Spring 2025 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
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
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
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
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
Bobroff
Course Description
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)
Food & Culture in France
If we are what we eat, then the French must be deliciously rich, structurally distinctive, and fundamentally complicated. Known the world over for its cuisine, France offers a privileged perspective for studying the social constructions of food and cooking. Through essays, podcasts, films, and literary excerpts, we examine interrelated topics such as taste, hunger, memory, and desire. Group projects move us beyond the classroom and into the kitchen to taste the cultural lessons inherent within our readings. By the end of the semester, our many forms of consumption should lead us to a better understanding of France and its culinary heritage.
CAS LF 308 French Through Film & Media
4.0 Credits
Gagnon
Course Description
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: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
Course Description (detailed description)
Québec Culture Through Its Films
Why is French spoken in North America? What makes Québec’s French different from France’s? What does “chu tanné” mean? Explore Québec’s rich history and culture through films that highlight its unique language and diverse people.
CAS LF 309 A1 French in the World
4.0 Credits
Lakin-Schultz
Course Description
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, excerpts of novels, and films topics pertaining to 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)
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
Mathieu
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)
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 to future employers.
CAS LF 324 A1 Advanced Spoken French
4.0 Credits
Dusewoir
Course Description
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 341 French Trends
4.0 Credits
Hawkes
Course Description
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 Community
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LF 349 The History of the French Language
4.0 Credits
Mathieu
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LX 250 or consent of instructor.
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.
Conducted in English.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LF 350 Reading the French Way
4.0 Credits
Kleiman
Course Description
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 351 Introduction to the French Novel
4.0 Credits
Saar
Course Description
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.
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 462/CAS LF 662/CAS CI 482 Cinema-Monde: Mapping French Film
4.0 Credits
J. Cazenave
Course Description
Spanning from the silent era to the present-day, this course reframes the key movements of French cinema through the lens of the global. Directors include Georges Melies, Jean Renoir, Jean-Luc Godard, Chantal Ackerman, Agnes Varda, and the Dardenne brothers.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LF 464 / CAS LF 664 Author/Auteur
4.0 Credits
Kleiman
Course Description
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 studied is Michel de Montaigne.
CAS TL 551 B1 Translating the Francophone World
4.0 Credits
O. Cazenave
French graduate students are pre-approved to take CAS TL 551 B1 toward their French degree if they wish to do so.
Course Description
May be taken multiple times for credit if topics are different.
Course Description (detailed description)
Writers, translators, and Story Tellers in the Text: Translating the Francophone World.
This course examines the paratextual and transcultural elements entailed in translating Francophone literature and works by writers whose mother tongue and bicultural/multi-cultural backgrounds, are intrinsically part of their writing. Fictional works where writers, translators, and story tellers are part of the narrative serve as departing points to the discussion. Attention paid to translators as writers, and role of translation, language, and literature.
Authors to be discussed include: Tahar Ben Jelloun, Barbara Cassin, Assia Djebar, Ananda Devi, Danny Laferrière, Alain Mabanckou, Shan-Sa, and Mohammed Mbougar Sarr.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS LF 621 Reading French for Graduate Students
0.0 Credits
Huckle
To Register for LF 621, please take your registration form, with advisor signature, to the GRS Records Office (C AS 112) or send it via email to grsrec@bu.edu.
Course Description
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.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LF 662 Cinema-Monde: Mapping French Film
4.0 Credits
J. Cazenave
Course Description
See CAS LF 462.
CAS LF 664 Author/Auteur
4.0 Credits
Kleiman
Course Description
See CAS LF 464.
GRS LF 860 A1 Topics in French Literature
4.0 Credits
O. Cazenave
Course Description
May be repeated for credit if topic is different.
Course Description (detailed description)
The Poetics of Memory in Contempory Francophone Artistic Production
This course examines the poetics of memory in Francophone literature and film today, focusing on how individual memory intersects with collective history in literary and filmic narratives. Attention to representations of exile, displacement or/and migration, extreme violence and traumatic experiences of war and genocide; how new aesthetics and critical approaches have emerged in the process.
Writers to be discussed include: Nathacha Appanah, Maïssa Bey, Ananda Devi, Boubacar Boris Diop, Louis-Philippe Dalembert, Veronique Tadjo, Raharimanana. Films by: Sembene, Yamina Benguigui, Felix Samba Ndiaye, Mati Diop, Sofia Djema, Raoul Peck, Kivu Ruhorahoza, Jean-Marie Teno.
Italian
CAS LI 111 First Semester Italian
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see Student Link for instructors
Course Description
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 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
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
Multiple sections are offered, please see Student Link for instructors
Course Description
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
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/CAS CI 266 A Study of Italian Cinema from the 1940s to the Present
4.0 Credits
Carter
Course Description
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 each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LI 314 Italian Theater Workshop
4.0 Credits
Iozzia
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LI 212, placement exam results, or consent of instructor.
This theater workshop advances students’ ability to produce and comprehend spoken and written Italian. Working in an affective filter-free environment and in an atmosphere of team building and cooperation, students expand their vocabulary and improve their pronunciation, while enjoying the rewarding risk-taking of a performance workshop.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Creativity/Innovation, Teamwork/Collaboration.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LI 330 Social & Cultural History of Modern Italy
4.0 Credits
Carter
Course Description
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 each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LI 386 Fascism & the Holocaust in Italy
4.0 Credits
Harrowitz
Course Description
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 each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LI 621 Reading Italian for Graduate Students
4.0 Credits
Brusetti McGinn
To Register for LI 621, please take your registration form, with advisor signature, to the GRS Records Office (C AS 112) or send it via email to grsrec@bu.edu.
Course Description
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 690 Proficiency-Based Language Teaching 1
4.0 Credits
Datel
Course Description
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
CAS LL 691 Proficiency-Based Language Teaching 2
4.0 Credits
Chazal
Course Description
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.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
Portuguese
CAS LP 112 A1 Second-Semester Portuguese
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, see MyBU for instructors
Course Description
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 Third-Semester Portuguese
4.0 Credits
Bianconi
Course Description
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 area: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LP 232 / CAS LP 632 Portuguese for Spanish Speakers 2
4.0 Credits
Cruz
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LP 231 or CAS LP 631.
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 A1 Portuguese for Business & Professional Life
4.0 Credits
Bianconi
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LP 212 and consent of instructor.
This is a discussion-based course taught in Portuguese. It helps you develop effective reading, speaking and writing strategies needed to interpret authentic written and audio-visual sources, exploring different aspects of professional life in the Brazilian and the Portuguese-speaking world.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Social Inquiry II, Teamwork/Collaboration.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LP 352 A1 Tropical Metropolis & Brazilian Modernity
4.0 Credits
Carvalho Gimenes
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LP 212 or consent of instructor.
Focus on aesthetic and thematic changes in Brazilian art and literature during the country’s waves of modernization, with attention to the repercussion of those themes in film production, music, and performance.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
Course Description (detailed description)
TBA
GRS LP 632 Portuguese for Spanish Speakers 2
4.0 Credits
Cruz
Course Description
Please see CAS 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
Course Description
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
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
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
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 Spanish Through Translation
4.0 Credits
Avcikurt
Course Description
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 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)
Going between Two Languages: Translation Techniques and Challenges
This course is an introduction to translation theory and practice which will help build vocabulary in English and in Spanish and progress toward advanced proficiency through essay writing, written assignments and translations of different genres by well-known authors from and into Spanish.
CAS LS 307 Spanish Through Literature and the Arts
4.0 Credits
Course Description
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 – Tormos Bigles
Revolution as Contemporary Mexican Culture
In this course students explore literature, film, fine arts, architecture, and other media in the context of Mexico’s contemporary revolutionary movements and social transformations. Our analysis centers topics such as institutionalism, armed struggle, ethnic relations, border studies, counterculture, and more.
Section B1 – Diaz Baez
Short Stories by Argentine Women
Welcome to LS 307 Section B1, Spanish Through Literature & New Media! This course, called Short Stories by Argentine Women Authors, familiarizes students with Argentina’s rich, and often ignored, contribution in the genre. Using ‘womanhood’ as a lens, this class offers a panoramic view that starts with Silvina Ocampo and will conclude with contemporary artists such as Samantha Schweblin who continue to bring attention to the difficulties that arise out of gender disparity.
CAS LS 308 Spanish Through Film & New Media
4.0 Credits
Course Description
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: Global Citizenship & Intercultural Literacy, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
Course Descriptions (detailed descriptions)
Section A1 – Griffin
La Road Movie
The course analyzes how films from Hispanic countries portray these quests for meaning and/or change. Students learn to analyze socio-political, narrative, and cinematographic elements of each film. This knowledge informs their own multimedia projects.
Section B1 – Monet-Viera
Digital Storytelling in Latin American Film
Digital Storytelling in Latin American Film. From Amores perros to Roma, this section studies Latin American films from the last 20 years, analyzing the innovative ways in which they tell stories. Students create original short films based on the techniques learned in the course.
Section C1 – Calderón Villon
Latin American Cuir / Queer Cinema & Visual Culture
This interactive language class is aimed to improve communication skills in Spanish and general knowledge about Latin American culture through discussion of visual forms. The discussions focus on the cinematic representation of Latin American cuir or non-normative identities and the conflictive relationship they have with their social context between the 20th and 21st centuries. The main interest of the course is to help students identify and analyze how the interjections of race, social class, gender and sexuality influence the construction of subjectivities.
CAS LS 309 Spanish for Heritage and Native Speakers
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see MyBU for instructors
Course Description
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)
N/A
CAS LS 310 A1 Spanish for the Professions
4.0 Credits
Ruiz de Arbulo Alonso
Course Description
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
Multiple sections are offered, please see MyBU for instructors
Course Description
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 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 318 A1 Spanish Through Public Speaking
4.0 Credits
Carberry
Course Description
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.
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: Writing-Intensive Course, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Teamwork/Collaboration.
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
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 410 Religion & Literature in Medieval Spain
4.0 Credits
Savo
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LS 350 and a first-year writing seminar (e.g., CAS WR 100).
Course Description (detailed description)
Explores religion and literature in medieval Spain through a critique of Convivencia, the notion of a peaceful coexistence among Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Close readings of medieval literary works that imagine religious identity and relationships across religious boundaries.
To enrich exploration of interrelated themes and learning outcomes, student registrants of LS 410 will meet with student registrants of RN/HI 410/RN 710 during scheduled class time on 2/20, 3/6, 3/27, 4/24, and 5/1.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS LS 452 Topics in Latin American Literature & Culture
4.0 Credits
Course Description
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 – Carvalho Gimenes
Monsters & Witches in Latin America
Monsters and Witches are ubiquitous in Latin American culture. According to cultural theorist Jeffrey Cohen, the monster is “an embodiment of a certain cultural moment – of a time, a feeling, and place.” What could a monstrous witch say about the context in which she exists? In this course, we examine a wide range of 20th and 21st-century Latin American literature and films featuring monsters and witches while searching for social fears, anxieties, and aesthetic values they may embody. We study texts by Horacio Quiroga, Carlos Fuentes, Silvina Ocampo, Mariana Enríquez, Mónica Ojeda, and others.
Section B1 – Borinsky
Tango: Exile, Love, & Criminality
A history of exile and forced displacements from Europe to Argentina as they become woven into the fabric of tango lyrics, dance and music. Materials to be explored include film and literature from tango’s inception to the present.
CAS LS 456 A1 Medieval & Early Modern Iberian Literature
4.0 Credits
Crespo-Jaramillo
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LS 350 and First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120).
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)
Inquisitions
Theoretical and historical study of the inquisitions, from the medieval ad hoc episcopal inquisitions and the Calvinist Consistories to the colonial, global Iberian system. Discussions based on primary sources (legal and literary) and contemporary critical thought (biopolitics, power-knowledge, archives, memory).
CAS LS 507 A1 The Sounds of Spanish
4.0 Credits
Erker
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LX 250 AND one LS 300-level language course; or consent of instructor.
Introduction to Spanish phonetics and phonology. Covers articulatory, acoustic, and auditory phonetics, focusing on techniques for visualizing speech sounds. Examines the phonemic inventory and phonological organization of Spanish from several perspectives, including generative and articulatory phonology as well as sociolinguistics. Conducted in Spanish. Also offered as CAS LX 383 and GRS LX 683.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LS 557 A1 Poetry of the Spanish Golden Age
4.0 Credits
Maurer
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LS 350 and at least two LS 400-level courses.
The development of lyric poetry during the Renaissance and the Baroque period. Emphasis on close thematic, stylistic, and structural analysis of individual poems by major figures including Garcilaso, Fray Luis, San Juan de la Cruz, Góngora, and Quevedo.
Course Description (detailed description)
Poetry of the 16th and 17th centuries, with emphasis on Quevedo, Lope de Vega and Góngora.
CAS LS 575 A1 Topics in Peninsular Literature
4.0 Credits
Crespo-Jaramillo
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LS 350 and at least two LS 400-level literature courses or consent of the instructor.
May be repeated for credit as topic varies.
Course Descriptions (detailed descriptions)
History of the Book
Survey of medieval and early modern book culture. From parchment to printing, we study this inky technology within the frameworks of material history, memory, contemporary theoretical/methodological debates. Visits to local special collections and libraries. Students’ interests shape some sessions.
CAS LS 606 A1 Spanish Translation Workshop
4.0 Credits
Avcikurt
Course Description
Prereq: Advanced proficiency in Spanish.
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.
Course Descriptions (detailed descriptions)
N/A
CAS LS 621 A1 Reading Spanish for Graduate Students
4.0 Credits
Basker-Seigel
Course Description
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 Descriptions (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LS 860 Seminar: Topics in Hispanic Literature
4.0 Credits
Course Description
May be repeated for credit if topic is different.
Course Descriptions (detailed descriptions)
Section A1 – Savo
The Medieval Mind in Don Quijote
Cervantes’s novel parodies a bygone era of knights, damsels, and monsters, but what constitutes that medieval world? Contemporary approaches, including feminist/queer theory and Premodern Critical Race Studies, shed light on how Don Quijote imagines the medieval mind.
Section B1 – Rodriguez
Decolonizing the Archive
What is “the archive”? How is it relevant for literary and cultural studies? To answer these questions in this seminar we will explore contemporary theoretical and methodological approaches to archival work from disciplines such as History, Philosophy, Political Science and Cultural Studies. We will focus on how archival work can help us address structures of domination, question the silences of the canon and revisit historical narratives. We will approach the archive from decolonial and intersectional perspectives to underscore its creative and narrative possibilities.