project at the advanced level arranged by an individual student and supervised by a faculty member in an area supplementing, but not replacing, regular course offerings.
*SPN 491: Special Topics in Spanish
Fall, Spring, & Summer Semesters – 3 credit hours
Special topics supplementing regular course offerings, proposed by faculty on a group study basis.
SPN 492: Senior Writing Project
Fall, Spring, & Summer Semesters – 1 credit hours
Research and preparation of a paper on an interdisciplinary subject that synthesizes at least three areas of a major's undergraduate education. Students work under the supervision of a faculty member.
SPN 801: Spanish Syntax
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Study of the formal properties of Spanish syntax within a generative framework.
SPN 803: Language Variation and Change in Spanish
Fall Semester – 3 credit hours
Language variation and change in the Spanish-speaking world. Influence of social and linguistic factors.
SPN 805: Evolution of the Spanish Language
Spring of odd years – 3 credit hours
Phonology, morphology and syntax of Spanish from its origins to the present.
SPN 806: Topics in Hispanic Linguistics
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Issues in Spanish language in relation to current linguistic inquiry. Topics vary.
SPN 810: Studies in Medieval Spanish Literature
Fall of even years – 3 credit hours
Works, genres, and writers of the Spanish Middle Ages (12th-15th c.)
SPN 815: Literature of Early Modern Spain
Spring of odd years – 3 credit hours
Poetry, drama, and prose of 16th and 17th century Spain. Topics vary.
SPN 825: Literature from the Illustration to Realism
Fall of odd years – 3 credit hours
Literature from post-Baroque Spain to the Generation of 1898. Topics vary.
SPN 830: Spanish Literature of the 20th-Century
Spring of even years – 3 credit hours
Authors, generations, and tendencies that shape the directions of Spanish literature in the 20th-Century. Topics vary.
SPN 835: Colonial Latin American Literature
Spring of odd years – 3 credit hours
Major authors and movements of the Colonial period. Topics vary.
SPN 836: 19th-Century Latin American Literature
Fall of odd years – 3 credit hours
Major authors and movements of 19th-Century Latin America. Topics vary.
SPN 840: 20th-Century Latin American Literature
Spring of even years – 3 credit hours
Poetry, drama, prose, fiction, and essay of Latin America. Topics vary.
SPN 873: Seminar in Major Hispanic Authors
Spring Semester – 3 credit hours
Major Hispanic authors. Topics vary.
SPN 874: Seminar in Hispanic Literary Genres
Spring of odd years – 3 credit hours
Hispanic literary genres, including prose, poetry, theater, and essays. Topics vary.
SPN 875: Seminar in Popular Culture in the Hispanic World
Fall of odd years – 3 credit hours
Popular Hispanic cultures. Topics vary.
SPN 876: Seminar in Gender Studies in the Hispanic World
Fall of even years – 3 credit hours
Gender studies including feminism and masculine identities.
SPN 878: Seminar in Hispanic Cinema
Spring of odd years – 3 credit hours
Hispanic cinema. Topics vary.
SPN 890: Independent Study
Fall, Spring, & Summer Semesters – 1-3 credit hours
Special projects, directed reading, and research arranged by an individual graduate student and a faculty member in areas supplementing regular course offerings.
SPN 891: Special Topics in Spanish
Fall, Spring, & Summer Semesters – 3 credit hours
Special topics supplementing regular course offerings proposed by faculty on a group study basis.
SPN 893: Interdisciplinary Seminar
Fall, Spring, & Summer Semesters – 3 credit hours
Examination of a theme, topic, or genre from several different national and disciplinary perspectives in the appropriate cultural and socio-historical context. Significant texts and important critical analysis selected from Great Britain, Spain, France, Germany, the Americas, and others.
Women’s Studies
WS 420: History of Sexuality since the 18th Century
Fall & Spring Semesters – 3 credit hours
Changing gender roles, sex in the Victorian era, prostitution, pornography, birth control, emergence of homo- and heterosexuality, sex under fascism, the sexual revolution, contemporary conflicts.
Global Challenges University Alliance
Institutional Partnerships
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