Courses

Spring 2027 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 and times

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 includes 1 hour of asynchronous work per week.

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 and times

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 includes 1 hour of asynchronous work per week.

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 and times

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 and times

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 second 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
MoWeFr 2:30PM – 3:20PM

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 texts, films, and other media, students examine why people lie or keep secrets and how these choices affect individuals, families, and society in the Francophone world.

CAS LF 308 French Through Film & Media
4.0 Credits
Khosravanifard
TuTh 11:00AM – 12:15PM

Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: CAS LF 212 or equivalent; or placement test results.

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, Oral/Signed Communication.

Course Description (detailed description)
La jeunesse à l’écran

How do young people find their own way in a world they inherit?

This course explores the representations of youth in recent films and TV shows. Students examine how family, society, and history shape young people’s experiences as they form relationships, imagine their futures, and negotiate their place in the world. The course includes works such as the TV series Mixte (2021) and the documentary Dahomey (2024).

Through close readings of scenes, students examine questions of race, gender, and memory. They also learn and apply film and media vocabulary to in-class discussions, group presentations, and written assignments.

This course is discussion-based and its primary language is French. It seeks to strengthen students’ French language proficiency in speaking, listening, and writing skills, and develop their skills in interpreting audiovisual works.

CAS LF 310 French for the Professions
4.0 Credits
Mathieu
MoWeFr 11:15AM – 12:05PM

Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: CAS LF 212 or equivalent; or placement test results.

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)
French for International Relations

This professionalizing course serves as an introduction to the specialized language employed in the fields of international relations and diplomacy. It provides students with the language tools and communication skills to perform common professional tasks in highly contextualized activities and scenarios. The main objective of this course is to equip students with the linguistic knowledge to be able to work in French in careers of international scope (e.g. diplomat, attaché, foreign service official, NGO personnel, etc.). Thus, note that this course is a language course and NOT a course about international relations.

This course has been designed following pedagogical principles and guidelines espoused by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Paris Île-de-France (CCIP), the leading and oldest institution offering training in professional French. The instructor has undertaken an extended training to teach this kind of specialized language course, and has earned the corresponding certification from the CCIP.

Given the professionalizing nature of this course, at the end of the semester, students will have adequate language skills to take the Diplôme de Français Professionnel (DFP), delivered by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Paris Île-de-France. Interested students may therefore validate and certify their language competence by earning a recognized, official French diploma to show to future employers.

CAS LF 312 French Language & Identity
4.0 Credits
Chazal
TuTh 2:00PM – 3:15PM

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 324 Advanced Spoken French
4.0 Credits
Mathieu
MoWeFr 12:20PM – 1:10PM

Course Description (from MyBU)
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.

This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Teamwork/Collaboration.

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
Kleiman
TuTh 12:30PM – 1:45PM

Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: 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).

Development of techniques for reading and interpreting French literary texts. Special attention to the study of lyric poetry, drama, and short narrative.

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 XL 386/CI 362 Africa on Screen
4.0 Credits
Cazenave, O
Tu 3:30PM – 6:15PM

Course Description (from MyBU)
This course has been pre-approved to count as an advanced course toward both the French major and minor.

Discussion of African films in their social and historical contexts and specificities of production practices. Primary topics of interest include traditional values, practices and social change; education; popular culture and urban life; politics; migration; youth; sexuality and gender relations.

Course Description (detailed description)
This course examines African films from Senegal, Mali, Cameroon, Burkina-Faso, and Ivory-Coast, in their social and historical contexts. Attention will be devoted to Afro-diasporic filmmaking production practices, addressing questions of genre, representations of the African continent, of a search for historical and cultural roots.

Primary topics of interest include traditional values, social change; education; popular culture and urban life; colonial, neocolonial, and post-colonial politics; immigration; the youth; gender relations; postcolonial violence whether in feature films or documentary.

Films by Ousmane Sembène, Djibril Diop Mambety, Anne-Laure Folly, Raoul Peck, Kivu Ruhorahoza, Jean-Marie Teno; Aïcha Chloé Boro, Mati Diop, Alice Diop, Alain Gomis, Oswalde Lewat, Rosine Mbakam.

CAS LF 456 The Postcolonial Novel
4.0 Credits
Cazenave, O
We 2:30PM – 5:15PM

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)
An examination of postcolonial novels by contemporary writers, this course focuses on the last twenty years of literary production, how it addresses processes of decolonization, usage of the French language and renewal of aesthetics. We explore questions of exile, migration and transnational identity, gender, postcolonial violence including war conflicts and genocide, looking at ways words and images enter in conversation. As part of the authors to be discussed: Nathacha Appanah, Ananda Devi, Gael Faye, Dany Laferriere, Boubacar Boris Diop, Veronique Tadjo, Abdourahman Waberi.

CAS LF 459/LF 659 Parisian Views: Literature and Art of Everyday Life
4.0 Credits
Mesch
TuTh 2:00PM – 3:15PM

Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CASWR 100 or WR 120). CAS LF 350 is recommended.

Examines how nineteenth-century Paris inspired artistic creation through its cultivation of a variety of new ways of seeing, through readings of novels and poetry alongside painting, early photography, and forms of entertainment that showcased everyday life.

This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation, Historical Consciousness

Course Description (detailed description)
This course considers the ways that nineteenth-century Paris invited its citizens to make everyday life into spectacle, thus anticipating many elements of contemporary mass culture—from department stores to social media to reality TV. To explore this fascinating history to our own cultural tastes, we will employ a host of colorful characters as tour guides: from Balzac’s young student, who abandons legal studies for a Parisian education of another sort, to Baudelaire’s flâneur, who invented a whole new way of wandering the city, to Zola’s naïve young woman cruising the newly invented department store. In addition to novels and poems, we’ll look at early photography (invented in 19th-c France!), painting (impressionism) and new architectural constructions (Eiffel Tower, built for the 1889 Exposition Universelle). As we learn about the artistic productions of 19th-century Paris, we’ll use our own city of Boston to make our own attempts as artists of everyday life. Taught in French.

CAS LF 462/CI 482 Cinema-Monde: Mapping French Film
4.0 Credits
Cazenave, J
TuTh 11:00AM – 12:15PM

Course Description (from MyBU)
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 Renois, Jean-Luc Godard, Chantal Ackerman, Agnes Varda, and the Dardenne brothers.

This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.

Course Description (detailed description)
N/A

CAS LF 483/LF 683 Studies in Literature & Politics
4.0 Credits
Kleiman
Th 3:30PM – 6:15PM

Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CASWR 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: Writing-Intensive Course, Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings, Research and Information Literacy.

Course Description (detailed description)
TBA

LF 659 Parisian Views: Literature and Art of Everyday Life
4.0 Credits
Mesch
TuTh 2:00PM – 3:15PM

Course Description (from MyBU)
Please reference LF 459.

Course Description (detailed description)
N/A

LF 683 Studies in Literature & Politics
4.0 Credits
Kleiman
Th 3:30PM – 6:15PM

Course Description (from MyBU)
Please reference LF 483.

Course Description (detailed description)
Please reference LF 483.

Italian

CAS LI 111 First-Semester Italian
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see MyBU for instructors and times

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.

This course includes 1 hour of asynchronous work per 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 112 Second-Semester Italian
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see MyBU for instructors and times

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 includes 1 hour of asynchronous work per 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
Multiple sections are offered, please see MyBU for instructors and times

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 and times

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 283/CI 266 A Study of Italian Cinema from the 1940s to the Present
4.0 Credits
Carter
We 2:30PM – 5:15PM

Course Description (from MyBU)
Films by De Sica, Fellini, Benigni, Sorrentino and others tell the story of social and cultural development during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.

Course Description (detailed description)
N/A

CAS LI 330 Social and Cultural History of Modern Italy
4.0 Credits
Carter
MoWeFr 10:10AM – 11:00AM

Course Description (from MyBU)
A survey history of Italian society and culture since 1796. Topics covered include national unification, differences between the north and south, Catholicism, anarchism, liberalism, WWI, fascism, WWII, the partisan resistance, the Republic, industrialization, terrorism, corruption, migration, and populism.

This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.

Course Description (detailed description)
N/A

CAS LI 386/CI 386/JS 366 Fascism and the Holocaust in Italy
4.0 Credits
Harrowitz
Mo 2:30PM – 5:15PM

Course Description (from MyBU)
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.

This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.

Course Description (detailed description)
N/A

CAS LI 621 Reading Italian for Graduate Students
0.0 Credits
Brusetti McGinn
Th 3:30PM – 6:15PM

Course Description (from MyBU)
To Register for LF 621, please take your registration form, with advisor signature, to the GRS Records Office (CAS 112) or send it via email to grsrec@bu.edu.

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.

This course is graded on a Pass/Fail basis.

Course Description (detailed description)
N/A

Portuguese

CAS LP 112 Second-Semester Portuguese
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see MyBU for instructors and times

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 includes 1 hour asynchronous work per week.

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
Bianconi

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.

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/LP 632 Portuguese for Spanish Speakers 2
4.0 Credits
Benvenuto
TuTh 12:30PM – 1:45PM

Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: native or near-native speakers of Spanish only.

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 307 Portuguese for Business and Professional Life
4.0 Credits
Bianconi
MoWeFr 10:10AM – 11:00AM

Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: CAS LP 212 or consent of instructor.

This course emphasizes cultural and linguistic competence in professional, business-oriented settings. It is designed to provide students with advanced proficiency in Portuguese while exploring different aspects of the culture and professional life of the Brazilian and the Portuguese-speaking world.

This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Social Inquiry II, and Teamwork/Collaboration.

Course Description (detailed description)
N/A

LP 632 Portuguese for Spanish Speakers 2
4.0 Credits
Benvenuto
TuTh 12:30PM – 1:45PM

Course Description (from MyBU)
Please reference LP 232.

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 and times

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 includes 1 hour of asynchronous work on Thursdays.

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 and times

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 includes 1 hour of asynchronous work on Thursdays.

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 and times

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 and times

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
Avcikurt
TuTh 12:30PM – 1:45PM

Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: CAS LS 212 or Spanish SAT subject test score of 560 or higher, or placement test results.

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.

Develops advanced Spanish proficiency through the translation of literary, journalistic, professional, and audiovisual texts. Students examine how translators navigate cultural references, register, and meaning, drawing on readings in translation theory to understand translators’ role in cultural mediation. 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)
N/A

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.

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, Historical Consciousness, Oral and/or Signed Communication.

Course Descriptions (detailed descriptions)

Section A1 – Ovalle-Child
MoWeFr 11:15AM – 12:05PM
Food Culture of the Spanish Caribbean

The food of DominicanRepublic, Puerto Rico, and Cuba tells a complex story of colonization and migration. Native Taino, Spanish, and African roots mix to create a culinary landscape as diverse as its people’s genealogy. Through chronicles, essays, visual art, digital media, films, and literary excerpts, we examine the history of the region through a decolonize lens. Cooking workshops take us to the kitchen to taste the cultural lessons studied.

Section B1 – Huercanos Esparza
TuTh 2:00PM – 3:15PM
The Art of Growing Up

What does it mean to grow up Hispanic today? Through literature, film, music, and visual art, this course explores how young people navigate changing norms, family expectations, love, economic challenges, migration, identity, and pressures of an uncertain future.

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.

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
MoWeFr 11:15AM – 12:05PM
This course examines US Latino films as explorations of race, ethnicity, immigration, and belonging in America. Students will analyze how these films portray Latino experiences, challenge stereotypes, and address questions of identity and community in contemporary US society.

Section B1 – Fila
MoWeFr 12:20PM – 1:10PM
Framing Black Latin America: Film, New Media, and the Politics of Visibility

This course explores Black cinema and new media in Latin America, with comparative attention to U.S. Black visual cultures and racial politics. Through feature films, documentaries, music videos, social media, and digital activism, students examine how Afrodescendant creators confront invisibility, colorism, racism, and colonial legacies. We trace generational and medium-based shifts in representation and visuality, culminating in a collaborative final project: programming a Black Latin American film and new media festival for public audiences on campus and beyond.

Section C1 – Datel
TuTh 2:00PM – 3:15PM
Rebels with a Cause: Film and Resistance in Latin America and Spain

Rebels with a Cause explores rebellion in cinema from Latin America and Spain, tracing resistance from intimate acts of defiance to collective movements and imaginative forms of dissent. Films foreground challenges to religious, political, social, and gender norms, alongside the experiences of marginalized and Indigenous communities. Through discussion and close analysis, students examine how cinematic storytelling, images, and sound communicate resistance within specific cultural and historical contexts. Analytical assignments and creative projects invite students to engage critically with film as both an artistic medium and a vehicle for cultural critique and social commentary.

CAS LS 309 Spanish for Heritage and Native Speakers
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see MyBU for instructors and times

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)
N/A

CAS LS 310 A1 Spanish for the Professions
4.0 Credits
Ruiz De Arbulo Alonso
MoWeFr 12:20PM – 1:10PM

Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: CAS LS 212 or Spanish SAT subject test score of 560 or higher, or placement test results.

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 Spanish Through Performance: The Theater of Everyday Life
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see MyBU for instructors and times

Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: CAS LS 212 or Spanish SAT subject test score of 560 or higher; or placement test results.

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
Noonan
MoWeFr 12:20PM – 1:10PM

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 and times

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
Fernandez Medina
TuTh 11:00AM – 12:15PM

Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: CAS LS 350.

May be taken twice for credit if topics are different.

This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU HUB areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking, The Individual in Community.

Course Description (detailed description)
Cultures of Crisis in Spain

This course explores the complex social, political, and cultural crises that shaped Spain between 1900 and 1975.

CAS LS 456 Medieval and Early Modern Iberian Literature
4.0 Credits
Savo
TuTh 12:30PM – 1:45PM

Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: CASLS 350 and First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CASWR 100 or WR 120).

May be taken twice for credit if topics are different.

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.

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)
Honor, Loyalty, and Betrayal

What did friends, lovers, and soldiers owe to one another in the Middle Ages? What did they owe themselves? We explore these moral and social obligations through literature, theater, and visual arts from medieval and early modern Spain.

CAS LS 575 Topics in Peninsular Literature
4.0 Credits

Course Description (from MyBU)
Prereq: CAS LS 350 and two LS 400-level literature courses, or consent of instructor.

May be taken twice for credit if topics are different.

Course Description (detailed description)

Section A1 – Fernandez Medina
TuTh 9:30AM – 10:45AM
The Spanish Enlightenment

This course explores the intellectual, social, and cultural transformations that shaped the Spanish Enlightenment in the eighteenth century.

Section B1 – Maurer
We 11:15AM – 2:00PM
Paper Memory: Lives, Letters, and Archives

The uses of archives in life-writing, in literary creation, and in pursuit of social justice. Readings from the theater, poetry, music, and letters of Federico Garcia Lorca and other Spanish writers, accompanied by guided research in digital and physical archives and scrutiny of the role of AI in biographical research. Involves a semester-long research and writing project.

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Spring 2027 Course Offerings

French

Italian

Portuguese

Spanish