Fall 2023 Course Offerings
The information below may be subject to change. For the most up-to-date course information, please check the Studentlink. Students are responsible for checking the course prerequisites, class meeting times, and class meeting locations.
French
CAS LF 111 First Semester French
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see Studentlink for instructors
Course Description (from the Student Link)
A multimedia approach for students who have never studied French. A variety of communicative tasks develop speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A.
CAS LF 112 Second Semester French
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see Studentlink for instructors
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LF 111 or placement test results.
Continues CAS LF 111. A multimedia approach which develops speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills, together with the grammar and vocabulary needed for more complex communicative tasks.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A.
CAS LF 113 Intensive Beginning French
4.0 Credits
Gagnon
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Intensive French course for beginners or according to placement test results. Introduction to grammar, vocabulary, and structure of French, emphasizing the basic communication skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
If CAS LF 111, 112, or a more advanced college-level course has been completed, this course cannot be taken for credit.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A.
CAS LF 211 Third Semester French
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see Studentlink for instructors
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LF 112 or placement test results.
Advances proficiency in speaking, writing, reading, and listening in a communicative classroom setting. Grammar studied is used in context through thematic discussions on topics ranging from daily life to Francophone culture, in short readings, and through diverse written tasks.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A.
CAS LF 212 Fourth Semester French
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see Student Link for instructors
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LF 211 or placement test results.
Advances proficiency in French in a communicative setting through thematic discussions on diverse, contemporary topics and media, short readings, and written tasks. Fulfills CAS language requirement, prepares for Level 1 Advanced Courses (CAS LF 307 — LF 311).
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A.
CAS LF 307 French Arts & Society
4.0 Credits
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LF 212 or equivalent; or placement test results.
Students may take one or two (maximum) French Language courses in the group LF307, LF308, LF309, LF310, LF311, LF313 before moving on to LF323, LF324, or higher level courses. Any combination of two of these courses may be taken for credit, provided the two courses have different course topics.
Advanced study of French language through the analysis of a topic or theme in the arts and society. Students advance in speaking, reading, writing, and listening through the analysis of literary, historical, and cultural texts. Specific themes vary by semester.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation.
Course Description (detailed description)
Section A1 – Webb
This course explores public art, murals, and graffiti in French and Francophone cities and studies their connection to history, social issues, civic discourse, and identity. We examine images, social media, literary excerpts, articles, and film. Art background not required.
CAS LF 308 French Through Film & Media
4.0 Credits
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LF 212 or equivalent; or placement test results.
Students may take one or two (maximum) French Language courses in the group LF307, LF308, LF309, LF310, LF311, LF313 before moving on to LF323, LF324, or higher level courses. Any combination of two of these courses may be taken for credit, provided the two courses have different course topics.
With the goal of better understanding French and Francophone culture and society, students study various media forms that can include film, written and broadcast press, television, podcasts, blogs, and social media.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
Course Description (detailed description)
Section A1 – Gagnon
Je me souviens: Quebec’s Culture Through Its Films
This course offers an introduction to Quebec’s diverse and distinct society through a selection of films in reverse chronological order, from the present day back to the pivotal period of the Quiet Revolution in the 1960s.
CAS LF 309 A1 French in the World
4.0 Credits
Lakin-Schultz
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LF 212 or equivalent; or placement test results.
Students may take one or two (maximum) French Language courses in the group LF307, LF308, LF309, LF310, LF311, LF313 before moving on to LF323, LF324, or higher level courses. Any combination of two of these courses may be taken for credit, provided the two courses have different course topics.
Advanced study of French through the analysis of images, short stories, and excerpts of novels that explore the diverse countries, regions and cultures that make up the Francophone World. Specific regions vary by semester, but can include Africa, the Caribbean or North America.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
Course Description (detailed description)
Cross-Continental Connections
Where can I go with French? Where are the numbers of French speakers growing? Why does the language still have such a profound influence in a postcolonial world?
French is spoken widely on the continent of Africa and while the number of speakers continues to grow, understanding the complicated history driving this ongoing linguistic influence allows us to develop a cultural fluency that is indispensable in Africa and Europe alike.
This course seeks to improve students’ proficiency in speaking, reading, writing, and listening through the discussion of images, short stories, excerpts of novels, and films that address the relationship between France and several of its former colonies, notably in West Africa, from colonial times to the present. Though we will begin with an introduction into French colonialism through the study of images and propaganda portraying the colonies, we will soon shift our focus to readings and films that address this relationship from an African perspective.
The course will progress chronologically ending with a study of the nature of this relationship in the 21st century through the readings of the Senegalese writer, Fatou Diome. Activities will include small group work, two peer edited compositions, class discussion, and a blog for additional writing practice. There will be three assessments of oral proficiency and one final group presentation. Themes explored include colonialism, education, African culture, migration, and cultural identity.
CAS LF 310 A1 French for Professions
4.0 Credits
TBA
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LF 212 or equivalent; or placement test results.
Students may take one or two (maximum) French Language courses in the group LF307, LF308, LF309, LF310, LF311, LF313 before moving on to LF323, LF324, or higher level courses. Any combination of two of these courses may be taken for credit, provided the two courses have different course topics.
Advanced study of French as used in the professions in the francophone world. Readings, discussions, and assignments develop linguistic skills and cultural competence: current political and economic issues, familiarity with major French-language newspapers, creation of French CV and cover letter.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Digital/Multimedia Expression.
Course Description (detailed description)
TBA
CAS LF 312 A1 French Language & Identity
4.0 Credits
Chazal
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LF 212 or equivalent; or placement test results.
This advanced French language course focuses on social debates and sociolinguistic issues on language and identity in the French-speaking world. Themes, such as language policy, gender representation, and regional languages, are explored through analysis and discussion of authentic cultural materials.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Social Inquiry I.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A.
CAS LF 313/GRS LF 613 A1 French Through Translation
4.0 Credits
Huckle
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LF 212 or placement test results, one other LF course at the 300-level, or consent of instructor.
Grad Prereq: Advanced proficiency in French
Students develop language skills and cultural awareness by exploring literary, technical, legal, and audiovisual texts. Students translate from different genres with special emphasis on prose, analyze essays on translation, and prepare a substantial translation from French into English, learning how to develop their own voice.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A.
CAS LF 323 A1 Creative Writing in French
4.0 Credits
Hennessey
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: One CAS LF 307-313 course, or equivalent or placement test results. First Year Writing Seminar (i.e., WR 100 or WR 120)
Intensive study of the art of writing through the development of individual style through readings, analysis of genre, free composition, translation exercises and class discussion.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-Intensive Course, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LF 324 A1 Advanced Spoken French
4.0 Credits
Dusewoir
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: One CAS LF 307-313 course, or equivalent or placement test results.
Advanced training in rapid and idiomatic French speech. Oral reports. Role playing; vocabulary building; targeted work on pronunciation, intonation, and aural comprehension.
Course Description (detailed description)
This course guides students to strengthen their conversational skills by improving both their production and comprehension of spoken French. Students explore authentic “texts”— press articles, podcasts, TV series, films, etc.—on topics of current interest. Due to the integrated nature of the course material, students seamlessly build their vocabulary and gain insights into francophone cultures. Assignments include individual, pair, and small group work, all requiring oral communication in different contexts.
CAS LF 350 Reading the French Way
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: At least one Level 1 Advanced Course (CAS LF 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 313) or equivalent; or placement test results. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120).
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.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-intensive Course.
Course Description (detailed description)
Section A1 – O. Cazenave
N/A
Section B1 – Kleiman
N/A
CAS LF 351 Introduction to the French Novel
4.0 Credits
TBA
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LF 350 & First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
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.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-Intensive Course.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LF 441/GRS LF 641 A1 Topics in Urban Imaginaries in Literature & Film
4.0 Credits
O. Cazenave
Course Description (from the Student Link)
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.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LF 464/GRS LF 664 Author/Auteur
4.0 Credits
Kleiman
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
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.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
Course Description (detailed description)
Author to be studies is Michel de Montaigne.
CAS LF 571 Topics in 19th-Century French Literature
4.0 Credits
Mesch
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LF 350 and one 400-level literature course
Topic for Fall 2023: The Nonbinary Nineteenth Century. Narratives that challenge gender binaries in ways that both anticipate and trouble modern categories for understanding both gender and sexuality. Authors include Gautier, Balzac, Sand, and Rachilde.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
GRS LF 613 French Through Translation
4.0 Credits
Huckle
Course Description (from the Student Link)
See CAS LF 313.
GRS LF 621 Reading French for Graduate Students
4.0 Credits
Huckle
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Designed for graduate degree candidates preparing for language reading examinations. Develops skills in interpreting written French with minimal phonological or cultural references. Practice in translating passages relating to the sciences and humanities. No previous knowledge of French required. Students will not receive graduate credit for this course and there is no tuition charge.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
GRS LF 641 Topics in Urban Imaginaries in Literature & Film
4.0 Credits
O. Cazenave
Course Description (from the Student Link)
See CAS LF 441.
GRS LF 664 Author/Auteur
4.0 Credits
Kleiman
Course Description (from the Student Link)
See CAS LF 464.
GRS LF 850 / LS 850 C1 Graduate Theory Seminar
4.0 Credits
Mesch
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Satisfies departmental theory requirement. Topic for Fall 2023: Literary Theories & Critical Practices. Traces, explores, and equips students to work with literary theories and critical methodologies, from influential twentieth-century works to the most recent trends in gender and sexuality studies, ecocriticism, disability studies, and critical race studies.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
GRS LF 860 A1 Topics in French Literature
4.0 Credits
Cazenave, J.
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Topic for Fall 2023: Off-Frame: Hidden Stories in 20th and 21st Century Literature and Film. This course explores the complexities of representing personal and collective traumas–from the Holocaust to the Algerian War of Independence to the current migrant crisis–in contemporary novels and films. Authors include Alice Zeniter and Mati Diop.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
Italian
CAS LI 111 First Semester Italian
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see Student Link for instructors
Course Description (from the Student Link)
For students who have never studied Italian, or by placement test results. Introduction to grammatical structures used in written exercises. Emphasis on aural comprehension, speaking, and pronunciation. Readings on contemporary Italian culture. Meets four days a week. Lab required.
If CAS LI 131 or a more advanced college-level course has been completed, this course cannot be taken for credit.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A.
CAS LI 112 Second Semester Italian
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see Student Link for instructors
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LI 111 or placement test results.
Continues study of basic grammatical structures used in written assignments. Emphasis on speaking, aural comprehension, and pronunciation. Readings on contemporary Italian culture. Meets four days a week. Lab required.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A.
CAS LI 211 Third Semester Italian
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see Student Link for instructors
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LI 112 or placement test results.
Intended for students with a satisfactory background in elementary Italian who wish to continue study of grammatical structures. Emphasis on speaking, pronunciation, and aural comprehension. Reading about Italian culture and contemporary short stories. Compositions and oral assessments including interviews and/or presentations. Meets three days a week.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LI 212 A1 Fourth Semester Italian
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see Student Link for instructors
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LI 211 or placement test results.
For students who wish to build active use of Italian in speaking, writing, and reading. Intensive practice of spoken and written language. More advanced readings from Italian culture. Writing involving more complex grammatical and syntactical patterns. Oral assessments including interviews and/or presentations. Meets three days a week. Satisfactory completion of CAS LI 212 fulfills the CAS language requirement.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LI 313 Italian Media & Popular Culture
4.0 Credits
Carter
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LI 212 or placement exam results
Students analyze how print, audiovisual, and digital media impact Italian culture and society. Through viewing, discussing, and writing students examine how television, advertising, and folklore represent current social phenomena, and make comparison between Italian and US cultures.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
GRS LI 621 Reading Italian for Graduate Students
4.0 Credits
Brusetti McGinn
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Designed for graduate degree candidates preparing for language reading examinations. Develops skills in interpreting written Italian with minimal phonological or cultural references. Practice in translating passages relating to the sciences and humanities. No previous knowledge of Italian required. Students will not receive graduate credit for this course and there is no tuition charge.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
Pedagogy
GRS LL 690 F1/S1 Proficiency-Based Language Teaching 1
4.0 Credits
Carberry
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: Graduate standing
Introduces students to current language teaching methodologies and effective proficiency- and standards- based instruction. Students develop their own pedagogy projects with appropriate assessment parameters addressing all four language skills.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
GRS LL 691 Proficiency-Based Language Teaching 2
4.0 Credits
Mathieu
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: GRS LL 690 or consent of instructor.
Fosters professional outlook on language teaching and learning. Students deepen their knowledge of instructional technologies, further develop proficiency-based pedagogy projects for their own courses, and prepare teaching philosophies, conference presentations, and other portfolio materials.
This is LL 691 Part A, the second segment in the cycle of pedagogy classes.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
Portuguese
CAS LP 111 A1 First-Semester Portuguese
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, see Studentlink for instructors
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Introduction to grammatical structures. Fundamental communications skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Exposure to the culture and civilization of the Portuguese-speaking world through media broadcast, literature readings, films, music, and videotapes. Lab required. Four hours weekly.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LP 211 A1 Third-Semester Portuguese
4.0 Credits
Bianconi
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LP 112 or placement test results.
Promotes cross-cultural understanding of the Luso-African-Brazilian cultures through authentic literary texts, multimedia, film and music. Completes study of grammatical structures and syntactical patterns. Emphasizes reading, writing and conversational competency. Conducted in Portuguese.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LP 231 / GRS LP 631 Portuguese for Spanish Speakers 1
4.0 Credits
Cruz
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: Native or near-native speakers of Spanish only.
Designed to develop speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills in Portuguese for Spanish speakers. Focuses on comparisons between Spanish and Portuguese language systems for students to communicate accurately and effectively within a diversity of cultural situations.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LP 305 A1 Topics in Portuguese Language & Culture
4.0 Credits
Bianconi
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LP 212 or advanced Portuguese proficiency.
Taught in Portuguese. Can be repeated for credit as topics change. Explores historical, social, and political, aspects of Brazilian language and culture. Designed to increase fluency and accuracy in written and spoken Portuguese, broadening vocabulary and mastery of syntax.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
Course Description (detailed description)
Examines major Brazilian historical, political, and social developments through videos, films, literature and media. Promotes intercultural competence and advances Portuguese proficiency skills in reading, writing, and speaking. Analyzes some important questions relating to contemporary Brazilian identity.
CAS LP 362 Inventing Brazil (in English Translation)
4.0 Credits
Quinteiro Pires
Course Description (from the Student Link)
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.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
Course Description (detailed description)
This course explores how a specific colonial power matrix and the cultures of migrants, African and Indigenous people have shaped Brazilian identity and culture. It critically examines artistic and scholarly works that challenge mythical notions associated with Brazil, including racial democracy, cordiality, and the idea of the “country of the future”—a self-sufficient, giant nation destined to prosper due to its abundance of “natural resources” and friendly society. The course also examines new perspectives on concepts such as sertão, tropical, favela, underdevelopment, and anthropophagy.
GRS LP 631 Portuguese for Spanish Speakers 1
4.0 Credits
Cruz
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Please see CAS LP 231.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
Spanish
CAS LS 111 First Semester Spanish
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see Studentlink for instructors
Course Description (from the Student Link)
For students who have never studied Spanish, or by placement test results. Introduction to grammatical structures. Emphasis on aural comprehension, speaking, and pronunciation. Introduction to Hispanic culture. Lab required.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LS 112 Second Semester Spanish
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see Student Link for instructors
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LS 111 or placement test results.
Completes study of basic grammatical structures. Emphasis on speaking and aural comprehension. Readings on contemporary Hispanic culture. Writing assignments. Lab required.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LS 123 First-Year Spanish
8.0 Credits
Rodríguez Ballesteros
Course Description (from the Student Link)
For beginners only. Intensive equivalent of one year of college Spanish.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LS 211 Third Semester Span
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see Student Link for instructors
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LS 112 or placement test results.
Completes study of grammatical structures of Spanish. Use of spoken language in conversation. Reading in Hispanic civilization and of contemporary short stories. Writing exercises involving more complex grammatical and syntactical patterns.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A.
CAS LS 212 Fourth Semester Span
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see Student Link for instructors
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LS 211 or placement test results.
Review of the structures of Spanish. Intensive practice of spoken language. More advanced readings from Hispanic culture. Frequent compositions. Satisfactory completion of CAS LS 212 fulfills the CAS language requirement.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship & Intercultural Literacy.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A.
CAS LS 306
4.0 Credits
Basker-Seigel
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LS 212 or Spanish SAT subject test score of 560 or higher, or placement test results.
Not open to students for whom Spanish is a first language. Students may take up to two 300- level Spanish language courses (LS 306, LS 307, LS 308, LS 310, LS 311) before moving on to higher levels. Any combination of two 300-level courses may be taken for credit, provided the two courses have different course numbers; repeating a course with the same number is not allowed.
Advanced study of the Spanish language through the translation of written texts. Analysis of the theory and practice of translation as a catalyst of cultural transfer. Taught in Spanish.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship & Intercultural Literacy, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
Course Description (detailed descriptions)
Techniques of Literary Translation
Practice in translating different forms of literary prose including novels, short stories, letters, speeches, plays, children’s literature, and poetry from and into Spanish. Students explore key elements of cultural transfer while analyzing translation challenges and solutions of major translation theorists.
CAS LS 307 Spanish Through Literature and the Arts
4.0 Credits
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LS 212 or Spanish SAT subject test score of 560 or higher, or placement test results.
Not open to students for whom Spanish is a first language. Students may take up to two 300- level Spanish language courses (LS 306, LS 307, LS 308, LS 310, LS 311) before moving on to higher levels. Any combination of two 300-level courses may be taken for credit, provided the two courses have different course numbers; repeating a course with the same number is not allowed.
Advanced study of the Spanish language through the analysis of literature in its relations to the arts and society.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship & Intercultural Literacy, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
Course Descriptions (detailed descriptions)
Section A1 – Datel
Indigenous Perspectives on Global Issues
There are 50 million indigenous people in Latin America, with valuable knowledge that addresses contemporary issues such as climate change, food sovereignty, and gender equity. This course explores those perspectives and includes opportunities to speak with indigenous scholars and activists.
Section B1 – Rodriguez-Ballesteros
What Makes Spaniards Laugh? An Analysis of Spanish Humor in Cinema, Literature, and the Arts
This class presents students with another dimension of Spanish culture. Using films, plays, short stories, graphic humor, photography, satirical poems and songs, students will delve into contemporary Spain and analyze the role that humor plays in Spanish society and how it reflects its deepest fears and concerns. We will analyze the use of humorous resources (irony, puns, hyperbole, etc.) and practice with different genres (comedy, parody, satire, etc.) to add an “edge” to our oral and written communication. As we will soon discover, humor is a powerful tool to communicate more effectively, efficiently, and persuasively.
Section C1
Section closed. Will be opened if all other LS 307 sections fill to capacity.
Section D1 – Hackbarth
Visual Creations in the Hispanic World
In Visual Creations in the Hispanic World students analyze and discuss works of art, including paintings, street art, sculptures, architecture and film from the Hispanic World with an emphasis on the thematic and cultural messages contained within them. What happens when you put Pablo Picasso and Fernando Botero in dialogue with each other? How did Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s work help shape contemporary Mexican culture? During the semester we also visit local museums and delve into the world of art auctioning.
CAS LS 308 Spanish Through Film & New Media
4.0 Credits
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LS 212 or Spanish SAT subject test score of 560 or higher, or placement test results.
Not open to students for whom Spanish is a first language. Students may take up to two 300- level Spanish language courses (LS 306, LS 307, LS 308, LS 310, LS 311) before moving on to higher levels. Any combination of two 300-level courses may be taken for credit, provided the two courses have different course numbers; repeating a course with the same number is not allowed.
Advanced study of the Spanish language through the analysis of films and media of the Spanish-speaking world: cinema, the internet, and social media.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship & Intercultural Literacy, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
Course Descriptions (detailed descriptions)
Section A1 – Carrión-Guerrero
Visibilizando a los invisibles
This course explores Hispanic film searching to give visibility to people that are or have often been disempowered. This cinematic approach gives us the opportunity to shed light on global issues and challenge society’s hierarchical power structures. Through the lens of a camera, this course examines economic, political, cultural, and environmental frameworks in the Hispanic world and offers a chance to deepen within their context.
Section B1 – Noonan
The Music of Protest and Social Change in Latin America and Spain
Through TV series, films, music videos, and musical criticism, students better understand the role music plays in discourses of politics, power, race, and gender in Latin America and Spain. Course includes collaborative music publications and video analyses. Creative work encouraged.
Section C1 – Cupic
Travelling North: On Borders and Migration
This course explores film on migrations from Latin American countries to the U.S. From hardships to companionships, these films offer insights into migrants’ voyage, identity quests and broader understanding of the symbolic space of borders.
CAS LS 309 Spanish for Heritage and Native Speakers
4.0 Credits
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120). Not open to students who have completed any 300- level Spanish Language course.
Designed for heritage speakers who have lived part of their lives in Spanish-speaking settings (including Spanish-speaking households in the U.S.), who speak at an advanced level, and who wish to strengthen their reading and writing skills while exploring Hispanic and Latinx cultures.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-Intensive Course.
Course Description (detailed descriptions)
Section A1 – Monet-Viera
N/A
Section B1 – Tormos Bigles
N/A
CAS LS 310 A1 Spanish for the Professions
4.0 Credits
Ruiz de Arbulo
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LS 212 or Spanish SAT subject test score of 560 or higher, or placement test results.
Not open to students for whom Spanish is a first language. Students may take up to two 300- level Spanish language courses (LS 306, LS 307, LS 308, LS 310, LS 311) before moving on to higher levels. Any combination of two 300-level courses may be taken for credit, provided the two courses have different course numbers; repeating a course with the same number is not allowed.
Transition to advanced study of Spanish as used in the health and business world. Analysis and discussion of intercultural professional communication, acquisition of specialized vocabulary, and interpretation of authentic materials in the context of the healthcare and business professions.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LS 311 A1 Spanish Through Performance: The Theater of Everyday Life
4.0 Credits
Bryzys
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LS 212 or Spanish SAT subject test score of 560 or higher; or placement test results.
Not open to students for whom Spanish is a first language. Students may take up to two 300- level Spanish language courses (LS 306, LS 307, LS 308, LS 310, LS 311) before moving on to higher levels. Any combination of two 300-level courses may be taken for credit, provided the two courses have different course numbers; repeating a course with the same number is not allowed.
Invites students to tap into their creative, playful and risk- taking selves to gain more confidence, fluency and expressiveness in their communicative skills in Spanish, while exploring Spanish drama from the point of view of an actor, director and playwright.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LS 350 Introduction to Analysis of Hispanic Texts
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see Student Link for instructors
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: Any 300-level Spanish language course or placement exam results.
Development of techniques for reading and interpreting Hispanic literary texts; reading of lyric poetry, drama, and fictional narrative. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LS 452 Topics in Latin American Literature & Culture
4.0 Credits
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LS 350.
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.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
Course Description (detailed description)
Section A1 – Quinteiro Pires
Unequal Bodies, Revolutionary Senses: Feeling and Perceiving Latin American Culture
This course draws upon the interdisciplinary field of sensory studies to explore Latin American literature and culture. Organized into five sensory sections, it investigates how authors, artists, and thinkers in Latin America have turned the body into a source of knowledge and resistance against colonial practices, sensualized arts and theory, and highlighted the revolutionary significance of the senses in shaping lived material realities and disrupting oppressive power structures.
Section B1 – Rodriguez Rodriguez
Gendered Literary Production in Latin America
This course focuses on the importance of gendered identities in Latin American cultural and literary production. Class materials include novels, short stories, and poems focused on questions of identity, gender, and race, spanning from the nineteenth century to the present.
CAS LS 456 Medieval & Early Modern Iberian Literature
4.0 Credits
Canigueral Batllosera
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LS 350 and First Year Writing Seminar (WR 100 or WR 120)
Course Description (detailed description)
Sexuality & Religion in Medieval Iberia
The interaction between sexuality and religion in Medieval and Early Modern Spanish Literature. Readings and discussion will address questions of gender, and religious identity, and the relevance of these issues in today’s society.
CAS LS 575 Topics in Peninsular Literature
4.0 Credits
Canigueral Batllosera
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LS 350 and two LS 400-level literature courses or consent of the instructor.
Course Description (detailed description)
Framing the Mediterranean
How the cultural hybridity of the Mediterranean shaped Spanish Early Modern prose. With a focus on brief-narrative collections, analysis of how Spanish authors used the narrative framework for a variety of purposes, especially constructions of authorship.
CAS LS 576 A1 Topics in Spanish American Literature
4.0 Credits
Cuenca
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: CAS LS 350 and two LS 400-level courses, or consent of instructor.
Course Description (detailed description)
The textual construction of Latin American “thirdworldness”, from its colonial and early-national precursors through the 2020s. Traces a critical history of the continent’s cardinal literary, political, cinematographic and musical texts in relation to its imagined subordination to the “Global North”, from Columbus’s letters and the transatlantic implantation of Baroque to twenty-first-century Latino Netflix production and the multimedia manifestations of reggaeton.
GRS LS 606 Spanish Through Translation
4.0 Credits
TBA
Course Description (from the Student Link)
Prereq: Advanced proficiency in Spanish
Workshop on literary translation to enhance knowledge of Spanish language and culture and develop style in English. Students translate from different genres with special emphasis on poetry, analyze essays on translation, and prepare a substantial translation from Spanish into English.
Open to students in the MFA in Literary Translation program.
GRS LS 850 Seminar: Topics in Hispanic Literature
4.0 Credits
Course Description (from the Student Link)
May be repeated for credit if topic is different.
Course Descriptions (detailed descriptions)
Section A1 – Rodriguez
Gendered Pseudonyms in Latin America
This course analyzes the importance of gendered pseudonyms for the construction of “female writing” as a category in nineteenth-century Latin America. Seminar discussion engages with works published under gendered pseudonyms through the lens of feminist and queer theory.
Section B1 – Fernández-Medina
The Iberian Avant-Garde
This seminar examines Iberian Avant-garde movements between 1898 and 1945. It seeks to establish a transnational vision of Iberian avant-gardism and its dialogue with larger European/transatlantic aesthetic trends of the period.
Section C1 – Mesch
See GRS LF 850.
