Fall 2025 Course Descriptions

An introduction to the language of art, visual analysis, and art history, providing the foundation for the study of visual art and visual culture. The class will begin with an overview of visual art language, including the elements, principles, and techniques of visual art and design. Next, the course covers the basics of art theory and methods of art history through close looking at and analysis of art in different media. Third, the course offers a brief survey of the history of art from prehistory to the present. Lectures, discussions, readings, writings and projects introduce a framework of the historical, cultural and environmental forces that affect art, artists and audience. Designed for students who have not had introductory classes in visual art or art history.

A two-semester historical and analytical introduction to representative monuments in their context that offers myriad ways of understanding visual information. This course will acquaint the student with art history, the critical process, and the production of art to achieve a well-balanced appreciation for art and how it relates to the development of culture.

This course examines the intersection of art, crime, and cultural memory, exploring the complex motives behind theft, forgery, and vandalism in the art world. By investigating the histories and mythologies surrounding stolen, damaged, and falsified works of art, students will develop a deeper understanding of how these transgressions shape our perceptions of artistic value, authorship, and cultural identity. Through case studies, students will analyze major art movements, criminal motives, and the institutional frameworks designed to safeguard cultural heritage — frameworks that often prove vulnerable to human desire, greed, or ideology. Alongside this exploration, students will hone their writing skills through a variety of assignments, including analytical essays, creative responses, and research-based narratives.
By engaging with films and literature, students will critically examine how crimes against art reveal broader questions about power, ownership, and the role of cultural memory in shaping public discourse. By the end of the course, students will be equipped to articulate complex ideas about art and its social significance through clear, compelling, and sophisticated writing.

This course examines what occurs when creative ideas — emerging from brainstorming, play, questioning, and experimentation — transition into tangible objects, practices, and events within society. We will explore the complexities that arise when budgets, institutional politics, audience engagement, marketing strategies, revenue models, and educational initiatives intersect with artistic vision.  With a particular emphasis on the curatorial role, this course will investigate how curators navigate these dynamics, serving as mediators between artists, institutions, and the public. The curator’s role is uniquely multifaceted — involving the identification of emerging talent, fostering relationships with stakeholders, incorporating educational collaborations, orchestrating events, cultivating audience engagement, and demonstrating impact through data and reporting. As such, curators are central figures in shaping both artistic experiences and cultural discourse. Throughout the semester, students will analyze case studies such as the Museum of Jurassic Technology to consider unconventional exhibition models and curatorial approaches. Readings from thinkers such as Sianne Ngai, Aria Dean, and Lucy Lippard will provide critical frameworks for examining the tension between creative freedom and institutional constraints. Through writing assignments, discussions, and project-based learning, students will develop their ability to think critically about the curatorial process while exploring the broader implications of how creative ideas are shaped, realized, and sustained in the public sphere. By the end of the course, students will have a deeper understanding of curatorial practice and the ways in which it informs and reflects cultural production

This course will help prepare students that are entering the workforce to better understand the importance of sound personal financial management. Topics to be covered include an introduction to basic business and economic principles, fundamentals of investing (including risk vs. return)., personal budgeting, preparation of an artist's personal income tax return, understanding employee benefits, insurance basics, independent contractor status, and retirement planning. This course is geared toward all student artists; therefore, no prior background in business is required. Pre-requisite(s): ENG 1200

This course is intended to be an exploration of the intersectionality between ethics and morality in the arts industry and how it impacts artist’s rights, consumerism, and other related legal principles. Social and societal justice, individuality, health and wellness, and human rights are just a few of many ethical issues confronted by artists in their work. How do we continue to empower and inspire artists to challenge and confront what they see as important societal values while also protecting the legality of their work? This course will also attempt to explore the question of where the law should end as it pertains to the field(s) of art. Course objectives include comprehension of relevant legal and ethical terms and principles, approaches to solving ethical dilemmas, and understanding how moral principles are applied in real-life situations.

The aim of this course is to develop speaking and listening skills appropriate to the demands of modern life. The one-semester course is an exercise in forms of communication, voice, and diction based on the student's experience. Using rhetorical principles, the focus will be on the practice of techniques of speech construction and delivery through readings, lectures and class exercises aimed at aiding student's abilities to understand and critique arguments. Additionally, students will develop their own arguments in speeches, presentations, workshops, debates and mock interviews.

An introduction to the French language with the goal of oral proficiency. The major emphasis is on spoken French, basic grammar and vocabulary building, which will provide the student with the necessary language skills to function on a basic level in a French-speaking country. The student will also learn about cultural elements of the country and its people. Prerequisites: Passing FRE 1101 required for FRE 1102.

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This course introduces students to a range of intellectual creative practices and processes. This is a collaborative, interdisciplinary, project-based seminar designed for students to engage in an exploration of art, life, and contemporary culture through experiencing, thinking, talking, making, reflecting, and writing. In this class, students practice articulating their creative choices and reflecting on others' creative choices. Only one FYS course can be counted toward the General Education core requirements.

An introduction to the German language with emphasis on reading, writing, and above all listening and speaking German. Basic grammar and vocabulary building and the basic aspects of German-language culture will provide the student with necessary skills to function on a basic level in a German-speaking country. Prerequisite(s): GER 1102 requires passing GER 1101.

Continued study and practice of German reading, writing, speaking and comprehension for expanded understanding and production of the German language. Students will also study contemporary and historical German-language cultural artifacts such as Lieder, operas, film, plays, etc. Prerequisite(s): Completion of both GER 1101 & 1102 with a C- or better in each, equivalent transfer or AP credits, or instructor permission/placement.

From our fixation on the unique odds and ends of one’s “creative process” to the enduring appeal of meta-texts that take on art about making art, the life of the artist is one of infinite curiosity. By taking a critical look at art that falls under this rubric of meta-fiction or art cinema, we will look at 20th and 21st century texts to examine the self-reflexive impulse behind art that explores how “the artist” is enmeshed with our external reality. With art as a mirror to society, this course curates a series of contemporary experimental works that examine the relationship between innovative new representational forms of storytelling and art’s larger sociopolitical meaning. This course is divided into five sections: Finding the Story: Where Art Meets Life; Seeing, Being, and The Limits of Cultural Imagination; Finding the Language: Giving Form to New Shapes; Finding The Self: Coming of Age; A Story Within a Story.

This interdisciplinary course examines the relationship between sports and culture. Drawing from scientific, humanistic, and historical perspectives, we will analyze how sports and sports cultures engage with contemporary debates around participation, access, belonging, and representation. This course is cross listed as HUM and SCI to reflect our engagement with both cultural narratives and scientific approaches as we explore sports in a social context.

In this core humanities course, students encounter exemplary texts from antiquity to the present and from multiple continents and diverse cultures. How do we make meaning from this expansive record of storytelling, inquiry, and creative expression? How can today's artist-citizens respond as active conversation partners across time and space? Specific content and thematic emphases will vary across course sections, reflecting the diverse specializations and perspectives of Division of Liberal Arts faculty. In all sections, however, students will wrestle both with texts long privileged as 'canonical' and, of equal importance, others that speak from the margins and compel us to think critically about how we assign value and importance to different voices and traditions. All sections also share one significant contemporary text (selected annually). “Critical Dialogues” students will cultivate their skills of research, writing, and verbal expression, and in doing so, situate their artistic and professional practice in specific contexts and as woven into a larger world of ideas. Prerequisite: ENG 1200 or equivalent

At 67 years old “Grandma Gatewood” told her children that she was “going for a walk.” She disappeared for months, becoming the first woman to hike the Appalachian Trail. She did it two more times, becoming the first person to hike the AT three times. She also subsequently walked the entire Oregon Trail route. In this course, we will be talking, reading, and thinking about walking. We will consider issues such as mapping, paths, wandering, accessibility, and brain activity. And we'll explore walking in the contexts of the arts and performance, creativity, protest and politics, and humanistic fields of history, philosophy, and literature. We will also walk. Most likely we will engage with material by and about Rebecca Solnit, Cheryl Strayed, and Henry David Thoreau, and we also will consider works like” Keep Walking Intently: The Ambulatory Art of the Surrealists, the Situationist International, and Fluxus.” Course requirements include active engagement, significant projects, and a final.

An introduction to the Italian language with emphasis on reading, writing, and above all listening and speaking Italian. Basic grammar and vocabulary building, and the basic aspects of Italian-language culture will provide the student with necessary skills to function on a basic level in an Italian-speaking country. Prerequisites: Passing ITA 1101 required for ITA 1102.

This course will examine the work of one American writer, such as Benjamin Franklin, Mark Twain, Margaret Mitchell, Ralph Ellison, Jack Kerouac, Dawn Powell, etc. We will explore his or her writings, life, and significance. In doing so, we will consider a variety of literary and cultural issues. Prerequisite(s): ENG 1200.

This course explores the world of the supernatural and paranormal from both historical and contemporary perspectives to examine the supernatural as a social and cultural phenomenon. What is the supernatural? What is horror? What are its different tropes? How do we, or can we, distinguish between myth and reality? We will also explore the supernatural’s role in the Arts. In addition to the assigned readings, we will watch the movies including Nosferatu and Constantine. Thus, we will examine representations of the supernatural and try to come up with our own and develop our ability to think and write critically about those representations. To continue to hone our reading and writing skills, active class participation, quizzes, an Art Project with a writing component, one 5-paged paper and a Final Exam are required.  Prerequisite: ENG 1200 or EQUIVALENT

Course taught in English – no foreign language knowledge required.  This course focuses on how the concepts of translation, adaptation and interpretation inform contemporary creative practice.  What boundaries, if any, exist between these concepts, and what role do they play in artistic creation(s), production(s) and/or performance(s)?  We will address these and other questions examining some foundational theories of translation and representation on the one hand, and some famous English-language “case studies” on the other (possibilities include, for example, works by Walt Disney, Wes Anderson, Steve Martin, David Hare, etc.).  Students can then choose either to experiment with translation, adaptation and/or interpretation in creative projects of their own, or to analyze their centrality in existing works, be they UNCSA arts school productions or other artistic work(s).  Prerequisites:  ENG 1200 

By focusing on changes in form and content, playwriting, acting, design, and direction, this course is designed to trace the development of "realism" in the theatre from the writings of Aristotle and Horace through melodrama to today. Texts will vary, but may include such authors as Pixerecourt, Boucicault, Ibsen, Strindberg, and Chekhov. Prerequisite(s): ENG 1200

College Algebra is a compilation of algebraic concepts for review and/or preparation for further mathematics including pre-calculus, calculus, and discrete mathematics. Basic algebra concepts and methods will be presented in a manner that emphasizes problem solving and using math knowledge to question and reason about life situations. We will focus on the use and interpretation of college algebra for application in the real world. The following are concepts and topics covered during this semester: 1. Describe the hierarchy of numbers and classification of numbers. 2. Operations with real numbers and simplifying algebraic expressions. 3. Work with exponents and scientific notation 4. Equations in One Variable and Two Variables 5. Apply elimination and substitution to solve systems of two linear equations in two variables. 6. Perform arithmetic with polynomials 7. Factor polynomial expressions 8. Solve quadratic equations using factoring and Quadratic Formula 9. Classify the solutions of quadratic equations 10. Recognize and interpret bivariate relations (i.e., functions) 11. Develop and apply critical thinking skills in translating and solving word problems based on degree-relevant application 12. Describe the properties of linear and quadratic functions 13. Use linear and quadratic functions to fit data 14. Describe the properties of rational and polynomial functions 15. Graph rational and polynomial functions 16. Determine the roots of a polynomial function 17. Describe inverse and composite functions 18. Describe exponential and logarithmic functions 19. Graph exponential and logarithmic functions.

In-depth examinations of particular thinkers, movements or philosophical problems. The Fall 2025 iteration of the course will focus on contemporary moral and political philosophy. Featured texts will include Plato's Symposium, Hannah Arendt's Origins of Totalitarianism, Achille Mmembe's Necropolitics, Michael Sandel's The Myth of Meritocracy, and Peter Singer's Animal Liberation NOW. No background in philosophy is required or expected.

This is a broad survey of psychology. Topics to be addressed include psychology as science, nervous system, growth and development, sensory and perceptual processes, motivation, emotion, learning, social behavior, personality (normal and pathological), statistics, testing, intelligence, aptitudes, and achievement The online version of this course is currently available only during Summer School sessions.

As part of human cognition, our perception, production, and understanding of music has elicited many questions: what is music in relation to "sound"? Is music an evolutionary adaptation? What is the relationship of music and emotions or memory? Can music influence perception in other modalities? What is the meaning of music? Can music make us smarter? Is music a language? What is biological and what is cultural in the esthetics of music? This course will reframe many of these questions from
the interdisciplinary standpoint of cognitive science, acoustics, music theory, and semiotics, to explore music as a cognitive process. Topics will include: the perception of
pitch, timbre, rhythm, and localization; music and the brain; the cognitive aspect of the esthetics of music; the relationship between music and language in terms of their
structures and neurological processing; music and memory; music and emotions; and music and meaning. We will also discuss the role music plays in cross-modal
interactions, either in the real world or in films and multimedia art works.

A study of the normal nutritional requirements of the human body, the relationship of diet to health, and the impact of behavior and cultural influences on food choices. Students will analyze their own diet relative to recommended standards for young adults. Whenever available, community resources will be utilized for content enrichment. The online version of this course is currently available only during Summer School sessions.

This case study-based course introduces students to basic cell biology topics and examines how they contribute to common conditions. This course delves into the structure, function, and processes of cells, exploring topics such as cellular metabolism, communication, and the molecular mechanisms that underlie cellular activities. Students will engage in both theoretical and practical approaches to understand the complexities of cellular life. The goal of this course is (1) to foster a deep understanding of cellular processes and their implications in health and disease, (2) to develop skills in scientific inquiry and critical analysis, and (3) encourage collaboration and communication among peers.

This interdisciplinary course examines the relationship between sports and culture. Drawing from scientific, humanistic, and historical perspectives, we will analyze how sports and sports cultures engage with contemporary debates around participation, access, belonging, and representation. This course is cross listed as HUM and SCI to reflect our engagement with both cultural narratives and scientific approaches as we explore sports in a social context.

Can light and sound travel through a vacuum? How do optical fibers work? How can an opera singer be heard over an orchestra? In this course, we will examine nature, behavior, and principles of light and sound. We will cover resonance and mechanical waves, electromagnetic waves, light, and optics. This course is geared toward beginning students in physics.

This interdisciplinary course examines the relationship between sports and culture. Drawing from scientific, humanistic, and historical perspectives, we will analyze how sports and sports cultures engage with contemporary debates around participation, access, belonging, and representation. This course is cross listed as HUM and SCI to reflect our engagement with both cultural narratives and scientific approaches as we explore sports in a social context.

Drugs that act on the central nervous system (CNS) are the most widely used group of pharmacologic agents. In addition, drugs are one of the most important tools for studying all aspects of CNS physiology from the mechanisms that control movement to the consolidation of memories. The field of neuropharmacology requires understanding of disease mechanisms as well as the effects of drugs and other compounds on neuronal function. This course will focus on the pharmacodynamics (the actions of the drug on the body) and pharmacokinetics (the actions of the body on the drug) of various drugs in the central nervous system and the communication of this subject to a non-science audience.

This is a broad survey and introduction to the social sciences discipline of sociology. This course will provide students with an overview of the scientific method in the social sciences, the sociological perspective, sociological theory, and problems and issues in society. Students will engage in critical readings and discussion around topics including social structures, social stratification, and the role of race, ethnicity, and gender in society. Students will learn to apply the sociological perspective and scientific method towards the analysis of social issues, distinguishing between values, opinions, and facts.

This year-long course is designed to provide a cross-sectional view of theater practice by exploring key ideas in dramatic genre, theory and criticism; design, performance and stagecraft from the Greeks to the present. Developments in non-Western theater will also be addressed. Prerequisite(s): ENG 1200. THH 2101 and 2102 may be taken concurrently ONLY with permission of instructor.

The workshop introduces basics of prosodic scansion and figurative language; analyzes published work of established poets, experiments with voice, point-of-view, style, subject and structure. Students generate material for peer and instructor reading and critique. Conferences monitor student progress. Students acquire a basic grasp of the seminal forms and evolution of poetry. Prerequisites: ENG 1200

This course examines what occurs when creative ideas — emerging from brainstorming, play, questioning, and experimentation — transition into tangible objects, practices, and events within society. We will explore the complexities that arise when budgets, institutional politics, audience engagement, marketing strategies, revenue models, and educational initiatives intersect with artistic vision.  With a particular emphasis on the curatorial role, this course will investigate how curators navigate these dynamics, serving as mediators between artists, institutions, and the public. The curator’s role is uniquely multifaceted — involving the identification of emerging talent, (WRI 2698-01 CONT’D) fostering relationships with stakeholders, incorporating educational collaborations, orchestrating events, cultivating audience engagement, and demonstrating impact through data and reporting. As such, curators are central figures in shaping both artistic experiences and cultural discourse. Throughout the semester, students will analyze case studies such as the Museum of Jurassic Technology to consider unconventional exhibition models and curatorial approaches. Readings from thinkers such as Sianne Ngai, Aria Dean, and Lucy Lippard will provide critical frameworks for examining the tension between creative freedom and institutional constraints. Through writing assignments, discussions, and project-based learning, students will develop their ability to think critically about the curatorial process while exploring the broader implications of how creative ideas are shaped, realized, and sustained in the public sphere. By the end of the course, students will have a deeper understanding of curatorial practice and the ways in which it informs and reflects cultural production.

This course examines the intersection of art, crime, and cultural memory, exploring the complex motives behind theft, forgery, and vandalism in the art world. By investigating the histories and mythologies surrounding stolen, damaged, and falsified works of art, students will develop a deeper understanding of how these transgressions shape our perceptions of artistic value, authorship, and cultural identity. Through case studies, students will analyze major art movements, criminal motives, and the institutional frameworks designed to safeguard cultural heritage — frameworks that often prove vulnerable to human desire, greed, or ideology. Alongside this exploration, students will hone their writing skills through a variety of assignments, including analytical essays, creative responses, and research-based narratives.
By engaging with films and literature, students will critically examine how crimes against art reveal broader questions about power, ownership, and the role of cultural memory in shaping public discourse. By the end of the course, students will be equipped to articulate complex ideas about art and its social significance through clear, compelling, and sophisticated writing.

This writing workshop builds nonfictional texts such as the personal essay, historical or current reportage, and science writing, by means of fictional and dramatic strategies. Students must have proficiency in expository writing and are required to have had success in English Composition or its equivalent. Subject matter may come from areas of students' interest, and exploration of new material is welcome. We conduct this workshop by providing one another with weekly texts and weekly critiques and revisions. Mandatory conferences. Prerequisite(s): ENG 1200.

Building on intermediate level mastery, this creative writing workshop supports greater initiative and investment for students writing advanced projects in a particular genre. Course projects may be in either fiction or non-fiction format, and range from short stories, creative non-fiction pieces, work on a novella, or selected chapters of a novel. Students are expected to have a high level of motivation and investment in their written work. Coursework includes studio writing exercises, drafts and revisions, class sharing, critiques, and conferencing. This is 3000 level advanced writing course. Prerequisites: Course enrollment is limited to students who have fulfilled both the first year and second year DLA required core courses: ENG 1200: Writing About, and HUM 2100: Critical Dialogues; and have taken at least one 2000 level Writing Course, or received permission of instructor.