Courses
The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular term. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.
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CGS SS 300: Science, Politics & Power: WWII to the 21st Century
This course will survey the careers of individuals whose scientific research and personal convictions compelled them to defy powerful authorities. It will explore the political, moral, and social, implications of scientific discoveries in the 20th century and beyond. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking. -
CGS SS 312: Race, Gender, Liberty & the United States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is the ultimate legal interpreter of the US Constitution and one of the most visible and most controversial organs of the Federal Government. This course introduces students to the role that the nation's highest Court has historically played in questions of racial and gender equality, as well as liberty more broadly speaking. Through these three prisms, this course examines the political, legal, and cultural history of the United States. Effective Spring 2026, this course fulfills a single requirement in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy. Effective Fall 2026, this course fulfills a single requirement in each of the following BU Hub areas: Critical Thinking, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy. -
CGS SS 320: Identity Politics in the United States
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - This course explores the politics of race, gender, class, sexuality, religion and more, focusing on the history, dynamics and contemporary issues surrounding identity formation and mobilization. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, The Individual in Community, Writing-Intensive Course. -
CGS SS 321: Immigration and Identity in the Modern United States
The United States prides itself on being a "nation of immigrants" and a melting pot, a country in which people of all ethnicities and races have sought new lives, new opportunities, and discovered freedom from political or religious persecution. Present-day debates over illegal immigrants, terrorism, jobs, border security, and walls remind us, however, that the United States may not be as welcoming as mythology imagines. In this course students will come to understand the intricacies of the ethnic identity question and challenge in the creation of the United States since the late 19th century. Effective Spring 2027 this course fulfills a single requirement in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, The Individual in Community, Teamwork/Collaboration. -
CGS SS 348: Vietnam, Southeast Asia, and the Cold War
This course explores the origins, events, and experiences of the wars in Vietnam and the larger Cold War in Southeast Asia between 1945 and 1979 as well as the wider consequences of those conflicts. Special emphasis will be given to the causes of American involvement and the reasons for the failures of U.S. policy in Vietnam and the region more broadly. The events of these wars are placed in different contexts demonstrating how ideological, diplomatic, social, cultural, and economic considerations influenced the conduct, duration, and end of the war. Effective Fall 2026 this course fulfills a single requirement in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
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