Spring 2026 Course Offerings
The information below may be subject to change. For the most up-to-date course information, please check My BU Student. 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 MyBU for instructors
Course Description (from MyBU)
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 MyBU for instructors
Course Description (from MyBU)
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 211 Third-Semester French
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see MyBU for instructors
Course Description (from MyBU)
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 MyBU for instructors
Course Description (from MyBU)
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
Hennessey
Course Description (from MyBU)
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, and/or 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)
Secrets, Lies and Family Ties.
Through discussions of films, short stories, and other texts, students examine why people lie or keep secrets and how this behavior contributes to various patterns of communication originating in the family and extending to other relationships.
CAS LF 308 French Through Film & Media
4.0 Credits
Burgon
Course Description (from MyBU)
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, and/or 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: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, and Oral and/or Signed Communication.
Course Description (detailed description)
Francophone Worlds Through Film
What does it mean to see the world through Francophone cinema? How do films from Africa, the Caribbean, and immigrant communities in Europe tell stories of agency, identity, and resilience? How do women directors and characters push back against structures of colonialism and otherness?
This course explores these questions through landmark films from across the Francophone world. Viewers will encounter stories of postcolonial struggle, decolonial hope, migration, and women’s voices at the center of cultural expression. Alongside readings in postcolonial and feminist thought, students will engage with cinematic texts such as La Noire de…, La Rue Cases-Nègres, Fatima, Notre-Dame du Nil and others.
Through in-class discussions, group projects, and creative thinking response papers, students will deepen their critical understanding of themes like agency, otherness, belonging, and cultural resistance, while strengthening their French language proficiency in speaking, writing, listening, and analysis. Coursework includes preparatory assignments and viewings, an oral presentation, and projects blending close film analysis with broader reflections on Francophone identity.
CAS LF 309 A1 French in the World
4.0 Credits
Lakin-Schultz
Course Description (from MyBU)
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, and/or 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 and films 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: Historical Consciousness, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
Course Description (detailed description)
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 as 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, archival texts, excerpts of novels, and films that address the relationship between France and several of its former African colonies, notably in West Africa. The course moves chronologically from the period of 19th century colonial expansion 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 is discussion-based with coursework designed to advance proficiency in all four skills through varied interpretive, interpersonal, and written tasks – all aimed to advance proficiency in French. Themes explored include colonialism, African culture, education, migration, and cultural identity.
CAS LF 312 A1 French Language & Identity
4.0 Credits
Chazal
Course Description (from MyBU)
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 341 French Trends
4.0 Credits
Hawkes
Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: One CAS LF 307-311 course or equivalent; or placement test results.
Through current articles and headlines, films and songs, this advanced French course explores the meaning and preservation of French “Culture” while investigating areas of social debate from a French perspective. Designed for but not limited to students returning from abroad.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, the Individual in the Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
What appears to be captivating French attention at this point in time and how is it shaping public discourse today? This course will be centered on events currently taking hold in France and information regarding these events and their recurring manifestation will come primarily from French media. This is about TRENDS. We will be interested in these trends as resurgences of the past in contemporary garb, a fundamental French characteristic (une transmission); a fleeting flare up that lasts a few months; or a radical break with the past, something that will reorient French tradition in years to come (une rupture).
CAS LF 349 The History of the French Language
4.0 Credits
Mathieu
Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: CASLX 250.
Overview of socio-historical and linguistic factors underpinning the emergence, development, and spread of the French language over time. Study of historical, societal, and political events, along with phonetic, morphological, syntactic, and orthographic changes. Representative texts demonstrate stages of language change.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LF 350 Reading the French Way
4.0 Credits
Kleiman
Course Description (from MyBU)
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)
N/A
CAS LF 456 The Postcolonial Novel
4.0 Credits
Cazenave, O.
Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: CAS LF 350.
An examination of postcolonial novels by contemporary writers. Discussion of linguistic and literary issues related to the process of decolonization, the usage of the French language today, and the renewal of aesthetics.
Course Description (detailed description)
Topics to be addressed: mitigation and transnational identity, sexuality, postcolonial violence including war conflicts and genocide.
Authors to be discussed: Ananda Devi, Hemley Boum, Boubacar Boris Diop, Louis-Philippe Dalembert, Dany Laferrière, Alain Mabanckou, Sami Tchak, Véronique Tadjo, Abdourahman Waberi.
CAS LF 478/LF 678 Topics in The Voice in the Text: Gender and Authorship
4.0 Credits
Mesch
Course Description (from MyBU)
May be taken twice for credit if topics are different. Exploration of experimental texts by women writers, tracing questions of authorship, identity, language, sexuality, feminism, and gender roles in a variety of literary and cultural forms.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, the Individual in the Community, and Research and Information Literacy.
Course Description (detailed description)
This course traces how French women writers explored key questions about love, partnership, independence, and creativity by engaging with contemporary literary and social movements. The novels that we will read cover everything from manipulative lovers, problematic marriages, queer attractions, to questions of work-life balance. Along with studying these novels, we will trace the lineage of the French woman writer and other female and nonbinary role models, exploring changing perceptions of femininity, female intellect, and gender as they circulated through mass culture and the mass press. Throughout the semester, we’ll juxtapose texts from the distant past with twentieth and twenty-first-century feminist interventions. Students will have the opportunity to explore novels alongside paintings, magazines, newspapers, early photography, and film, as well as to consider how contemporary music continues to grapple with feminist questions. (Taught in French.)
CAS LF 483/LF 683 Studies in Literature and Politics
4.0 Credits
Kleiman
Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120).
May be repeated twice for credit if topics are different. 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.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings, Research and Information Literacy, and Writing-Intensive Course.
Course Description (detailed description)
The big picture idea of this course is to explore the relations between the arts—especially literature—and the political, allowing us to examine and reflect on how aesthetic works can be understood as works of philosophical inquiry. Our task will be to situate these narratives in their historical and/or biographical context; to examine the reciprocal influence of law and imagination; to ask what kinds of pressures, constraints, and influences political ideologies exert on literary and aesthetic forms; and to examine how the materiality of literature and the arts intersects with the construction of political subjectivity.
CAS LF 678 Study in Literature and Politics
4.0 Credits
Mesch
Course Description (from MyBU)
Graduate level cross-list of LF 478. See CAS LF 478 entry for the course description.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LF 683 Study in Literature and Politics
4.0 Credits
Kleiman
Course Description (from MyBU)
Graduate level cross-list of LF 483. See CAS LF 483 entry for the course description.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
GRS LF 860 A1 Seminar: Topics in French Literature
4.0 Credits
Cazenave, O.
Course Description (from MyBU)
May be repeated for credit if topic is different.
Course Description (detailed description)
Sixty Years of Francophone Filmic Production
In the past sixty years, from Sembene and Djibril Diop Mambety to Safi Faye and Sarah Maldoror, to today, a substantial corpus of African and Afro-diasporic documentaries and feature-films, has been constituted. Filmmakers such as Jean-Marie Teno, Anne-Laure Folly, Raoul Peck, Khady Sylla, Oswalde Lewat, as well as Alain Gomis, Mati Diop, Alice Diop, Kivu Ruhorahoza, or Rosine Mbakam, have become visible, not only for their visual treatment of Africa and its diaspora, but also for the originality of their individual artistic approach. Recent documentaries have placed Africa and the back and forth between the South and the North, between the African continent and Europe, at the center in engaging and challenging ways, inviting critics to expand their vocabulary and broaden their vision.
Attention to exile/migration, extreme violence, factors of age, location and gender, the spaces of creation and production, with a discussion of aesthetic transformations and the critical discourses that have emerged in the process.
N/A
Italian
CAS LI 111 First-Semester Italian
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see MyBU for instructors
Course Description (from MyBU)
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 three days a week.
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 MyBU for instructors
Course Description (from MyBU)
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 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 211 Third-Semester Italian
4.0 Credits
Brusetti McGinn
Course Description (from MyBU)
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 MyBU for instructors
Course Description (from MyBU)
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 317 Identities and Cultural Expressions of Italy
4.0 Credits
Iozzia
Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: CAS LI 212, placement test results, or consent of instructor.
Intermediate-level Italian course explores Italy’s fluid and diverse identity by examining historical shifts, regional variations, immigration, citizenship, and cultural production. Students analyze literary texts and films to build linguistic skills and understand contemporary Italian society’s complexities.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LI 459 Primo Levi Within Holocaust Literature
4.0 Credits
Harrowitz
Course Description (from MyBU)
Levi’s writings employ scientific, literary, ethical, theological, and philosophical approaches to the Holocaust. An examination of Levi’s works both within the context of other writers such as Elie Wiesel, and within the practice of Holocaust testimony, ethics, and witnessing.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LI 621 Reading Italian for Graduate Students
4.0 Credits
Brusetti McGinn
Course Description (from MyBU)
Undergraduate Prereq: Graduate standing.
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
CAS LL 691 Proficiency-Based Language Teaching 2
4.0 Credits
Mathieu
Course Description (from MyBU)
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 B, the third and final segment in the cycle of pedagogy classes. Should be taken in the Spring semester of a PhD student’s fourth year.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
Portuguese
CAS LP 112 A1 Second-Semester Portuguese
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see MyBU for instructors
Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: CAS LP 111 or consent of instructor.
Covers the important grammar points not studied in CAS LP 111. Further develops the four communicative skills while expanding students’ background knowledge of the history and cultures of the Portuguese- speaking world. 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 212 A1 Fourth-Semester Portuguese
4.0 Credits
TBA
Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: CAS LP 211 or consent of instructor.
Review of the grammar and syntax of Portuguese. Further develops reading, writing, and conversational competency while expanding students’ knowledge of history and culture. Conducted in Portuguese. 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 LP 232 / GRS LP 632 Portuguese for Spanish Speakers 2
4.0 Credits
Cruz
Course Description (from MyBU)
Designed to continue to developing speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills in Portuguese. 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 and Culture
4.0 Credits
TBA
Course Description (from MyBU)
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 areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
GRS LP 632 Portuguese for Spanish Speakers 2
4.0 Credits
Cruz
Course Description (from MyBU)
Graduate level cross-list of LP 232. See CAS LP 232 entry for the course description.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
Spanish
CAS LS 111 First-Semester Spanish
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see MyBU for instructors
Course Description (from MyBU)
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 MyBU for instructors
Course Description (from MyBU)
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 211 Third-Semester Spanish
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see MyBU for instructors
Course Description (from MyBU)
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 Spanish
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see MyBU for instructors
Course Description (from MyBU)
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: Global Citizenship & Intercultural Literacy, The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LS 306 Spanish Through Translation
4.0 Credits
López
Course Description (from MyBU)
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)
TBA
CAS LS 307 Spanish Through Literature and the Arts
4.0 Credits
Course Description (from MyBU)
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, and/or LS 318) 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: Griffin
This course explores how legends, fairy tales, magical realism, and science fiction expand our understanding of human experience and cultural identity. Through written texts, graphic novels, and film, students examine how imaginative worlds reveal truths that realism alone cannot. We analyze the evolving legend of La Llorona and the interplay between realism and fantasy in El laberinto del fauno. Students also compare the graphic novels El Eternauta and Lágrimas en la lluvia to their screen adaptations and written versions respectively, and study how Cien años de soledad and Encanto use magical realism to represent Colombian history, memory, and the complexity of human emotion.
Section B1: Noonan
TBA
CAS LS 308 Spanish Through Film & New Media
4.0 Credits
Course Description (from MyBU)
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, and/or LS 318) 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: Creativity/Innovation, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Global Citizenship & Intercultural Literacy.
Course Descriptions (detailed descriptions)
Section A1 – Monet-Viera
US Latino Cinema: Culture, Identity, and Belonging
This course approaches US Latino cinema to examine critical questions of race, ethnicity, immigration, and belonging in American society. Through analysis of contemporary films featuring Latino and Latin American characters and stories, students will explore how cinema portrays the complexities of Latino identity, the immigrant experience, and negotiations of place and belonging in America. We investigate how these films challenge stereotypical representations, address issues of cultural assimilation versus preservation, and reflect broader conversations about community and citizenship. The course emphasizes film as a lens for understanding contemporary social issues, encouraging students to consider how Latino stories on screen connect to real-world debates about race, identity, and cultural belonging.
Section B1 – Carberry
TBA
Section C1 – TBA
TBA
CAS LS 309 Spanish for Heritage and Native Speakers
4.0 Credits
Course Description (from MyBU)
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 cultures.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship & Intercultural Literacy, The Individual in Community, Writing-Intensive Course.
Course Description (detailed descriptions)
Section A1 – Perdomo
N/A
Section B1 – Avcikurt
N/A
Section C1 – Datel
N/A
CAS LS 310 A1 Spanish for the Professions
4.0 Credits
Ruíz de Árbulo
Course Description (from MyBU)
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, and/or LS 318) 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
Rodriguez Ballesteros
Course Description (from MyBU)
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, and/or LS 318) 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 drama, music, dance, and the performance of family, work, gender, and social roles.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Creativity/Innovation, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LS 318 A1 Spanish Through Public Speaking
4.0 Credits
Hackbarth
Course Description (from MyBU)
As public speakers, how can we engage different communities at different times and places? This course explores theories concerning how to construct narratives and arguments that resonate with specific audiences in Spanish and invites students to put such theories into performative practice.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Teamwork/Collaboration, Writing-Intensive Course.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LS 350 Introduction to Analysis of Hispanic Texts
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see MyBU for instructors
Course Description (from MyBU)
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.
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 450 Topics in Contemporary Spanish Literature
4.0 Credits
Maurer
Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: CAS LS 350.
May be taken twice for credit if topics are different.
Course Description (detailed description)
Topic for Spring 2026: Poets in New York. Encounters of Spanish poets (among others Juan Ramón Jiménez, Pedro Salinas, Carmen Martín Gaite) with New York. Emphasizes the letters, poems, and drawings of Federico García Lorca and his reception by contemporary American artists.
CAS LS 452 Topics in Latin American Literature & Culture
4.0 Credits
Rodriguez
Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: CAS LS 350.
May be taken twice for credit if topics are different. 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: Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
Course Description (detailed description)
Horror and Dystopias of Latin American Literature
This course focuses on contemporary Latin American novels and short stories that center and denounce current issues such as climate change, gender violence, and racial capitalism through the literary genres of horror and dystopia.
CAS TL 540 Translation Seminar
4.0 Credits
Maurer
Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: Proficiency in a second language; Corequisite: CAS TL 542.
Translation seminar where students produce substantial literary translations into English from their language of choice with the guidance of the instructors and language-specific mentors. Students hone their translation skills, read, and discuss articles about practical issues of translation. Students are required to register for co-requisite CASTL 542.
CAS TL 540 has been pre-approved to count toward degree requirements for both graduate students in Spanish and undergraduate majors/minors in Spanish.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LS 568 Prose Fiction of the Spanish Middle Ages
4.0 Credits
Savo
Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: CAS LS 350 and two LS 400-level courses, or consent of instructor.
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. Topic for Spring 2026: Readings in Medieval Iberian Prose.
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)
This course explores the big question of how and why we tell stories, focusing on the storytelling traditions of medieval Iberia (modern Spain and Portugal). Through readings in medieval Iberian prose traditions, including works in Castilian, Latin, Arabic and Hebrew, we will examine modes of transmission such as oral storytelling, translation, and the production of manuscript books. We will study the medieval tradition of framed narrative (stories within a story) in various forms, including “Eastern” story collections, didactic exempla, and pseudo-autobiographical maqamat, to enrich our understanding of medieval prose works and the religious, linguistic, and historical context in which they were produced and with which they interact. We will pay special attention to expressions of religious, linguistic, and gender difference, both as expressed in medieval sources and as studied in selected secondary works.
CAS LS 576 A1 Topics in Spanish American Literature
4.0 Credits
Rodriguez
Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: CAS LS 350 and two 400-level LS literature courses, or consent of instructor.
May be taken twice for credit if topics are different.
Course Description (detailed description)
Identity and Migration in Latinx Literature
This class focuses on shedding light on the intersections between queerness, brownness, and transnational identities at the core of contemporary Latinx and Latin American Literature. The class will analyze novels, short stories, and poems from an intersectional perspective.
CAS LS 621 Reading Spanish for Graduate Students
4.0 Credits
Basker-Siegel
Course Description (from MyBU)
Designed to prepare graduate students for the Spanish reading exam. Develops a knowledge of the fundamentals of Spanish grammar. Practice in translating passages. No previous knowledge of Spanish required.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LS 860 Seminar: Topics in Hispanic Literature
4.0 Credits
Savo
Course Description (from MyBU)
May be repeated for credit if topic is different.
Course Descriptions (detailed descriptions)
Este curso investiga varios discursos literarios y normativos acerca de las mujeres en la Iberia premoderna. Leeremos obras de escritores cristianos, judíos y musulmanes de la Edad Media y la temprana Edad Moderna que retratan a “malas mujeres” de varios tipos—prostitutas, asesinas, hechiceras, traicioneras y más—para entender la formación de las categorías de buena y mala mujer en distintas épocas y comunidades religiosas, lingüísticas y políticas. También se hará una comparación y contraste entre los discursos creados por hombres y mujeres sobre el papel de la mujer en la sociedad ibérica premoderna.