Philosophical, Aesthetic, and Historical Interpretation
Please note: Course lists on the Hub website show all of the courses approved to carry Hub units, but they do  not  indicate which Hub courses will actually be offered in a given semester. For up-to-date information on Hub course offerings for a specific semester, please visit the University Class Schedule on the  Student Link or the  BU Course Search . Â
Below you will find a list of all of the courses that carry Hub units. Hub units will continue to be added to some courses throughout the academic year, so be sure to confirm the Hub units for your courses prior to registration. To explore courses further, please see the Bulletin . You can also use the BU Course Search to search the entire database of Boston University courses by keywords, and you can filter your search by semester, by college, and/or by Hub area(s). In addition, you can find information about Hub courses offered during the summer on the Summer Term website .
Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings
CAS AN 211 Humans Among Animals
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Critical Thinking
Examines how humans understand (other) animals and their thought, feeling, and communication and the ways we humans in varied cultures and societies use animals for interaction and self-understanding. Interdisciplinary approach that considers language, aesthetics, ideology, practice, and regulation. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills units in the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, and Critical Thinking.
CAS AN 461 Ethnography and Anthropological Theory 1
4 credits. Either sem. junior or senior standing in the major. Required of majors.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Oral and/or Signed Communication
Examines foundational social scientific and anthropological theories and methods from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century. Discussion focuses on historical materialist, evolutionist, functionalist, structuralist, symbolic, and culture-and-personality approaches and their relation to contemporary anthropological thought. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS AN 553 Human Uniqueness
4 credits. CAS AN 102; or consent of instructor.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Scientific Inquiry I Critical Thinking
Language, labor, culture, self-awareness, symbolizing, and other traits have been called uniquely human. But if these things have no animal antecedents, how could they have evolved? Course participants examine this "continuity paradox" and its proposed solutions from Darwin onward. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Scientific Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.
CAS AN 562 The Origins of War
4 credits. 1st sem. First-Year Writing Seminar (WR 120 or equivalent)
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Scientific Inquiry II Writing-Intensive Course
Did humans evolve to have war? Is war in human nature? We explore the foundations of war through reviewing studies of non-human animals and hunter- gatherers. Focus is on understanding how and why war evolved. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Scientific Inquiry II.
CAS BI 119 Sociobiology
4 credits. 2nd sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Scientific Inquiry I Critical Thinking
Designed for non-science majors to fulfill natural science divisional requirements. The evolution of animal and human societies; the adaptive significance of social organization; altruism; cooperation; courtship and reproductive behavior; the genetics, development, and epigenetics of social behavior; human social evolution; evolutionary psychology; religion; impact of evolutionary theory on social thought. Three hours lecture plus discussion. Carries natural science divisional credit (without lab) in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Scientific Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.
CAS BI 225 Behavioral Biology
4 credits. CAS BI 107 and CAS BI 108; and First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120), and sophomore standing.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Oral and/or Signed Communication Writing-Intensive Course
(Seats reserved for Behavioral Biology majors; other students must receive consent of instructor. CAS BI 225 and CAS BI 407 cannot be taken concurrently and CAS BI 225 cannot be taken following completion of CAS BI 407.) Introduction to the genetics, physiology, neurobiology, ecology, and evolution of behavior. Topics include gene/environment interaction, hormones and behavior, neuroethology, communication, reproductive behavior, evolution of cooperation and altruism, cognition and brain evolution. Emphasis on integrative analysis. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Writing-Intensive Course, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS BI 407 Animal Behavior
4 credits. 1st sem. CAS BI 107; or equivalent.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Research and Information Literacy
Ethological approach to animal behavior; physiological, ontogenic, and phylogenic causes; and adaptive significance of behavior examined within an evolutionary framework, minimally including humans. Three hours lecture, three hours lab. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS BI 423 Marine Biogeochemistry
4 credits. Either sem. CAS CH 101 and CAS CH 102; or BUMP semester and cases144 or consent of instructor.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Scientific Inquiry II Research and Information Literacy
Oceanic nutrient and biogeochemical cycling in the context of the marine response to global change. Links between local and global scales are emphasized. Topics include oceanic productivity, iron limitation, oceanic glacial carbon dioxide budget, biogenic particle fluxes, oceanic glacial- interglacial biogeochemistry. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Scientific Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS CC 202 Core Humanities IV: From the Enlightenment to Modernity
4 credits. 2nd sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CAS CC 102 or WR 120).
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Writing-Intensive Course
In this fourth semester of Core humanities, we explore works of philosophy, literature and art that critiques Enlightenment and Romantic ideals of subjectivity, freedom, reason, and expression. Works by Voltaire, Kant, Austen, Shelley, the English Romantic Poets, Beethoven, Goethe, Whitman, Dickinson, and Douglass are included. We cross the threshold of the twentieth century with Chekhov's modern theater, the perspectivism of Nietzsche, and a critique of inequality by W.E.B. Du Bois. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Writing- Intensive Course.
CAS CC 222 "Unmaking" the Modern World: the Psychology, Politics, and Economics of the Self
4 credits. 2nd sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g. CAS CC 101 or WR 120).
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Social Inquiry II Critical Thinking
Confronting the legacy of Enlightenment philosophy in the modern era, students encounter the postmodern psychological, political, and economic theories that expose the paradoxes behind freedom and individual rights ideologies framing slavery, colonialism, ethno-nationalism, capitalist exploitation, sexism, and institutional racism. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Social Inquiry II, Critical Thinking.
CAS CI 263 Philosophy and Film
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Critical Thinking
This class provides an introduction philosophical and aesthetic issues connected with film. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
CAS CI 369 Greek Tragedy and Film
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
Explores Greek tragic myth's afterlife, both directly and obliquely, in cinema and in the modern literature spawning cinema: how certain Greek tragic myths have come to life as film and how "non-mythic" stories have acquired a mythic power in literary and cinematic form. All texts in translation. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS CI 512 Film and Media Theory
4 credits. Either sem. First-year writing seminar (e.g., CAS WR 100 or 120).
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Research and Information Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Introduction to film and media theory as a mode of inquiry. What happens when we render the world as an image? How do cinematic images differ from other forms of image-making? What does it mean to be a spectator? Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS CL 101 The World of Greece
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
The literature, philosophy, art, and culture of ancient Greece and their impact on later cultures. Topics covered include the emergence of epic poetry; art and lyric in the Archaic Age; drama, architecture, philosophy, and political developments of classical Athens and Greece. All texts in translation. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS CL 121 What Is a Good Life? Ancient Wisdom and Modern Insights
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Critical Thinking
Close examination of literary and philosophical texts from the ancient world and modern psychology that address the question of what constitutes a good life. Themes include: selfhood and the pursuit of happiness, individualism and communities, love, and health. All texts in translation. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS CL 213 Greek and Roman Mythology
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Historical Consciousness
A general introduction to the myths of the ancient classical world, with particular regard to the patterns of experience, both religious and psychological, from which they evolved. All texts in translation. Effective Fall 2019, this course carries a single unit in each of the following areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Historical Consciousness.
CAS CL 227 Rome and the Chinese World
4 credits. 2nd sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Creativity/Innovation
Explore the cultural and intellectual worlds of ancient Rome and ancient East Asia (including China, Korea, and Japan), comparing world views, ethical values, political dynamics, and social functions of literature in these great Eurasian civilizations. Includes creative and performative assignments. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS CL 303 The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
4 credits. Either sem. CAS CL 102 or CAS CL 322; or consent of instructor. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Writing-Intensive Course
The causes and consequences of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Topics include Romans and barbarians; the rise and spread of Christianity; Constantine the Great; the death of classic paganism; theories of decline; the grand strategy of the Roman Empire; monasticism; the emergence of Byzantium and Constantinople; the origins of Islam; and the transformation of classical art, literature, and thought and their influence on Christianity. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS CL 325 Greek Tragedy and Film
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
Explores Greek tragic myth's afterlife, both directly and obliquely, in cinema and in the modern literature spawning cinema: how certain Greek tragic myths have come to life as film and how "non-mythic" stories have acquired a mythic power in literary and cinematic form. All texts in translation. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS EE 423 Marine Biogeochemistry
4 credits. Either sem. CH 101 and 102, admission to BUMP or ES/EE 144, or consent of instructor.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Scientific Inquiry II Research and Information Literacy
Oceanic nutrient and biogeochemical cycling in the context of the marine response to global change. Links between local and global scales are emphasized. Topics include oceanic productivity, iron limitation, oceanic glacial carbon dioxide budget, biogenic particle fluxes, oceanic glacial- interglacial biogeochemistry. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Scientific Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS EE 509 Applied Environmental Statistics
4 credits. Introductory statistics (CAS MA 115/116 or MA 213/124 or equivalent),Calculus I (CAS MA 121 or CAS MA 123 or equivalent), Probability (CASMA 581) and First-Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Writing-Intensive Course
Survey of modern probability-based statistical methods in environmental science. Core concepts in likelihood and Bayesian approaches are used to address spatial, time-series, and latent variable models and non-Gaussian, non-linear, heterogeneous, and missing data. Project-based course focused on applications to data. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Writing-Intensive Course.
CAS EN 145 Introduction to Performance
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Creativity/Innovation
Investigates the many forms performance might take, from live art in a visual art context, experimental theatre, poetry readings, video, or audio work in 20th and 21st century creative practice. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings (PLM), Creativity/Innovation.
CAS EN 160 Big Novels, Big Ideas
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Critical Thinking
How do big famous novels explore philosophical ideas about knowledge, selfhood, nature, community? Are fiction and philosophy partners or rivals? Novels may include Moby Dick, Middlemarch, Invisible Man, Infinite Jest, read alongside Plato, Descartes, Nietzsche, Du Bois, Sartre, and others. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
CAS EN 162 The Ethics of Art
4 credits. Either sem.
Does art make you good? How does it shape our values and sense of justice? Ancient thinkers (Plato, Horace) and modern theorists (Wollstonecraft, Wilde), followed by contemporary case studies. Topics may include propaganda, body aesthetics, animals, disability, pornography, graffiti, censorship. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS EN 195 Literature and Ideas
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Critical Thinking
How does literature relate to philosophy? How do poems and stories explore philosophical beliefs? Readings may include novels, epics, dialogues, sermons, theoretical treatises, and poetry, all engaging with broad questions about meaning, selfhood, divinity, politics, community, value. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS EN 215 Global Modernist Fiction
4 credits. 1st sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings The Individual in Community Critical Thinking
A comparative study of five modernist authors from different world cultures: Faulkner, Kafka, Chang, Rushdie, and Murakami. Examines experiments in narrative technique as differently situated responses to the major events and legacy of the twentieth century. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS EN 378 Philosophy and Literature
4 credits. Either sem. junior or senior standing or one previous literature course.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Critical Thinking
Episodes from the "ancient quarrel" between literature and philosophy. What are the powers of art? What are its limitations or dangers? Readings may span ancient Greeks to contemporary authors, all posing questions about reason, argument, discursive thought, emotion, narration, figuration. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS EN 404 History of Literary Criticism I
4 credits. Either sem. two previous literature courses or junior or senior standing.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration
A historical survey of western literary-critical standards from the earliest surviving formulations in classical Athens to the dawn of the twentieth century. Writers include Plato, Aristotle, Horace, Augustine, Dante, Sidney, Hume, Wordsworth, Marx, Nietzsche. 4 cr. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS EN 406 History of Literary Criticism II
4 credits. Either sem. two previous literature courses or junior or senior standing.
Survey of recent literary critical theory. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS EN 437 Thinking with Animals
4 credits. two previous literature courses or junior or senior standing.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration
In literary texts, animals appear as tricksters, clueless victims, predatory men, eloquent captives, and heroic matriarchs. This course analyzes narratives about animals in Anglo-American philosophy, science, and literature. Human myths about animals and the supremacy of the human are central to beliefs about race, gender, and private property. Focuses on animals as food, embodied mindedness, environmental justice, and ecological thinking. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS EN 452 Asian American Studies: Theory and Methods
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings The Individual in Community
A brief overview of the theories and methods of Asian American studies, reading theory, literature, history, culture, sociology, and legal study to define a mode of inquiry and action inspired by a legacy of activism and survival from the Asian diaspora. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS EN 481 Performative Text and Design
4 credits. 2nd sem. two previous literature courses or junior or senior standing.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Digital/Multimedia Expression Creativity/Innovation
Intersections of text, design, performance, publishing, and activism. Examinations of techniques, forms, media, and theoretical ideas--asking about the political potential of such practices. Students develop an interdisciplinary approach to thinking about the form a text might take as a spatial appearance (page or environment), through materials (costume, flags) or how it might be used as a performative object. Themes include: labour, liveness and documentation, ephemeral vs. permanent, alternative publishing, activist archiving. Lectures, project based, field trips, and studio visits. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS EN 482 Critical Studies in Modern Literature
4 credits. Either sem. two previous literature courses or junior or senior standing.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration
Topic for Fall 2020: Approaches to the Postcolonial Novel. An exploration of character and context in key works of postcolonial literature. We will read secondary works that discuss the theories and histories of this diverse body of work. Authors may include Salih, Naipaul, Shanbhag, Adichie, Mueenuddin, Bulawayo, Marechera. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS EN 490 The Gothic, Identity, and the Human
4 credits. Either sem. two previous literature courses or junior or senior standing.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Critical Thinking
Readings in dark narratives from Mary Shelley through Toni Morrison in tandem with humanistic theory concerning identity (mind, self, agency), the character of the human (particularly in relation to the animal), hierarchies of value, and the character of evil. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS EN 493 Critical Studies in Literature and The Arts
4 credits. Either sem. two previous literature courses or junior or senior standing.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Creativity/Innovation
This course examines translational practices in art, writing, and performance, considering translation between languages, genres, discourses, and media--asking about the political potentials or pitfalls along the way. Includes creative exercises and concludes with the collaborative publication of a zine. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS EN 497 Critical Studies in Literature and Philosophy
4 credits. two previous literature courses or junior or senior standing.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Critical Thinking
Truth, beauty, reason, emotion, interpretation, justice, meaning--this course reads literature from specific philosophical perspectives, and understands philosophical texts using literary methods. It also examines historical, theoretical, and aesthetic relationships between literature and philosophy. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS EN 539 Marxist Cultural Criticism
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings The Individual in Community Critical Thinking
An introduction to Marxist cultural criticism that examines the transformation of concepts in classic Marxism (Marx, Lukacs, Althusser, Adorno, and Gramsci) into contemporary debates about race, gender, sexuality, colonialism, modernity, and language (Said, Zizek, Spivak, and others). Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS EN 569 Film and Media Theory
4 credits. Either sem. two previous literature courses or junior or senior standing; and First-Year Writing (WR 120 or equivalent).
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Research and Information Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Introduction to film and media theory as a mode of inquiry. What happens when we render the world as an image? How do cinematic images differ from other forms of image-making? What does it mean to be a spectator? Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS EN 637 Thinking with Animals
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration
In literary texts, animals appear as tricksters, clueless victims, predatory men, eloquent captives, and heroic matriarchs. This course analyzes narratives about animals in Anglo-American philosophy, science, and literature. Human myths about animals and the supremacy of the human are central to beliefs about race, gender, and private property. Focuses on animals as food, embodied mindedness, environmental justice, and ecological thinking. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS HI 203 Magic, Science, and Religion
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
Boundaries and relationships between magic, science, and religion in Europe from antiquity through the Enlightenment. Explores global cultural exchange, distinctions across social, educational, gender, and religious lines, the rise of modern science, and changing assumptions about God, Nature, and humanity. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS HI 215 The European Enlightenment
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Historical Consciousness
How Europe became modern. The rise of science, critique of religion, and struggle for rights. The public sphere emerges: newspapers, Freemasons, coffee, salons, smut. The invention of a cosmopolitan republic of letters; Voltaire, Diderot, Kant, Adam Smith, Benjamin Franklin. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS HI 515 Meaning, Memory, and History
4 credits. junior standing.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Historical Consciousness
Explores central issues in the philosophy of history, from Kant, Hegel, and Nietzsche to Collingwood, Popper, and Danto. Topics include: is history a science? If so, what kind? How does it differ from tradition and memory? Does it have a meaning? Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS JS 348 Philosophy and Mysticism: Jewish and Islamic Perspectives
4 credits. 1st sem. First-Year Writing Seminar; and one course from among the following: Philosophy, Religion, Core Curriculum (CC101 and/or CC102)
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
A thematic introduction to mysticism and philosophy, with a focus on the dynamics of religious experience. Readings will be drawn from medieval Jewish and Islamic philosophy; Sufi mysticism and philosophy; Kabbalah, Sufi poetry, Hebrew poetry from the Golden Age of Muslim Spain. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS LF 483 Topics in Literature and Politics: Revolution, Power, Culture
4 credits. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Research and Information Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Close interpretive, critical, and theoretical study of philosophical questions posed by selected works of literature [and related arts] with emphasis on the political. Themes such as vengeance, justice, and injustice; political theatre / theatre of politics; representations of war; exile and imprisonment as the scene of writing; cross-fertilization between law, diplomacy, and narrative; or transgression and invention. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS LJ 261 Rome and the Chinese World
4 credits. 2nd sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Creativity/Innovation
Explore the cultural and intellectual worlds of ancient Rome and ancient East Asia (including China, Korea, and Japan), comparing world views, ethical values, political dynamics, and social functions of literature in these great Eurasian civilizations. Includes creative and performative assignments. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS LJ 480 Japanese Women Writers
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
Classic texts by Japanese women, including the "Tale of Genji" and "The Pillow Book," and their modern legacy, read alongside important philosophical and theoretical texts in queer and feminist thought. Lectures and texts in English. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS LK 261 Rome and the Chinese World
4 credits. 2nd sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Creativity/Innovation
Explore the cultural and intellectual worlds of ancient Rome and ancient East Asia (including China, Korea, and Japan), comparing world views, ethical values, political dynamics, and social functions of literature in these great Eurasian civilizations. Includes creative and performative assignments. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS LR 280 Dostoevsky (in English translation)
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration
Dostoevsky's evolution as novelist and philosopher. Explore major novels, including Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, and Demons, within cultural and political contexts; consider the significance of literary innovations and meditations on questions of morality, personality, freedom, health, justice, and evil. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS LR 281 Tolstoy (in English translation)
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration
Tolstoy's evolution as novelist and moral philosopher. Explore major works, including War and Peace and Anna Karenina, within cultural and political contexts; consider the significance of literary innovations and meditations on questions of morality, death, freedom, justice, meaning, and happiness. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS LR 288 Dostoevsky's Brothers Karamazov
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration
Close, careful study of Dostoevsky's masterpiece, with eye to historical, philosophical, theological, cultural, and literary significance; explores Dostoevsky's reinvention of the novel alongside questions of morality, justice, modernity, community, personality, and the meaning of life. Taught in English. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS LR 355 Chekhov: The Stories and Plays (in English translation)
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Teamwork/Collaboration
Explores Chekhov's major plays and a wide selection from his prose (in English translation); studies the arc of his career, his aesthetic innovations, moral psychology, philosophical perspective. Includes practicum in which students produce a play composed of scenes from Chekhov. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Aesthetic Exploration, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS MA 531 Mathematical Logic
4 credits. 1st sem. CAS MA 293; or consent of instructor.CAS MA 293; or consent of instructor.
The investigation of logical reasoning with mathematical methods. The syntax and semantics of sentential logic and quantificational logic. The unifying Godel Completeness Theorem, and models of theories. A look at the Godel Incompleteness Theorem and its ramifications. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS PH 100 Introduction to Philosophy
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Critical Thinking
Introduces the nature of philosophical activity through careful study of major philosophical topics. Topics may include the nature of reality, knowledge, God's existence, and the significance of human life.Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Critical Thinking and Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meaning. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 110 Great Philosophers
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
An introduction to philosophy through a reading of great figures in western thought. The list may include Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Roussesau, Nietzsche, Russell. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 150 Introduction to Ethics
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Critical Thinking
Many of us want to lead meaningful lives. But what is it for a life to be meaningful? What makes some lives better or more meaningful than others? Can life as a whole have some significance or meaning? Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 155 Politics and Philosophy
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Critical Thinking
What is justice? What are the foundations of property rights, liberty, and equality? Are anarchism and utopianism defensible? This course is an introduction to major themes and questions in political philosophy. It includes a study of classical and modern texts, as well as contemporary political issues. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 159 Philosophy and Film
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Critical Thinking
This class provides an introduction philosophical and aesthetic issues connected with film. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 160 Reasoning and Argumentation
4 credits. Either sem.
A systematic study of the principles of both deductive and informal reasoning, calculated to enhance students' actual reasoning skills, with an emphasis on reasoning and argumentation in ordinary discourse. We will emphasize argumentation and criticism in ordinary life and also present formal models of reasoning designed to elicit underlying patterns and structures of reasoning and argumentation that are widely applicable. Simultaneous training in skills of argument analysis, argument pattern recognition, argument construction, and argument interpretation and creation. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 242 Philosophy of Human Nature
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
Examines the way in which Darwin, Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud undermine traditional conceptions of human nature. These thinkers teach us to question our ordinary assumptions about religion, human distinctiveness, the conscious mind, the role and status of morality, and the uplifting effects of civilization. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 245 The Quest for God and the Good
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Pre-req: WR 120 or equivalent, CS 111. An interactive seminar, investigating the meaning and purpose of human life, the significance of God or an Absolute, the role of contemplation and action in the spiritual quest, relationships between philosophy and religious thought, East and West. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. Effective Fall 2023 this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS PH 246 Indian Philosophy
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Critical Thinking
This course introduces traditions of philosophical thought from the Indian subcontinent, including Buddhist and other traditions, from Vedic (ancient) times to the present day. Key topics may include the causes of suffering, the nature of the self, and others. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 247 Introduction to Chinese Philosophy
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Critical Thinking
Is human nature fundamentally good or fundamentally bad? How can we best achieve an enduring social order? What is the shape of a life well lived? This class examines such questions in the context of the classical period in Chinese philosophy, focusing on (1) Kongzi (Confucius), (2) Mozi, (3) Mengzi (Mencius), (4) Zhuangzi, and (5) Xunzi. A primary goal of the course is to expose students to the richness, vitality, and plurality of the philosophical scene in ancient China. Topics discussed include moral virtue, music, education, and the ethics of war. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 248 Existentialism
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Critical Thinking
This course examines how existentialist thinkers grappled with some of the most problematic aspects of the human condition. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 251 Medical Ethics
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Critical Thinking
This course will survey ethical issues that arise in connection with medicine and emerging biotechnologies. It will examine topics such as the right to healthcare, research on human subjects, euthanasia, abortion, cloning, genetic selection, disabilities, and the biomedical enhancement of human capacities. Students can expect to gain not only training in the concepts and methods of moral philosophy and the logic of argumentation, but also the resources needed for assessing ethically difficult questions that healthcare professionals routinely face. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 253 Social Philosophy
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Social Inquiry I Critical Thinking
Through a reading of some selected texts we will examine modern and contemporary theories of society, concerning its nature and the direction of its evolution. The philosophical and sociological discussions are framed in terms of the complicated relationship between individuals and society, and between civil society and the sovereign power. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 256 Philosophy of Gender and Sexuality
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings The Individual in Community Critical Thinking
This course analyzes gender and sexuality from an intersectional perspective. We focus on metaphysics, epistemology, and semantics to understand gender and sexuality as they exist within interlocking systems of oppression including racism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, and fatphobia. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, The Individual in Community, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 259 Philosophy of the Arts
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Critical Thinking
What makes something beautiful? How do different arts (music, dance, painting, sculpture, architecture, film, drama) relate to our aesthetic experience of the world? Explores several philosophical theories of art through specific examples of artwork. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 261 Puzzles and Paradoxes
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Quantitative Reasoning I Critical Thinking
Some of our most basic beliefs, when scrutinized, lead to absurd conclusions. For example, using only beliefs that seem uncontroversial, we can conclude that motion is impossible, that everyone is bald, and it is impossible to give a surprise exam. Carefully scrutinizing the reasoning that leads to these absurdities often yields substantial philosophical insight. In this course, we will examine a number of such puzzles and paradoxes in detail. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Quantitative Reasoning I, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 266 Mind, Brain, and Self
4 credits. Either sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120).
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Critical Thinking Writing-Intensive Course
This course is devoted to exploring the relationships among consciousness, the mind, and the brain, the nature of the self or person, and other related topics. This course will also examine whether and to what extent these issues can be addressed by contemporary natural science. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Writing-Intensive Course, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 310 History of Modern Philosophy
4 credits. Either sem. one philosophy course or sophomore standing.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Historical Consciousness Research and Information Literacy
An examination of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century philosophy from Descartes to Kant, with emphasis on the nature and extent of knowledge. Readings include Descartes, Locke, Spinoza, Berkley, Hume, and Kant. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS PH 340 Metaphysics and Epistemology
4 credits. CAS PH 160; or consent of instructor.
This course is about metaphysics (the study of what there is, and how it all relates) and epistemology (the study of knowledge, and how we can know things about the world) and their intersection. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 350 History of Ethics
4 credits. Either sem. one philosophy course or sophomore standing.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Critical Thinking
Are there fundamental principles for determining the right way to act ethically? How do different eras answer this question? What is the significance of these differences? This course addresses these questions by examining classical ethical texts from different historical traditions. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 360 Symbolic Logic
4 credits. Either sem. one philosophy course or sophomore standing.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Quantitative Reasoning I Critical Thinking
A survey of the concepts and principles of symbolic logic: valid and invalid arguments, logical relations of statements and their basis in structural features of statements, analysis of the logical structure of complex statements of ordinary discourse, and the use of a symbolic language to display logical structure and to facilitate methods for assessing the logical structure of arguments. We cover the analysis of reasoning with truth-functions ("and", "or", "not", "if ... then") and with quantifiers ("all", "some"), attending to formal languages and axiomatic systems for logical deduction. Throughout, we aim to clearly and systematically display both the theory underlying the norms of valid reasoning and their applications to particular problems of argumentation. The course is an introduction to first-order quantificational logic, a key tool underlying work in foundations of mathematics, philosophy of language and mind, philosophy of science and parts of syntax and semantics. It is largely mathematical and formal in character, but lectures situate these structures within the context of questions raised in contemporary philosophy of language and mind. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Quantitative Reasoning I, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 409 Maimonides
4 credits. CAS PH 300.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Oral and/or Signed Communication
A study of major aspects of the thought of Maimonides. Primary focus on the Guide of the Perplexed, with attention to its modern reception in works by Baruch Spinoza, Hermann Cohen, Leo Strauss, and others. Also offered as CAS RN 420. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
CAS PH 415 Nineteenth-Century Philosophy
4 credits. CAS PH 310; and one other philosophy course.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
Course subtitle: "Constructing and Deconstructing Autonomy". We will ask: To what extent is a practical agent free or autonomous? We examine answers to these questions by figures such as Kant, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche and Freud. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 419 Nietzsche
4 credits. Either sem. two philosophy courses, or consent of instructor.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Historical Consciousness
An intensive study of Nietzsche's philosophical thought. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS PH 426 Phenomenology
4 credits. Either sem. CAS PH 310; and two other philosophy courses, or consent of instructor. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Oral and/or Signed Communication Writing-Intensive Course
Rigorous examination of foundations of philosophical phenomenology in Husserl and others. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Writing-Intensive Course, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS PH 446 Philosophy of Religion
4 credits. CAS PH 300 and CAS PH 310.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Social Inquiry I Critical Thinking
Critical investigation of the limits of human knowledge and the theoretical and practical demands for meaning attached to notions of God, providence, immortality, and other metaphysical conditions of human thriving, from Plato to modern philosophies of religion. Effective Spring 2022 this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 453 Classical to Early Modern Political Theory
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Critical Thinking
Focuses on philosophical subjects relevant to ethics and politics, such as virtue and happiness; human nature and reason; qualifications of leadership; aims and means of civic education; and conceptions of law (man-made, natural, divine). Texts by Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Machiavelli. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 454 Community, Liberty, and Morality
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Critical Thinking
Does a free community require shared values? Must those values, and hence political liberty, in turn be sustained by a communal religious outlook--and if so, which one? If diverse religious views are permitted in a free society, how is a regime of mutual toleration to be established and how is religious liberty to be defined and defended? What are some of the arguments for and against freedom of speech and inquiry? This seminar will focus on these and related questions concerning the complex relation between value, civic unity, religion, and liberty. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 456 Topics in Philosophy and Religion
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Critical Thinking
Topic for Fall 2022: Why are we here? Alongside philosophers and religious thinkers, this course explores different versions of this question. Why are we here reading and talking? Why are we at BU? Why are we here at all? Does life have some meaning? Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 461 Mathematical Logic
4 credits. Either sem. CAS MA 293; or consent of instructor.
The investigation of logical reasoning with mathematical methods. The syntax and semantics of sentential logic and quantificational logic. The unifying Godel Completeness Theorem, and models of theories. A look at the Godel Incompleteness Theorem and its ramifications. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS PH 465 Philosophy of Cognitive Science
4 credits. CAS PH 310 and CAS PH 360; and one other philosophy course; or consent of instructor.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Scientific Inquiry II Critical Thinking
We'll read important scientific work in evolutionary theory, psychology, etc. about human cognition. We'll then explore its philosophical implications. For example, we'll use research in cognitive science to think about whether humans are irremediably tribal and sectarian. Scientific Inquiry I and Social Inquiry I are both prerequisites for this course. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Scientific Inquiry II, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 470 Philosophy of Physics
4 credits. CAS PH 310 and CAS PH 360.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Scientific Inquiry I Critical Thinking
An introductory survey of fascinating problems in contemporary philosophy of physics. The basic ideas and main features of physical theories, which touch upon nature at its most fundamental level and interact most crucially with philosophy in general, are outlined, so that students will have a road map of the central problems in the field. Throughout, the driving theme is the entanglement of a radical revision in our conceptualization of the world (which is forced upon us by the changes in the physical picture of the world due to major developments in modern physics) with central philosophical. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Scientific Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 477 Philosophy of the Social Sciences
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Social Inquiry II Critical Thinking
Topics in the philosophy of the social sciences such as the interpretation of human action and the objectivity of social inquiry. Social consideration of alternative theoretic viewpoints such as naturalism and interpretivism. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Social Inquiry II, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 493 Meaning, Memory, and History
4 credits. junior standing.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Historical Consciousness
Explores central issues in the philosophy of history, from Kant, Hegel, and Nietzsche to Collingwood, Popper, and Danto. Topics include: is history a science? If so, what kind? How does it differ from tradition and memory? Does it have a meaning? Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS PH 495 Philosophy and Mysticism: Jewish and Islamic Perspectives
4 credits. 1st sem. First-Year Writing Seminar; and one course from among the following: Philosophy, Religion, Core Curriculum (CC101 and/or CC102)
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
A thematic introduction to mysticism and philosophy, with a focus on the dynamics of religious experience. Readings will be drawn from medieval Jewish and Islamic philosophy; Sufi mysticism and philosophy; Kabbalah, Sufi poetry, Hebrew poetry from the Golden Age of Muslim Spain. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing- Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS PH 496 Topics in Religious Thought
4 credits. CAS WR 120 or equivalent and one course from among the following: Religion, Philosophy, Core Curriculum (CC 101 and/or CC 102).
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
What is happiness? How can we achieve a balanced, healthy, fulfilling life? Classical thinkers such as Aristotle, Plato, Chuang Tzu; Stoic, Epicurean, Confucian, Buddhist paths; comparison with contemporary studies on happiness and mindfulness. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking. Effective Spring 2023 this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS PO 191 Introduction to Political Theory
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Critical Thinking
Undergraduate core course. Fundamental questions of political life are addressed by analyzing works of political philosophy. Historical and contemporary events and issues illustrate and complicate analysis of conceptions of authority, justice, liberty, and equality. Many definitions of government, law, and rights are considered. Carries social science divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PO 223 Issues in Contemporary Politics
4 credits. Either sem. enrollment in London Internship Program.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
This course examines the historical origins of and diverse philosophical positions on various contentious political and ethical issues today. Through reading, writing, exhibition or theatre visits and discussion, students will be encouraged and guided to foster a critical stance. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS PO 303 It's a Free Country: Civil Liberties in America
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Critical Thinking
An accessible introduction to American civil liberties. Students will read a sampling of key Supreme Court cases about issues including speech, religion, privacy and equality. They will understand the key the debates, considerations, and decisions about old and new civil liberties challenges in the U.S. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PO 391 Classical to Early Modern Political Theory
4 credits. 1st sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Critical Thinking
Fundamental questions of ethics and politics are addressed by analyzing early works of political philosophy. Considers their various conceptions of: human nature and reason; qualifications of leadership; aims and means of civic education; and natural, human, and divine law. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PO 392 Modern Political Theory
4 credits. 2nd sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Critical Thinking
Fundamental questions of ethics and politics are addressed by analyzing works of political philosophy from the Enlightenment in the 17th century through the 20th century. Considers their various conceptions of human nature, the social contract, rights, government, justice, and revolution. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PO 393 The European Enlightenment
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Historical Consciousness
Survey of the intellectual and social transformation of Europe from the 1680s to the French Revolution. Readings draw on both eighteenth-century sources (including Voltaire, Diderot, Condorcet, Lessing, Smith, and Hume) and recent work by historians. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS PO 395 Domination/Liberation
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Critical Thinking
In this political theory course, we examine dilemmas surrounding domination and liberation in political theory and practice. We will ask what liberation is, how diverse forms of domination obstruct it; and whether freedom can be sustained in a lasting way. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PO 396 Philosophy of Gender and Sexuality
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings The Individual in Community Critical Thinking
This course analyzes gender and sexuality from an intersectional perspective. We focus on metaphysics, epistemology, and semantics to understand gender and sexuality as they exist within interlocking systems of oppression including racism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, and fatphobia. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, The Individual in Community, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 100 Introduction to Religion
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Creativity/Innovation
Religion matters. It makes meaning and provides structure to life, addressing fundamental questions about body, spirit, community, and time. But what is it? How does it work in our world? This course explores religion in ritual, philosophical, experiential, and ethical dimensions. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS RN 106 Death and Immortality
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Creativity/Innovation
Examines death as religious traditions have attempted to accept, defeat, deny, or transcend it. Do we have souls? Do they reincarnate? What to do with a corpse? Other topics include mourning, burial, cremation, martyrdom, resurrection, near-death experiences. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS RN 200 Theoretical Approaches to the Study of Religion
4 credits. Either sem. CAS Religion major, or consent of instructor.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
Origins and history of the academic study of religion. Different constructions of religion as an object of study and the methods that arise from them. The role of the humanities and social sciences in understanding religion's place in history and contemporary experience. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 213 Hinduism
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration
The course will provide the student with the opportunity to study on an introductory level Hinduism, the majority religion of India and Nepal. It is structured for the student who has had little or no previous background in the study of Hinduism from either an anthropological perspective or from a literary and historical point of view. It will focus on the development of the Hindu textual tradition, the philosophy and mythology it expounds, and the ritual practices related to it. Emphasis will be placed on how Hindu traditions adapted to changing historical conditions. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS RN 214 Islam
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Teamwork/Collaboration
The rise and spread of Islam from the seventh century to the present; introduction to its central beliefs, institutions, and practices, and its impact on the religious and cultural history of Asia and Africa. Continuity and change in the modern period. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS RN 242 Magic, Science, and Religion
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
Boundaries and relationships between magic, science, and religion in Europe from antiquity through the Enlightenment. Explores global cultural exchange, distinctions across social, educational, gender, and religious lines, the rise of modern science, and changing assumptions about God, Nature, and humanity. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 245 The Quest for God and the Good
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Pre-req: WR 120 or equivalent, CS 111. An interactive seminar, investigating the meaning and purpose of human life, the significance of God or an Absolute, the role of contemplation and action in the spiritual quest, relationships between philosophy and religious thought, East and West. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. Effective Fall 2023 this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS RN 246 Sex, Death, and the Buddha
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Critical Thinking
An exploration of various Buddhist understandings of the ideal human life. Topics examined include: karma and rebirth, nonviolence and war, human and animal rights, suicide and euthanasia, as well as abortion and contraception. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS RN 338 Philosophy and Mysticism: Jewish and Islamic Perspectives
4 credits. First-Year Writing Seminar; and one course from among the following: Philosophy, Religion, Core Curriculum (CC101 and/or CC102)
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
A thematic introduction to mysticism and philosophy, with a focus on the dynamics of religious experience. Readings will be drawn from medieval Jewish and Islamic philosophy; Sufi mysticism and philosophy; Kabbalah, Sufi poetry, Hebrew poetry from the Golden Age of Muslim Spain. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing- Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS RN 364 Buddhist Literature
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Teamwork/Collaboration
What do Buddhist texts seek to do, and how do they do it? How are Buddhist texts deployed to engender personal and social transformation? Focusing on works from Indian, Tibetan, and Euro-American Buddhist traditions, we will explore these questions through varied literary genre, including Pāli folktales, Sanskrit poetry. canonical discourses, autobiography and contemporary socially engaged Buddhist writings. Particular attention will be given to the shifting valuation of embodiment in varied Buddhist works. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS RN 396 Philosophy of Religion
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Social Inquiry I Critical Thinking
Critical investigation of the limits of human knowledge and the theoretical and practical demands for meaning attached to notions of God, providence, immortality, and other metaphysical conditions of human thriving, from Plato to modern philosophies of religion. Effective Spring 2022 this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 397 Topics in Philosophy and Religion
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Critical Thinking
Topic for Fall 2022: Why are we here? Alongside philosophers and religious thinkers, this course explores different versions of this question. Why are we here reading and talking? Why are we at BU? Why are we here at all? Does life have some meaning? Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 420 Maimonides
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Oral and/or Signed Communication
A study of major aspects of the thought of Maimonides. Primary focus on the Guide of the Perplexed, with attention to its modern reception in works by Baruch Spinoza, Hermann Cohen, Leo Strauss, and others. Also offered as CAS PH 409. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
CAS RN 452 Topics in Religious Thought
4 credits. Either sem. CAS WR 120 or equivalent and one course from among the following: Religion, Philosophy, Core Curriculum (CC 101 and/or CC 102).
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
What is happiness? How can we achieve a balanced, healthy, fulfilling life? Classical thinkers such as Aristotle, Plato, Chuang Tzu; Stoic, Epicurean, Confucian, Buddhist paths; comparison with contemporary studies on happiness and mindfulness. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking. Effective Spring 2023 this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS WS 101 Gender and Sexuality I: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
4 credits. 1st sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Scientific Inquiry I Critical Thinking
This course is the introduction to women's, gender, and sexuality studies, that considers the origins, diversity, and expression of sex and gender. Topics include the evolutionary origin of sexes; evolution, development, and social construction of sex, gender, and sexuality; sexual difference, similarities and diversity in gendered bodies, brains, and behavior. This interdisciplinary introduction is the foundation for the minor in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Scientific Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.
CAS WS 396 Philosophy of Gender and Sexuality
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings The Individual in Community Critical Thinking
This course analyzes gender and sexuality from an intersectional perspective. We focus on metaphysics, epistemology, and semantics to understand gender and sexuality as they exist within interlocking systems of oppression including racism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, and fatphobia. Also offered as CAS PH 256 and CAS PO 396. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, The Individual in Community, Critical Thinking.
CAS WS 420 Queer Theory
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings The Individual in Community Critical Thinking
Surveys major texts and arguments in queer theory from Butler's Gender Trouble to contemporary discussions of cisnormativity, homonationalism, affect, pinkwashing, crip theory, and queer-of-color critique. Explores different uses of queer theory in legal debates, literary analysis, and cultural criticism. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS WS 480 Japanese Women Writers
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
Classic texts by Japanese women, including the "Tale of Genji" and "The Pillow Book," and their modern legacy, read alongside important philosophical and theoretical texts in queer and feminist thought. Lectures and texts in English. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS XL 261 Rome and the Chinese World
4 credits. 2nd sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Creativity/Innovation
Explore the cultural and intellectual worlds of ancient Rome and ancient East Asia (including China, Korea, and Japan), comparing world views, ethical values, political dynamics, and social functions of literature in these great Eurasian civilizations. Includes creative and performative assignments. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS XL 325 Global Modernist Fiction
4 credits. 1st sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings The Individual in Community Critical Thinking
A comparative study of five modernist authors from different world cultures: Faulkner, Kafka, Chang, Rushdie, and Murakami. Examines experiments in narrative technique as differently situated responses to the major events and legacy of the twentieth century. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS XL 420 Queer Theory
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings The Individual in Community Critical Thinking
Surveys major texts and arguments in queer theory from Butler's Gender Trouble to contemporary discussions of cisnormativity, homonationalism, affect, pinkwashing, crip theory, and queer-of-color critique. Explores different uses of queer theory in legal debates, literary analysis, and cultural criticism. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS XL 530 Marxist Cultural Criticism
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings The Individual in Community Critical Thinking
An introduction to Marxist cultural criticism that examines the transformation of concepts in classic Marxism (Marx, Lukacs, Althusser, Adorno, and Gramsci) into contemporary debates about race, gender, sexuality, colonialism, modernity, and language (Said, Zizek, Spivak, and others). Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CFA AR 508 The Experimental Photograph
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Digital/Multimedia Expression Teamwork/Collaboration
This course brings together the STEM disciplines with the art of photography through hands on experiments and explorations of neuroscience, engineering, and new media. From pinhole photography to 3D printing, students will gain skills in historical processes within the medium of photography as well as current technologies. Readings from both the natural sciences and critical theory will also be required. The interdisciplinary approach to the course aims to broaden students' understanding of the medium of photography and to appreciate an expanded view of the arts and sciences. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CFA AR 545 Performative Text and Design
4 credits. 2nd sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Digital/Multimedia Expression Creativity/Innovation
Intersections of text, design, performance, publishing, and activism. Examinations of techniques, forms, media, and theoretical ideas--asking about the political potential of such practices. Students develop an interdisciplinary approach to thinking about the form a text might take as a spatial appearance (page or environment), through materials (costume, flags) or how it might be used as a performative object. Themes include: labour, liveness and documentation, ephemeral vs. permanent, alternative publishing, activist archiving. Lectures, project based, field trips, and studio visits. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Creativity/Innovation.
CFA FA 100 Doing, Making & Knowing: The CFA Experience
2 credits. 1st sem.
Through collaborative projects, visiting artists and inspiring conversations, the course is an experiential and comprehensive introduction to the full scope of artistic endeavors housed within the College of Fine Arts. The following will be explored: When did I, the practitioner, embrace the experience of joy as an individual and as an artist? How do I, the practitioner, fit within the community of the arts? How do different disciplines of the arts think and respond? How do we collectively as artists observe, listen and physically respond? How do we collaborate and integrate our artistic voice. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CFA ME 203 Introduction to Music Teaching and Learning
2 credits. Either sem.
Development of a personal orientation to music teaching and learning through course readings, discussions, observations of varied music teaching contexts, and peer teaching experiences. Critical exploration of contemporary music education practices. Includes an exploration of music teacher identity and an overview of the historical, philosophical, psychological, and sociological foundations of music education. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CFA TH 508 Contemporary British Theatre
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration
Provides students with the critical, philosophical, aesthetic and historical perspectives necessary to understand and enjoy performance in the West End/Fringe, theatre, the urban realm, and cultural site visits to the Royal Courts of Justice, the Freud Museum, and Tate Modern. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CGS HU 201 History of Ethical Philosophy -- From the Ancient World to the 19th Century
4 credits. 1st sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Critical Thinking
A rigorous course in the history of ethical thought from the ancient world through the nineteenth century. The course also includes selected films and literary works that embody philosophical ideas and ethical dilemmas. Primary texts are used throughout. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CGS HU 202 History of 20th-Century Ethical Philosophy and Applied Ethics
4 credits. 2nd sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Creativity/Innovation
The course focuses on the application of philosophical ideas to various areas of modern life, such as politics, science, business, personal development, education, and religious faith. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Creativity/Innovation.
CGS IN 306 Shakespeare's Ethics
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Creativity/Innovation
What can great literature teach us about the ethical life? Can the arts teach sympathy or empathy for the unfamiliar? Can stepping into the shoes of a character from dramatic literature help us both deepen our sense of what it means to be human and how to lead a good life (be a morally upstanding citizen)? In what ways can art model ethical performance? This course will explore five of Shakespeare's plays with an emphasis on discovering and analyzing Shakespeare's ethical ideas. We will assess the thinking of philosophers who influenced Shakespeare. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Creativity/Innovation.
COM CM 334 Advertising in the U.K.
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration
Focuses on London's stellar reputation for creative and production excellence in advertising; examines how the advertising is shaped by the anti-sell, irony-modulated consumer culture, and emphasizes the way that deifying research risks diluting creative. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Aesthetic Exploration.
COM FT 345 Australian Cinema
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration
An introduction to Australian cinema by examining the relationship between Australian social history, cultural history, art history, and cinema. In order to understand the "national" nature of Australian films, the course addresses two periods of film production: the first wave from the late 1910s, '20s, and '30s; and the restructuring of the film industry with the so-called new wave of the 1970s and '80s. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
KHC EN 102 Ancient and Modern Quarrels: Fiction and Philosophy Since 1900
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Critical Thinking
The "ancient quarrel" between literature and philosophy. Ancient works by Sophocles, Plato, Aristotle; existentialist writing by Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, De Beauvoir, Ellison; contemporaries such as Sontag, Robinson, Coetzee. What good is art and narrative? What are their powers, limits, dangers? Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
KHC HC 501 People in Process: Lives & Works
2 credits. Either sem.
Students discuss case studies that highlight the impact of innovative research on culture and examine the major challenges that face our society, from access to higher education to health care to race and gender in the workplace. The course also supports students ongoing work on their senior projects. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following Hub area: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
KHC PO 103 Democracy and Capitalism in the United States
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Digital/Multimedia Expression Teamwork/Collaboration
In this class, we will look at the relationship between capitalism and democracy in the United States. In what ways are capitalism and democracy complementary? In what ways are they in contraction? To address these questions, we will explore some of the philosophical and historical roots of both concepts through a series of case studies. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Teamwork/Collaboration.
KHC RH 104 The Pursuit of Happiness
4 credits. 1st sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Digital/Multimedia Expression Critical Thinking
What is happiness? Can we hope to achieve it and how should we pursue it? We will study how happiness has been understood by different cultures over time, and students will engage with diverse authors and genres from scripture, philosophy, and social science. Students will write three essays, and keep a reading journal. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
KHC UC 104 The Ethics of Food
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Critical Thinking
Choices about what food to eat pervade our everyday lives. This course explores the ethics of such choices. We'll examine arguments for vegetarian and vegan diets, for eating organic, for eating local, and for restricting oneself to only humanely raised and slaughtered meat. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
KHC UC 105 Liberty, Fanaticism & Censorship
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Critical Thinking
From Socrates's execution for speech that 'corrupted the youth' and Jesus's crucifixion for claims that threatened empire to today's debates about cancel culture, disinformation, and social media censorship, questions about free speech and its political, ethical, and religious consequences have been central to western history. This course examines some of the enduring issues animating these questions with an eye to their ongoing significance. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
KHC UC 106 Biomedical Enhancement and the Future of Human Nature
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Ethical Reasoning Critical Thinking
Biomedical technologies are increasingly being used to enhance the biological, cognitive, and psychological capacities of otherwise healthy human beings. Although the enhancement enterprise aims to increase levels of human wellbeing, it also raises a host of ethical concerns, such as worries that it will exacerbate inequality, undermine authenticity, devalue diversity, or even pose an existential threat to the human species. This course will survey the ethics of biomedical enhancements carried out through the administration of drugs, genetic modifications, and human-machine interfaces. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
SED DE 372 Social Psychology and the Deaf World
4 credits. Either sem.
This courses explores the psychological, sociological, and educational constructions of Deaf people and how cultural, social, and medical models contribute to our perceptions about social arrangements, "bodies," and the politics of difference. We will use ideas from a host of disciplines, events, and experiences to illuminate how many of the issues related to the Deaf World are universal, human issues. Finally, we will hope to arrive at conclusions that showcase how studying the Deaf World can have many important implications for understanding human development. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Social Inquiry I.
SED ED 110 Introduction to Education
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings The Individual in Community
This exploratory course introduces students to the profession of teaching through discussions and a field experience at a local school. From this experience, students begin to cultivate a reflective stance toward themselves, curriculum, schools, and society. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings and, The Individual in Community.
SED ED 200 Introduction to Justice-Based Education
4 credits. Either sem. First-Year Writing Seminar (WR 120 or equivalent)
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings The Individual in Community Writing-Intensive Course
This exploratory course introduces students to a critical history of schooling in America and the extent to which various philosophies of education can work (and have worked) in service of or in opposition to democratic and justice- oriented ends. Students will begin to cultivate a critically reflective stance toward classroom experiences, educational policies, their identities, and the intersection among them. This course requires 4 hours of field-based experience. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, The Individual in Community, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
Aesthetic Exploration
CAS AA 114 Kongo to Cuba: Art, Exchange, and Self-Determination in Africa and Latin America
4 credits. 1st sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Critical Thinking
This course introduces the arts of Africa and Latin America. It explores the rich diversity of each continent's artistic production and highlights the impact of their intertwining histories on visual expression in the wake of transcontinental exchange and globalization. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
CAS AA 132 Write Back Soon: Blackness and the Prison
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration The Individual in Community Critical Thinking
This course interrogates the theme of black containment from slavery and Jim Crow to, principally, mass incarceration. The topic is explored in tandem with the development of open letter writing skills. This epistolary form allows both for the intimate engagement of individual, familiar contact and the deft inclusion of targeted eavesdroppers in order to raise the consciousness of listeners and affirm the value of personal relationships. Course texts include letters to and from prison, poetry, short stories, memoir, social science, documentaries, and critical theory. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
CAS AA 210 American Minstrelsy
4 credits. 2nd sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Research and Information Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
An American entertainment historically rooted in commodified performance of "blackness", this course engages with the complicated history of minstrelsy as both a racist and progressive art form. Course material surveys the minstrel tradition and its influence on popular entertainment. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Aesthetic Exploration, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS AA 215 Arts of Africa and Its Diaspora
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Critical Thinking
Exploration of a diversity of visual and performing arts from Africa, including royal regalia, masquerades, and contemporary painting. Examines how the dispersal of Africans, due to the transatlantic slave trade and immigration, contributed to the cultural richness of the Americas. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.
CAS AA 296 Religion and Hip Hop
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Digital/Multimedia Expression Creativity/Innovation
Uses digital media studies to explore diverse religious expressions in hip hop culture. Through critical reading, community field trips, and hands-on technology usage, students consider an often overlooked element in the study of hip hop culture: religion. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS AA 410 The Poetics and Politics of Hip Hop
4 credits.
Students engage with hip hop history, including aesthetic trends, some important artists and works, regional styles, and relationship with the larger sociocultural context. Students will critique and remake hip hop canons. They will identify how hip hop is shaped by race, class, and gender issues and reflect on their own positionality. They will acquire and apply listening, viewing, and reading skills to interpret primary and secondary sources and bring their analyses of these sources to bear. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AA 411 Race, Memory, and Diaspora in US Popular Music
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Research and Information Literacy
Examines selected popular and vernacular musical cultures in the U.S. within a broad historical, political, and economic context; how global musical practices brought by people to the U.S. have been shaped by the unique space of the nation; and how these styles are the product of interracial and intercultural dialogues, struggles, and negotiation processes that continue to produce new hybrid forms. Will develop ability to hear and appreciate entanglements that immerse music-making within competing interests and sensibilities, using key concepts on race, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexuality. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS AA 430 Black American Cinema
4 credits.
A survey of important genres and movements in the history of Black American cinema, with possible focus on race films, civil rights dramas, horror and Blaxploitation films, postcolonial cinema, the LA Rebellion school, Black independent film, afrofuturism, and/or more. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS AA 477 Critical Studies: Black Diaspora Theory and Practice
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration The Individual in Community Critical Thinking
Explore "diaspora" as a keyword for black studies, intervene in the term's emergence, usage, and many theorizations. Beginning with Paul Gilroy's take on diasporic culture and consciousness, course goes on to complicate/extend/challenge through lens of black gender and sexuality studies. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
CAS AH 111 Pyramids to Cathedrals: An Introduction to Ancient and Medieval Art
4 credits. 1st sem.
A chronological examination of the fundamentals of art and architectural history, this course introduces students to major monuments and works of art from antiquity to the middle ages in their social, religious and historical contexts. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AH 112 Introduction to Art in Europe and the United States from the Renaissance to Post- Modernism
4 credits. 2nd sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Teamwork/Collaboration
Major monuments and artists in Europe and the United States from the Renaissance to Post-Modernism. Sequential development of major styles in architecture, sculpture, painting, and photography. Relationship of visual art to social and cultural forces. Effective Spring 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS AH 113 Arts and Monuments of Asia
4 credits.
An introduction to the art and architecture of Asia from the earliest times to the present. Course addresses not only important cultural monuments but also portable art objects within museum collections. Course examines a wide range of media, including ink painting, ceramics, textiles, photography, as well as major architectural projects, monuments, and built environments. It aims to challenge and rethink monolithic definitions of "Asian art" by allowing students to understand the complex and sophisticated processes of interregional and global cultural exchange. Effective Spring 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS AH 114 Kongo to Cuba: Art, Exchange, and Self-Determination in Africa and Latin America
4 credits. 1st sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Critical Thinking
This course introduces the arts of Africa and Latin America. It explores the rich diversity of each continent's artistic production and highlights the impact of their intertwining histories on visual expression in the wake of transcontinental exchange and globalization. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
CAS AH 201 Understanding Architecture
4 credits. 1st sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Research and Information Literacy
Introduces a range of approaches to understanding architecture in an historical perspective. Learn how architects and others have interpreted meaning through rubrics of art, nature, and culture, focused upon European and American architecture from 1400 to the present. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS AH 210 Learning to See
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
Strengthens your ability to describe and analyze the visual world. From fundamentals such as color and composition to the design of advertisements, propaganda, and appliances. A lab component provides opportunities for direct engagement with objects, images, and the built environment. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS AH 215 Arts of Africa and Its Diaspora
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Critical Thinking
Exploration of a diversity of visual and performing arts from Africa, including royal regalia, masquerades, and contemporary painting. Examines how the dispersal of Africans, due to the transatlantic slave trade and immigration, contributed to the cultural richness of the Americas. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS.
CAS AH 220 Islamic Art and Architecture
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Research and Information Literacy
Examines key monuments of Islamic art and architecture within their historical and cultural context, and emphasizes the diversity within the visual cultures of the Islamic world. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS AH 225 The Arts of Asia
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Research and Information Literacy
Surveys of the major artistic traditions of Asia. Important monuments are examined analytically in order to explain why certain forms and styles are characteristic of specific times and places, and how these monuments functioned in their cultural contexts. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS AH 232 Archaeology of Ancient Egypt
4 credits. Either sem.
The technology, economy, social life, political organization, religions, art, and architecture of Egypt from Predynastic times through the Hellenistic period, based on archaeological and historical sources. Emphasis on the period of the pharaohs (ca. 3000-323 BCE). Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Also offered as CAS AR 232. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AH 233 The Arts of Greece
4 credits. Either sem.
Greek architecture, painting, sculpture, and other arts. Topics include: Greek perceptions of the world, the rise of monumental art and architecture, uses of color, period and individual styles. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AH 234 The Art of Rome
4 credits. Either sem.
Roman architecture, painting, sculpture, and minor arts. Emphasis on developments in Rome, Pompeii, and Central Italy and on the political and social role of Roman art and architecture. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AH 240 Medieval Art in Europe
4 credits. Either sem.
This course covers roughly one thousand years of art and architecture in Europe, Western Asia, and the Mediterranean from the Late Roman Era to the Renaissance. A broad range of media from stained glass to sculpture, gem encrusted metalwork, mosaics, ivories, manuscript illumination, lavish textiles, and other types of visual culture are examined. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AH 242 Latin American Art Since Contact
4 credits. Either sem.
Course surveys Latin American art from the colonial period to present and relates it to imperial, state, institutional, and private agendas. Course interrogates both notions of art within colonial / neo-colonial contexts and changing roles of artists over past half-millennia. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AH 257 Renaissance Art
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
Survey of the arts in the Renaissance in Italy from the communes of the early fifteenth century to the courts of the sixteenth century. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS AH 258 The Spaces of Art: from Velazquez to the Private Gallery in Spain
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
An overview of the use of space in Spanish art and architecture from the early 17th century Baroque style to contemporary art. A journey from the aerial perspective of Velazquez's paintings to urban street art, installation art, and modern galleries. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS AH 284 Arts in America
4 credits. Either sem.
A survey of art and visual culture made in North America between the early colonial period and World War I, exploring the ways that painters, sculptors, photographers, and graphic artists navigated major aesthetic debates, political conflicts, and economic crises. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AH 287 The Nineteenth Century
4 credits. Either sem.
Examines the major currents in nineteenth-century European painting and sculpture, from David to Rodin, in the context of nationalism, revolution, colonial expansion, and technological growth. Covers Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, and Symbolism. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AH 308 From Caesar to Corbusier: The History of Switzerland Through Its Art and Architecture
4 credits. enrollment in the Geneva Internship Program.
This course covers the history of Switzerland through its art and architecture, from the Romans to the twentieth century, setting the country's development in a wider European context and covering the main movements in art and architecture over that period. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS AH 313 Imperial Reflections: Early Modern Islamic Art and Architecture
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Research and Information Literacy
Architecture, manuscripts, textiles, metalwork, and ceramics of the Mughal, Ottoman, and Safavid Empires. Focus on the formation of imperial styles, intersections between art and politics, and the importance of the arts in dynastic legitimization. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS AH 314 After Genghis Khan: Art and Architecture in Central Asia and Iran
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Research and Information Literacy
Examines the art and architecture in Iran and Central Asia of the Ilkhanids and Timurids (thirteenth-sixteenth centuries), two of the most innovative and dynamic artistic traditions of the Islamic world, and heirs to the traditions of Genghis Khan's Mongol Empire. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS AH 320 Modern British Art and Design
4 credits. Either sem.
The course provides an overview of Modern and Contemporary British Art and Design through the critical historical and aesthetic evaluation of art works and the institutions that house them within London's permanent collections and temporary exhibitions. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AH 325 Art, Media, and Buddhism
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Teamwork/Collaboration
Examines how textual, visual, and material forms of religious expressions have been conceptualized by Buddhists as well as how Buddhist objects are understood and re- contextualized in the West. Topics include: self- immolation; museums; war propaganda, and pop culture. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS AH 326 Arts of Japan
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Research and Information Literacy
The arts of Japan, from prehistory to the twentieth century. Lectures intend to cover a broad range of media (painting, sculpture, ceramics, prints) and building types (temples, palaces, castles, teahouses). Special attention is paid to major projects integrating multiple forms. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS AH 327 Arts of China
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Research and Information Literacy
Explores major works of Chinese art, from bronze vessels, Buddhist caves, ink painting, to contemporary performance. Addresses topics such as constructions of monumentality, cultural exchange, displays of power, literati identity, feminine space, and quests for modernization. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS AH 331 Arts of Archaic Greece
4 credits. Either sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Writing-Intensive Course
Examines a critical formative stage in Greek art. Analyzes the rise of identifiable artists, the relationship of art to epic, the evolution of the architectural orders, and the formation of Greek style in monumental stone sculpture. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Writing-Intensive Course.
CAS AH 333 Arts of Classical Greece
4 credits. Either sem.
Examines architecture, sculpture, painting, and other arts of the fifth and fourth centuries B.C. Topics include: the concept of classicism, how art was made, the "Greek revolution" and consequences of naturalism, the artist as individual. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AH 349 Between the Lily and the Lion: Art in Renaissance Padua
4 credits. enrollment in the Padua Italian & European Studies Program.
Introduction to art history with regard to notable works of art and architecture of the Middle Ages and Renaissance in Padua, Venice and Florence. Exploration by on-site visits and experience of the cultural context in which works were created. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AH 352 Venetian Renaissance Art
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Digital/Multimedia Expression Creativity/Innovation
A study of art and architecture in Renaissance Venice with focus on the "Myth of Venice," Byzantinne heritage, introduction of the oil medium, Scuole, and the work of the Bellini, Giorgione, Titian, Palladio, Veronese, and Tintoretto. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS AH 354 Venetian Renaissance Art and Architecture
4 credits. Either sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
Students explore in-class and on-site XIV to XVI century Venetian Renaissance art, the relation between Renaissance art and Venice, the political structure of the Serenissima and the architectural program of Palazzo Ducale, trades routes and the artistic production in Venice. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS AH 356 Modern and Contemporary Art in Paris
4 credits. Either sem. enrollment in the Paris Internship Program.
Study of the main art movements in Paris from 1850 to today. Explores the history of "modernity" focusing on Parisian architecture and urbanism and its influence in other parts of the world. Examines the place of women artists in modernity. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AH 361 Southern Baroque Art
4 credits.
Explores transformations in painting, sculpture, and architecture of late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in Italy, Spain, and France. Topics include: crisis of the religious image and Counter-Reformation; arts in service of a rejuvenated, triumphant Catholic faith; papal nepotism and patronage. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AH 364 Art and Architecture in Madrid, 1561 - Today
4 credits. enrollment in the Madrid Spanish & European Studies Program.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Creativity/Innovation
An introduction to Spanish art history (1561-Present) that examines the most representative works and movements. Students explore the visual representation (painting, sculpture, architecture and street art) and the associated social values (power, gender, ethnicity, and "otherness") in both historical and current global contexts. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS AH 365 Baroque Arts in Northern Europe
4 credits. Either sem.
Explores the rich artistic traditions of the northern (Dutch) and southern (Flemish) Netherlands from the late sixteenth through the seventeenth centuries. Emphasis on major artists such as Rubens, Van Dyck, Frans Hals, Rembrandt, and Vermeer. Visits to the MFA's new Center for Netherlandish Art, conditions permitting. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AH 374 Australian Art and Architecture
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Examines the complexity of Australian artistic life and cultural tradition over the past two centuries. Considers both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal art, with particular focus on different media and art forms. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS AH 377 American Furniture and Allied Arts, 1630-1830
4 credits. Either sem.
Survey of furniture and related arts-- painting, architecture, and silver-- with an emphasis on aesthetics and quality, sources, style changes, regional differences, materials, and construction. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AH 379 American Art and Culture in the Nineteenth Century
4 credits. Either sem.
Explores the visual arts of painting, sculpture, photography, and popular media, through their interplay with persistent political and social questions that defined nineteenth-century America and continue to shape life in the twenty-first century. Themes include heroes, citizenship, war, imperialism, cosmopolitanism, consumerism. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AH 380 The Age of Napoleon
4 credits. Either sem.
In-depth exploration of art in the age of revolution, nationalism, colonial expansion, and religious revival. Development of new attitudes toward history, nature, and the imagination in the work of Friedrich, Goya, Delacroix, Gericault, Ingres, Turner, Constable, Blake, and others. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AH 381 London Architecture and Urbanism
4 credits. Either sem.
This course introduces the history and development of London and its buildings. It is aimed at a wide audience, not architectural specialists. Different styles of architecture and their origins will be explored through a combination of lectures and walking tours. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AH 383 Paris Architecture and Urbanism
4 credits. enrollment in the London and Paris Art & Architecture program.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
Traces the development of Parisian architecture and urbanism, from the Roman era to the present, focusing on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and emphasizing dynamic relationships among architecture, urban development, and socio-political history. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS AH 386 Modern American Art
4 credits. Either sem.
This class explores the diverse and contested field of modern art in the United States, examining the broad range of artists and art practices that laid claim to aesthetic modernism in the years between 1890 and 1945. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AH 388 British Painting from Holbein to the Twentieth Century
4 credits. Either sem.
A survey of painting in Britain from the Reformation to 1914. Emphasis on the cultural context of art in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The development of portraiture, landscape, genre, and history painting is discussed. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AH 389 The Age of Impressionism
4 credits.
Impressionism, its sources, and its aftermath: from the painting of modem life and leisure by Manet, Monet, Morisot, Renoir, and Degas to the evocation of spirituality, pain, and desire in the work of Van Gogh, Gauguin, Rodin, and Munch. Effective Summer 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AH 391 Twentieth-Century Art to 1940
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Research and Information Literacy
A study of the key tendencies in European art between the 1880s and World War II. The work of van Gogh, Picasso, Matisse, Dali, and their contemporaries is examined in relation to major issues in European culture and politics. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS AH 392 Twentieth Century Art from 1940 to 1980
4 credits. Either sem.
Explores major currents in art produced around the world during the tumultuous middle decades of the 20th century. The following topics, among others, are examined in relation to postwar culture and Cold War politics: realism vs. abstraction, global pop art and conceptual art, new materials and technologies, international artists' networks, and performative art practices. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AH 393 Contemporary Art: 1980 to Now
4 credits. Either sem.
Explores the terms of debate, key figures, and primary sites for the production and reception of contemporary art on a global scale since 1980. Painting, installation art, new media, performance, art criticism, and curatorial practice are discussed. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AH 395 History of Photography
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
An introduction to the study of photographs. The history of the medium in Europe and America from its invention in 1839 to the present. After lectures on photographic theory and methodology, photographs are studied both as art objects and as historical artifacts. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS AH 399 History and Theory of Landscape Architecture
4 credits. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120).
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Explores man's relationship with nature by a study of selected built environments from antiquity to the present. Focus on both the private garden and the public park--here considered as works of art--and their changing forms, meaning, and interpretations. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing- Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS AH 411 Exploring Art and Society in London: The Value of Art
4 credits. enrollment in the London Internship program and junior standing, or consent of instructor.
Art has many values: aesthetic, commercial, social, personal, and our responses depend on our own culture, education and life experience. Is art necessary? This course examines these and other topics whose common focus is the relationship between art and society. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS AH 495 Seminar: Twentieth Century Art
4 credits. Either sem. CAS AH 111 and CAS AH 112; and two courses at the 200 level or higher, or consent of the instructor.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Oral and/or Signed Communication Research and Information Literacy
Examines major artists and artistic currents of the twentieth century. Topics vary each year. Some background in the history of modern art is recommended. Topic for Fall 2020: Picasso. Explores more than eight decades of incessant art making by Pablo Picasso. How his friends, his lovers, and his preoccupation with eroticism and death affected his imagery. Students master fundamental currents of European Modernism. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Aesthetic Exploration, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS AH 507 Digital Curation: Towards National Parks: Art and Nature, Nature and Nation
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Digital/Multimedia Expression Creativity/Innovation
Before national parks, wild locations attracted artists, photographers and poets. Their works made these areas known to tourist-viewers. Prepare a digital exhibition and map artist- advocates as they explored mountains, forests and waterfalls. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS AM 202 What's Boston?
4 credits. 2nd sem.
What's Boston? explores Boston's complex urban and natural world. University faculty share cutting-edge research, focusing on Boston as a PLACE and a guiding IDEA, introducing the perspectives of disparate scholarly disciplines. Discover where you stand and where you might go! This course carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills one unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AM 220 Native American and Indigenous Studies
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration The Individual in Community Creativity/Innovation
Examines diverse cultural expressions of Native peoples, from oral traditions to modern fiction, and their historic and political contexts. Employs interdisciplinary perspectives from Native American and Indigenous Studies to ask critical questions about the arts, identity, community, and creativity. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, The Individual in Community, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS AM 336 Bob Dylan: Music and Words
4 credits. Either sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
This course examines Bob Dylan's music and lyrics from 1962 to 1975 in the context of his life, artistic influences, and milieu. We will explore the wealth of criticism and reaction his songs have inspired, paying special attention to questions concerning the nature of his art--for example, his dependence on musical tradition or the relationship between song lyrics and poetry--and past and current critical discussion about his legacy. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing- Intensive Course, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS AM 505 The American South in History, Literature, and Film
4 credits.
Explores the American South through literature, film, and other sources. Considers what, if anything, has been distinctive about the Southern experience and how a variety of Americans have imagined the region over time. Also offered as CAS HI 505. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AN 308 Food in Place(s): Identity, Location, and the Cultures of Taste
4 credits. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Explores foodways, culinary history, personal, social, and cultural identity, as well as sensory experiences of taste. Special attention given to communities in the Boston area as locations of cultural and culinary diversity. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-Intensive Course.
CAS AN 375 Culture, Society, and Religion in South Asia
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Ethnographic and historical introduction to the Indian subcontinent with a focus on the impact of religion on cultural practices and social institutions. Effective Spring 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS AN 397 Anthropology and Film: Ways of Seeing
4 credits. Either sem.
Considers the history and development of anthropological, ethnographic, and transcultural filmmaking. In-depth examination of important anthropological films in terms of methodologies, techniques, and strategies of expression; story, editing, narration, themes, style, content, art, and aesthetics. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AR 232 Archaeology of Ancient Egypt
4 credits. Either sem.
The art, and architecture, political organization, social life, religion, economy and technology of ancient Egypt from prehistoric times through the Roman period, based on archaeological and historical sources. Emphasis on the period of the Pharaohs (ca. 3000 BC to ca. AD 300 BC). This course carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills one unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AR 240 Archaeology of Ancient China
4 credits. Either sem.
Examines the archaeology of ancient China from the Neolithic through the Bronze Age (7000 to 221 BCE) with particular attention to the interactions between technology and the acquisition of political, religious, and social power. This course carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Social Inquiry I.
CAS AR 333 Arts of Classical Greece
4 credits. Either sem.
Examines architecture, sculpture, painting, and metalwork of the fifth and fourth centuries B.C. in their original contexts. Addresses such larger issues as development of portraiture; tension of "real" and "ideal"; roles and shifting iconographies of myth; and political use of monuments. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AR 348 Gods, Graves and Pyramids: Ancient Egyptian Religion and Ritual
4 credits. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) or consent of instructor
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Writing-Intensive Course
The beliefs of the ancient Egyptians, from their origins in Predynastic times to the development of the great temple complexes in the New Kingdom and later are studied in a broad synthesis of the data: archaeological, architectural and textual. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Writing-Intensive Course.
CAS AR 435 Materiality and Religion in Late Antiquity
4 credits. prior coursework in archaeology or ancient religions, or consent of instructor.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Research and Information Literacy
Investigates material traces and contexts of religion in the Graeco-Roman world, including iconic, architectural, votive, magical, and other archaeological remains; and draws on theories of space, image, and ritual performance. Topics vary. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS CC 101 Core Humanities I: Ancient Worlds
4 credits. 1st sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration First-Year Writing Seminar Creativity/Innovation
An interdisciplinary study of the origins of narrative, epic, tragedy, and philosophical thought including works from ancient Mesopotamia, the Hebrew Bible, and classical Greece. Focusing on close reading and writing, we consider the contrasting values of different cultures and explore the long-standing narrative and visual traditions motivated by creative readings and interpretations of these texts. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation, A First-Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 120).
CAS CC 201 Core Humanities III: Renaissance, Rediscovery, and Reformation
4 credits. 1st sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g. CAS CC 102 or WR 120).
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Writing, Research, and Inquiry Research and Information Literacy
Encountering works by Petrarch, Machiavelli, Montaigne, Cervantes, Shakespeare, Milton, Cavendish, and Descartes, we consider the revival and imitation of the classics and explore the new focus on the physical world and the self. Topics studied include the origins of early modern political and scientific thought, the beginning of the novel, a revival of the epic tradition, and Baroque aesthetics. A study of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel and works by Rembrandt add an artistic lens to our studies. A focus on writing and research complements our emphasis on authorship. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing, Research, and Inquiry; Research and Information Literacy. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Research and Information Literacy, Writing, Research & Inquiry (e.g., WR 150).
CAS CG 105 BUPh Summer Study in Athens: Language and Culture Pathway
0 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Critical Thinking
This course is co-requisite for students registered for a language course in the annual Athens Summer Study and consists of the construction of a reflective portfolio and other assignments. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS CG 106 BUPh Summer Study in Athens: History and Culture Pathway
0 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Social Inquiry I Critical Thinking
This course is co-requisite for students registered for a language course in the annual Athens Summer Study and consists of the construction of a reflective portfolio and other assignments. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.
CAS CG 357 Modern Greek Culture and Film
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Research and Information Literacy
Introduction to Greek cultural, social, historical, political, economic, and religious issues through a range of films that have reflected and shaped contemporary Greek society. Entertainment, education, popular culture, propaganda, and identity- and nation-building practices as reflected in Greek cinema. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS CG 359 Cavafy and History
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
A study of the Modern Greek poet, Konstantinos Kavafis (Cavafy), addressing the historical background, themes, and settings of his works, which treat periods ranging from the Trojan War through the Hellenistic Period to Late Antiquity. Taught in English. Also offered as CAS CL 359. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS CI 101 History of Global Cinema 1: Origins through 1950s
4 credits. 1st sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
This course provides an overview of film history in a number of different national traditions, from the origins of film through the 1950s. It covers the emergence of the key international film movements, alongside the economic and historical conditions that inform them. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS CI 102 History of Global Cinema 2: 1960s to the Present
4 credits. 2nd sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
This course provides an overview of film history in a number of different national traditions, from the 1960s to the present. It covers the emergence of the key international film movements, alongside the economic and historical conditions that inform them. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS CI 200 Introduction to Film & Media Aesthetics
4 credits. 1st sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Digital/Multimedia Expression Critical Thinking
Introduction to fundamental concepts for the analysis/understanding of film and media. Key concepts of formal composition (e.g. editing, mise-en-sc?ne, cinematography, sound and more) over a diverse set of media texts. Foundational skills in analysis appropriate to film, television and moving-image media. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Aesthetic Exploration. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
CAS CI 201 Literature and the Art of Film
4 credits. Either sem.
Provides an overview of fundamental concepts for the analysis and understanding of film. Films are screened weekly and in conjunction with works of literature. Students must register for screening, discussion, and lecture. Also offered as CAS EN 175. 4 cr. either sem. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Digital/Multimedia Expression.
CAS CI 202 Understanding Film
4 credits.
Understanding Film introduces students to key aesthetic aspects of film. Students study a variety of historical and contemporary examples of fiction and nonfiction films that illustrate the expressive possibilities of image and sound. Students learn to analyze, explain and write about these formal elements. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
CAS CI 255 The Myth of the Family in Classic American Literature, Film, and Television
4 credits. Either sem.
Blood bonds, criminality, violence, and language as they emerge across American cultural forms. Works include novels by Twain, Faulkner, Morrison, and Junot D?az; films such as The Godfather and Boys Don't Cry; serial television such as Breaking Bad and The Wire. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Social Inquiry I.
CAS CI 260 Modern Japanese Culture in Cinema (in English translation)
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Japanese film from the silent era to contemporary animation, with attention to the intersection of cinematic and cultural analysis and genres such as yakuza movies. Directors studied may include Ozu, Kurosawa, Mizoguchi, and Miyazaki Hayao. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS CI 263 Philosophy and Film
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Critical Thinking
This class provides an introduction philosophical and aesthetic issues connected with film. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
CAS CI 266 A Study of Italian Cinema from the 1940s to the Present
4 credits.
Films by De Sica, Fellini, Benigni, Sorrentino and others tell the story of social and cultural development during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS CI 268 Religion and Film
4 credits.
Religions and films are world-building engines. They create -- and re-create -- a visioning of society as a world of justice, of lived myth, of fantasy, of ideology: a world we may long to live in or a world we wish to avoid at all costs. This course explores such worlds by examining the ways in which religious beliefs, practices and people are portrayed in popular film from the 1960s to the present. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Social Inquiry I, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS CI 270 Israeli Culture through Film (in English translation)
4 credits. First-Year Writing Seminar (WR 120 or equivalent)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Israeli society, from its origins to contemporary times, through the medium of film. Topics include immigration; war; the ongoing impact of the Holocaust on Israeli society; trials of women; war; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Introduction to film analysis and interpretive methods. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS CI 303 Understanding TV
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
This course examines television (and its foundation in radio) as it emerged, stabilized as an aesthetic and technological form, interacted with other media, was regulated and deregulated, and was shaped by and shaped the culture around it. We will use the sitcom and soap opera genres as aesthetic through-lines for this study and examine their evolution in historical contexts. Throughout the semester, we focus on broadcasting's beginnings, expansion, establishment as the national, mass medium in America, and eventual fracturing into niches. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS CI 321 Introduction to Brazilian Cinema
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
An overview of Brazilian cinema in the 60s, 70s and 80s, its discourse on revolution and marginality, as well as its connection to artistic, musical, and literary movements. Focus on the work of avant-garde filmmakers and younger generations. Also includes attention to Cuban cinema. Taught in English. Also offered as CAS LP 360. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS CI 325 Tradition and Modernity in Iranian Film and Literature
4 credits. Either sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
This course examines how competing notions of tradition and modernity are presented in Iranian cinema. Drawing on both classical and modern Persian literary works to draw out underlying connections between the readings and the films. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS CI 330 Film Genres & Movements
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Digital/Multimedia Expression Creativity/Innovation
An intensive exploration of a particular cinematic genre or movement, paying special attention to how individual films respond to an existing traditions and to the historical and cultural contexts underpinning artistic change. How do genres grow and evolve across historical, cultural and institutional settings? How do particular cinematic movements respond to particular cultural challenges? Course content varies by semester. Topic for Spring 2023: East European Political Film. Focuses on the cinema of "the other Europe" from the 1950s onwards and the innovations it introduces to film as an artistic medium, as well as its subversive function in opposing various types of oppression. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS CI 352 Auteur Filmmaking
4 credits. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., EN 120 or WR 100 or WR 120).
An intensive exploration of the work of a single filmmaker or group of filmmakers, paying special attention to theoretical problems of authorship and artistic control. How do filmmakers respond to studio pressure, historical events or government censorship? How do personal styles develop and transform in a collaborative medium? What does it mean to think of the director or writer or producer of a film as its author? Course content varies by semester. Topic for Spring 2023: Claire Denis. This course presents French filmmaker Claire Denis (1946- ) as an artist dedicated to relationality. She represents not discreet items but networks of physical and symbolic connections--connections that form and dissolve among races, genders, sexualities, bodies, and species. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS CI 363 Screening Modern China (in English Translation)
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Major Chinese films interpreted in light of modern Chinese history and culture. Focus on questions of national and cultural identity in films from the 1980s to the present day by directors from mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. In English. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS CI 365 Modern Korean Culture through Cinema (in English translation)
4 credits. Either sem.
Introduction to Korean Cinema from the early 20th century to the present. Discussion and essays on ethics of representation, colonialism, wars, state violence against citizens, psychological violence, sexual violence. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS CI 367 Studies in Non-Cinematic Media
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Digital/Multimedia Expression Creativity/Innovation
This course covers a range of aesthetic and cultural issues related to non- cinematic media, encompassing the study of photography, television, video art, video and online gaming, new media and more. Topics vary by semester. Topic for Spring 2022: Twin Peaks & Narrative Television. The landmark TV series Twin Peaks, variously examined as a collision between art cinema and mass culture; an example of the changing conditions of serialized storytelling; and as a surreal meditation on place, pie, and the musical unreality of love. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS CI 378 Modern Greek Culture and Film
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Research and Information Literacy
Introduction to Greek cultural, social, historical, political, economic, and religious issues through a range of films that have reflected and shaped contemporary Greek society. Entertainment, education, popular culture, propaganda, and identity- and nation-building practices as reflected in Greek cinema. Also offered as CAS CG 357. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS CI 380 Gender and Identity in Contemporary Middle Eastern Film
4 credits. 1st sem.
An exploration of representations of gender and identity in contemporary Middle Eastern films by male and female directors reflecting on the impact of modernization, globalization, war and trauma through different visual genres. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Digital/Multimedia Expression.
CAS CI 381 Modern India through Bollywood
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Critical Thinking
Explores the social history and culture of modern India through the lens of popular Hindi cinema, commonly called Bollywood. We analyze Bollywood films both as forms of art and as cultural texts, and examine how they reflect and interpret modern Indian society. Course readings focus on theoretical approaches to Hindi cinema, and also shed light on the larger historical and social context that surrounds it. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
CAS CI 383 Auteur Studies: Japan
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Creativity/Innovation
Deep exploration of the films of one director with attention to cultural and historical context and the creative process. Topic for Spring 2023: Kurosawa Akira. Attention to Kurosawa's film style, global reception, and his complex reflections on Japanese history and the nature of cinema and art. Readings in English and all films available with English subtitles. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS CI 386 Fascism and the Holocaust in Italy
4 credits.
The Fascist regime and the Holocaust in Italy: how the civic status of Italian Jews changed from the beginnings of discrimination against them to deportations of 1943, posing larger questions about bigotry and racism, and the role of bystander complicity. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS CI 430 Black American Cinema
4 credits.
A survey of important genres and movements in the history of Black American cinema, with possible focus on race films, civil rights dramas, horror and Blaxploitation films, postcolonial cinema, the LA Rebellion school, Black independent film, afrofuturism, and/or more. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS CI 445 On Screen: Italians in America
4 credits.
Italian Americans have long been represented in American film and television. What are these representations and how have they been received? How is Italian American identity constructed through these media? Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS CI 470 Mexican Cinema on the World Stage
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Teamwork/Collaboration
Mexican history and culture through the lens of film. The course draws on film criticism and theory to approach the study of Mexican films as both historical artifacts and works of art and within the background of world cinema. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS CI 477 Contemporary Spanish Cinema
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Research and Information Literacy
An overview of Spanish contemporary cinema and the variety of genres that have emerged in the last decades. Using different resources from films and literature, students will be able to better understand the diversity of Spanish society, which they will experience for themselves on the streets of Madrid. This course also explores how the technical elements of film (camera shots, angles, etc.) can express emotions as well as cultural and social values. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS CI 480 Modern Chinese Literature & Film
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
A seminar on the major works of modern Chinese literature and cinema from the May Fourth period to the present, with a focus on close reading and visual analysis. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS CI 481 Visual Politics: Propaganda Art, Literature, and "Model Films" during the Chinese Cultural Revolution 1966-1976
4 credits. Either sem. CAS WR 100, CAS WR 120 or equivalent.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
A study of "model films," poster art, and literature during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. A critical approach to the larger cultural and political context of socialist art and literature as well as its legacy in China today. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS CI 482 Cinema-Monde: Mapping French Film
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Creativity/Innovation
Spanning from the silent era to the present-day, this course reframes the key movements of French cinema through the lens of the global. Directors include Georges Melies, Jean Renoir, Jean-Luc Godard, Chantal Ackerman, Agnes Varda, and the Dardenne brothers. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS CI 551 Studies in Auteur Filmmaking
4 credits. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Research and Information Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Intensive study of a single filmmaker or group of filmmakers, paying special attention to theoretical problems of authorship and artistic control. How do filmmakers respond to studio pressure, historical events or government censorship? How do personal styles develop and transform in a collaborative medium? What does it mean to think of the director or writer or producer of a film as its author? Topic for Spring 2021: Kubrick. Intensive study of Stanley Kubrick's films. Readings include novels he adapted (Lolita, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining), thematically relevant fiction, and critical essays. Topics to be considered: black comedy, visionary experience, utopic misanthropy. Weekly screenings. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Aesthetic Exploration, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS CL 207 Sexuality in Ancient Greece and Rome
4 credits. 1st sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
Exploration of Ancient Greek and Roman conceptions of sexuality and sexual identity through a study of visual and written sources. All texts in translation. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS CL 211 Latin 3: Prose
4 credits. Either sem. CAS CL 112; or equivalent.
Reading of selections from Latin prose. Authors read may include Caesar, Cicero, Livy, Petronius, and Pliny. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS CL 212 Latin 4: Verse
4 credits. 2nd sem. CAS CL 211; or equivalent.
Reading of selections from Latin poetry. Authors read may include Catullus, Ovid, and Vergil. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS CL 224 Greek Drama in Translation
4 credits. Either sem.
The history and development of ancient Greek theater; study of important plays in the genres of tragedy, comedy, and satyr drama by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, and Menander. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS CL 230 The Golden Age of Latin Literature
4 credits. 1st sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Research and Information Literacy
An in-depth exploration in English of some of the greatest poets from Ancient Rome, including Catullus, Virgil, and Ovid. Examines the Romans' engagement with Greek literature and the development of their own "Classics," from personal love poetry to profound epic. all texts in translation. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS CL 261 Greek 3: Prose
4 credits. Either sem. CAS CL 162; or equivalent.
Reading of selections from Greek prose. Authors read may include Herodotus, Plato and Lysias, as well as selections from the New Testament. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS CL 262 Greek 4: Homer
4 credits. Either sem. CAS CL 261; or equivalent.
Reading of selections from the Iliad or Odyssey. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS CL 302 The Age of Augustus
4 credits. CAS CL 102 or CAS CL 222; First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) or consent of instructor
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Research and Information Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
The culture of the age of Augustus; political institutions, literature, art, architecture, engineering works, coins, religion, social institutions and life, the role of women, and life in the Roman provinces. Some familiarity with the civilization of Ancient Rome recommended. All texts in translation. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Writing-Intensive Course, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS CL 305 Topics in Myth
4 credits. Either sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CAS WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Research and Information Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
This course may be repeated for credit as topics change. Topic for Fall 2022: Origin Stories. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Writing- Intensive Course, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS CL 348 Gods, Graves and Pyramids: Ancient Egyptian Religion and Ritual
4 credits. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) or consent of instructor
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Writing-Intensive Course
The beliefs of the ancient Egyptians, from their origins in Predynastic times to the development of the great temple complexes in the New Kingdom and later are studied in a broad synthesis of the data: archaeological, architectural and textual. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Writing-Intensive Course.
CAS CL 351 Latin Seminar
4 credits. Either sem. CAS CL 212; or equivalent.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Research and Information Literacy
Intensive study of selected major authors. May be repeated for credit as topics change. Topic for Fall 2022: Roman Pastoral Poetry. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS CL 359 Cavafy and History
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
A study of the Modern Greek poet, Konstantinos Kavafis (Cavafy), addressing the historical background, themes, and settings of his works, which treat periods ranging from the Trojan War through the Hellenistic Period to Late Antiquity. Taught in English. Also offered as CAS CG 359. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS CL 391 Greek Seminar
4 credits. Either sem. CAS CL 262; or equivalent.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Research and Information Literacy
Intensive study of selected major authors. May be repeated for credit as topics change. Topic for Fall 2022: Plato and Paul. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS EN 101 Encounters: Reading across Time and Space
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Teamwork/Collaboration Creativity/Innovation
Encounters in literature from Britain, the Americas and around the globe: early literature in English and contemporary adaptations and remediation. Explores canonical and non-canonical texts, in various genres and media, including poetry, drama, travel narrative, autobiography, novel, film, performance. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS EN 121 Reading World Literature
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Research and Information Literacy
Study of literature in English or English translation -- poetry, drama, and prose narrative -- outside of British and American traditions. Attention to such topics as cultural self-construction, relationships of historical context to artistic expression, and development of literary forms. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS EN 122 Medieval Worlds
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Teamwork/Collaboration
Why does the deep medieval past continue to haunt our dreams? In novels, games, and on TV? Medieval literature and its afterlives. Topics may include Arthurian romance, otherworld visions, monsters and heroes, women's lives and writing, modern medievalism. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS EN 125 Reading Modern Literature
4 credits. Either sem.
Introduces key concepts for understanding major developments in modern literature. Readings in poetry, drama and fiction from varying traditions, designed to motivate an interest in some of the most engaging, and challenging, works of our time. Topics vary by instructor. For Fall 2020: Modern lives: Turning Points. Explores narratives from the long twentieth century (1890-now) that present initiations or moments of recognition in characters' lives. Authors include Oscar Wilde, James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, Elizabeth Bowen, George Orwell, Truman Capote, Angela Carter, Alison Bechdel. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. In the 2018-19 Academic year, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Writing- Intensive Course. In the 19-20 academic year, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS EN 126 Jewish Literature
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
How do changing notions of ethnicity and race, religion, and gender, as well as geographical place define Jewish family and community? Topics include immigration, diaspora, and national culture; patriotism, antisemitism, and multiculturalism; Jewish identities and gender; conversion, assimilation, and acculturation. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-intensive Course. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS EN 127 Reading American Literature
4 credits. Either sem.
Readings may include works of fiction, poetry, or drama composed in America from the colonial period to the present. Attention to a wide range of literary works and historical and cultural contexts. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Writing- intensive Course. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, The Individual in Community.
CAS EN 130 Science/Fiction
4 credits. Either sem. None
Through readings in British and/or American literature, an exploration of some of the following topics: science and technology as literary themes; historical construction of science and art; similarities and differences between literary and scientific methods; the development of science fiction. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning, Writing-Intensive Course. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS EN 132 Write Back Soon: Blackness and the Prison
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration The Individual in Community Critical Thinking
This course interrogates the theme of black containment from slavery and Jim Crow to, principally, mass incarceration. The topic is explored in tandem with the development of open letter writing skills. This epistolary form allows both for the intimate engagement of individual, familiar contact and the deft inclusion of targeted eavesdroppers in order to raise the consciousness of listeners and affirm the value of personal relationships. Course texts include letters to and from prison, poetry, short stories, memoir, social science, documentaries, and critical theory. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
CAS EN 141 Introduction to Fiction
4 credits. Either sem.
Introduces critical concepts for analyzing works of fiction. Readings in different periods, genres, and traditions, ranging from canonical masterpieces to unheralded literary gems, aimed to cultivate an appetite for the pleasures, and rigors, of narrative art. Topics vary by instructor. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same number that was previously titled "Literary Types: Fiction." Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS EN 142 Introduction to Poetry
4 credits. Either sem.
Introduction to the understanding, interpretation, and appreciation of a wide range of poetry. Focus on poetic form, genre, and style, with explorations of cultural and aesthetic contexts. Particular emphasis on close, careful reading and discussion. Topics vary by instructor. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same number that was previously titled "Literary Types: Poetry." Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
CAS EN 145 Introduction to Performance
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Creativity/Innovation
Investigates the many forms performance might take, from live art in a visual art context, experimental theatre, poetry readings, video, or audio work in 20th and 21st century creative practice. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings (PLM), Creativity/Innovation.
CAS EN 150 Children's Literature: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, and Imaginary Spaces
4 credits. Either sem.
What stories do we tell about children? What guidance do we imagine them needing? Examines fairy tales; the Golden Age of Children's Literature (1860- -1920); fantasy; genre and adaptation. Authors include Grimms, Bronte, Lewis Carroll, Tolkien, Le Guin, Pullman, Sendak. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS EN 155 The Myth of the Family in Classical American Literature, Film, and Television
4 credits. Either sem.
Blood bonds, criminality, violence, and language as they emerge across American cultural forms. Works include novels by Twain, Faulkner, Morrison, and Junot Diaz; films such as The Godfather and Boys Don't Cry; serial television such as Breaking Bad and The Wire. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Social Inquiry I.
CAS EN 160 Big Novels, Big Ideas
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Critical Thinking
How do big famous novels explore philosophical ideas about knowledge, selfhood, nature, community? Are fiction and philosophy partners or rivals? Novels may include Moby Dick, Middlemarch, Invisible Man, Infinite Jest, read alongside Plato, Descartes, Nietzsche, Du Bois, Sartre, and others. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
CAS EN 163 Reading Shakespeare
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
A critical introduction to Shakespeare through intensive analyses of six or seven plays. Possible attention to such topics as literary sources, early modern stagecraft, performance history, and contemporary film adaptation. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS EN 170 The Graphic Novel
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Digital/Multimedia Expression Creativity/Innovation
Examination of the rise, nature, and status of the contemporary book-length graphic novel. Topics include graphic vs. traditional novel, word and image, style and space, representations of subjectivity, trauma, and history. Authors may include Spiegelman, Bechdel, Nakazawa, Sacco, Satrapi, Backderf. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS EN 175 Literature and the Art of Film
4 credits. Either sem.
Provides an overview of fundamental concepts for the analysis and understanding of film. Films are screened weekly and in conjunction with works of literature. Students must register for screening, discussion, and lecture. Also offered as CAS CI 201. 4 cr. either sem. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Digital/Multimedia Expression.
CAS EN 176 Introduction to Film & Media Aesthetics
4 credits. 1st sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Digital/Multimedia Expression Critical Thinking
Introduction to fundamental concepts for the analysis/understanding of film and media. Key concepts of formal composition (e.g. editing, mise-en-sc?ne, cinematography, sound and more) over a diverse set of media texts. Foundational skills in analysis appropriate to film, television and moving-image media. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Aesthetic Exploration. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
CAS EN 177 Introduction to Asian-American Literature
4 credits. Either sem. None
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration The Individual in Community Teamwork/Collaboration
Explores Asian American literature from the early twentieth century until today. Addresses questions of identity, immigration, national belonging, diaspora, war, and global capitalism. Authors include John Okada, Maxine Hong Kingston, Chang-Rae Lee, Jhumpa Lahiri, Monique Truong, and Ha Jin. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-intensive Course. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, The Individual in Community, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS EN 178 Introduction to Latinx Literature
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Teamwork/Collaboration
Survey of U.S. Latinx literature that introduces students to the major trends in the tradition. Course emphasizes the historical and aesthetic networks established in the Latinx literary canon that continue into the present, while also exploring the relationship between genre and socio-historical issues. We begin with readings from contemporary scholars who attempt to define what Latinx is and can be, establishing a foundation for thinking about the shifting definitions of "Latinx" in the U.S. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS EN 180 Post-Apocalyptic Narratives
4 credits. Either sem.
Why is contemporary culture drawn to stories of zombies, social collapse, and environmental disaster? What fascinates us about dystopia? Stories, novels, graphic novels, film, and television all examined to explore questions of narrative, interpretation, genre, politics, "high" vs. "popular" culture. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS EN 195 Literature and Ideas
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Critical Thinking
How does literature relate to philosophy? How do poems and stories explore philosophical beliefs? Readings may include novels, epics, dialogues, sermons, theoretical treatises, and poetry, all engaging with broad questions about meaning, selfhood, divinity, politics, community, value. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS EN 201 Introduction to Literary Studies
4 credits. Either sem. CAS EN 120; or another First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CAS WR 100 or CAS WR 120).
Introduction to literary analysis and interpretation. Variable topics. Through frequent writing assignments and discussion, students develop skills in the analysis of literary texts and learn to express their interpretive ideas in correct and persuasive prose. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Writing-Intensive Course.
CAS EN 202 Introduction to Creative Writing
4 credits. Either sem.
This is primarily a creative writing workshop, in which students write and revise their own short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry, and read their peers' work with generosity, providing constructive feedback. Students also learn to read closely the work of literary masters past and present. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS EN 221 Major Authors
4 credits. Either sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120).
Introduction to the major works of ancient and medieval literatures that influenced later Continental, English, and American literature: the Bible, Homeric epic, Greek tragedy, Vergil's Aeneid, and Dante's The Divine Comedy. Required of concentrators in English. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Writing-Intensive Course.
CAS EN 304 Writing of Poetry
4 credits. Either sem. consent of instructor, to whom five to ten poems must be submitted during the period just before classes begin.
This is primarily a poetry writing workshop, in which students write and revise their own poetry, and read their peers' poems with generosity, providing constructive feedback. Students also learn to read closely the work of master poets past and present. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS EN 306 Introduction to Playwriting
4 credits. Either sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Creativity/Innovation Writing-Intensive Course
This course teaches playwriting craft through lectures, readings, discussion of dramatic writing, writing workshops, attending theatrical events, individual conferences, and the writing of short plays culminating in a one-act. A portfolio of revised work is due at semester's end. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Writing-Intensive Course, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS EN 310 British and Irish Writing: Poetry and the Novel Since 1900
4 credits. enrollment in the BU London Internship Programme.
Crossing TS Eliot's The Waste Land, both figuratively and literally, we make an intensive study of significant works of major poets and writers who both helped to create and were created by the Modern Age, and of those they influenced. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS EN 322 British Literature I
4 credits. Either sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CAS EN 120 or WR 100 or WR 120), EN220, and EN 221.
Beginnings of English literature from Anglo-Saxon period to end of the seventeenth century. Topics include the development of various poetic forms, medieval romance, and British drama. Authors may include Chaucer, Kempe, Shakespeare, Marlowe, Donne, and Milton. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS EN 323 British Literature II
4 credits. Either sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CAS EN 120 or WR 100 or WR 120), EN220, EN 221, and EN322.
Overview of English literature between 1700 and 1900. Topics include London as urban center, modern prose fiction, Romantic and Victorian poetry, tensions between religion and science. Authors may include Pope, Swift, Wordsworth, Austen, Dickens, Tennyson, Wilde. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS EN 326 Arts of Gender
4 credits. Either sem. one previous literature course or junior or senior standing.
Examines representations of gender and sexuality in diverse art forms, including drama, dance, film, and literature, and how art reflects historical constructions of gender. Topic for Fall 2022, Section A1: Gendered Utopias, Gendered Dystopias. Is it possible to create spaces where women, non-binary and queer people, and other outsiders thrive, or do all paths lead inexorably to a dystopian future? Texts include non-fiction by Delany and Nelson and speculative fiction by Atwood and Butler. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, The Individual in Community.
CAS EN 327 Topics in American Literature
4 credits. Either sem. one previous literature course or junior or senior standing.
Topics vary. Topic for Fall 2022, Section A1: Modernism, Race, and Resistance. Explores how twentieth-century Black American authors--Richard Wright, Zora Neale Hurston, James Baldwin, and others--critically engaged the stylistic innovations of modernists such as Hemingway, Stein, Faulkner, and Eliot to represent and resist race and gender inequality in the US. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS EN 328 Women's Literary Cultures
4 credits. Either sem. one previous literature course or junior or senior standing.
Writings by women in diverse literary forms, including drama, poetry and prose. How does women's literary culture reflect historical constructions of gender and sexuality? How do writers engage with new literary forms, like the lyric, political treatise, or the novel? Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS EN 329 Film Genres & Movements
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Digital/Multimedia Expression Creativity/Innovation
An intensive exploration of a particular cinematic genre or movement, paying special attention to how individual films respond to an existing traditions and to the historical and cultural contexts underpinning artistic change. How do genres grow and evolve across historical, cultural and institutional settings? How do particular cinematic movements respond to particular cultural challenges? Course content varies by semester. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS EN 331 Topics in Nineteenth-Century British Literature
4 credits. Either sem. one previous literature course, or junior or senior standing.
May be repeated for credit as topics change. Topic for Spring 2020: Gender and World Travel in the Long 19th Century: How did British authors explore the expansive global networks of the 19th century? What roles did gender play in authorship and travels, both real and imagined? Novels, poetry, travel narratives, and essays by female and male writers are read. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS EN 333 American Literature: Beginnings to Civil War
4 credits. Either sem. one previous literature course, or junior or senior standing.
An introduction to the multiple literary traditions of North America (especially that area that would come to be the United States) from the close of the fifteenth century through 1855. Authors include John Winthrop, Anne Bradstreet, Mary Rowlandson, Benjamin Franklin, Phillis Wheatley, William Apess, Washington Irving, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Frederick Douglass, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS EN 334 American Literature: Civil War to World War I
4 credits. Either sem. one previous literature course or junior or senior standing.
American literature from the Civil War to the end of World War I in 1918. Changing literary forms in the age of Reconstruction, robber barons, the New Woman, westward expansion. Authors may include Whitman, Alger, Twain, James, Crane, Wharton, Chesnutt. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS EN 340 Visionary Capital: The Writing of London
4 credits. 1st sem. enrollment in the London History & Literature Programme. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
An intense and immersive study of the literatures, images and sounds associated with London. You will traverse the city to contextualise your reading and draw inspiration for your writing, including creative as well as academic responses. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS EN 341 History of the Novel in English
4 credits. one previous literature course or junior or senior standing.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
An introduction to the history of the Anglophone novel, from its origins in early modern England to its status as the dominant literary form of modernity. Readings include Defoe, Austen, Dickens, James, Woolf, Morrison, and Coetzee. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS EN 343 Modern Irish Writers
4 credits. Either sem.
Readings in Irish fiction, drama, and poetry, with attention to historical context, aesthetics forms, and values, from 1890 to the present, by such writers as Wilde, Yeats, Lady Gregory, Joyce, Bowen, Beckett, Heaney, Boland, Muldoon, and Carr. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS EN 345 Nineteenth-Century American Fiction
4 credits. Either sem. one previous literature course or junior or senior standing.
The development of the American novel in 19th C America: Uncle Tom's Cabin and Moby- Dick, plus Twain, Jacobs, Southworth, Chesnutt. Formal/aesthetic questions will be linked to cultural/historical ones including race and slavery, gender, individualism, and representing America. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS EN 347 Topics in Contemporary Global Fiction
4 credits. one previous literature course or junior or senior standing.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
May be repeated for credit as topics change each semester. Introduction to contemporary fiction by authors outside Europe and North America. Themes addressed include migration, hybridity, cosmopolitanism, decolonization, citizenship, ethnic conflict, and changing notions of cultural identity. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS EN 349 Contemporary American Fiction
4 credits. Either sem. one previous literature course or junior or senior standing.
US prose fiction from the last few decades, exploring questions of individualism, community, identity, technology, media, religious belief, violence, post-WWII political changes, and our relation to history. Authors may include Roth, Robinson, DeLillo, Pynchon, Morrison, and Lahiri, among others. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, The Individual in Community.
CAS EN 356 Drama and Performance, 1945 - Present
4 credits. Either sem. one previous literature course or junior or senior standing.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration The Individual in Community Creativity/Innovation
Theater history and performance art from 1945 to today. Analysis of plays through the lens of performance theory, blurring the line between the aesthetic and the social. Playwrights may include Brecht, Hansberry, Valdez, Moraga, Beckett, Kane, Deveare Smith, Shange, Parks. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, The Individual in Community, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS EN 357 Modern British Drama: A Critic's Perspective
4 credits. Either sem.
This course offers an aesthetic and ethical understanding of postwar and contemporary British drama, as well as the interpretation of its literary genres, plus knowledge of critical tools -- including journalistic reviewing skills -- for the analysis of current shows. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
CAS EN 363 Shakespeare I
4 credits. 1st sem. one previous literature course or junior or senior standing.
Six plays chosen from the following: Richard II, Henry IV, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Julius Caesar, Troilus and Cressida, Hamlet, Othello, Antony and Cleopatra, and The Winter's Tale. Some attention to the sonnets. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS EN 364 Shakespeare II
4 credits. 2nd sem. one previous literature course or junior or senior standing.
Six or seven plays chosen from the following: Richard III, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing, Measure for Measure, King Lear, Macbeth, Coriolanus, and The Tempest. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS EN 365 Studies in Non-Cinematic Media
4 credits. one previous literature course or junior or senior standing.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Digital/Multimedia Expression Creativity/Innovation
This course covers a range of aesthetic and cultural issues related to non- cinematic media, encompassing the study of photography, television, video art, video and online gaming, new media and more. Topics vary by semester. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS EN 369 Haruki Murakami and His Sources
4 credits. one previous literature course or junior or senior standing.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Creativity/Innovation
Students read works by Haruki Murakami and by writers who shaped him or were shaped by him, reflect on the nature of intertextuality, and gain a perspective on contemporary literature as operating within a global system of mutual influence. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS EN 373 Detective Fiction
4 credits. Either sem. one previous literature course or junior or senior standing.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
Major writers in the history of literary crime and detection, mainly British and American, with attention to the genre's cultural contexts and development from the eighteenth century to the present, as well as the literary features and standards of aesthetic evaluation of works in this genre. Authors may include Godwin, Poe, Conan Doyle, Chandler, contemporary authors. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS EN 378 Philosophy and Literature
4 credits. Either sem. junior or senior standing or one previous literature course.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Critical Thinking
Episodes from the "ancient quarrel" between literature and philosophy. What are the powers of art? What are its limitations or dangers? Readings may span ancient Greeks to contemporary authors, all posing questions about reason, argument, discursive thought, emotion, narration, figuration. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS EN 379 American Poetry
4 credits. Either sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120).
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Oral and/or Signed Communication Writing-Intensive Course
A survey of American poetry, from the Revolutionary era up through the post- WWII period, introducing the fundamentals of poetic form and lyric practice, as well as the historical and cultural contexts surrounding the development of Romanticism, Modernism, and beyond. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Writing-Intensive Course, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
CAS EN 383 Australian Literature
4 credits. Either sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Creativity/Innovation Writing-Intensive Course
This course is designed to introduce students to the literature of Australia through an eclectic collection of texts, and diverse forms and genres of writing, including the adaptation from page to screen. A major focus is "What is Australian Identity?". Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Writing- Intensive Course, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS EN 385 Auteur Filmmaking
4 credits. one previous literature course or junior or senior standing.
An intensive exploration of the work of a single filmmaker or group of filmmakers, paying special attention to theoretical problems of authorship and artistic control. How do filmmakers respond to studio pressure, historical events or government censorship? How do personal styles develop and transform in a collaborative medium? What does it mean to think of the director or writer or producer of a film as its author? Course content varies by semester. Topic for Spring 2023: Claire Denis. This course presents French filmmaker Claire Denis (1946- ) as an artist dedicated to relationality. She represents not discreet items but networks of physical and symbolic connections--connections that form and dissolve among races, genders, sexualities, bodies, and species. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS EN 387 Writing in Today?s Britain: Meet the Writer
4 credits. enrollment in the London Internship Program or the London History & Literature Program.
This course blends two complementary areas of study: the critical analysis of post-2000 literature (comprising mainly but not exclusively British literature) alongside the opportunity to conduct in-depth, wide-ranging interviews with a group of contemporary novelists, poets, dramatists, and non-fiction writers. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS EN 388 Contemporary British Literature
4 credits. enrollment in the London Internship Program.
An introduction to the psyche, culture, history, and writers of 21st century British literature, confronting aspects of the human condition. Students will enter the historical consciousness of contemporary British writers who look to the past to understand the present. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS EN 391 Research Seminar in the Literature of London
4 credits. Either sem. enrollment in the London History & Literature Programme.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Research and Information Literacy
Read literature about London in its aesthetic, historical and theoretical context. Contribute your own critical analysis of English Literature through research at major London libraries, with guidance from one-to-one seminars, in a substantial research paper on your choice of topic. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS EN 392 Modern Irish Literature
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
This course will introduce students to key writers in modern Irish Literature concentrating on the cultural, political and historical contexts of each of the works we examine. We will explore prose, poetry, drama and the short story. Students will be introduced to the discipline-specific terms of Literary Studies and will employ analytical and interpretive skills in evaluating the literary and the socio/historical significance of these works. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS EN 394 Cultures of Science
4 credits. Either sem. one previous literature course or junior or senior standing.
This course explores the shared cultures of the sciences and literature from the Enlightenment through the Victorian eras in Britain and Europe. We combine the history of science, the social history of literature and related arts, and sociology of knowledge. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Social Inquiry II.
CAS EN 397 Black American Cinema
4 credits.
A survey of important genres and movements in the history of Black American cinema, with possible focus on race films, civil rights dramas, horror and Blaxploitation films, postcolonial cinema, the LA Rebellion school, Black independent film, afrofuturism, and/or more. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS EN 398 Global Shakespeares
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Creativity/Innovation
Why do contemporary writers parrot and parody "Shakespeare," and how much of this activity is about Shakespeare at all? This seminar provides an introduction to reading and writing about Shakespeare's plays. But it also takes a step back to consider Shakespeare as a phenomenon, inspiring adapters around the world. Beyond learning about particular offshoots and adaptations, the deeper point is to explore how playwrights think about their sources, their audiences, and their art. Effective Summer 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS EN 404 History of Literary Criticism I
4 credits. Either sem. two previous literature courses or junior or senior standing.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration
A historical survey of western literary-critical standards from the earliest surviving formulations in classical Athens to the dawn of the twentieth century. Writers include Plato, Aristotle, Horace, Augustine, Dante, Sidney, Hume, Wordsworth, Marx, Nietzsche. 4 cr. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS EN 405 Advanced Writing of Fiction
4 credits. 2nd sem. consent of instructor, to whom two or three short stories must be submitted during the period just before classes begin.
The writing of short stories and perhaps longer fiction. Manuscripts read and discussed in class. Individual conferences. Effective Spring 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS EN 437 Thinking with Animals
4 credits. two previous literature courses or junior or senior standing.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration
In literary texts, animals appear as tricksters, clueless victims, predatory men, eloquent captives, and heroic matriarchs. This course analyzes narratives about animals in Anglo-American philosophy, science, and literature. Human myths about animals and the supremacy of the human are central to beliefs about race, gender, and private property. Focuses on animals as food, embodied mindedness, environmental justice, and ecological thinking. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS EN 471 Critical Studies in American Literary Movements
4 credits. Either sem. Two previous literature courses or junior or senior status.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Research and Information Literacy
Transatlantic Revolutions. An introduction to the literatures and histories of the American, French, and Haitian Revolutions, focusing on the historical conditions that unite the Atlantic World into a united yet heterogeneous culture. Readings include Defoe, Franklin, Paine, Louverture, Christophe, Vastey, Wollstonecraft, Bronte, and Melville. 4 cr. Either sem. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS EN 477 Critical Studies: Black Diaspora Theory and Practice
4 credits. two previous literature courses or junior or senior standing.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration The Individual in Community Critical Thinking
Explore "diaspora" as a keyword for black studies, intervene in the term's emergence, usage, and many theorizations. Beginning with Paul Gilroy's take on diasporic culture and consciousness, course goes on to complicate/extend/challenge through lens of black gender and sexuality studies. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
CAS EN 482 Critical Studies in Modern Literature
4 credits. Either sem. two previous literature courses or junior or senior standing.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration
Topic for Fall 2020: Approaches to the Postcolonial Novel. An exploration of character and context in key works of postcolonial literature. We will read secondary works that discuss the theories and histories of this diverse body of work. Authors may include Salih, Naipaul, Shanbhag, Adichie, Mueenuddin, Bulawayo, Marechera. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS EN 490 The Gothic, Identity, and the Human
4 credits. Either sem. two previous literature courses or junior or senior standing.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Critical Thinking
Readings in dark narratives from Mary Shelley through Toni Morrison in tandem with humanistic theory concerning identity (mind, self, agency), the character of the human (particularly in relation to the animal), hierarchies of value, and the character of evil. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS EN 493 Critical Studies in Literature and The Arts
4 credits. Either sem. two previous literature courses or junior or senior standing.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Creativity/Innovation
This course examines translational practices in art, writing, and performance, considering translation between languages, genres, discourses, and media--asking about the political potentials or pitfalls along the way. Includes creative exercises and concludes with the collaborative publication of a zine. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS EN 497 Critical Studies in Literature and Philosophy
4 credits. two previous literature courses or junior or senior standing.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Critical Thinking
Truth, beauty, reason, emotion, interpretation, justice, meaning--this course reads literature from specific philosophical perspectives, and understands philosophical texts using literary methods. It also examines historical, theoretical, and aesthetic relationships between literature and philosophy. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS EN 500 Henry James and New Media
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Digital/Multimedia Expression Creativity/Innovation
James's writing exposed moral and aesthetic dimensions of society's play with status, wealth, and romance. After exploring contemporary dating apps, social media, and films of James's works, students complete a video, graphic novel, or other form of "new media" criticism. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS EN 510 Playwriting 1: Writing of Short Plays
4 credits. 1st sem. consent of instructor, to whom a short play or scene from a play mustbe submitted during the period just before classes begin. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Creativity/Innovation Writing-Intensive Course
A seminar in the writing of short, original plays, addressing structure, language, and theme. Students read and discuss the masters of modern drama. Writing exercises are assigned to stir the imagination and develop craft. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS EN 517 Drama in Theory and Practice 1: Structure and the Script
4 credits. 1st sem. First-Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or 120) and by consent of instructor, to whom a short play or scene from a play must be submitted during the period just before classes begin.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Creativity/Innovation Writing-Intensive Course
Structure and the Contemporary Script. A comparison and analysis of the design of plays from the last two decades, encouraging students to imitate the form, character, and plot from these plays while experimenting with their own narrative structures. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS EN 519 Drama in Theory and Practice 2: Experiments with Character and Form
4 credits. 2nd sem. CAS WR 100 or WR 120 along with the consent of the instructor, to whom a short play or scene from a play must be submitted during the period just before classes begin.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Creativity/Innovation Writing-Intensive Course
Course includes the reading and analysis of dramatic works. Classes allow experimentation with the full-length monologue and small cast plays while giving attention to dramatic structure and style. Students present their own work in a workshop format, and material is critiqued in class. Students also attend performances and write critiques of professional productions. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS EN 520 Drama in Theory and Practice 3: Adaptation and the Theatre
4 credits. 2nd sem. consent of instructor, to whom a short play or scene from a play mustbe submitted during the period just before classes begin. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Creativity/Innovation Writing-Intensive Course
This playwriting seminar focuses on translation versus adaptation, comparing the two, and culling material from other writing genres. Focusing on tone, imagery, stage design, and language, students write their own stage adaptations as well as read various texts translated from World Theatre. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS EN 548 Joyce & After
4 credits. Either sem. two previous literature courses or junior or senior standing.
Readings in transatlantic modernism (Irish, British, American) from 1922 forward. Joyce's Ulysses is central. Other readings from authors such as James Baldwin, Alison Bechdel, Samuel Beckett, Elizabeth Bishop, Ralph Ellison, William Faulkner, Langston Hughes, Alice Walker, and Virginia Woolf. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS EN 564 Studies in Auteur Filmmaking
4 credits. Either sem. two previous literature courses or junior or senior standing; and First-Year Writing (WR 120 or equivalent).
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Research and Information Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Intensive study of a single filmmaker or group of filmmakers, paying special attention to theoretical problems of authorship and artistic control. How do filmmakers respond to studio pressure, historical events or government censorship? How do personal styles develop and transform in a collaborative medium? What does it mean to think of the director or writer or producer of a film as its author? Topic for Spring 2021: Kubrick. Intensive study of Stanley Kubrick's films. Readings include novels he adapted (Lolita, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining), thematically relevant fiction, and critical essays. Topics to be considered: black comedy, visionary experience, utopic misanthropy. Weekly screenings. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Aesthetic Exploration, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS EN 637 Thinking with Animals
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration
In literary texts, animals appear as tricksters, clueless victims, predatory men, eloquent captives, and heroic matriarchs. This course analyzes narratives about animals in Anglo-American philosophy, science, and literature. Human myths about animals and the supremacy of the human are central to beliefs about race, gender, and private property. Focuses on animals as food, embodied mindedness, environmental justice, and ecological thinking. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS HI 221 Catastrophe & Memory
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Research and Information Literacy
Examines the ways in which catastrophes, both natural and social, enter into cultural memory. Goal is to understand how events that seem to defy comprehension are represented in works of art and given a place in the memory of a culture. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS HI 250 British Youth Culture from 1950 to the Present
4 credits. enrollment in the London Internship Program and completion of one university-level history course or one university-level sociology course.
How is generational identity created and maintained? Through the prism of youth movements in the United Kingdom, you will investigate how underground cults become mainstream culture in the context of changing attitudes to nationality, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Social Inquiry I.
CAS HI 279 Experiencing Total War
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Creativity/Innovation
Analyzes how soldiers and civilians experienced WWI and WWII, which brutally penetrated their everyday lives and affected their bodies, vocabularies, and world-views. Major sources include combat accounts, diaries, letters, songs, material culture, food, and more. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course entitled "Intimate Histories of War" that was previously numbered CAS HI 279. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS HI 300 American Popular Culture
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
Examines how Americans have changed (and haven't) since the nineteenth century by exploring their curious beliefs, social and sexual practices, and changing understandings of selfhood. Topics include Victorian etiquette, modern city pleasures, racial stereotyping, dating rituals, family dynamics, and more. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS HI 390 Mecca to Dubai: Cities in the Middle East
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
Examines Middle Eastern history through the lens of its cities because cities have always been pivotal sites of governance, religious life, cultural development, architectural legacies, and political protest. Today, they are the epicenter of neoliberal globalization. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS HI 426 Music and Ideas from Mozart to the Jazz Age
4 credits.
This senior-level seminar considers music in its historical and cultural contexts. Masterworks from the eighteenth century to jazz are its subject. Topics include political and intellectual climates, evolving views of the artist, audiences, social criticism, and race. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS HI 440 Refugee Hollywood (1933-1950)
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Research and Information Literacy
Examines the flight of artists, writers, and intellectuals from Germany to Los Angeles in the wake of Hitler's rise to power with a focus on accounts by the emigres themselves, their works, and their influence on American culture. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS HI 505 The American South in History, Literature, and Film
4 credits.
Explores the American South through literature, film, and other sources. Considers what, if anything, has been distinctive about the Southern experience and how a variety of Americans have imagined the region over time. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS HI 462. Also offered as CAS AM 505. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS HI 539 Nazis on Film
4 credits. Either sem.
Explores changing representations of Nazis on the silver screen, from celebrations of the "Third Reich" to post-1945 depictions of Nazis as evil. Focuses on the longing for strong leadership, pleasure at inflicting pain on enemies, fear of others, and racism. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS JS 120 The Bible
4 credits. 1st sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Creativity/Innovation
Introduction to the great canonical anthologies of Jews and Christians. Students will learn to read for historical context and genre conventions; study classical and modern strategies of interpretation; and create a collaborative commentary or piece of "fan-fiction." Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS JS 121 Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Creativity/Innovation
Islam, Christianity, and Judaism in historical and cultural context, origins to the present. Examines diversity of practices, belief systems, and social structures within these religions. Also addresses debates within and between communities as well as contemporary controversies and concerns. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS JS 130 Masterpieces of Modern Hebrew Literature (in English translation)
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Narrative prose by major writers from the revival of Hebrew culture in nineteenth-century Eastern Europe to present-day Israel, including works of Peretz, Agnon, Yehoshua, Oz, Shalev, Keret, Kashua, and Castel-Bloom. Special focus on the struggle to forge modern identity in the domains of family, nation, religion and in the broader Middle East. Required for the minor in Hebrew. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS JS 136 Jewish Literature
4 credits. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CAS WR 100 or WR 120).
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
How do changing notions of ethnicity and race, religion, and gender, as well as geographical place define Jewish family and community? Topics include immigration, diaspora, and national culture; patriotism, antisemitism, and multiculturalism; Jewish identities and gender; conversion, assimilation, and acculturation. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS JS 210 The Hebrew Bible
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
Study of the literature of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and the religious traditions to which these writings bear witness within the context of the history of the ancient Israelite community. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS JS 246 Jewish Mysticism
4 credits. First-Year Writing Seminar (CAS WR 120 or equivalent)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Teamwork/Collaboration Writing-Intensive Course
This course explores the rich world of Jewish Mysticism from its earliest roots to its contemporary expressions in the 21st century. We look at the interaction between Jewish mystics and major western schools of thought such as Gnosticism, Neoplatonism, Aristotelianism, and Sufism. The course also introduces students to the Kabbalistic tradition and its various historical manifestations. No prior knowledge of Hebrew or other themes in Jewish studies required. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Aesthetic Exploration, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS JS 250 Holy City: Jerusalem in Time, Space, and Imagination
4 credits. 2nd sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration The Individual in Community Critical Thinking
Transformation of an ordinary ancient city into the holy city of Jews, Christians, and Muslims; and development of modern Jerusalem, as shaped by British rule, Zionism, and Palestinian nationalism. Jerusalem's past, present, and meanings considered through analyses of religious and secular rhetoric. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, The Individual in Community, Critical Thinking.
CAS JS 283 Israeli Culture through Film (in English translation)
4 credits. Either sem. First-Year Writing Seminar (WR 120 or equivalent)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Israeli society, from its origins to contemporary times, through the medium of film. Topics include immigration; war; the ongoing impact of the Holocaust on Israeli society; trials of women; war; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Introduction to film analysis and interpretive methods. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS JS 366 Fascism and the Holocaust in Italy
4 credits.
The Fascist regime and the Holocaust in Italy: how the civic status of Italian Jews changed from the beginnings of discrimination against them to deportations of 1943, posing larger questions about bigotry and racism, and the role of bystander complicity. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS JS 383 Israeli Culture through Film (in English translation)
4 credits. Either sem. CAS LH 311; First-Year Writing Seminar (WR 120 or equivalent)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Israeli society, from its origins to contemporary times, through the medium of film. Topics include immigration; war; the ongoing impact of the Holocaust on Israeli society; trials of women; war; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Introduction to film analysis and interpretive methods. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS LC 250 Masterpieces of Classical Chinese Literature (in English translation)
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Panoramic overview of three thousand years of Chinese literature from its beginnings to the threshold of modernity. Discusses masterpieces of one of the world's oldest continuous traditions in their cultural context and in the context of literatures around the world. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LC 251 Masterpieces of Modern Chinese Literature (in English translation)
4 credits. 2nd sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Modern Chinese literature tells stories of trauma, accommodation, and resistance. It offers private and public records of tumultuous transitions. This course focuses on great works of transformative importance. Authors include Lu Xun, Wang Meng, and Jin Yong. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LC 260 Gateway to Asian Cultures
4 credits. 2nd sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Panoramic introduction to the cultures of East and South Asia in comparative perspective (China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, India). Examines shared foundations, transformative inflection points, sites, peoples, and ideologies over the past two millennia through primary texts and media. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Spring 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LC 281 Chinese Theater
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Introduction to the theatrical performance of Chinese opera and the canonical works of Chinese drama. Close reading of well-known dramatic works in their social and historical contexts, with special attention to themes such as illusion, identity, and gender. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LC 282 Old Tales for New Times: Folktale in Modern China
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
Folklore in modern and contemporary China. An interdisciplinary approach to China's most famous folk tales such as the Weaving Maiden and the Ox Herder, and the White Snake and Mulan. Traces the development of these stories in premodern times and their modern incarnations. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS LC 287 Screening Modern China (in English translation)
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Major Chinese films interpreted in light of modern Chinese history and culture. Focus on questions of national and cultural identity in films from the 1980s to the present day by directors from Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. In English. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LC 314 Classical Chinese 1 for Students of East Asia
4 credits. CAS LC 112 or CAS LJ 212; or advanced Korean with consent of instructor.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Introductory readings in Classical Chinese for students of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Learn the shared literary language of premodern East Asia and read masterpieces of East Asian philosophy, history, poetry, and fiction in the original. Also offered as CAS LJ 314 and CAS LK 314. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LC 315 Classical Chinese
4 credits. CAS LC 212 or CAS LC 216; or consent of instructor.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Learning the basic syntactical, lexical, and semantic features of classical Chinese by reading original ancient texts from Pre-Qin to the Qing, and examining how active classical Chinese is in modern Chinese, in order to understand this cultural and linguistic heritage. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LC 320 Advanced Classical Chinese
4 credits. 2nd sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Readings of classical Chinese poetry, philosophy, and short and long fiction for students with a foundation in literary Chinese. Selected materials address perennial human questions and are drawn from the past three millennia of the Chinese textual tradition. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LC 416 Chinese through Literary Masterpieces
4 credits. 1st sem. two 300-level Chinese courses, or consent of instructor.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Oral and/or Signed Communication Creativity/Innovation
This content-based course introduces students to selected original works in modern Chinese poetry, short stories, novels, drama, letters, and prose. Through close reading, collaborative presentations and group discussions, students will examine how social realities and ideologies are reflected in these works and explore how these works reflect the author's sense of identity crisis. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS LC 451 Visual Politics: Propaganda Art, Literature, and "Model Films" during the Chinese Cultural Revolution 1966-1976
4 credits. Either sem. CAS WR 100, CAS WR 120 or equivalent.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
A study of "model films," poster art, and literature during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. A critical approach to the larger cultural and political context of socialist art and literature as well as its legacy in China today. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS LC 480 Modern Chinese Literature & Film
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
A seminar on the major works of modern Chinese literature and cinema from the May Fourth period to the present, with a focus on close reading and visual analysis. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LF 343 Literary Representations of Paris
4 credits. Either sem. enrollment in the Paris Internship program.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Creativity/Innovation
Explore the cultural and literary history of Paris, myth and reality, past and present; examine how the work of writers interacts with your image of the city ; create your own original literary representation of Paris. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS LF 350 Reading the French Way
4 credits. Either sem. At least one Level 1 Advanced Course (CAS LF 303, 307, 308, 309, 310,311) or equivalent; or placement test results. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120).
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Development of techniques for reading and interpreting French literary texts. Special attention to the study of lyric poetry, drama, and short narrative. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-Intensive Course.
CAS LF 351 Introduction to the French Novel
4 credits. Either sem. CAS LF 350; First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120).
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Close readings in the French novel from 19th century to contemporary times. Attention to narration, themes, symbols, and schools. Investigation of the roman d'analyse, realist fiction, anti-colonialist, and other types of narrative. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-Intensive Course.
CAS LF 441 Topics in Urban Imgainaries in Literature and Film
4 credits. CAS LF 350 or CAS LF 351; or consent of instructor.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration The Individual in Community Creativity/Innovation
Students examine the filmic and literary representations of urban environments in France and the francophone world; the phenomenon of urbanization, the historical development, cultural and artistic context of its attractive power; fluxes of migration of the city; streets and monuments as characters. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS LF 442 Geographies of the Imagination: Writing (beyond) the Island
4 credits. CAS LF 350 or CAS LF 351; or consent of instructor.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Research and Information Literacy
Approaches to real and imagined spaces in their literary representations. Emphasis on relation between cultural and political heritage and aesthetic forms. Discussion of themes such as exile, displacement, mobility, and empire in critical discourse. French, Francophone, and related traditions. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS LF 448 Topics in Text/Image/Spectacle
4 credits. CAS LF 350 or CAS LF 351; or consent of instructor.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Creativity/Innovation
Explores literary texts and their relation to works of visual and performance art. Uses critical and historical study in combination with creative practices to explore the creative dynamics of influence, appropriation, and transformation across axes of time and space. Readings and works selected may vary by instructor. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS LF 455 Studies in Nineteenth-Century French Literature
4 credits. CAS LF 350; First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Examines major themes and works in the literature of nineteenth-century France. Attention to cultural context and dialogue between the arts, literature, politics, and popular culture. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS LF 462 Cinema-Monde: Mapping French Film
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Creativity/Innovation
Spanning from the silent era to the present-day, this course reframes the key movements of French cinema through the lens of the global. Directors include Georges Melies, Jean Renoir, Jean-Luc Godard, Chantal Ackerman, Agnes Varda, and the Dardenne brothers. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS LF 464 Author/Auteur
4 credits. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
In-depth study of a single author or film maker. Attention to critical/theoretical debates about the author's work(s); their relation to aesthetic, political, and/or historical debates of the time; and questions about relation to tradition and/or legacy and ongoing influence. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS LF 487 Topics in Memory & Monument
4 credits. Either sem.
Through interdisciplinary, in-depth study, explores the history, legacy, and future of a single 'lieu de memoire'--an iconic 'site of memory' that serves as a cultural touchstone. Sources include manuscripts, architecture, literary texts, music, film, photography, and others. Taught in English. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Aesthetic Exploration, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS LG 250 Masterpieces of German Literature (in English Translation)
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Introduction to the major works of German literature, emphasizing methods of close reading and the art of critical writing. Texts by Johannes von Saaz, J.W. Goethe, Heinrich von Kleist, Georg Buchner, Robert Musil, Ingeborg Bachmann and others. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LG 283 The Faust Tradition
4 credits. one literature course or consent of instructor. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
Comparative study of the Faust theme, 1500 to present: Marlowe, Goethe, Mann, Gertrude Stein, Jan Svankmajer, others. Transmission and adaptation of literary themes within and between national traditions. Emphasis on close reading and research, use of theory and criticism. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Writing-Intensive Course.
CAS LG 335 Music, Art, and History in the German-Speaking World
4 credits. one course numbered CAS LG 302?309, or consent of instructor.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Introduction to works, lives, and times of some composers and artists who have shaped the cultures of the German-speaking world. Conducted in German, the course aims to deepen students' cultural awareness as well as the sophistication of their language skills. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS LG 350 Introduction to German Literature
4 credits. 1st sem. any course from CAS LG 302-309 or equivalent; or permission of instructor. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120).
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Masterpieces of German literature representing major eras and genres from the eighteenth century to the present. Practical introduction to methods of close reading and literary interpretation; class discussion. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing- Intensive Course.
CAS LG 450 Origins of German Culture
4 credits. CAS LG 350; or consent of instructor.
Survey of major developments in the cultural history of German-speaking countries, from the Middle Ages through the Enlightenment. Literature, expository texts, music, art and architecture, and their influence on contemporary cultural debates. Course conducted in German. Effective Spring 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS LG 456 Twentieth-Century Culture: Since 1945
4 credits. CAS LG 350; or consent of instructor.
Survey of postwar and contemporary German-language literature in its cultural-historical context. The Nazi past and the Holocaust; the economic rise of West Germany and accompanying disillusionment; East Germany's socialist ideal and reality; German reunification; women's voices; migrant and transnational literature. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS LH 250 Masterpieces of Modern Hebrew Literature (in English translation)
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Creativity/Innovation
Narrative prose by major writers from nineteenth-century Eastern Europe to present-day Israel, including works of S.Y. Agnon, Dvora Baron, A.B. Yehoshua, Amos Oz, Shalev, Etgar Keret, Sayed Kashua, and Orly Castel-Bloom. Focus on the struggle to forge modern identity in the domains of family, nation, religion and Middle East. Required for the minor in Hebrew. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS LH 283 Israeli Culture through Film (in English translation)
4 credits. Either sem. First-Year Writing Seminar (WR 120 or equivalent)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Israeli society, from its origins to contemporary times, through the medium of film. Topics include immigration; war; the ongoing impact of the Holocaust on Israeli society; trials of women; war; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Introduction to film analysis and interpretive methods. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS LI 283 A Study of Italian Cinema from the 1940s to the Present
4 credits. Either sem.
Films by De Sica, Fellini, Benigni, Sorrentino and others tell the story of social and cultural development during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS LI 350 Italian Literature I: Medieval
4 credits. Either sem. any 300-level language course or consent of instructor.
Development of techniques for reading and interpreting Italian literary texts. Historical and critical study of the first two centuries of Italian literature, 1200-1400: the early poets, Guido Cavalcanti, and Dante. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS LI 351 Italian Literature II: Renaissance and Baroque
4 credits. Either sem. any 300-level language course of consent of instructor.
Strategies for reading important Italian texts from medieval to the eighteenth century: Boccaccio's novelle, a political play by Machiavelli, Calvino's presentation of Ariosto's Renaissance epic poem, a comic play by Goldoni, and their literary, social and historical contexts. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS LI 352 Italian Literature III: Modern Period
4 credits. Either sem. any 300-level language course or consent of instructor.
Development of techniques for reading and interpreting Italian literary texts. Historical and critical study of Italian literature from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries: romanticism, fantastical literature and postwar culture. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS LI 354 Contemporary Italian Literature
4 credits. Either sem. enrollment in the Padua Italian Studies Program. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Exploration of literary works and movements of Italian literature, from the end of the Second World War until today: Twentieth Century history, arts and literature are strictly interconnected, and are expression of the geo- historical and cultural Italian and European context. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-Intensive Course.
CAS LI 355 Italian Migrant Literature
4 credits. Either sem. enrollment in the Padua Italian Studies Program. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
While at the end of the Nineteenth Century and the first half of the Twentieth Century, Italy was a country of emigration, recent history shows that it has become the country of destination for many people. This change concerns diverse aspects of life at various levels: social, anthropological, economic, but also linguistic and cultural. The course introduces students to different aspects of Italian migrant literature (e.g. history, style, topics) from its appearing in the late Eighties to today. Students will approach literary works written by authors with different intercultural backgrounds. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS LI 386 Fascism and the Holocaust in Italy
4 credits.
The Fascist regime and the Holocaust in Italy: how the civic status of Italian Jews changed from the beginnings of discrimination against them to deportations of 1943, posing larger questions about bigotry and racism, and the role of bystander complicity. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS LI 445 On Screen: Italians in America
4 credits.
Italian Americans have long been represented in American film and television. What are these representations and how have they been received? How is Italian American identity constructed through these media? Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS LI 475 Literature and Film In Fascist Italy
4 credits.
Examines the film production that took place under Fascism, as well as literature of the period. Fascist history and ideology is discussed through artistic representations that range from subversive to outright propaganda. Taught in Italian. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS LJ 250 Masterpieces of Japanese Literature (in English translation)
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
An introduction to Japanese literary history. Topics include mythic beginnings, conceptions of nature and death, flowering of a court aesthetic, the writer as hermit-sage, the Tokugawa stage and its love suicides. Use of literary and visual materials. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LJ 251 Modern Japanese Literature (in English translation)
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Introduction to modern Japanese literature. Naturalism and its critics, rise of the I-novel, Taisho aestheticism, proletarian literature, postwar and post- recession crises of cultural identity. Works by Natsume Soseki, Hayashi Fumiko, Tanizaki Jun'ichiro, Oe Kenzaburo, and Tsushima Yuko. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LJ 260 Gateway to Asian Cultures
4 credits. 2nd sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Panoramic introduction to the cultures of East and South Asia in comparative perspective (China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, India). Examines shared foundations, transformative inflection points, sites, peoples, and ideologies over the past two millennia through primary texts and media. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Spring 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LJ 283 Modern Japanese Culture in Cinema (in English translation)
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Japanese film from the silent era to contemporary animation, with attention to the intersection of cinematic and cultural analysis and genres such as yakuza movies. Directors studied may include Ozu, Kurosawa, Mizoguchi, and Miyazaki Hayao. Also Offered as CAS CI 260. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LJ 314 Classical Chinese I for Students of East Asia
4 credits. CAS LJ 212 or CAS LC 112; or advanced Korean with consent of instructor.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Introductory readings in Classical Chinese for students of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Learn the shared literary language of premodern East Asia and read masterpieces of East Asian philosophy, history, poetry, and fiction in the original. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LJ 350 Readings in Modern Japanese Fiction
4 credits. Either sem. CAS LJ 303; or equivalent.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Creativity/Innovation
Readings in modern fiction from Akutagawa to Murakami and beyond to deepen knowledge of Japanese language, learn about the development of Japanese literature from 1900 to the present, and to place it in contemporary context. Readings and discussions in Japanese. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS LJ 360 Haiku
4 credits. 1st sem. First-Year Writing Seminar (WR 120 or equivalent).
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Creativity/Innovation Writing-Intensive Course
The history and evolving forms of haiku in Japan and around the world. Students write and workshop their own haiku in English or Japanese, learning from great poets how to focus attention, observe nature, read closer, and write better. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS LJ 383 Auteur Studies: Japan
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Creativity/Innovation
Deep exploration of the films of one director with attention to cultural and historical context and the creative process. Topic for Spring 2023: Kurosawa Akira. Attention to Kurosawa's film style, global reception, and his complex reflections on Japanese history and the nature of cinema and art. Readings in English and all films available with English subtitles. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS LJ 386 Japanese Translation/Interpretation Workshop
4 credits. CAS LJ 212; , or CASLJ211 and consent of instructor. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Oral and/or Signed Communication Writing-Intensive Course
Through training in translating and interpreting, the course enhances knowledge of Japanese language and culture and improves English writing skills. Students are given a wide variety of texts to translate and practice oral interpretation in a range of contexts. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Writing-Intensive Course, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
CAS LJ 460 Haruki Murakami and His Sources
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Creativity/Innovation
Students read works by Haruki Murakami and by writers who shaped him or were shaped by him, reflect on the nature of intertextuality, and gain a perspective on contemporary literature as operating within a global system of mutual influence. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS LK 250 Introduction to Korean Literature (in English translation)
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
What is Korean literature? How has it evolved through interaction with Chinese, Japanese, European and American literatures and cultures? What roles have regional and global changes played in shaping Korean imaginative writing? No prerequisites; readings and discussion in English. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LK 251 Classics of Korean Literature
4 credits. Either sem.
Introduction to Korean literature from its first recorded beginnings to the early twentieth century, understood against the backdrop of the complex historical, cultural, political, linguistic, philosophical and religious contexts and networks. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS LK 260 Gateway to Asian Cultures
4 credits. 2nd sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Panoramic introduction to the cultures of East and South Asia in comparative perspective (China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, India). Examines shared foundations, transformative inflection points, sites, peoples, and ideologies over the past two millennia through primary texts and media. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Spring 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LK 314 Classical Chinese I for Students of East Asia
4 credits. CAS LC 112 or CAS LJ 212; or advanced Korean with consent of instructor.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Introductory readings in Classical Chinese for students of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Learn the shared literary language of premodern East Asia and read masterpieces of East Asian philosophy, history, poetry, and fiction in the original. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LK 375 Growing Up in Korea
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Examining memoirs, prose fiction, film, television dramas, and graphic narratives to ask: how have the conventions of Korean coming-of-age narratives evolved? What does this say about changes in Korean identity? What roles have gender and sexuality played in Korean stories of growing up? Effective Spring 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LK 383 Modern Korean Culture through Cinema (in English translation)
4 credits. Either sem.
Introduction to Korean Cinema from the early 20th century to the present. Discussion and essays on ethics of representation, colonialism, wars, state violence against citizens, psychological violence, sexual violence. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS LK 460 Korean Translation
4 credits. 1st sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120).
Through training in translating from Korean into English, the course enhances knowledge of Korean language and culture and improves English writing as well as deepening the understanding of what is involved in translating one language into another. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing- Intensive Course, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS LK 475 Major Authors in Korean Literature
4 credits. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
Closely examines major authors in Korean literature through their representative works in English translation. Students analyze each author's writing style, themes, and characters while exploring various theoretical questions, institutional practices, and cultural praxes regarding literary authors and authorship. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS LN 260 Gateway to Asian Cultures
4 credits. 2nd sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Panoramic introduction to the cultures of East and South Asia in comparative perspective (China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, India). Examines shared foundations, transformative inflection points, sites, peoples, and ideologies over the past two millennia through primary texts and media. Effective Spring 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LN 380 Modern India through Bollywood
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Critical Thinking
Explores the social history and culture of modern India through the lens of popular Hindi cinema, commonly called Bollywood. We analyze Bollywood films both as forms of art and as cultural texts, and examine how they reflect and interpret modern Indian society. Course readings focus on theoretical approaches to Hindi cinema, and also shed light on the larger historical and social context that surrounds it. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
CAS LN 470 Topics in South Asian Literature and Culture
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Topics vary. May be taken multiple times for credit if topic is different. Topic for Spring 2022: Contemporary Indian Literature in Context. Focuses on a number of modern (post- 1947) and contemporary Indian and South Asian texts, and reads them both against the larger historical, political, and cultural contexts in which they emerge, and against the theoretical frameworks within which they are usually placed. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS LP 352 Tropical Metropolis and Brazilian Modernity
4 credits. CAS LP 212; or consent of instructor.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Focus on aesthetic and thematic changes in Brazilian art and literature during the country's waves of modernization, with attention to the repercussion of those themes in film production, music, and performance. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LP 360 Introduction to Brazilian Cinema (in English translation)
4 credits. 1st sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
An overview of Brazilian cinema in the 60s, 70s and 80s, its discourse on revolution and marginality, as well as its connection to artistic, musical, and literary movements. Focus on the work of avant-garde filmmakers and younger generations. Also includes attention to Cuban cinema. Taught in English. Also offered as CAS CI 321. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LP 362 Inventing Brazil (in English Translation)
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
This course focuses on the main figures who undertook the task of forging the national image of Brazil in the 20th century. It encompasses several cultural realms and intellectual disciplines -- literature, history, art, film, sociology, and anthropology. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LP 580 Music and Politics in Brazil
4 credits. 2nd sem. CAS LP 212; or Portuguese proficiency, or consent instructor.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Studies the relationship between Brazilian music and politics, from the modernist revolution with Villa-Lobos to Carioca funk. Other music genres are also studied, such as bossa nova, tropicalia, samba, rock, heavy metal, (hardcore) punk rock, and hip-hop. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS LR 250 Classics of Russian Prose (in English translation)
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Prose works that define the Russian literary tradition, including Pushkin's Queen of Spades, Gogol's Overcoat, Turgenev's Fathers and Sons, Dostoevsky's Notes from the Underground, Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LR 280 Dostoevsky (in English translation)
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration
Dostoevsky's evolution as novelist and philosopher. Explore major novels, including Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, and Demons, within cultural and political contexts; consider the significance of literary innovations and meditations on questions of morality, personality, freedom, health, justice, and evil. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS LR 281 Tolstoy (in English translation)
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration
Tolstoy's evolution as novelist and moral philosopher. Explore major works, including War and Peace and Anna Karenina, within cultural and political contexts; consider the significance of literary innovations and meditations on questions of morality, death, freedom, justice, meaning, and happiness. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS LR 282 Russian Prose Classics of the Twentieth Century (in English translation)
4 credits. Either sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120).
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Introduction to the major writers of twentieth-century Russian prose and to the literary traditions that they represent through a close reading of selected texts. Authors include Chekhov, Tolstoy, Babel, Bulgakov, Kharms, Pasternak, Shalamov, Solzhenitsyn, Petrushevskaya, Sorokin. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing- Intensive Course.
CAS LR 288 Dostoevsky's Brothers Karamazov
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration
Close, careful study of Dostoevsky's masterpiece, with eye to historical, philosophical, theological, cultural, and literary significance; explores Dostoevsky's reinvention of the novel alongside questions of morality, justice, modernity, community, personality, and the meaning of life. Taught in English. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS LR 289 Russian Culture (in English translation)
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
Introduction (in English) to Russian culture. Traces its development from legendary beginnings to today, focusing on such topics as everyday life, pop culture, national identity, and the woman question. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS LR 355 Chekhov: The Stories and Plays (in English translation)
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Teamwork/Collaboration
Explores Chekhov's major plays and a wide selection from his prose (in English translation); studies the arc of his career, his aesthetic innovations, moral psychology, philosophical perspective. Includes practicum in which students produce a play composed of scenes from Chekhov. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Aesthetic Exploration, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS LR 457 Advanced Russian Language and Literature
4 credits. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Introduces students to major works of Russian literature in the original: stories, poems, and prose excerpts from writers such as Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Akhmatova, Kharms, Shalamov, Petrushevskaya. Emphasis on speaking and writing. Discussions provide historical and cultural context.? Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-Intensive Course.
CAS LS 350 Introduction to Analysis of Hispanic Texts
4 credits. Either sem. any 300-level Spanish language course or placement exam results.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Development of techniques for reading and interpreting Hispanic literary texts; reading of lyric poetry, drama, and fictional narrative. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LS 410 Religion and Literature in Medieval Spain
4 credits. CAS LS 350; and a first-year writing seminar (e.g. CAS WR 100).
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Pre-req: WR 120 or equivalent, CS 111. Explores religion and literature in medieval Spain through a critique of Convivencia, the notion of a peaceful coexistence among Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Close readings of medieval literary works that imagine religious identity and relationships across religious boundaries. To enrich exploration of interrelated themes and learning outcomes, student registrants of LS 410 will meet with student registrants of RN/HI 410/RN 710 during scheduled class time on 2/21, 3/13, 3/27, 4/24, and 5/1 during the term. Effective Spring 2023 this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS LS 449 Contemporary Spanish Novel: From ?La Movida? to 15-M
4 credits. enrollment in the Madrid Internship Program or Madrid Spanish and European Studies Program.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Research and Information Literacy
An overview of contemporary Spanish novels from the time of Franco's death in 1975 to the present day. This class explores cultural issues within the literary, political, and social contexts of contemporary Spain. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS LS 452 Topics in Latin America Literature and Culture
4 credits. Either sem. CAS LS 350.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Critical Thinking
Provides new and contemporary perspectives on Latin American literature and culture. Can focus on some specific works through their connection to avant- garde movements, questions of identity and politics, media and the arts, canonical and marginal authors. Three topics are offered Fall 2022. Section A1: Music, dance, literature, and film connected through readings and exposure to performances. Critical analysis, stories of immigration and crime are integrated into an exploration of Buenos Aires urban culture. Section B1: Jorge Luis Borges: Fiction, Sight, and the Visible. An exploration of how Jorge Luis Borges's short stories and poetry disrupt conventional approaches to literary visuality while considering the author's complex relationship with blindness. Readings and discussion about both critical blindness studies and the literary theories of Macedonio Fernandez. Section C1: Representations of Poverty and Marginality in Latin American Literature: A Survey. Examines the mutual conditioning of epistemological understandings and literary/filmic representations of poverty in Latin America from the early national period through the present time. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
CAS LS 454 Survey of Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Spanish Literature
4 credits. Either sem. CAS LS 350.
Representative 19th and 20th century Spanish texts, poetry, drama and novel; explorations of the place of the individual within the rhythms of Spain's changing identity. Authors: Jose de Espronceda, Benito Perez Galdos, Federico Garcia Lorca, Angela Figuera Aymerich and Graciela Baquero. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
CAS LS 455 Spanish American Literature Through the Nineteenth Century
4 credits. Either sem. CAS LS 350.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
A close reading of representative texts of Spanish American literature from early writings of discovery and conquest through the nineteenth century. Emphasis on the development of the modern novel and on Spanish America's quest for a cultural identity. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS LS 456 Medieval and Early Modern Iberian Literature
4 credits. CAS LS 350; and First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CAS WR 100 or WR 120).
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
A literary and cultural approach to Iberian writers of the medieval and early modern periods. Explores interactions between the literary production of Christians, Jews, and Muslims and their diverse linguistic, historical, and cultural contexts. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration .
CAS LS 457 Twentieth Century Spanish American Literature
4 credits. CAS LS 350.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Critical Thinking
Representative literary works written in Spanish America during the twentieth century. Special attention to the relationship between modernity and identity, and the connection of literature with other cultural expressions, particularly film. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.
CAS LS 462 Mexican Cinema on the World Stage
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Teamwork/Collaboration
Mexican history and culture through the lens of film. The course draws on film criticism and theory to approach the study of Mexican films as both historical artifacts and works of art and within the background of world cinema. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS LS 477 Contemporary Spanish Cinema
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Research and Information Literacy
An overview of Spanish contemporary cinema and the variety of genres that have emerged in the last decades. Using different resources from films and literature, students will be able to better understand the diversity of Spanish society, which they will experience for themselves on the streets of Madrid. This course also explores how the technical elements of film (camera shots, angles, etc.) can express emotions as well as cultural and social values. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS LS 568 Prose Fiction of the Spanish Middle Ages
4 credits. CAS LS 350; and two LS 400-level courses, or consent of instructor.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Explores the development of medieval Iberian prose traditions in Castilian, Latin, Arabic and Hebrew through oral storytelling, translation, and manuscript culture. Readings in genres such as framed narratives and chronicles in the context of religious, linguistic, and gender difference. Exact texts vary by semester. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS LS 579 Topics in Hispanic Cinemas
4 credits. Either sem. CAS LS 350; and at least two 400-level LS course.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Critical Thinking
Cinema as a perspective from which to analyze cultural and socio-political developments within the Spanish- speaking world. Topics drawn from the history of specific national cinemas, individual filmmakers or particular "schools," relations between literature and film, and political uses of film. Topic for Spring 2023: This course offers an overview of Cuban cinema after the revolution of 1959. We focus particularly on the forging of a new cinematic language from the Third World. Themes include censorship and cinema, trance and revolution, African- derived religions and cinema. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS LT 389 The Interplay of Literature and History on the Turkic Silk Road
4 credits. 2nd sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
Historical and literary interactions among residents, travelers, armies, and intellectuals throughout dramatic transformations of the Central Asian Silk Road. Daily life of individuals and families in collapsing empires, the Soviet era, and the emergence of new nation states. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS LX 120 Language and Music
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Scientific Inquiry I Research and Information Literacy
Is the co-occurrence of music and language in human societies coincidental or inevitable? This course examines this question by defining what language and music are, exploring their structural similarities and differences, and surveying global diversity in musical and linguistic expression. Carries humanities divisional studies credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Scientific Inquiry I, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS LY 350 Introduction to Arabic Literature
4 credits. CAS LY 303; or equivalent. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Selection of Arabic poetry, short stories, novels, and drama. Focus on development and refinement of Arabic reading strategies, literary analysis of short passages, and writing and speaking skills. Readings and assignments in Arabic and English. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-Intensive Course.
CAS LY 441 1001 Nights in the World Literary Imagination
4 credits. two literature courses or consent of instructor. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120).
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
What is The Thousand and One Nights? How has this ever-expanding collection appealed to its diverse audiences? Focus on Nights' structure and themes, notable translations and offshoots in western literature and art, and later appropriations by Arab and Muslim writers. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing- Intensive Course.
CAS LZ 380 Persian Epic and Romance (in English translation)
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Introduction to the heroic and romantic narrative literature of Iran and Afghanistan. Readings include: the Persian epic Shahnameh, romances by Gorgani, Nezami and Jami. Discussion of the endurance of Persian myths and tales in world literature and visual forms. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS LZ 381 Rumi and Persian Sufi Poetry (in English translation)
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Introduction to the Persian Sufi poet Rumi's narrative and lyric writings. Focus on Islamic mysticism, the innovative aspects of Rumi's poetry, and the problem of profane vs. sacred love. All readings in English translation. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS PH 159 Philosophy and Film
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Critical Thinking
This class provides an introduction philosophical and aesthetic issues connected with film. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 259 Philosophy of the Arts
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Critical Thinking
What makes something beautiful? How do different arts (music, dance, painting, sculpture, architecture, film, drama) relate to our aesthetic experience of the world? Explores several philosophical theories of art through specific examples of artwork. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 489 Henry James and New Media
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Digital/Multimedia Expression Creativity/Innovation
James's writing exposed moral and aesthetic dimensions of society's play with status, wealth, and romance. After exploring contemporary dating apps, social media, and films of James's works, students complete a video, graphic novel, or other form of "new media" criticism. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS PO 394 Catastrophe & Memory
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Research and Information Literacy
Examines the ways in which catastrophes, both natural and social, enter into cultural memory. Goal is to understand how events that seem to defy comprehension are represented in works of art and given a place in the memory of a culture. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS RN 101 The Bible
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Creativity/Innovation
Introduction to the great canonical anthologies of Jews and Christians. Students will learn to read for historical context and genre conventions; study classical and modern strategies of interpretation; and create a collaborative commentary or piece of "fan-fiction." Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS RN 103 Religions of Asia
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Teamwork/Collaboration
Study of Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, and Shinto. Focus on the world view of each tradition and the historical development of that world view. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS RN 104 Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Creativity/Innovation
Islam, Christianity, and Judaism in historical and cultural context, origins to the present. Examines diversity of practices, belief systems, and social structures within these religions. Also addresses debates within and between communities as well as contemporary controversies and concerns. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS RN 201 The Hebrew Bible
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
Study of the literature of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and the religious traditions to which these writings bear witness within the context of the history of the ancient Israelite community. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 203 Religion and Film
4 credits.
Religions and films are world-building engines. They create -- and re-create -- a visioning of society as a world of justice, of lived myth, of fantasy, of ideology: a world we may long to live in or a world we wish to avoid at all costs. This course explores such worlds by examining the ways in which religious beliefs, practices and people are portrayed in popular film from the 1960s to the present. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Social Inquiry I, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS RN 213 Hinduism
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration
The course will provide the student with the opportunity to study on an introductory level Hinduism, the majority religion of India and Nepal. It is structured for the student who has had little or no previous background in the study of Hinduism from either an anthropological perspective or from a literary and historical point of view. It will focus on the development of the Hindu textual tradition, the philosophy and mythology it expounds, and the ritual practices related to it. Emphasis will be placed on how Hindu traditions adapted to changing historical conditions. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS RN 220 Holy City: Jerusalem in Time, Space, and Imagination
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration The Individual in Community Critical Thinking
Transformation of an ordinary ancient city into the holy city of Jews, Christians, and Muslims; and development of modern Jerusalem, as shaped by British rule, Zionism, and Palestinian nationalism. Jerusalem's past, present, and meanings considered through analyses of religious and secular rhetoric. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, The Individual in Community, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 296 Religion and Hip Hop
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Digital/Multimedia Expression Creativity/Innovation
Uses digital media studies to explore diverse religious expressions in hip hop culture. Through critical reading, community field trips, and hands-on technology usage, students consider an often overlooked element in the study of hip hop culture: religion. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS RN 326 Jewish Mysticism
4 credits. First-Year Writing Seminar (CAS WR 120 or equivalent)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Teamwork/Collaboration Writing-Intensive Course
This course explores the rich world of Jewish Mysticism from its earliest roots to its contemporary expressions in the 21st century. We look at the interaction between Jewish mystics and major western schools of thought such as Gnosticism, Neoplatonism, Aristotelianism, and Sufism. The course also introduces students to the Kabbalistic tradition and its various historical manifestations. No prior knowledge of Hebrew or other themes in Jewish studies required. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Aesthetic Exploration, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS RN 348 Rumi and Persian Sufi Poetry (in English translation)
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Introduction to the Persian Sufi poet Rumi's narrative and lyric writings. Focus on Islamic mysticism, the innovative aspects of Rumi's poetry, and the problem of profane vs. sacred love. All readings in English translation. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS RN 364 Buddhist Literature
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Aesthetic Exploration Teamwork/Collaboration
What do Buddhist texts seek to do, and how do they do it? How are Buddhist texts deployed to engender personal and social transformation? Focusing on works from Indian, Tibetan, and Euro-American Buddhist traditions, we will explore these questions through varied literary genre, including Pāli folktales, Sanskrit poetry. canonical discourses, autobiography and contemporary socially engaged Buddhist writings. Particular attention will be given to the shifting valuation of embodiment in varied Buddhist works. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS RN 365 Art, Media, and Buddhism
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Teamwork/Collaboration
Examines how textual, visual, and material forms of religious expressions have been conceptualized by Buddhists as well as how Buddhist objects are understood and re- contextualized in the West. Topics include: self- immolation; museums; war propaganda, and pop culture. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS RN 375 Culture, Society, and Religion in South Asia
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Ethnographic and historical introduction to the Indian subcontinent with a focus on the impact of religion on cultural practices and social institutions. Effective Spring 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS RN 400 Writing Religion
4 credits. 2nd sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120).
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
A writing-intensive seminar focused on the close reading and careful writing on spirituality and religion in various non-fiction genres (memoir, Instagram essays, op-eds, academic articles). Possible authors: Ann Lamott, Jeff Sharlet, J. Z. Smith, Virginia Woolf, James Baldwin, Annie Dillard. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-Intensive Course.
CAS RN 490 Materiality and Religion in Late Antiquity
4 credits. prior coursework in archaeology or ancient religions, or consent of instructor.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Research and Information Literacy
Investigates material traces and contexts of religion in the Graeco-Roman world, including iconic, architectural, votive, magical, and other archaeological remains; and draws on theories of space, image, and ritual performance. Topics vary. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS TL 500 History and Theory of Translation
4 credits. 1st sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
The goal of this course is to familiarize students with the history of translation and the main trends in Translation Studies. Students learn to apply concepts acquired in class to analyze and critique translations and develop their own strategies. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS TL 551 Topics in Translation
4 credits. 2nd sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
May be taken multiple times for credit if topics are different. Topic for Spring 2023, Section A1: Self-Translation and Bilingualism. Examine self-translated texts and texts about literary self-translation, that is, translations of works made by their own authors. Question the categories of author and translator, original and translation, writing and re-writing. Reflect on bilingualism and migration as creators of literature. Topic for Spring 2023, Section B1: Translation and Storytelling in the Medieval Mediterranean.Explores how medieval translators cultivated a Mediterranean storytelling tradition and how modern translators keep this tradition alive. Works include 1001 Nights, Kalila and Dimna, the Maqamat of al-Hariri, and Don Juan Manuel's Book of Count Lucanor. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS WS 326 Arts of Gender
4 credits.
Examines representations of gender and sexuality in diverse art forms, including drama, dance, film, and literature, and how art reflects historical constructions of gender. Topic for Fall 2021: Gendered Utopias, Gendered Dystopias. Is it possible to create spaces where women, non-binary and queer people, and other outsiders thrive, or do all paths lead inexorably to a dystopian future? Texts include non-fiction by Delany and Nelson and speculative fiction by Atwood and Butler. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, The Individual in Community.
CAS WS 375 Growing Up in Korea
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Examining memoirs, prose fiction, film, television dramas, and graphic narratives to ask: how have the conventions of Korean coming-of-age narratives evolved? What does this say about changes in Korean identity? What roles have gender and sexuality played in Korean stories of growing up? Also offered as CAS LK 375 A1. Effective Spring 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS WS 380 Gender and Identity in Contemporary Middle Eastern Film
4 credits. 1st sem.
An exploration of representations of gender and identity in contemporary Middle Eastern films by male and female directors reflecting on the impact of modernization, globalization, war and trauma through different visual genres. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Digital/Multimedia Expression.
CAS XL 100 Leaving Home: Explorations in World Literature
4 credits. 1st sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Growing up. Moving to the big city. Wisdom quest. Immigration. Tourism. How have the world's great literatures portrayed and shaped these experiences? How have literary works themselves found new worlds through translation and adaptation? Counts for credit toward all WLL majors. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS XL 222 Introduction to Western Literatures
4 credits. Either sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120).
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Introduces basic methods of comparative literary study through close readings of influential texts of the Western tradition from antiquity to present. Topics include genre, translation, appropriation, interpretation, theories of literary production and effect. All works read in English. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-Intensive Course.
CAS XL 223 Introduction to Middle Eastern Literatures
4 credits. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120).
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Introduces basic methods of comparative literary study through close readings of some of the most influential texts of Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and Hebrew literature. Readings may include The Arabian Nights, Shahnameh, lyric poetry, and novels from the twentieth century. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-Intensive Course.
CAS XL 224 Introduction to East Asian Literatures
4 credits. Either sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120).
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Explores why and how to compare literatures and cultures and envisions the place of East Asia's traditions in World Literature. Embarks on theoretical reflection and close reading of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean texts from three millennia. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-Intensive Course.
CAS XL 225 Introduction to South Asian Literatures
4 credits. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120).
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Introduces basic methods of comparative literary study through close readings of some of the most influential texts of Indian and other South Asian literatures. Readings may include Shakuntala, The Ramayana, bhakti and Sufi literatures. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-Intensive Course.
CAS XL 230 Topics in Big Fat Books
4 credits. 2nd sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
Enters deeply into the world of one literary work and explores its reverberations across national and disciplinary boundaries. Topic for Spring 2023: "Story of the Stone / Dream of the Red Chamber." Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Writing-Intensive Course.
CAS XL 236 Jewish Literature
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
How do changing notions of ethnicity and race, religion, and gender, as well as geographical place define Jewish family and community? Topics include immigration, diaspora, and national culture; patriotism, antisemitism, and multiculturalism; Jewish identities and gender; conversion, assimilation, and acculturation. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS XL 244 Greek Drama in Translation
4 credits. Either sem.
The history and development of ancient Greek theater; study of important plays in the genres of tragedy, comedy, and satyr drama by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, and Menander. Cannot be taken for credit in addition to CAS CL 324. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS XL 260 Gateway to Asian Cultures
4 credits. 2nd sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Panoramic introduction to the cultures of East and South Asia in comparative perspective (China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, India). Examines shared foundations, transformative inflection points, sites, peoples, and ideologies over the past two millennia through primary texts and media. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS XL 315 Tradition and Modernity in Iranian Film and Literature
4 credits. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
This course examines how competing notions of tradition and modernity are presented in Iranian cinema. Drawing on both classical and modern Persian literary works to draw out underlying connections between the readings and the films. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS XL 342 Travel Writing and the Muslim World
4 credits. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120).
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
How have Muslim travelers past and present written about places and people they saw abroad, and how have Western travelers in the Muslim lands described their travels in "the East"? Readings include Ibn Battuta, Marco Polo, Gertrude Bell, and Paul Theroux. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-Intensive Course.
CAS XL 343 Alexander the Great in the East
4 credits. First-Year Writing (WR 120 or equivalent)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Study of the various narratives about Alexander the Great, also known as Sikandar or Iskandar, as conqueror, philosopher-king, and hero, in medieval Middle Eastern and Asian literatures. Modern filmic representations of the historical figure are also compared. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing- Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS XL 344 Global Shakespeares
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Creativity/Innovation
Why do contemporary writers parrot and parody "Shakespeare," and how much of this activity is about Shakespeare at all? This seminar provides an introduction to reading and writing about Shakespeare's plays. But it also takes a step back to consider Shakespeare as a phenomenon, inspiring adapters around the world. Beyond learning about particular offshoots and adaptations, the deeper point is to explore how playwrights think about their sources, their audiences, and their art. Effective Summer 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS XL 380 Gender and Identity in Contemporary Middle Eastern Film
4 credits. 1st sem.
An exploration of representations of gender and identity in contemporary Middle Eastern films by male and female directors reflecting on the impact of modernization, globalization, war and trauma through different visual genres. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Digital/Multimedia Expression.
CAS XL 381 Topics in Gender and Literature (in English translation)
4 credits. First-Year Writing Seminar (WR 120 or equivalent)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Creativity/Innovation Writing-Intensive Course
Topics vary. May be repeated for credit if topic is different. Topic for Spring 2023: Gender and Modernization Through Turkish Literature. Exploring the interplay of modernization of gender roles and gender performance through Turkish literary texts. The readings include Sabahattin Ali, Orhan Pamuk, Elif Shafak, Gulten Akin, Ayla Kutlu. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS XL 389 The Interplay of Literature and History on the Turkic Silk Road
4 credits. 2nd sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
Historical and literary interactions among residents, travelers, armies, and intellectuals throughout dramatic transformations of the Central Asian Silk Road. Daily life of individuals and families in collapsing empires, the Soviet era, and the emergence of new nation states. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS XL 441 1001 Nights in the World Literary Imagination
4 credits. two literature courses or consent of instructor and First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120).
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
What is The Thousand and One Nights? How has this ever-expanding collection appealed to its diverse audiences? Focus on Nights' structure and themes, notable translations and offshoots in western literature and art, and later appropriations by Arab and Muslim writers. Also offered as CAS LY 441. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-Intensive Course.
CAS XL 451 Visual Politics: Propaganda Art, Literature, and "Model Films" during the Chinese Cultural Revolution 1966-1976
4 credits. Either sem. CAS WR 100, CAS WR 120 or equivalent.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
A study of "model films," poster art, and literature during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. A critical approach to the larger cultural and political context of socialist art and literature as well as its legacy in China today. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS XL 500 History and Theory of Translation
4 credits. 1st sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Critical Thinking
The goal of this course is to familiarize students with the history of translation and the main trends in Translation Studies. Students will learn to apply concepts acquired in class to analyze and critique translations and develop their own strategies. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CFA AR 121 Foundation Sculpture
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration The Individual in Community Creativity/Innovation
In this course, the students explore extensively the fundamentals of 3D design and construction while cultivating the capacity for visual and critical thinking. The students investigate the structural, compositional and conceptual roles of basic materials. A variety of techniques are used to articulate projects in three dimensions and to address fundamental ideas and issues that define the role of art and design in the community and the society we inhabit. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, The Individual in Community, Creativity/Innovation.
CFA AR 132 Drawing One: Drawing as Visual Language
4 credits. Either sem. CFA AR131
AR 132 Drawing One is a four-credit studio course designed to equip students with the formal elements of the language of drawing, and the ability to make independent critical decisions about their creative work and the works of others. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
CFA AR 193 Visual Arts Drawing
4 credits. Either sem.
An introductory class for non-majors to explore drawing based on analysis and observation. Study of perception and measuring techniques to create proportion and perspective. Use of line, shape and value in the context of visual description of still life, figure and interior. Dry, wet media and collage. Not applicable to BFA degree 4.0 Credits. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CFA AR 194 Mixed Media Drawing and Collage
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Creativity/Innovation
In this entry level studio based class we will work together to learn various techniques and approaches to the art of mixed media drawing and collage. Through the making of a portfolio of work that will bridge basic drawing skills with mixed media projects in representation and abstraction, we will investigate how the ways of seeing and making have intersected with History, Culture, Belief and Identity during the 20th and 21st centuries. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Creativity/Innovation.
CFA AR 224 New Genres in Sculpture
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Digital/Multimedia Expression Critical Thinking
This course investigates the language of Contemporary Sculpture and Installation Art from the perspective of new genres such as film, video and performance art. We will explore the ways in which these genres play an influential role in contemporary art production with a specific focus on the spatial-temporal relationship. This is a non-medium specific, portfolio- building, studio class with the objective of expanding and advancing students' already existing 3D language, methodologies, technical skills, and critiquing abilities. Students will learn the formal, historical and conceptual implications of mixed-media art production and understand these within a broad context of contemporary art. This class is divided into three parts: studio time with one-on-one meetings with the instructor; video editing and technical workshops; and mini-lectures and screenings. 4cr Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Critical Thinking.
CFA AR 225 Sophomore Graphic Design Fall: Form-Making, Communication
4 credits. 1st sem.
Sophomore graphic design focuses on form making and conceptual problem solving. Image Making techniques will be explored and integrated into graphic design contexts. Conceptual problem solving will be examined according to how forms suggest meaning. A student is expected to build upon the skills developed during foundation year to generate innovative and inventive form in both analog and digital formats. Static and dynamic design solutions will be explored. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Digital/Multimedia Expression.
CFA AR 250 Introduction to Printmaking
4 credits. Either sem.
This printmaking course covers relief, monotype, and basic etching. Utilizing drawing, design, color, layering, and mark students create independent work within the context of historical and contemporary printmaking. Set in a cooperatively operated printmaking workshop, students complete collaborative and independent projects, and think creatively and critically. Learning creative collaboration is a key element of Intro to Printmaking, a valuable experience for all art students beyond the particular technical and studio skills. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CFA AR 261 Introduction to Art Education
2 credits. Either sem.
This course is designed to introduce students to a range of ideas and philosophies that support teaching visual art in public education. Participants develop artistic literacy, appreciation, and ways to respond to visual art, as well as approaches to creation and presentation. In addition to studio processes, readings and discussions, students identify strategies for enhancing observation skills, thinking critically about art, as well as presenting, responding, and connecting aesthetics, culture, the learner's needs, and curriculum frameworks at local, state, and national levels. Effective Spring 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration.
CFA AR 340 The Arts in Ireland
4 credits.
In this course students have an opportunity to study and experience the most vibrant aspects of the arts in Ireland. Art The visual strand affords students an opportunity to study and experience the most vibrant aspects of the visual arts in Ireland. The course covers 5000 years of Irish art with particular attention to the changes and developments of recent centuries. Music The music strand provides an introduction to the structure, characteristics, scope and history of Irish Traditional Music. Attention will also focus on its revival and re-development in the latter half of the 20th century. Effective Summer I 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CFA AR 415 Photography 1
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Oral and/or Signed Communication Creativity/Innovation
You will acquire skills to properly expose, develop and print black and white 35mm film. Lectures will introduce historical and contemporary photographic practices. Students will have weekly assignments and should be prepared to develop their own ideas. The integration of historical, conceptual and technical skills will broaden your experience with the medium in hopes that you will gain an appreciation for photography as a fine art. In this course, you will gain skills and experience not only in making photographs, but also in the analysis and critique of photographic imagery. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Creativity/Innovation.
CFA AR 470 Ceramics 1
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Oral and/or Signed Communication Creativity/Innovation
Introduction to methods and strategies for using ceramics as a sculptural medium. The course initiates the students to the process, vocabulary and techniques involved in all the steps of hand-building, glazing and firing. Students explore traditional and experimental techniques: coiling, slabbing, imprints, and molds, extruding, altered throwing, glazing and staining. The class includes experimentation with surface treatments and initiation to glaze chemistry. Lectures, museum visits and research on historical and contemporary ceramics sustain the studio work and provide context. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Creativity/Innovation.
CFA AR 501 Drw Ven
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Creativity/Innovation
Students learn how to translate the experience of living in Venice into a drawing language, go beyond the stereotyped images of Venice, what elements of the past and present of the city can enrich their personal drawing style. Students will expand their technical skills by both drawing in class and on- site, through targeted exercises and creative and innovative projects. On-site practice, discussions and critiques allow students to make experience and instinctively reinterpret Venice in a set time, immersed in historical places, museums and art galleries, artist studios and artisan workshops. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CFA AR 770 Ceramics 1
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Oral and/or Signed Communication Creativity/Innovation
Introduction to methods and strategies for using ceramics as a sculptural medium. The course initiates the students to the process, vocabulary and techniques involved in all the steps of hand-building, glazing and firing. Students explore traditional and experimental techniques: coiling, slabbing, imprints, and molds, extruding, altered throwing, glazing and staining. The class includes experimentation with surface treatments and initiation to glaze chemistry. Lectures, museum visits and research on historical and contemporary ceramics sustain the studio work and provide context. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Creativity/Innovation.
CFA MH 106 Music and Culture
2 credits. Either sem.
This course introduces music across history, genre, and cultures, examining music's relationship to politics, race, religion, and identity. We'll approach music as a human activity enmeshed in social, political, economic, philosophical, religious, ecological, and individual contexts. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration.
CFA MH 211 History & Literature of Music 1
4 credits. 1st sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Research and Information Literacy
Historical survey of music tracing the history, performance, cultural significance, and development of musical styles from the Middle Ages to approximately the end of the Baroque. Required for all students in the BM and BA Music routes. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy.
CFA MH 212 History & Literature of Music 2
4 credits. 2nd sem.
Historical survey of music from 1750 to the present. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CFA MH 400 Music of Black Americans
2 credits. Either sem.
The course will study genres of Music of Black Americans in the United States and their appearance in and fusion with literature by African Americans. Emphasis on listening, seeing live performances, student presentations, readings, and discussions. Topics include spirituals, ragtime, blues, jazz, popular music, rhythm and blues, rap, and classical music. This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration.
CFA MH 403 Latinos Making Music in the United States
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
What impact have Latinos and Latinas had on the popular music of the United States? More than you might think. Not only have Latinos in the United States been instrumental in creating globally popular Spanish-language music like salsa, norteno, and reggaeton, they are also central, if usually unacknowledged, in the histories of jazz, rock and hip hop. The history of US music is usually told as the story of interactions between black and white Americans, so what does a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual music history reveal about music in the United States? To answer these questions, we will trace the participation of Latinos, alongside other ethnic groups, in the creation of US popular music from the 19th to the 21st centuries, surveying the musical styles of Latinos in the US and discussing the role of these musics in articulating race, class, gender and sexual identities for US Latinos, their circulation along migration routes, their role in identity politics and ethnic marketing, and their commercial crossover to Anglo audiences. But then, what is Latino in the first place? Many Latinos are of Mexican descent, others from the Caribbean, and others from elsewhere. Some are Spanish-dominant and some only speak English. Some have been here for generations an others arrived last year. Some have been reticent to highlight their Latino identities, and others have put Latino identity and identity politics at the center of their musical projects. How do these different ways of being Latino manifest themselves in musical activities and musical taste? and how, since the early 2000s boom of Latin artists like Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, and Jennifer Lopez, has the music industry sought to market to all of them? Above all, how can we tell these stories in all their richness and complexity? Case studies may include Mexican- American/Chicano, Puerto Rican/Nuyorican and Cuban/American musics; Latin music in golden age Hollywood; Latin dance crazes from mambo to the Macarena; rock en espanol; reggaeton, race politics, and the creation of the "Hurban" market; and the transnational Latin music industries of Los Angeles, New York, and Miami. 4cr Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CFA MH 405 French Modernisms
4 credits. Either sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Writing-Intensive Course
In this course, we will explore the various types of aesthetic modernisms in France, covering roughly the fin de si?cle through the Fourth Republic (which ended in 1958). Rather than moving by genre of Western art music (opera, ballet, and so forth) we will group our study under larger cultural topics (technologies, spectacles, leisure). Underpinning our historical study of France during this period is an interrogation of the term "modernism" itself. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Writing-Intensive Course.
CFA MH 406 Nineteenth-Century Virtuosos
4 credits. Either sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Writing-Intensive Course
Are virtuosos a different order, separate from proficient and even excellent musicians? Is virtuosity admirable, or a quality only a philistine would venerate? Perhaps something in between? In this course, we will broach these and other questions in the context of the nineteenth century. In its broadest iteration, the objective of this course is to historicize the different guises of virtuosity, and thus to encourage you to develop your own critical apparatus for reading, writing, and thinking about issues of virtuosity. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Writing-Intensive Course.
CFA MH 408 Bob Dylan: Music and Words
4 credits. Either sem. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
This course examines Bob Dylan's music and lyrics from 1962 to 1975 in the context of his life, artistic influences, and milieu. We will explore the wealth of criticism and reaction his songs have inspired, paying special attention to questions concerning the nature of his art--for example, his dependence on musical tradition or the relationship between song lyrics and poetry--and past and current critical discussion about his legacy. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Writing-Intensive Course.
CFA MH 409 Music of Black Americans
4 credits. Either sem.
The course will study genres of Music of Black Americans in the United States and their appearance in and fusion with literature by African Americans. Emphasis on listening, live performances, student presentations, readings, and discussions. Topics include spirituals, ragtime, blues, jazz, popular music, rhythm and blues, rap, and classical music. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration.
CFA MH 410 The Poetics and Politics of Hip Hop
4 credits.
Students engage with hip hop history, including aesthetic trends, some important artists and works, regional styles, and relationship with the larger sociocultural context. Students will critique and remake hip hop canons. They will identify how hip hop is shaped by race, class, and gender issues and reflect on their own positionality. They will acquire and apply listening, viewing, and reading skills to interpret primary and secondary sources and bring their analyses of these sources to bear. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CFA MH 411 Race, Memory, and Diaspora in US Popular Music
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Research and Information Literacy
Examines selected popular and vernacular musical cultures in the U.S. within a broad historical, political, and economic context; how global musical practices brought by people to the U.S. have been shaped by the unique space of the nation; and how these styles are the product of interracial and intercultural dialogues, struggles, and negotiation processes that continue to produce new hybrid forms. Will develop ability to hear and appreciate entanglements that immerse music-making within competing interests and sensibilities, using key concepts on race, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexuality. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Research and Information Literacy.
CFA MH 413 Restagings
4 credits. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Creativity/Innovation Writing-Intensive Course
In this course, we will investigate both the whats and whys of productions by choreographers who entirely reimagine canonical ballets such as Swan Lake, Giselle, Copp?lia, and The Rite of Spring among others. To that end, we work to understand the political as well as the aesthetic implications of these remade productions. Said another way, this course rethinks what ballet (with its musical as well as its danced components) can--and perhaps should- -do. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
CFA MH 420 Western Composers and Bali
4 credits. 2nd sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Historical Consciousness Creativity/Innovation
This course considers the fascination of Western composers with Indonesian gamelan music. Starting with the Paris World's Fair of 1889, we will explore subsequent works by Debussy, Britten, Glass, McPhee, Tenzer, and Ziporyn. Through reading, listening, and analysis, we will unpack the vast array of Balinese and Javanese gamelan musical influences within the compositions of American, Canadian, and European composers since 1903, while considering the historical context . Students will also learn to perform Balinese music on authentic instruments and they will compose music as a creative project. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Creativity/Innovation.
CFA MH 430 R&B, Motown, and Classic Funk: Soundtracks of Empowerment and Civil Rights
4 credits. 2nd sem.
Rhythm and Blues, Gospel, Motown, Soul, and Funk are seminal in the development of rap, hip hop, fusion, and contemporary urban and R&B styles. These styles provided the soundtrack for African American identity, empowerment, and protest from the civil rights struggle of the late 1950s and early '60s to the Black Power commentary of the 1970s, and, eventually into the hip hop era. This course places these styles within their cultural and historical contexts and examines their musical characteristics in detail. This course does not require previous training in music. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CFA MH 432 History of Jazz
4 credits.
No prereq; open to all students. A chronological study of the history of -- and topics in -- jazz, from its beginnings to the present, focusing on styles, major performers and recordings, individuality and sound, instruments, voices, and forms, as well as social and cultural issues, such as race, popularity and commercialism, the individual versus and within the group, American identity and global rejection/admiration. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.
CFA MH 436 Musical Culture
4 credits. Either sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Research and Information Literacy
This course offers both an introductory look at four selected regions/countries among the diverse musical cultures around the world: West Africa, Bulgaria, Brazil, and Korea. Through these musical practices, we will investigate the ways in which many of these styles are the product of long running intra/intercultural dialogues, struggles, and negotiation processes that continue to produce new hybrid forms. Because of the vast array of people and cultures within each selected area, this course is necessarily selective and introductory. A variety of scholars and performing artists will be invited to give a workshop on music/dance and discuss their lives as musicians. Over the course of the semester, you will gain an understanding of the myriad ways people use music to construct and individual group identities, the diverse ways groups incorporate music into their lives, and how to understand music within a broader historical, political, and economic context. You will also be introduced to basic musical concepts and terminology, and acquire listening skills that will enable you to better encounter and understand music in this course and beyond. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy.
CFA MT 105 Elements of Music Theory
4 credits. Either sem.
Elements of Music Theory (CFA MT105) provides a creative introduction to the foundational principles of musical structure. Using a multi-modal approach, combining in-class performance exercises, listening, composition, keyboard, aural (and oral) learning, students acquire an analytical vocabulary and the basic knowledge to support the exploration of musical repertoires, to enhance their own performances, and to develop their own musical compositions. Analytical and music-composition projects engage concepts of musical space, time, pitch, rhythm, and harmony as employed in tonal music. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation. Course may not be taken by CFA music majors
CFA MT 202 Music Theory 4
3 credits. 2nd sem.
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Quantitative Reasoning I Creativity/Innovation
Prerequisite: CFA MT201. Further study of chromatic music in the common-practice period is approached through listening, writing, and analytical work. The course explores the structure and usage of augmented-sixth chords, mode mixture/borrowed chords, the Neapolitan triad, and modulation to distantly related keys. Continued work in applying general voice-leading principles will be covered through figured-bass exercises and harmonization of melodies. Formal structures such as sonata and sonata hybrids will be introduced. A keyboard harmony component will be covered in separate weekly meetings. Effective Fall 2018, this course is part of a Hub sequence: when taken with CFA MT 201, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Quantitative Reasoning I, Creativity/Innovation.
CFA TH 139 20th Century Dance History
2 credits. 2nd sem.
An introduction to the people, events and masterworks that shaped the development of dance in the twentieth century. Course includes lectures, viewing videos and films, select readings and discussions. Course does not presuppose a technical knowledge of dance. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration.
CFA TH 239 Aesthetic and Philosophy of Dance