Ethical Reasoning
Ethical Reasoning falls under the Diversity, Civic Engagement, and Global Citizenship Capacity.
What should we care about? How should we behave in our personal, civic, and professional lives? Do laws have a moral basis?
Learning to grapple competently with such fundamental ethical questions is a central component of citizenship and is critical to helping us understand ourselves not just as individuals, but also as parts of communities and custodians of the Earth. Ethical reasoning is part of Boston University’s distinguishing tradition of social justice.
Courses in this area will have two of the three following learning outcomes.
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to identify, grapple with, and make a judgment about the ethical questions at stake in at least one major public debate, and engage in a thoughtful discussion about it with those who hold views different from their own.
Students will demonstrate the skills and vocabulary needed to reflect on their ethical responsibilities to multiple communities: e.g., communities of which students are a part, communities identified as “other,” multispecies communities of the Earth, and humankind, broadly understood.
Students will demonstrate knowledge of ethical issues around racial and/or other socially based forms of injustice (e.g., based in gender, class, sexuality, etc.) and the skills to ethically assess and make informed, evaluative judgments about those issues.
Courses
Search for currently scheduled courses with combinations of other Hub requirements in MyBU Student .
HUB Specialty Courses
HUB IC 211
Engaging with Communities: Ethics and Skills
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Introduces students from all disciplines to basic principles of ethical community engagement and prepares them to apply acquired skill sets to practical situations such as internships. Students learn to apply, interact with, and critically reflect upon themes related to community engagement and service, ethics, professionalism, social categories of advantage and disadvantage, and social justice and power in society. Students are encouraged to incorporate their own cases and prospective community engagement into discussions and assignments. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry 1.
College of Arts & Sciences
CAS AA 234
African Americans in Global Perspective: Slavery and the Creation of Race
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
A study of how chattel slavery in the Americas led to racialization as a primary tool in the creation of American society and New World capitalism. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.
CAS AA 234S
African Americans in Global Perspective: Slavery and the Creation of Race
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Studies how chattel slavery in the Americas led to racialization as a primary tool in the creation of American society and New World capitalism. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.
CAS AA 301
African Diaspora Archaeology
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Introduction to the archaeology of the African diaspora, the global displacement of African people and their descendants. Reviews findings, methodology, and theory around key burial contexts. Emphasis on shifting dialogues, such as human remains stewardship, community engagement, and reburial. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas Critical Thinking, Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS AA 308
Race and Politics
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Combining research from history, political science, sociology, and economics, this course examines the role of race and ethnicity in shaping American politics and policy. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS AA 313
The Politics and Policy of HBO's The Wire
4 credits.
HBO's television series The Wire is used to explore politics and policy. A number of interdisciplinary topics are covered, including the war on drugs, urban elections, bureaucracy, rational choice theory, and the decline of American cities. Also offered as CAS PO 313. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS AA 319
Race and the Politics of Criminal Justice Policy
4 credits. Fall and Spring
How many people are affected by the criminal justice system' What is the relationship between crime and race' What criminal justice policies, if any, should change' In this course, students will grapple with these questions. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS AA 319S
Race and the Politics of Criminal Justice Policy
4 credits.
Online offering. Considers the following questions: How many people are affected by the criminal justice system' What is the relationship between crime and race' What criminal justice policies, if any, should change' Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS AH 330
Greek Archaeology
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Digital/Multimedia Expression Ethical Reasoning Teamwork/Collaboration
A survey of Greek material culture of the first millennium BCE emphasizing methods, ethics, and narratives of Classical archaeology. Critically engages with anthropology, art history, history, literature, museums, and digital presentations of the Greek past. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS AH 333
Arts of Classical Greece
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Ethical Reasoning Historical Consciousness
Examines architecture, sculpture, painting, and metalwork of the fifth and fourth centuries B.C. in their original contexts. Addresses such larger issues as development of portraiture; tension of "real" and "ideal"; roles and shifting iconographies of myth; and political use of monuments. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AH 486
Architecture Capstone
4 credits. Spring
This course guides senior and eligible junior architectural studies majors through a capstone experience, which may be an internship or a research project. Open only by application. Interested students contact Professor Abramson by Nov. 1, 2025. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS AN 210
Introduction to Medical Anthropology
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Research and Information Literacy Social Inquiry II
This lecture and discussion-driven course uses ethnographic case materials and active learning strategies to introduce students to socio-cultural anthropological modes of understanding and analyzing health-related experiences and institutions, including political and ethical dimensions of illness and suffering around the globe. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS AN 210S
Introduction to Medical Anthropology
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Research and Information Literacy Social Inquiry II
This lecture and discussion-driven course uses ethnographic case materials and active learning strategies to introduce students to socio-cultural anthropological modes of understanding and analyzing health-related experiences and institutions, including political and ethical dimensions of illness and suffering around the globe. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS AN 211
Humans Among Animals
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Examines how humans understand (other) animals and their thought, feeling, and communication and the ways we humans in varied cultures and societies use animals for interaction and self-understanding. Interdisciplinary approach that considers language, aesthetics, ideology, practice, and regulation. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills units in the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, and Critical Thinking.
CAS AN 233
The Evolutionary Biology of Human Variation
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Addresses human biological variation. An introduction to the fundamentals of comparative biology, evolutionary theory, and genetics and considers how research in these fields informs some of our most culturally-engaged identities: race, sex, gender, sexuality, and body type. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS AN 240
Legal Anthropology
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Introduction to legal anthropology that investigates the role of law and legal systems in a variety of historical and contemporary societies from a cross-cultural perspective. It examines how different societies generate and maintain mechanisms to deal with competition and conflict. (Counts towards the Minor in African American & Black Diaspora Studies.) Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS AN 301
African Diaspora Archaeology
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Introduction to the archaeology of the African diaspora, the global displacement of African people and their descendants. Reviews findings, methodology, and theory around key burial contexts. Emphasis on shifting dialogues, such as human remains stewardship, community engagement, and reburial. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas Critical Thinking, Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS AN 311
Culture and Biotech: Beyond the Nature/Culture Divide
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120). - The class explores some biotechnological innovations and the cultural variability around the ethical dilemmas those innovations provoke. It asks what this variability might mean for thinking about the supposedly fixed dichotomy between “nature” and “culture”? Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning, Writing-Intensive Course. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU HUB areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS AN 357
Bioarchaeology and the Body
4 credits. Spring
Introduction to the study of human remains in bioarchaeological contexts. Course reviews key theoretical frameworks and methodologies in interpreting valuable information about demography, gender differences, social identities and the daily lives of past peoples, as well as ongoing ethical concerns in bioarchaeological practice. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU HUB areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry I.
CAS AN 362
Culture and Environment
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Examines mutually transformative relations between human societies and their environments. Shows how social constructions of environment, nature, and culture vary cross-culturally. Topics include: political ecology, environmental conservation, agriculture, climate, bioprospecting, relations with other animals, pollution. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry II.
CAS AN 362S
Culture and Environment
4 credits.
Examines how the social construction of environment, nature, and culture varies cross-culturally and historically as well as how it influences economic change, environmental movements, international politics, and public policy. Primary examples include several African countries, Papua New Guinea, and the United States; as well as contemporary global climate change.
CAS AN 369
Indigenous Archaeology
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Introduction to Indigenous archaeology, which seeks to realize a more ethical engagement with Indigenous communities by conducting research "with, for, and by" Indigenous descendant communities. Reviews key theoretical frameworks (e.g., traditional knowledge systems, collaboration, repatriation) and explores the ways this approach is being put into action through case studies. Effective Spring 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub area: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS AN 550
Human Osteology
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASAN 102 or CASAN 331 or consent of instructor. - Development and structure of the human skeleton in anthropological and archaeological contexts. Basic processes of bone biology and how they are affected by lived experience. Meetings are lab-oriented and develop skill in whole and fragmentary skeletal identification. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Scientific Inquiry I. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Scientific Inquiry I.
CAS AN 557
Anthropology of Mental Health
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASAN101 OR CASAN210) or consent of instructor. - Advanced seminar examining global and local challenges and connections that shape patterns of illness/health around the world, including international responses to mental health crises and moral quandaries through ethnographies of mental health care in different settings and treating different conditions. Effective Spring 2023 this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS AN 560
Brave New Worlds: Bioethics as State and Cultural Practice
4 credits.
Explores the various ways that nation-states, cultural communities, and individuals negotiate the ethics and use of biomedical technologies, old and new. Asks what kinds of "moral registers," including religious traditions, state histories, political ideologies, and forms of market engagement shape when and why certain biotechnological developments are denounced as ethical threats or embraced as empowering forms of progress. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, The Individual in Community.
CAS AR 100
Archaeology Today
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Introduction to how archaeologists use material culture to study inequality, diet, gender, religion, identity, and sustainability in global case studies from the origins of humans to the present. Looting, heritage, and repatriation are addressed with the perspectives of descendant communities. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I, Digital/Multimedia Expression. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Critical Thinking, Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AR 100S
Archaeology Today
4 credits.
Introduction to how archaeologists use material culture to study inequality, diet, gender, religion, identity, and sustainability in global case studies from the origins of humans to the present. Looting, heritage, and repatriation are addressed with the perspectives of descendant communities. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I, Digital/Multimedia Expression. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Critical Thinking, Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AR 215
The Contested Past
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Research and Information Literacy
Examination of the diverse and often conflicting values associated with archaeological objects, ancient monuments, and cultural sites. Case studies (including the Elgin Marbles) highlight contemporary controversies over ownership, appropriation, use, and abuse of the material remains of the past. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I, Research and Information Literacy. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS AR 215S
The Contested Past
4 credits. Summer
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Research and Information Literacy
Examination of the diverse and often conflicting values associated with archaeological objects, ancient monuments, and cultural sites. Case studies (including the Elgin Marbles) highlight contemporary controversies over ownership, appropriation, use, and abuse of the material remains of the past. Course fulfills Archaeology undergraduate topical requirement. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following HUB areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiries I, and Research and Information Literacy. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS AR 301
African Diaspora Archaeology
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Introduction to the archaeology of the African diaspora, the global displacement of African people and their descendants. Reviews findings, methodology, and theory around key burial contexts. Emphasis on shifting dialogues, such as human remains stewardship, community engagement, and reburial. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas Critical Thinking, Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS AR 330
Greek Archaeology
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Digital/Multimedia Expression Ethical Reasoning Teamwork/Collaboration
A survey of Greek material culture of the first millennium BCE emphasizing methods, ethics, and narratives of Classical archaeology. Critically engages with anthropology, art history, history, literature, museums, and digital presentations of the Greek past. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS AR 333
Arts of Classical Greece
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Ethical Reasoning Historical Consciousness
Examines architecture, sculpture, painting, and metalwork of the fifth and fourth centuries B.C. in their original contexts. Addresses such larger issues as development of portraiture; tension of "real" and "ideal"; roles and shifting iconographies of myth; and political use of monuments. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
CAS AR 342
Archeology and Israeli Society
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Digital/Multimedia Expression Ethical Reasoning Teamwork/Collaboration
Undergraduate Prerequisites: sophomore, junior, or senior standing. - In Israel, archaeology is part of current events. The study of remains from the Israelite to the Muslim conquests (c. 1200 BCE -- 640 CE) to learn how material evidence created and still plays a role in a larger historical drama. Also offered as CAS RN 390. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS AR 357
Bioarchaeology and the Body
4 credits. Spring
Introduction to the study of human remains in bioarchaeological contexts. Course reviews key theoretical frameworks and methodologies in interpreting valuable information about demography, gender differences, social identities and the daily lives of past peoples, as well as ongoing ethical concerns in bioarchaeological practice. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU HUB areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry I.
CAS AR 369
Indigenous Archaeology
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Introduction to Indigenous archaeology, which seeks to realize a more ethical engagement with Indigenous communities by conducting research "with, for, and by" Indigenous descendant communities. Reviews key theoretical frameworks (e.g., traditional knowledge systems, collaboration, repatriation) and explores the ways this approach is being put into action through case studies. Effective Spring 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub area: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS AR 390
The Archaeology of Southeast Asia
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Examines the evidence for prehistoric and historic cultural sequences across Southeast Asia, presented chronologically and comparatively. Topics include emergent complexity, trade networks, urbanism, metallurgy, public architecture, the rise and fall of early states, the ethics of maritime archaeology and the international antiquities market, and the complex politics of cultural heritage management issues. Effective Spring 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.
CAS AR 395
The Politics of the Past: Archaeology, Museums, and Identity
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Digital/Multimedia Expression Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Historical exploration of the interplay among political/nationalistic pressures and the design, implementation, and interpretation of archaeological research and its public presentation through publications, museum exhibitions, and international expositions. Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS AR 480
Archaeological Ethics and the Law
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. - In this course students examine archaeology and professional ethics; archaeology as public interest; legal organization of archaeology; international approaches to heritage management; looting, collecting and the antiquities market; maritime law and underwater archaeology; cultural resource management in the United States. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Ethical Reasoning.
CAS AR 592
Archaeological Ethics and Law
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. - In this course students examine archaeology and professional ethics; archaeology as public interest; legal organization of archaeology; international approaches to heritage management; looting, collecting and the antiquities market; maritime law and underwater archaeology; cultural resource management in the United States. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Ethical Reasoning.
CAS AR 595
Professional Futures in Archaeology
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Teamwork/Collaboration
A degree in archaeology can get you in the door at museums, the National Park Service, US Customs and other federal agencies, research laboratories, international NGO's, organizations focused on international art law, historical site management, heritage tourism -- and more. For such careers, you need skills that allow you to build on your understanding of archaeological remains and techniques, communicate to a wider public, and create pathways that link subjects and remains of the past to interests and needs in the present. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS AR 795
The Politics of the Past: Archaeology, Museums, and Identity
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Digital/Multimedia Expression Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Undergraduate Prerequisites: graduate standing. - Historical exploration of the interplay among political/nationalistic pressures and the design, implementation, and interpretation of archaeological research and its public presentation through publications, museum exhibitions, and international expositions. Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS AR 892
Archaeological Ethics and Law
4 credits.
In this course students examine archaeology and professional ethics; archaeology as public interest; legal organization of archaeology; international approaches to heritage management; looting, collecting and the antiquities market; maritime law and underwater archaeology; cultural resource management in the United States. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Ethical Reasoning.
CAS BI 306
Biology of Global Change
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Research and Information Literacy Scientific Inquiry II
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASBI107) Recommended: CASCH101 or CASCH171. - The ecological impacts of human activity on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Climate change, forest decline, eutrophication, acidification, loss of species diversity, and restoration of ecosystems. Three hours lecture, three hours lab. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS BI 309
Evolution
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASBI107 & CASBI108) or equivalent. - Introduction to modern concepts, controversies, and analytical approaches in evolutionary biology. Topics include adaptation, natural and sexual selection, species and speciation, phylogenetics, comparative analysis, basic population and quantitative genetics, origin of novelty, adaptive radiation, development and evolution. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Ethical Reasoning.
CAS BI 309S
Evolution
4 credits. Summer
Introduction to modern concepts, controversies, and analytical approaches in evolutionary biology. Topics include adaptation, natural and sexual selection, species and speciation, phylogenetics, comparative analysis, basic population and quantitative genetics, origin of novelty, adaptive radiation, development, and evolution. Students must attend both lecture and discussion. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Ethical Reasoning.
CAS BI 407
Animal Behavior
4 credits. Fall
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Research and Information Literacy
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASBI107) or equivalent. - Ethological approach to animal behavior; physiological, ontogenic, and phylogenic causes; and adaptive significance of behavior examined within an evolutionary framework, minimally including humans. Three hours lecture, three hours lab. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS BI 407S
Animal Behavior
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Research and Information Literacy
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASBI107) or equivalent. - Ethological approach to animal behavior; physiological, ontogenic, and phylogenic causes; and adaptive significance of behavior examined within an evolutionary framework, minimally including humans. Students must register for two sections: lecture and laboratory. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS BI 410S
Developmental Biology
4 credits. Summer
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CAS BI 203) or equivalent or consent of instructor. Contemporary aspects of embryonic development, drawing from current literature. Emphasis on the use of experimental approaches to address topics such as polarity in the egg, body axis specification, embryonic patterning, and organogenesis. Students must register for two sections: lecture and discussion.
CAS BI 448
Biodiversity and Conservation Biology
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASBI303 OR CASBI306) or consent of instructor. - The study of biological diversity and modern methods to protect endangered plant and animal species. The environment, population, and genetic and human factors that affect the survival of species are examined for temperate and tropical communities, as well as terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Three hours lecture, one hour discussion. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS BI 525
Biology of Neurodegenerative Diseases
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Research and Information Literacy
Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASNE 102 or CASBI 108, CASNE 203 or CASBI 325, and CASBI 203/213; and junior and senior standing.- An in-depth look at molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases and their impact and relevance in clinical diagnosis and treatment. Topics include the molecular pathways of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and Creuztfeldt-Jacob Disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS BI 525S
Biology of Neurodegenerative Diseases
4 credits. Summer
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Research and Information Literacy
Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASNE 102 or CASBI 108, CASNE 203 or CASBI 325, and CASBI 203/213; and junior and senior standing.- An in-depth look at molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases and their impact and relevance in clinical diagnosis and treatment. Topics include the molecular pathways of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and Creuztfeldt-Jacob Disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS BI 535
Translational Research in Alzheimer's Disease
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Research and Information Literacy
Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASNE 102 or CASBI 108, CASNE 203 or CASBI 325, and CASBI 203/213; and junior and senior standing. - An introduction to translational research focused on the search for new therapeutic targets in Alzheimer's disease. Emphasis on the development of cellular and animal models for preclinical research, and on past and current clinical trials in Alzheimer's patients. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS BI 572
Advanced Genetics
4 credits. Fall
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASBI206 & CASBI203) CAS BI 552 is recommended. - An in-depth study of eukaryotic genetics, ranging from the history and basic principles to current topics and modern experimental approaches. Genetics of Drosophila, C. elegans, mice, and humans are explored in detail, including readings from primary literature. Three hours lecture, one hour discussion. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS BI 594S
Topics in Biology
4 credits. Summer
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Research and Information Literacy
Topic for Summer 2020: The Neurobiology of Consciousness and Evolution of Language. Prereq: Any college-level neuroscience, psychology, or physiology course. Explores the neuroscience of imagination from neurons to memory to neurological control of novel conscious experiences. Covers what makes the brain and human language unique as well as the selectional forces that shaped the brains of our ancestors. Students must attend both lecture and discussion.
CAS BI 607
Animal Behavior
4 credits. Fall
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Research and Information Literacy
Ethological approach to animal behavior. Physiological, ontogenic, and phylogenic causes and adaptive significance of behavior are examined within an evolutionary framework, minimally including humans. Three hours lecture, three hours laboratory. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS BI 607S
Animal Behavior
4 credits. Summer
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Research and Information Literacy
Prereq: (CAS BI 107) or equivalent. Ethological approach to animal behavior; physiological, ontogenic, and phylogenic causes; and adaptive significance of behavior examined within an evolutionary framework, minimally including humans. Students must register for two sections: lecture and laboratory. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS BI 648
Biodiversity and Conservation Biology
4 credits. Fall and Spring
The study of biological diversity and modern methods to protect endangered plant and animal species. The environment, population, and genetic and human factors that affect the survival of species are examined for temperate and tropical communities, as well as terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Three hours lecture, one hour discussion. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS CC 202
Core Humanities 4: Enlightenment, Romanticism, and Modernity
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CAS CC 101 or WR 120). - IIn this fourth semester of Core humanities, we explore works of philosophy and literature that interrogate Enlightenment and Romantic ideals of social hierarchy, what it means to know, the relations of subjectivity to reason, and how freedom can be found. Works by Voltaire, Kant, Austen, Shelley, the English Romantic Poets, Beethoven, Goethe, Whitman, Dickinson, and Douglass are included. We cross the threshold of the twentieth century with drama by Chekhov, the perspectivism of Nietzsche, and a critique of inequality by W.E.B. Du Bois. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Writing- Intensive Course..
CAS CI 269
Representations of the Holocaust in Literature and Film
4 credits.
How can we understand the impact of the Holocaust and its ongoing legacies' Holocaust representation in literature, film and memorials, including discussions of bystander complicity and societal responsibilities, testimonial and fictive works by Wiesel and Levi, documentaries and feature films. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS CI 319
Disability and Queerness in Speculative Fiction
4 credits. Fall and Spring
This course examines how LGBTQ2IA speculative fiction engages with disability and other intersecting frameworks of difference to present alternate, parallel, or invented worlds. This course provides opportunities for students to strengthen ethical reasoning, cultural analysis, and aesthetic exploration. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS CI 353
Stalin's Crimes: Gulag and Genocide
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Historical Consciousness Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar CAS WR 100 or 120 or equivalent. - History, poetry and prose written in the genocidal conditions of Stalinist Russia, when the revolutionary euphoria and artistic innovation of the 1920s came up against the political repression and violence of the modern totalitarian state. Readings and films from some of the greatest poets, directors and prose writers of the 20th century display the richness of modern Russian literature as well as the complex interplay of political power, cinema and the written word, of murderous history and the creative imagination, during the Ukraine famine-genocide and the gulags. Effective Spring 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness.
CAS CI 365
Modern Korean Culture through Cinema (in English translation)
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Introduction to Korean Cinema from the early 20th century to the present. Discussion and essays on ethics of representation, colonialism, wars, state violence against citizens, psychological violence, sexual violence. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS CL 121
What Is a Good Life' Ancient Wisdom and Modern Insights
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Close examination of literary and philosophical texts from the ancient world and modern psychology that address the question of what constitutes a good life. Themes include: selfhood and the pursuit of happiness, individualism and communities, love, and health. All texts in translation. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS CL 121S
What is a Good Life' Ancient Wisdom and Modern Insights
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Close examination of literary and philosophical texts from the ancient world and modern psychology that address the question of what constitutes a good life. Themes include selfhood and the pursuit of happiness, individualism and communities, love, and health. All texts in translation. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS CL 224
Greek Drama in Translation
4 credits. Fall and Spring
The history and development of ancient Greek theater; study of important plays in the genres of tragedy, comedy, and satyr drama by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, and Menander. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS CL 229
Roman Comedy
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Teamwork/Collaboration
Selected plays. Explores the Roman adaptation of Greek comic forms, the development of a Roman point of view, practical aspects of staging plays, and the influence of early Roman comedy on later literature. All texts in translation. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS CL 300
The Age of Pericles
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Creativity/Innovation Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASCL101 OR CASCL321) or consent of instructor. - History, literature, and culture of Athens during the mid-fifth century BCE. Development of the empire, the rise of democracy, the Sophistic movement, tragedy, the construction of the Parthenon and other monuments. Readings (in translation) from Aeschylus, Sophocles, Herodotus, Thucydides, Aristophanes, and fragmentary sources. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS CL 303
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASCL102 OR CASCL322) or consent of instructor. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - The causes and consequences of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Topics include Romans and barbarians; the rise and spread of Christianity; Constantine the Great; the death of classic paganism; theories of decline; the grand strategy of the Roman Empire; monasticism; the emergence of Byzantium and Constantinople; the origins of Islam; and the transformation of classical art, literature, and thought and their influence on Christianity. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS CS 519
Spark! Software Engineering X-Lab Practicum
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Teamwork/Collaboration
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASCS411 OR CDSDS310) or equiv. experience in software development and consent of instructor . - Consent provided upon successful completion of pass/fail diagnostic test that assesses student readiness to take the course. This course offers students in computing disciplines the opportunity to apply their programming and system development skills by working on real-world projects provided from partnering organizations within and outside of BU, which are curated by Spark! The course offers a range of project options where students can improve their technical skills, while also gaining the soft skills necessary to deliver projects aligned to the partner's goals. These include teamwork and communications skills and software development processes. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS CS 549
Spark! Machine Learning X-Lab Practicum
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Research and Information Literacy Teamwork/Collaboration
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASCS505 OR CASCS542 OR CASCS585) or consent of instructor. Consent provided upon successful completion of pass/fail diagnostic test that will assess student readiness to tak e the course. - The Spark! Practicum offers students in computing disciplines the opportunity to apply their knowledge in algorithms, inferential analytics, and software development by working on real-world projects provided from partnering organizations within BU and from outside. The course offers a range of project options where students can improve their technical skills, while also gaining the soft skills necessary to deliver projects aligned to the partner's goals. These include teamwork and communications skills and software development processes. All students participating in the course are expected to complete a project focused on an application of inferential analytics or machine learning, including a final presentation to the partner organization. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS EC 101
Introductory Microeconomic Analysis
4 credits. Fall and Spring
The first semester of a standard two-semester sequence for those considering further work in management or economics. Coverage includes economics of households, business firms, and markets; consumer behavior and the demand for commodities; production, costs, and the supply of commodities; price determination; competition and monopoly; efficiency of resource allocation; governmental regulation; income distribution; and poverty. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking. In 2019-20 this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS EC 101S
Introductory Microeconomic Analysis
4 credits.
The first semester of a standard two-semester sequence is for those considering further work in management or economics. Coverage includes the economics of households, business firms, and markets; consumer behavior and the demand for commodities; production, costs, and the supply of commodities; price determination; competition and monopoly; efficiency of resource allocation; governmental regulation; income distribution; and poverty. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS EC 320
Economics of Less-Developed Regions
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASEC101 & CASEC102) - Theoretical and empirical examination of the structural changes associated with the process of economic development; special reference to poor regions and countries; rigorous analysis of criteria for policy judgments in developing planning and programming. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry II.
CAS EC 320S
Economics of Less-Developed Regions
4 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASEC101 & CASEC102) - Theoretical and empirical examination of the structural changes associated with the process of economic development; special reference to poor regions and countries; rigorous analysis of criteria for policy judgments in development planning and programming.
CAS EC 333
Market Organization and Public Policy
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASEC201 OR CASEC332) - Introduction to antitrust and regulatory policy. Studies sources of market inefficiency and historical and current policy towards topics such as collusion, merger, monopolization, and regulatory treatment of competition issues. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS EC 337
Economic Analysis of Legal Issues
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Research and Information Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASEC201) First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - Economic analysis of current important legal issues. Contributions of economics to analysis of contracts, torts property, and crime. Effects of property rights on allocation of resources and distribution of income. Market and nonmarket schemes of regulating the environment. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS EC 337S
ECON: LEGAL ISS
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Research and Information Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASEC201) First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - ECON: LEGAL ISS
CAS EC 371
Environmental Economics
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Teamwork/Collaboration
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASEC201) - Role of economics in environmental planning. Economic analysis of the causes of pollution and its control through taxes, the use of property rights, and standards. Application of cost-benefit models as an aid in policy decisions affecting the environment. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS EC 371S
Environmental Economics
4 credits. Summer
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Teamwork/Collaboration
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASEC201) - Role of economics in environmental planning. Economic analysis of the causes of pollution and its control through taxes, the use of property rights, and standards. Application of cost-benefit models as an aid in policy decisions affecting the environment. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS EE 100
Environmental Change and Sustainability
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Introduces the distinctive ways that environmental change and sustainability are studied across the environmental social sciences and humanities, focusing on the contested meanings as much as material realities and policy responses to global challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry I, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS EE 100S
Environmental Change and Sustainability
4 credits. Summer
Introduces the distinctive ways that environmental change and sustainability are studied across the environmental social sciences and humanities, focusing on the contested meanings as much as material realities and policy responses to global challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry I, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS EE 142
Introduction to Beach and Shoreline Processes
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Coastal processes including tidal currents, wave action, longshore transport, and estuarine circulation; barrier island and spit formation; study of beaches, dunes, and marshes; effects of tectonics, glaciers, and rivers on beaches and coastal morphology. Cape Cod field trip. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS EE 144
Introduction to Oceanography
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Corequisites: (CASMR144)is required of all Marine Science majors registering for CAS EE 144. - Examines the physical, geological, chemical, and biological processes that govern that oceans with a focus on how the ocean is impacted by and also moderates the pace of global change. Dynamic nature of the oceans on both a short- and a long-term scale is emphasized. Marine Science majors are required to register for co-req CAS MR 144 as well. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS EE 144S
Introduction to Oceanography
4 credits.
Undergraduate Corequisites: (CASMR144)is required of all Marine Science majors registering for CAS EE 144. - Examines the physical, geological, chemical, and biological processes that govern the oceans with a focus on how the ocean is impacted by and also moderates the pace of global change. Dynamic nature of the oceans on both a short- and a long-term scale is emphasized. Carries natural science divisional credit (without lab) in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS EE 230
Environmental Humanities and Society
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Ethical Reasoning Writing-Intensive Course
Pre- Requisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - Introduces students to Environmental Humanities as an interdisciplinary field exploring our understandings of diverse social, cultural, and aesthetic relationships to lived environments, environmental change, and environmental justice. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU HUB areas: Writing-Intensive, Ethical Reasoning, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS EE 328E
Australia Global Environment
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Study Abroad enrollment.
CAS EE 385
Israel and the Environment
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Natural, social, and political factors in Israeli environmental resource management, impact on vulnerable populations, and opportunities for post- conflict, cross-border cooperation, environmental justice, and equitable division of scarce resources. Considers possibilities for a new paradigm in Middle Eastern sustainable development. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry II.
CAS EE 387
Environmental Law in Israel and the Mediterranean
4 credits. Spring
Principles, theories and tools for environmental law and regulation, and implementation through cases in Israel and the Eastern Mediterranean. Through case studies, students critically analyze a range of environmental issues: nature protection, air pollution, marine protection, climate change and more. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU HUB areas: Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS EE 585
Ecological Forecasting and Informatics
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Teamwork/Collaboration
Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASBI 303 or BI 306; CASMA 121 or MA 123; CASMA 115 or MA 213 or CASEE 375; or consent of instructor. - The statistics and informatics of model-data fusion and forecasting: data management, workflows, Bayesian statistics, uncertainty analysis, fusing multiple data sources, assessing model performance, scenario development, decision analysis, and data assimilation. Case studies highlight ecological forecasting across a range of subdisciplines. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS EE 594
Global Environmental Negotiation and Policy
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. - Provides an overview of key actors, issues, and treaties in global environmental governance, paying particular attention to historical and contemporary differences in perspectives and interests of industrialized and developing countries. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry II.
CAS EN 125
Reading Modern Literature
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Introduces key concepts for understanding major developments in modern literature. Readings in poetry, drama and fiction from varying traditions, designed to motivate an interest in some of the most engaging, and challenging, works of our time. Topics vary by instructor. In the 2018-19 Academic year, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Writing- Intensive Course. In the 19-20 academic year, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS EN 125S
Reading Modern Literature
4 credits.
Introduces key concepts for understanding major developments in modern literature. Readings in poetry, drama, and fiction from varying traditions, designed to motivate an interest in some of the most engaging, and challenging, works of our time. Topics vary by instructor. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Writing- intensive Course.
CAS EN 130
Science/Fiction
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: None - Through readings in British and/or American literature, an exploration of some of the following topics: science and technology as literary themes; historical construction of science and art; similarities and differences between literary and scientific methods; the development of science fiction. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning, Writing-Intensive Course. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS EN 130S
Science/Fiction
4 credits. Summer
Through readings in British and/or American literature, an exploration of some of the following topics: science and technology as literary themes; historical construction of science and art; similarities and differences between literary and scientific methods; the development of science fiction. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning, Writing-Intensive Course. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS EN 141
Introduction to Fiction
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Introduces critical concepts for analyzing works of fiction. Readings in different periods, genres, and traditions, ranging from canonical masterpieces to unheralded literary gems, aimed to cultivate an appetite for the pleasures, and rigors, of narrative art. Topics vary by instructor. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS EN 141S
Introduction to Fiction
4 credits.
Introduces critical concepts for analyzing works of fiction. Readings in different periods, genres, and traditions, ranging from canonical masterpieces to unheralded literary gems, aimed to cultivate an appetite for the pleasures, and rigors, of narrative art. Topics vary by instructor. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same number that was previously titled "Literary Types: Fiction." Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS EN 162
The Ethics of Art
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Does art make you good' How does it shape our values and sense of justice' Ancient thinkers (Plato, Horace) and modern theorists (Wollstonecraft, Wilde), followed by contemporary case studies. Topics may include propaganda, body aesthetics, animals, disability, pornography, graffiti, censorship. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS EN 180
Post-Apocalyptic Narratives
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Why is contemporary culture drawn to stories of zombies, social collapse, and environmental disaster' What fascinates us about dystopia' Stories, novels, graphic novels, film, and television all examined to explore questions of narrative, interpretation, genre, politics, "high" vs. "popular" culture. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS EN 230
Environmental Humanities and Society
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Aesthetic Exploration Ethical Reasoning Writing-Intensive Course
Pre- Requisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - Introduces students to Environmental Humanities as an interdisciplinary field exploring our understandings of diverse social, cultural, and aesthetic relationships to lived environments, environmental change, and environmental justice. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU HUB areas: Writing-Intensive, Ethical Reasoning, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS EN 343
Modern Irish Writers
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Readings in Irish fiction, drama, and poetry, with attention to historical context, aesthetics forms, and values, from 1890 to the present, by such writers as Wilde, Yeats, Lady Gregory, Joyce, Bowen, Beckett, Heaney, Boland, Muldoon, and Carr. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS EN 357
Modern British Drama: A Critic's Perspective
4 credits. Fall and Spring
This course offers an aesthetic and ethical understanding of postwar and contemporary British drama, as well as the interpretation of its literary genres, plus knowledge of critical tools -- including journalistic reviewing skills -- for the analysis of current shows. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
CAS EN 357E
Modern British Drama
4 credits. Fall, Spring, Summer
Offers a broad study of major developments in British drama over the past fifty years as they relate to British society. The work of specific writers is analyzed in detail. Prerequisites: advanced (junior or senior) standing; previous coursework in British drama, British literature, or theatre arts. Enrollment is limited to 15 students. A course fee will be charged in London to cover the costs of theatre excursions.
CAS EN 548
Joyce and After
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: two previous literature courses or junior or senior standing. - Readings in transatlantic modernism (Irish, British, American) from 1922 forward. Joyce's Ulysses is central. Other readings from authors such as James Baldwin, Alison Bechdel, Samuel Beckett, Elizabeth Bishop, Ralph Ellison, William Faulkner, Langston Hughes, Alice Walker, and Virginia Woolf. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Aesthetic Exploration.
CAS HI 207
Game of Thrones: Power and Politics in Pre-Modern Europe
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Creativity/Innovation Ethical Reasoning Historical Consciousness
This course employs medieval and early modern authors, as well as contemporary scholars, as vehicles for understanding the dynamics of power, gender, violence and politics in George Martin's novel, Game of Thrones. Effective Fall 2023 this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS HI 207S
Game of Thrones: Power and Politics in Pre-Modern Europe
4 credits. Summer
BU Hub Learn More Creativity/Innovation Ethical Reasoning Historical Consciousness
This course employs medieval and early modern authors, as well as contemporary scholars, as vehicles for understanding the dynamics of power, gender, violence, and politics in George Martin's novel, Game of Thrones. Effective Summer 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS HI 209
The Reformation: Religious Conflict in Early Modern Europe
4 credits.
Examines religious change in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Europe, particularly the origins and causes of the Protestant Reformation, the parallel Catholic Reformation, and the consequent military conflicts in Germany, France, and the Netherlands. Also offered as CAS RN 310. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry I.
CAS HI 209S
The Reformation: Religious Conflict in Early Modern Europe
4 credits. Summer
Examines religious change in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Europe, particularly the origins and causes of the Protestant Reformation, the parallel Catholic Reformation, and the consequent military conflicts in Germany, France, and the Netherlands. Also offered as CAS RN 310. Effective Spring 2024 this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry I.
CAS HI 228
Nationalism in Spain within the European Context
4 credits. Fall and Spring
This course examines peripheral nationalist movements in Spain -Catalu¿a, Galicia and Basque Country- and its political, social, economic, and cultural implications. These identities are also studied from a wider European perspective with references to the political situation in the USA. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry I.
CAS HI 228S
HIST MOD DIPLOM
4 credits. Summer
NATIONLSM SPAIN
CAS HI 271
The Nazis
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Explores the rise and fall of Europe's most notorious mass movement through film, diaries, party documents, and other sources. Considers the impact of Nazi rule on art, finance, politics, and family life. Analyzes the mass murder and destruction caused by Nazi rule. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS HI 305
American Thought and Culture, 1776-1900
4 credits.
History 305 examines how major American thinkers and intellectual movements of the "long nineteenth century" constructed an "exceptional" national identity by adjusting their culture's provincial Protestant and Enlightenment traditions to the challenges of transnational democratic, Romantic, and secular modes of thinking. Specific topics include Transcendentalism, evangelical and liberal Protestantism, pro- and anti- slavery arguments about "freedom," race and gender theory, philosophical idealism, literary realism, scientific Darwinism, and evolutionary social science. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS HI 306
American Thought and Culture, 1900 to the Present
4 credits.
History 306 examines American thought in the 20th century when thinkers anointed their times "modern" and themselves "modernists" in revolt against the moral certainties and progressivist faiths of the 19th century. Four discourses driving this turn are spotlighted in the course's first half: philosophical pragmatism, social science relativism, non-rational modern art, and debates over America's role in the world. In the second half we consider post-World II conservative, multicultural, and postmodernist challenges to modernist norms in science, religion, liberal politics, and popular culture. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS HI 331
Drugs and Security in the Americas
4 credits. Fall and Spring
(Meets with CAS IR 290). Drug trafficking has become a dominant issue in U.S.- Latin American relations. This class examines the War on Drugs from both U.S. and Latin American perspectives in order to draw out racial, socio-economic, political, and gender-based dimensions and explore alternatives. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS HI 347
Bodies, Drugs, and Healing: A Global History of Medicine
4 credits. Fall and Spring
An introduction to the history of medicine in global contexts, offering a broad perspective on the ways that bodies, healers, drugs, and health have been conceptualized, from antiquity to the present day, in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS HI 449
The History of Soviet Terror
4 credits. Fall
BU Hub Learn More Creativity/Innovation Ethical Reasoning Historical Consciousness
Undergraduate Prerequisites: sophomore standing. - Examines how terror became a tool of revolutionary transformation in the USSR, one which first strengthened, then unseated Soviet state power. Explores how Soviet people experienced and participated in such violence as a part of their everyday lives. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS HI 460
Animals in America
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Historical Consciousness Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - Examines the place of animals in North American culture and society from pre- colonial times to the twentieth century, to shed light on popular beliefs, social relationships, environmental change, and politics. From hunting to husbandry, pet keeping to popular entertainment, we will look at animals to understand larger trends in American history. Topics include pigs in New York City, Jumbo the Elephant, and Bambi. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness.
CAS HI 526
Poverty and Democracy: Modern India and the United States in Comparative Perspective
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120). - Through an examination of historical, empirical, and journalistic evidence, students examine the peculiar and pernicious nature of modern and contemporary poverty in the context of two large democracies, India and the United States. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry II.
CAS HI 559
Wars, Peace, and Diplomacy
4 credits. Fall
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Why do wars occur' What constitutes peace' How is peace maintained or lost' What are the virtues and deficiencies of diplomacy as practitioners have implemented it' How do memory, justice, and the requirements of security interact in the international arena' Effective Fall 2023 this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS HI 609
Christendom Divided: Reformation and Religious Conflict in Early Modern Europe
4 credits.
Examines religious change in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Europe, particularly the origins and causes of the Protestant Reformation, the parallel Catholic Reformation, and the consequent military conflicts in Germany, France, and the Netherlands. Also offered as CAS RN 310. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry I.
CAS HI 705
American Thought and Culture, 1776 to 1900
4 credits.
Examines how intellectuals constructed an "exceptional" American identity by adjusting provincial Protestant and Enlightenment traditions to the challenges of transnational democratic, Romantic, and secular thought. Topics include Transcendentalism, pro- and anti-slavery movements, philosophical idealism, literary realism, and Darwinian theories. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS HI 706
American Thought and Culture, 1900 to the Present
4 credits.
Investigates how American thinkers brought about an intellectual revolution in three challenging moments: the naturalist revolt in pragmatic philosophy and modern art; progressive liberals' confrontations with radicalism and new conservatisms; and post-structuralists' uncertain leap beyond modernist science, religion, and humanities. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course entitled "Intellectual History of the United States, 1900 to the Present" that was previously numbered GRS HI 706. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS IR 234
Fundamentals of Strategic Intelligence
4 credits. Fall and Spring
What do intelligence agencies do and why' Intelligence is a crucial but widely misunderstood element of foreign policy decision making. Addresses intelligence gathering, analysis, and covert action, as well as key legal and ethical issues. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS IR 242
Globalization and World Poverty
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Addresses enduring global poverty and race, ethnic, gender, and class inequalities, especially in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Focuses on colonialism and post-colonialism, strategies of development, urbanization, immigration, religion, politics, women, drugs, social justice, and health issues. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS IR 290
Drugs and Security in the Americas
4 credits. Fall and Spring
(Meets with CAS HI 331). Drug trafficking has become a dominant issue in U.S.- Latin American relations. This class examines the War on Drugs from both U.S. and Latin American perspectives in order to draw out racial, socio-economic, political, and gender-based dimensions and explore alternatives. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS IR 305E
COMP EUROPE POL
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Research and Information Literacy Social Inquiry I
Undergraduate Prerequisites: enrollment in the Paris Internship Program. - COMP EUROPE POL
CAS IR 306E
INTL HUM RIGHTS
4 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: enrollment in the Dublin Internship Program. First Year Writing Semina r (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - INTL HUM RIGHTS
CAS IR 311
Climate Change and Development Policy
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Explores global and regional policy responses to the twin challenges of sustainable development and adaptation to climate change from a comparative and interdisciplinary perspective. Critically examines existing policies and radical alternatives to these challenges at global, regional and national scales. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS IR 311S
Climate Change and Development Policy
4 credits. Summer
Explores global and regional policy responses to the twin challenges of sustainable development and adaptation to climate change from a comparative and interdisciplinary perspective. Critically examines existing policies and radical alternatives to these challenges at global, regional and national scales. Effective Summer 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS IR 347
Causes of War and Peace
4 credits.
War is the most destructive social act in which humanity engages. Why does war happen' This question is addressed by focusing on a variety of scholarly explanations. Theoretical discussions are paired with an examination of historical cases. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS IR 347S
Causes of War and Peace
4 credits.
War is the most destructive social act in which humanity engages. Why does war happen' This question is addressed by focusing on a variety of scholarly explanations. Theoretical discussions are paired with an examination of historical cases.
CAS IR 352
International Human Rights: Applying Human Rights in Africa
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Teamwork/Collaboration
Meets with CAS PO 378. Studies the growing international influence on politics of human rights principles, documents, and organizations, drawing especially on African cases such as Congo, Zimbabwe, and Sudan. The class explores the relationship between civil and political rights and economic, social, and culture rights. We consider debates over claims of universality vs. cultural relativism, individual vs. group rights, and ways to improve human rights enforcement well respecting local cultures. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS IR 352S
International Human Rights
4 credits. Summer
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Teamwork/Collaboration
Studies the growing international influence on politics of human rights principles, documents, and organizations, drawing especially on African cases such as Congo, Zimbabwe, and Sudan. Topics include universality vs. cultural relativism, individual vs. group rights, and issues in human rights enforcement.
CAS IR 353
Nuclear Security
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Teamwork/Collaboration
Meets with CAS PO 356. Provides students with the foundation for understanding nuclear security in the twenty-first century. Emphasis on the American Cold War experience, the growing threat of nuclear proliferation, the renaissance of civilian nuclear power, safeguards, and nuclear weapons under budget constraints. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS IR 354
Gender & Global Politics
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Introduction to gender and global politics, across both developing and advanced industrial democracies. Focuses on political and economic underpinnings of gender inequality. Students propose and analyze policy solutions to address political gender inequality around the globe using data and cases. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.
CAS IR 361E
POLICYMAKNG
4 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: enrollment in the London Internship Program. - POLICY MAKING
CAS IR 378
Intelligence in a Democratic Society
4 credits. Fall
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Teamwork/Collaboration
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASIR271) - The intelligence process and its role in democratic societies; the organization and functions of the U.S. intelligence community; techniques of intelligence collection, analysis, counterintelligence and covert action; assessment of problems and attempted solutions in the United States and other democracies. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS IR 378S
Intelligence in a Democratic Society
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Teamwork/Collaboration
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASIR271) - The intelligence process and its role in democratic societies; the organization and functions of the U.S. intelligence community; techniques of intelligence collection, analysis, counterintelligence and covert action; assessment of problems and attempted solutions in the United States and other democracies.
CAS IR 379
Civil-Military Relations: Theory and Practice
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Teamwork/Collaboration
Examines the tension between political leadership and the military force in the U.S. and the world. Students analyze civil-military relations theory and history, and the responsibilities of the military, civilian leadership, and the public. Effective Spring 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS IR 391E
Democratization
4 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: enrollment in the Washington, DC Internship Program. - DEMOCRACY 21STC. Effective Fall 2023 fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Critical Thinking, Creativity/Innovation, Social Inquiry I.
CAS IR 444E
The Activities of International Organizations
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: admission to the Geneva Internship Program. -
The purpose of this course is to examine and problematize the way in which international organizations, governmental and non-governmental alike but the United Nations in particular, have shaped international relations and international law. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry I.
CAS IR 505
Arms Control and Proliferation of Weapons
4 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. First Year Writing Seminar ( e.g., WR 100 or WR 120). - Examines why and how arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation have become important issues in modern diplomacy. Analyzes the progress made in concluding global and regional agreements, verification and compliance techniques, and their role in post-Cold War security issues. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry II.
CAS IR 516
Intelligence and Homeland Security
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Historical Consciousness Oral and/or Signed Communication
Introduces students to the interplay of intelligence and homeland security by answering questions such as: Who threatens' How and why do they threaten' Who protects the homeland' How do they protect us' What ethical framework should we apply' Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness.
CAS IR 525
21st Century Deterrence: Nuclear, Space, Cyber
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Teamwork/Collaboration
Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. - Examines the challenges of deterrence in an era of multipolarity, proliferation, and technological change, with a particular focus on nuclear weapons, the militarization of space and cyber warfare. Analyzes strategic planning and posture reviews and their consequences for deterring adversaries. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS IR 526
National and Homeland Security Law
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Historical Consciousness Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: limited to juniors, seniors, and graduate students. First-Year Writing Seminar (CAS WR 120 or equivalent) and CAS IR 271. - This course examines national and homeland security law as the balance between the state's requirement for security juxtaposed against civil liberties. We study the Constitution, judicial cases, and other primary sources focusing on specific topic areas. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing- Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness.
CAS IR 544
Solving Humanitarian Crises
4 credits. Fall
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. First Year Writing Seminar ( e.g., CAS WR 100 or WR 120). - Humanitarian crises inflict vast suffering on people, upend economies, and threaten regional stability. This course investigates how diplomacy involving diverse stakeholders and tools can support solutions, even when conflicts evade comprehensive resolution, focusing on the Syrian and Rohingya refugee crises. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS IR 557
Guerrilla Warfare and Terrorism
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - Why do terrorists do what they do' How can their threat by reduced' The course examines the history and evolution of political terrorism, assesses terrorists' motivations and "marketing," and explores risk factors ranging from the global to the personal level. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS IR 559
Leadership and Cultural Change in Large Organizations
4 credits. Fall
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Teamwork/Collaboration
Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. - Analyzes the determinants of successful leadership and the importance of diversity in large organizations, with focus on how to transform dysfunctional cultures. Using military and corporate case studies, addresses how to identify root causes of problems and impediments to change. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS IR 566
History of Deportation & Border Security in the Americas
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120). - Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the U.S. has deported over 10 million Latin Americans. Drawing on history, anthropology, sociology, and films, this course explores how certain people--mostly Latin Americans--came to be considered deportable over time. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing- Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS IR 573
Seminar in Public International Law
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. First-Year Writing Seminar (WR 120 or equivalent). - Overview of the rules, principles, and institutions of public international law. Surveys the basic doctrinal architecture of the field and examines rapidly developing subfields and controversies. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS IR 573S
Introduction to Public International Law
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. First-Year Writing Seminar (WR 120 or equivalent). - The role of international law in efforts to solve current problems of world order. Emphasis on environmental protection and the regulation of ocean space and resources. The role of law in conflict and cooperation, and the quest for international security.
CAS IR 581
The Evolution of Strategic Intelligence
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Historical Consciousness Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: limited to juniors, seniors, and graduate students. First-Year Writing Seminar (CAS WR 120 or equivalent) and CAS IR 271. - With emphasis on U.S. intelligence activities from the American Revolution through the Cold War, IR 581 examines various aspects of intelligence practices, principles, organizations, activities, and events and the impact intelligence has had on global events. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness.
CAS IR 581S
EVOL/STRAT INT
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Historical Consciousness Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: limited to juniors, seniors, and graduate students. First-Year Writing Seminar (CAS WR 120 or equivalent) and CAS IR 271. - STRATEGIC INTEL
CAS IR 583
Strategies of Defense Planning
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: open to juniors and seniors in International Relations and Political S cience who have completed the First-Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or 120) and Writing, Research & Inquiry (WR 150, 151, 152). - It is highly-recommended that students have previously taken a 200 or 300-level IR course. Students who have not met these requirements need instructor approval to take this course. Addresses principles and practices of U.S. defense planning. Investigates how the Department of Defense receives and develops strategic direction, builds military capability and executes operational missions. Examines the requirements, acquisition, and resource allocation process for new weapon systems. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Writing- Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS IR 591
Political Economy of Gender Inequality
4 credits. Fall
Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior or senior standing; or consent of instructor. - Gender inequality is an enduring social phenomenon, despite variation over time and place. This course analyzes the political, economic, and social dimensions of gender inequality. It follows a comparative approach, focusing particularly on empirical analysis while also addressing fundamental normative issues of fairness. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry II, Critical Thinking.
CAS IR 594
Global Environmental Negotiation and Policy
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. - Provides an overview of key actors, issues, and treaties in global environmental governance, paying particular attention to historical and contemporary differences in perspectives and interests of industrialized and developing countries. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry II.
CAS IR 660
Rwanda: Genocide and Its Aftermath
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Research and Information Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Freshman Writing Seminar. - Explores the factors that led to the 1994 genocide of the Tutsi in Rwanda, how Rwanda compares to other cases of genocide and extreme violence, and the efforts in post-genocide Rwanda to rebuild, pursue justice, and promote reconciliation. Effective Spring 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS JS 260
The Holocaust
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Rise of German (and European) antisemitism; rise of Nazism; 1935 Nuremberg Laws; the initial Jewish reaction; racial theory; organizing mass murder including ghettos, concentration camps, killing squads, and gas chambers; bystanders and collaborators (countries, organizations, and individuals); Jewish resistance; post-Holocaust religious responses; moral and ethical issues. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS JS 261
Representations of the Holocaust in Literature and Film
4 credits. Fall and Spring
How can we understand the impact of the Holocaust and its ongoing legacies' Holocaust representation in literature, film and memorials, including discussions of bystander complicity and societal responsibilities, testimonial and fictive works by Wiesel and Levi, documentaries and feature films. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness.
CAS JS 369
Primo Levi Within Holocaust Literature
4 credits. Fall and Spring
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. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS JS 379
Islamophobia and Antisemitism
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning The Individual in Community Teamwork/Collaboration
Explores historical and contemporary manifestations of Islamophobia and Antisemitism. Students are exposed to wide range of relevant written and visual texts as well as theoretical approaches. Includes active learning component and collaborative presentations by students. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, The Individual in Community, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS JS 380
Israeli Culture though Media
4 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLH212) or equivalent. - An advanced Hebrew language course, which uses as its "textbook" Israeli newspapers, television, and online news media. Students follow current events in Israel (politics, business, sports, etc.); compare coverage in diverse outlets; speak and write knowledgeably about Israeli society. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Digital/Multimedia Expression.
CAS JS 385
Israel and the Environment
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Natural, social, and political factors in Israeli environmental resource management, impact on vulnerable populations, and opportunities for post- conflict, cross-border cooperation, environmental justice, and equitable division of scarce resources. Considers possibilities for a new paradigm in Middle Eastern sustainable development. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning. Social Inquiry II.
CAS JS 387
Environmental Law in Israel and the Mediterranean
4 credits. Spring
Principles, theories and tools for environmental law and regulation, and implementation through cases in Israel and the Eastern Mediterranean. Through case studies, students critically analyze a range of environmental issues: nature protection, air pollution, marine protection, climate change and more. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU HUB areas: Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS JS 389
Archeology and Israeli Society
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Digital/Multimedia Expression Ethical Reasoning Teamwork/Collaboration
Undergraduate Prerequisites: sophomore, junior, or senior standing. - In Israel, archaeology is part of current events. The study of remains from the Israelite to the Muslim conquests (c. 1200 BCE -- 640 CE) to learn how material evidence created and still plays a role in a larger historical drama. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS JS 416
Biblical Fakes and Forgeries
4 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Religion, philosophy, or archaeology majors or minors with junior or s enior standing, or consent of instructor. - Examines issues regarding forged documents and artifacts relating to the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. Examples of forgeries (alleged and certain) include: book of Daniel, Letter of Aristeas, Gnostic Gospels, Secret Gospel of Mark; forged Scrolls in museum collections. Proposed Edit: Examines forged documents and artifacts relating to Hebrew Bible and New Testament, probing historical and ethical questions they raise. Examples (alleged and certain forgeries) include: book of Daniel, Gnostic Gospels, Secret Gospel of Mark, and forged Dead Sea Scroll fragments. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS JS 460
Seminar on the Holocaust
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Historical Consciousness Oral and/or Signed Communication
This course will examine historical, ethical and religious issues arising from the Holocaust. We will discuss antisemitism and ideology; what communities were considered "other"; human motivation regarding collaborators, perpetrators and bystanders; the role of individuals, organizations and governments; the treatment of women; the ethics of resistance; the behavior of the Jewish Councils; and attitudes to the existence of God during and after the Holocaust. We will also compare the Holocaust to contemporary crises now occurring around the world. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness.
CAS LC 426
Chinese American Stories: History, Identity, and Community
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate prerequisite: two 300-level modern Chinese courses or consent of instructor. - When and why did certain Chinese people choose to immigrate to the US for a new life' What were their stories upon arrival' Students develop all language skills and communicative strategies to explore the Chinese American experience in Chinese. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry I, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS LF 487
Topics in Memory & Monument
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Through interdisciplinary, in-depth study, explores the history, legacy, and future of a single 'lieu de memoire'--an iconic 'site of memory' that serves as a cultural touchstone. Sources include manuscripts, architecture, literary texts, music, film, photography, and others. Taught in English. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Aesthetic Exploration, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS LF 687
Topics in Memory & Monument
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Through interdisciplinary, in-depth study, explores the history, legacy, and future of a single 'lieu de memoire'--an iconic 'site of memory' that serves as a cultural touchstone. Sources include manuscripts, architecture, literary texts, music, film, photography, and others. Taught in English.
CAS LG 463
German Theatre
4 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLG350) or consent of instructor. - Masterpieces from the German theater viewed chronologically (from Lessing to the present) or according to a particular period. Development of the theater, history of acting. Relationship between genre (puppet theater, bourgeois and classical tragedy, comedy) and class. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS LH 340
Israeli Culture though Media
4 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLH212) or consent of instructor. - An advanced Hebrew language course, which uses as its "textbook" Israeli newspapers, television, and online news media. Students follow current events in Israel (politics, business, sports, etc.); compare coverage in diverse outlets; speak and write knowledgeably about Israeli society. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Digital/Multimedia Expression.
CAS LI 459
Primo Levi Within Holocaust Literature
4 credits.
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. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS LJ 441
Japanese through Media
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Digital/Multimedia Expression Ethical Reasoning Social Inquiry I
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLJ303) - Analysis and discussion of authentic print, digital, visual, and social media while developing a high level of Japanese proficiency, and gaining knowledge of current issues and media literacy. Develops critical reading/viewing skills as well as communicative and intercultural proficiency. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry I.
CAS LK 383
Modern Korean Culture through Cinema (in English translation)
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Introduction to Korean Cinema from the early 20th century to the present. Discussion and essays on ethics of representation, colonialism, wars, state violence against citizens, psychological violence, sexual violence. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS LK 440
Korean Conversation and Composition through Media
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Digital/Multimedia Expression Ethical Reasoning Social Inquiry I
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLK312) or consent of instructor. - Intensive practice of both oral and written forms of Korean. Survey of important cultural, social, political, and economic issues in Korea as portrayed in films, television, and periodicals. Development of effective written and spoken communication. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry I.
CAS LR 353
Stalin's Crimes: Gulag and Genocide
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Historical Consciousness Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar CAS WR 100 or 120 or equivalent. - History, poetry and prose written in the genocidal conditions of Stalinist Russia, when the revolutionary euphoria and artistic innovation of the 1920s came up against the political repression and violence of the modern totalitarian state. Readings and films from some of the greatest poets, directors and prose writers of the 20th century display the richness of modern Russian literature as well as the complex interplay of political power, cinema and the written word, of murderous history and the creative imagination, during the Ukraine famine-genocide and the gulags. Effective Spring 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness.
CAS LS 548
Topics in Text/Image/Spectacle in the Hispanic World
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASLS 350 and one CASLS 400-level course, or consent of instructor. - May be taken twice for credit if topics are different. Explores literature from the Spanish-speaking world and its relation to visual and performance art. Combines critical inquiry with creative practices to explore dynamics of influence, appropriation, and transformation across time and space. Topic for Fall 2025: The Middle Ages at the Movies. Investigates the history and legends of medieval Iberia (modern Spain and Portugal) and their modern film and television adaptations. Close readings of medieval and modern narratives about the Cid, Averroes, Inês de Castro, and Isabel I of Castile reveal a historical imagination at work. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation, Ethical Reasoning..
CAS LX 235
Language in the Contemporary World: Language, Society, and the Law
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Teamwork/Collaboration
Exploration of the role of human language in society, focusing on language in legal settings. Addresses governmental policy on language; language crimes such as perjury, solicitation, and bribery; the meaning of consent; and the linguistics of legal interpretation. Carries humanities divisional studies credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS LX 391
Linguistic Field Methods
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Teamwork/Collaboration
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLX250) or consent of instructor. - A team-based in-depth investigation of the phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and lexicon of an African or other non-Indo-European language. Bi-weekly sessions with language consultant. Weekly trainings on methodology, ethics, analysis, and presentation of results. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS LX 691
Linguistic Field Methods
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Teamwork/Collaboration
A team-based in-depth investigation of the phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and lexicon of an African or other non-Indo-European language. Bi-weekly sessions with language consultant. Weekly trainings on methodology, ethics, analysis, and presentation of results. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS LY 420
Arabic Media
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Digital/Multimedia Expression Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLY304) or consent of instructor. - This advanced Arabic language course builds skills in reading, listening, discussion, presentation, and composition while familiarizing students with a broad range of Arab online media, their coverage of current socio- political and cultural issues, and their impact on Arab public opinion. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS LY 720
Media Arabic
4 credits. Fall
BU Hub Learn More Digital/Multimedia Expression Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASLY304) or consent of instructor. - This advanced Arabic language course builds skills in reading, listening, discussion, presentation, and composition while familiarizing students with a broad range of Arab online media, their coverage of current socio- political and cultural issues, and their impact on Arab public opinion. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS NE 102
Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Scientific Inquiry II Teamwork/Collaboration Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - An introductory class examining the molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern a cell's life, including mechanisms of neuronal function and disease. Project labs are intertwined with lectures and focus on experimental modeling of Alzheimer's disease. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single Hub unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning, Writing- Intensive Course, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS NE 116
Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology with Integrated Science Experience 1 Lab
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Scientific Inquiry II Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASCH101) and acceptance into the Integrated Science Experience (ISE). First Ye ar Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) ; Undergraduate Corequisites: (CASCH116) - Integration of general chemistry with biology and neuroscience, with an emphasis on how each discipline interacts experimentally. Laboratory focuses on projects relating to enzymes and their function. 3 lecture hours (meets with CAS NE 102 lecture), 3 hours lab. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning, Writing-Intensive Course.
CAS NE 525
Biology of Neurodegenerative Diseases
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Research and Information Literacy
Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASNE 102 or CASBI 108, CASNE 203 or CASBI 325, and CASBI 203/213; and junior and senior standing.- An in-depth look at molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases and their impact and relevance in clinical diagnosis and treatment. Topics include the molecular pathways of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and Creuztfeldt-Jacob Disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS NE 525S
Biology of Neurodegenerative Diseases
4 credits. Summer
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Research and Information Literacy
Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASNE 102 or CASBI 108, CASNE 203 or CASBI 325, and CASBI 203/213; and junior and senior standing.- An in-depth look at molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases and their impact and relevance in clinical diagnosis and treatment. Topics include the molecular pathways of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and Creuztfeldt-Jacob Disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS NE 535
Translational Research in Alzheimer's Disease
4 credits. Fall
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Research and Information Literacy
Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASNE 102 or CASBI 108, CASNE 203 or CASBI 325, and CASBI 203/213; and junior and senior standing. - An introduction to translational research focused on the search for new therapeutic targets in Alzheimer's disease. Emphasis on the development of cellular and animal models for preclinical research, and on past and current clinical trials in Alzheimer's patients. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS PH 100
Introduction to Philosophy
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Introduces the nature of philosophical activity through careful study of major philosophical topics. Topics may include the nature of reality, knowledge, God's existence, and the significance of human life.Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Critical Thinking and Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meaning. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 100S
Introduction to Philosophy
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Introduces the nature of philosophical activity through careful study of major philosophical topics. Topics may include the nature of reality, knowledge, God's existence, and the significance of human life. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 150
Introduction to Ethics
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
This course focuses on a set of interrelated questions about morality: What is morality? How should I live? What does morality require of us in our daily lives, if it requires anything at all? Are there any universal moral truths? Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 150S
Introduction to Ethics
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
This course focuses on a set of interrelated questions about morality: What is morality? How should I live? What does morality require of us in our daily lives, if it requires anything at all? Are there any universal moral truths? Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 155
Politics and Philosophy
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
What is justice' What are the foundations of property rights, liberty, and equality' Are anarchism and utopianism defensible' This course is an introduction to major themes and questions in political philosophy. It includes a study of classical and modern texts, as well as contemporary political issues. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 155S
Politics and Philosophy
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Online offering. What is justice' What are the foundations of property rights, liberty, and equality' Are anarchism and utopianism defensible' This course is an introduction to major themes and questions in political philosophy. It includes a study of classical and modern texts, as well as contemporary political issues. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 248
Existentialism
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Undergraduate Prerequisites: one philosophy course or sophomore standing. - This course examines how existentialist thinkers grappled with some of the most problematic aspects of the human condition. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 248S
Existentialism
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Undergraduate Prerequisites: one philosophy course or sophomore standing. - Examines how existentialist thinkers grappled with some of the most problematic aspects of the human condition. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 251
Medical Ethics
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Undergraduate Prerequisites: one philosophy course or sophomore standing. - This course will survey ethical issues that arise in connection with medicine and emerging biotechnologies. It will examine topics such as the right to healthcare, research on human subjects, euthanasia, abortion, cloning, genetic selection, disabilities, and the biomedical enhancement of human capacities. Students can expect to gain not only training in the concepts and methods of moral philosophy and the logic of argumentation, but also the resources needed for assessing ethically difficult questions that healthcare professionals routinely face. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 251E
Medical Ethics
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Undergraduate Prerequisites: one philosophy course or sophomore standing. - Examination of a number of value problems arising within the context of medicine and health care. Particular ethical problems of euthanasia, abortion, human experimentation, reproduction, and allocation of scarce resources; critiques of contemporary medicine as an institution.
CAS PH 251S
Medical Ethics
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Undergraduate Prerequisites: one philosophy course or sophomore standing. - Surveys ethical issues that arise in connection with medicine and emerging biotechnologies. Examines topics such as the right to healthcare, research on human subjects, euthanasia, abortion, cloning, genetic selection, disabilities, and the biomedical enhancement of human capacities. Students can expect to gain not only training in the concepts and methods of moral philosophy and the logic of argumentation, but also the resources needed for assessing ethically difficult questions that healthcare professionals routinely face. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 255S
Law, Philosophy, and Society
4 credits.
Examines issues concerning law and its place in society, such as law's relation to democracy, the nature of constitutional rights, and legal (especially constitutional) interpretation. Readings include social theory and judicial opinions as well as more narrowly philosophical sources. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 300
History of Ancient Philosophy
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: one philosophy course or sophomore standing. First Year Writing Semina r (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - A survey of ancient Greek philosophy, with an emphasis on Plato and Aristotle. Topics will include: the fundamental nature of reality, how we know anything about it, wisdom, virtue, and human happiness. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS PH 300S
History of Ancient Philosophy
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: one philosophy course or sophomore standing. First Year Writing Semina r (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - Prereq: one philosophy course or sophomore standing and First-Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CAS WR 100 or CAS WR 120). A survey of ancient Greek philosophy, with an emphasis on Plato and Aristotle. Topics include the fundamental nature of reality, how we know anything about it, wisdom, virtue, and human happiness. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS PH 350
History of Ethics
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Undergraduate Prerequisites: one philosophy course or sophomore standing. - Are there fundamental principles for determining the right way to act ethically' How do different eras answer this question' What is the significance of these differences' This course addresses these questions by examining classical ethical texts from different historical traditions. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 350S
History of Ethics
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Undergraduate Prerequisites: one philosophy course or sophomore standing. - A critical and comparative examination of the ideas of representative moral philosophers, including Plato, Kant, and John Dewey.
CAS PH 436
Gender, Race, and Science
4 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: two previous PH courses, or consent of instructor. - The goal of this course is to come to a deeper understanding of the concepts of race and gender, the problematic roles they played in the history of philosophy and history of science, and what roles they still play today. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 436S
Gender, Race, and Science
4 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: two previous PH courses, or consent of instructor. - The goal of this course is to come to a deeper understanding of the concepts of race and gender, the problematic roles they played in the history of philosophy and history of science, and what roles they still play today. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 453
Classical to Early Modern Political Theory
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASPH350) - Focuses on philosophical subjects relevant to ethics and politics, such as virtue and happiness; human nature and reason; qualifications of leadership; aims and means of civic education; and conceptions of law (man-made, natural, divine). Texts by Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Machiavelli. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PH 454
Community, Liberty, and Morality
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Undergraduate Prerequisites: and two other philosophy courses, or consent of instructor. - This course studies the relationship between liberalism and fascism, framed in light of the Foucauldian concept of “politics as war by other means.” What is power and how is it related to politics? What is fascism and when does a state count as becoming fascist? Liberalism vs. neoliberalism; ideal theory vs. non-ideal theory; freedom, rights, equality, democracy—what are they and what does it take to ensure they exist in the future? Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Critical Thinking.
CAS PO 191
Introduction to Political Theory
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Undergraduate core course. Fundamental questions of political life are addressed by analyzing works of political philosophy. Historical and contemporary events and issues illustrate and complicate analysis of conceptions of authority, justice, liberty, and equality. Many definitions of government, law, and rights are considered. Carries social science divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PO 191S
Introduction to Political Theory
4 credits. Summer
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Major works of political philosophy are considered to address fundamental questions of political life. Looks at different conceptions of authority, justice, liberty, and equality, including how they justify and define government, law, and rights and how they pertain to current issues. Carries social science divisional credit in CAS.
CAS PO 225E
POLICY MAKING
4 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: enrollment in the London Internship Program. - POLICY MAKING
CAS PO 242E
The Activities of International Organizations
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: admission to the Geneva Internship Program. - The purpose of this course is to examine and problematize the way in which international organizations, governmental and non-governmental alike but the United Nations in particular, have shaped international relations and international law. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry I.
CAS PO 245E
NATIONLSM SPAIN
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: enrollment in the Madrid Spanish & European Studies Program. - NATIONLSM SPAIN
CAS PO 246E
Democracy 21st Century
4 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: enrollment in the Washington, DC Internship Program. - Effective Fall 2023 fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Critical Thinking, Creativity/Innovation, Social Inquiry I.
CAS PO 248E
COMP EUROPE POL
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Research and Information Literacy Social Inquiry I
Undergraduate Prerequisites: enrollment in the Paris Internship Program. - COMP EUROPE POL
CAS PO 303
It's a Free Country: Civil Liberties in America
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
An accessible introduction to American civil liberties. Students will read a sampling of key Supreme Court cases about issues including speech, religion, privacy and equality. They will understand the key the debates, considerations, and decisions about old and new civil liberties challenges in the U.S. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PO 304
The Judicial Process
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASPO111 OR CASPO141) or consent of instructor. - Introduction to the judicial process. Topics include the role of lawyers and judges, the structure of the court system, juries, and legal reasoning. Primarily intended for students who have little or no exposure to law courses. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PO 308
The Politics of Race and Ethnicity
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Combining research from history, political science, sociology, and economics, this course examines the role of race and ethnicity in shaping American politics and policy. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PO 308S
The Politics of Race and Ethnicity
4 credits.
Definitional hypotheses of race and ethnicity based on cultural, sociological, and biological determinants tested against concrete examples of plural societies in Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Correlations between racial/ethnic differentiation and sociopolitical stratification and cleavages examined. This course cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title that was previously numbered CAS PO 351.
CAS PO 313
The Politics and Policy of HBO's The Wire
4 credits. Fall and Spring
HBO's television series The Wire is used to explore politics and policy. A number of interdisciplinary topics are covered, including the war on drugs, urban elections, bureaucracy, rational choice theory, and the decline of American cities. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS PO 313S
The Politics and Policy of HBO's The Wire
4 credits.
HBO's television series The Wire is used to explore politics and policy. A number of interdisciplinary topics are covered, including the war on drugs; urban policing and education policy; and race, politics, and poverty. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS PO 316
Race and the Politics of Criminal Justice Policy
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASPO111 OR CASPO141) - How many people are affected by the criminal justice system' What is the relationship between crime and race' What criminal justice policies, if any, should change' In this course, students grapple with these questions. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PO 316S
Race and the Politics of Criminal Justice Policy
4 credits.
Online offering. Considers the following questions: How many people are affected by the criminal justice system' What is the relationship between crime and race' What criminal justice policies, if any, should change' Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PO 321
Foundations of American Public Policy
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASPO 111 or 151). - This course investigates the social and political roots of US public policies. We use historical perspectives and social scientific analysis to shed light on the seemingly unique American solutions to pressing social and economic problems. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness.
CAS PO 335
Gender & Global Politics
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Introduction to gender and global politics, across both developing and advanced industrial democracies. Focuses on political and economic underpinnings of gender inequality. Students propose and analyze policy solutions to address political gender inequality around the globe using data and cases. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.
CAS PO 336
Voting Rights
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: CAS PO 111 or CAS PO 151 - Examines voting rights in the United States, including the social, legal, and political movements that have affected who has the right to vote; how that right is exercised; and current legal and political developments. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU HUB areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness.
CAS PO 356
Nuclear Security
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Teamwork/Collaboration
Provides students with the foundation for understanding nuclear security in the twenty-first century. Emphasis on the American Cold War experience, the growing threat of nuclear proliferation, the renaissance of civilian nuclear power, safeguards, and nuclear weapons under budget constraints. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS PO 357
Causes of War and Peace
4 credits.
War is the most destructive social act in which humanity engages. Why does war happen' This question is addressed by focusing on a variety of scholarly explanations. Theoretical discussions are paired with an examination of historical cases. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS PO 357S
Causes of War and Peace
4 credits. Summer
War is the most destructive social act in which humanity engages. Why does war happen' This question is addressed by focusing on a variety of scholarly explanations. Theoretical discussions are paired with an examination of historical cases.
CAS PO 378
International Human Rights: Applying Human Rights in Africa
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Teamwork/Collaboration
Meets with CAS IR 352. Studies the growing international influence on politics of human rights principles, documents, and organizations, drawing especially on African cases such as Congo, Zimbabwe, and Sudan. The class explores the relationship between civil and political rights and economic, social, and culture rights. We consider debates over claims of universality vs. cultural relativism, individual vs. group rights, and ways to improve human rights enforcement well respecting local cultures. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS PO 378S
International Human Rights
4 credits. Summer
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Teamwork/Collaboration
Studies the growing international influence on politics of human rights principles, documents, and organizations, drawing especially on African cases such as Congo, Zimbabwe, and Sudan. Topics include universality vs. cultural relativism, individual vs. group rights, and issues in human rights enforcement.
CAS PO 388
Justice in an Unjust World
4 credits. Fall
A search for justice is the origin story of political science. We seek to understand what it means to be just in contemporary politics, laws, workplaces, families, and across borders, among many other sites. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS PO 389
Citizenship: Who Belongs' Who Decides'
4 credits. Spring
Undergraduate prerequisites: junior standing or consent of instructor. - This course explores the history of citizenship, migration, and border enforcement primarily in the US. We ask: who is entitled to citizenship, what justifies excluding people, what are rights and duties of citizenship, and what do societies owe refugees, and asylum seekers' Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU HUB areas: Ethical Reasoning Historical Consciousness.
CAS PO 391
Classical to Early Modern Political Theory
4 credits. Fall
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Fundamental questions of ethics and politics are addressed by analyzing early works of political philosophy. Considers their various conceptions of: human nature and reason; qualifications of leadership; aims and means of civic education; and natural, human, and divine law. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PO 392
Modern Political Theory
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Fundamental questions of ethics and politics are addressed by analyzing works of political philosophy from the Enlightenment in the 17th century through the 20th century. Considers their various conceptions of human nature, the social contract, rights, government, justice, and revolution. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PO 395
Domination/Liberation
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
In this political theory course, we examine dilemmas surrounding domination and liberation in political theory and practice. We will ask what liberation is, how diverse forms of domination obstruct it; and whether freedom can be sustained in a lasting way. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PO 395S
Domination/Liberation
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
This political theory course examines dilemmas surrounding domination and liberation in political theory and practice. We ask what liberation is, how diverse forms of domination obstruct it, and whether freedom can be sustained in a lasting way. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS PO 398
Feminist Political Theory
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Introduces students to key texts, problems, and debates in western feminist political theory. Students study major feminist thinkers, and explore diverse approaches to crucial topics in the field: such as ¿white feminism,¿ marriage, disability, sex, and pornography. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Ethical Reasoning.
CAS PO 526
US Identity Politics
4 credits.
Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CASWR 100 or WR 120) and at least one prior political science course. - Students explore how race, class, gender, sexuality, partisanship and other identities jointly inform their views and have led to historical patterns of conflict and oppression. We read perspectives from authors with varying identities, and discuss contemporary identity politics conflicts. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, The Individual in Community.
CAS PO 559
Wars, Peace, and Diplomacy
4 credits. Fall
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Why do wars occur' What constitutes peace' How is peace maintained or lost' What are the virtues and deficiencies of diplomacy as practitioners have implemented it' How do memory, justice, and the requirements of security interact in the international arena' Effective Fall 2023 this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS PO 560
Rwanda: Genocide and Its Aftermath
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Research and Information Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Freshman Writing Seminar. - Explores the factors that led to the 1994 genocide of the Tutsi in Rwanda, how Rwanda compares to other cases of genocide and extreme violence, and the efforts in post-genocide Rwanda to rebuild, pursue justice, and promote reconciliation. Effective Spring 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS PO 573
Race and Racism in International Relations
4 credits.
Undergraduate prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120). - Race is a central organizing feature in world politics yet ignored in the discipline of International Relations. Course addresses the global racial contract, how race shaped the contours of American expansion, and how American experiences abroad shape race at home. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Critical Thinking, Ethical Reasoning, Writing Intensive Course.
CAS PO 596
Colonization/Decolonization
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Writing-Intensive Course
Prerequisite: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120). - This seminar introduces you to the political, theoretical, and historical study of colonization and decolonization. Topics include various kinds of colonialism, such as settler colonialism, internal colonialism, and domestic colonialism, as well as debates over the contemporary call to decolonize. Effective Spring 2024: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
CAS PO 598
Power, Identity, Equality
4 credits. Spring
Examines classic and contemporary theories of identity as well as their manifestation in political practice. We critically examine specific manifestations of identity including the role of race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, ability, and foreignness in democratic politics. Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Ethical Reasoning.
CAS PS 101
General Psychology
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Basic introduction to field of psychology; topics include theories and findings governing learning, memory, perception, development, personality, social and abnormal psychology. Three hours large lecture and one hour discussion section or three hours of small lecture class with no discussion sections. Students are required to participate as subjects in psychology studies. 4 cr. either sem. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking. Effective Fall 2019, this course will fulfill a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS PS 101S
General Psychology
4 credits. Summer
Basic introduction to the field of psychology. Topics include theories and findings governing learning, memory, perception, development, personality, and social and abnormal psychology. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS RN 206
Scriptures in World Religions
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - Introduction to scriptures in world religions, investigating the ways sacred books express, interpret, and make possible religious experience and ethical reflection. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning, Writing-Intensive Course. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS RN 206S
Scriptures in World Religions
4 credits. Summer
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - Introduction to scriptures in world religions, investigating the ways sacred books express, interpret, and make possible religious experience and ethical reflection. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning, Writing-Intensive Course. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
CAS RN 209
Religion, Health, and Medicine
4 credits. Fall and Spring
How religious and moral narratives inform approaches to biomedicine from the nineteenth century to the present, including understandings of disease, illness, health, sexuality, and the body. Topics include medicine and prayer, alternative medicine, and boundaries between medicine and religion. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 214
Islam
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Teamwork/Collaboration
The rise and spread of Islam from the seventh century to the present; introduction to its central beliefs, institutions, and practices, and its impact on the religious and cultural history of Asia and Africa. Continuity and change in the modern period. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS RN 239
Religion and Science
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Digital/Multimedia Expression Ethical Reasoning Teamwork/Collaboration
Examines the complex relationship between science and religion, focusing on historical episodes (e.g., the "Galileo Affair") and current controversies (e.g., "Intelligent Design" movement's influence on school curricula, "Spirituality and Health" research, and "Ecology and Religion.") Effective Spring 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS RN 239S
Religion and Science
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Digital/Multimedia Expression Ethical Reasoning Teamwork/Collaboration
Examines the complex relationship between science and religion, focusing on historical episodes (e.g., the "Galileo Affair") and current controversies (e.g., "Intelligent Design" movement's influence on school curricula, "Spirituality and Health" research, and "Ecology and Religion"). Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS.
CAS RN 246
S24: Sex, Death, and the Buddha
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings Teamwork/Collaboration
An exploration of various Buddhist understandings of the ideal human life. Topics examined include: karma and rebirth, nonviolence and war, human and animal rights, suicide and euthanasia, as well as abortion and contraception. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS RN 249
Islamophobia and Antisemitism
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning The Individual in Community Teamwork/Collaboration
Explores historical and contemporary manifestations of Islamophobia and antisemitism. Students are exposed to wide range of relevant written and visual texts as well as theoretical approaches. Includes active learning component and collaborative presentations by students. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, The Individual in Community, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS RN 310
The Reformation: Religious Conflict in Early Modern Europe
4 credits.
Examines religious change in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Europe, particularly the origins and causes of the Protestant Reformation, the parallel Catholic Reformation, and the consequent military conflicts in Germany, France, and the Netherlands. Also offered as CAS HI 209. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry I.
CAS RN 310S
The Reformation: Religious Conflict in Early Modern Europe
4 credits. Summer
Examines religious change in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Europe, particularly the origins and causes of the Protestant Reformation, the parallel Catholic Reformation, and the consequent military conflicts in Germany, France, and the Netherlands. Also offered as CAS HI 209. Effective Summer 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry I.
CAS RN 340
The Quran
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Digital/Multimedia Expression Ethical Reasoning Research and Information Literacy
The emergence of the Quran as a major religious text, its structure and literary features, and its principal themes and places within the religious and intellectual life of the Muslim community. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Research and Information Literacy .
CAS RN 345
Shariah Law
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Research and Information Literacy
Shariah Law looks behind the stereotypes and headlines--despotic rulers, barbaric punishments, women's oppression--to understand the origins, history, and structure of Islamic law. Explores its implementation in various times and places, modern transformations, and contemporary debates over legal reform. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS RN 350
Comparative Religious Ethics
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120). - This course invites students to consider what organized religion has to offer those seeking to live a good life by looking at the ethical teachings of two Western (Judaism and Christianity) and two Eastern (Confucianism and Buddhism) traditions. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning, Writing-Intensive Course.
CAS RN 384
The Holocaust
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Rise of German (and European) antisemitism; rise of Nazism; 1935 Nuremberg Laws; the initial Jewish reaction; racial theory; organizing mass murder including ghettos, concentration camps, killing squads, and gas chambers; bystanders and collaborators (countries, organizations, and individuals); Jewish resistance; post-Holocaust religious responses; moral and ethical issues. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 390
Archeology and Israeli Society
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Digital/Multimedia Expression Ethical Reasoning Teamwork/Collaboration
Undergraduate Prerequisites: sophomore, junior, or senior standing. - In Israel, archaeology is part of current events. The study of remains from the Israelite to the Muslim conquests (c. 1200 BCE -- 640 CE) to learn how material evidence created and still plays a role in a larger historical drama. Also offered as CAS AR 342. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS RN 406
Biblical Fakes and Forgeries
4 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Religion, philosophy, or archaeology majors or minors with junior or s enior standing, or consent of instructor. - Examines issues regarding forged documents and artifacts relating to the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. Examples of forgeries (alleged and certain) include: book of Daniel, Letter of Aristeas, Gnostic Gospels, Secret Gospel of Mark; forged Scrolls in museum collections. Proposed Edit: Examines forged documents and artifacts relating to Hebrew Bible and New Testament, probing historical and ethical questions they raise. Examples (alleged and certain forgeries) include: book of Daniel, Gnostic Gospels, Secret Gospel of Mark, and forged Dead Sea Scroll fragments. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 453
Topics in Religion and Sexuality
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Creativity/Innovation Ethical Reasoning Historical Consciousness
Exploration of key topics and themes in the study of religion and sexuality, especially as they intersect with gender, race, and politics. Historical periods and religious contexts vary according to instructor. Topic for Spring 2025: Queer and Trans Religion. Religious language figures prominently in both attacks on and affirmations of queer and trans existence. We use religious studies and queer and trans studies to analyze fiction, film, and poetry that explores the relationships between gender, sexuality, and religion. Effective Spring 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS RN 460
Seminar on the Holocaust
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Historical Consciousness Oral and/or Signed Communication
This course will examine historical, ethical and religious issues arising from the Holocaust. We will discuss antisemitism and ideology; what communities were considered "other"; human motivation regarding collaborators, perpetrators and bystanders; the role of individuals, organizations and governments; the treatment of women; the ethics of resistance; the behavior of the Jewish Councils; and attitudes to the existence of God during and after the Holocaust. We will also compare the Holocaust to contemporary crises now occurring around the world. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness.
CAS RN 466
Religion and the Problem of Tolerance
4 credits. Fall
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning The Individual in Community Teamwork/Collaboration
Explores the religious roots of tolerance as an alternative to secular, more liberal foundations for pluralism. Grapples with the challenge of tolerance to the revealed religions and the ways different societies have met or failed to meet this challenge. Presents multiple case-studies and contemporary connections, explores relevance to students own experiences. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, The Individual in Community, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS RN 640
The Quran
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Digital/Multimedia Expression Ethical Reasoning Research and Information Literacy
The emergence of the Quran as a major religious text, its structure and literary features, its principle themes and places within the religious and intellectual life of the Muslim community. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS RN 645
Shariah Law
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Research and Information Literacy
Shariah Law looks behind the stereotypes and headlines--despotic rulers, barbaric punishments, women's oppression--to understand the origins, history, and structure of Islamic law. Explores its implementation in various times and places, modern transformations, and contemporary debates over legal reform. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS RN 684
The Holocaust
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Rise of German (and European) antisemitism; rise of Nazism; 1935 Nuremberg Laws; the initial Jewish reaction; racial theory; organizing mass murder including ghettos, concentration camps, killing squads, and gas chambers; bystanders and collaborators (countries, organizations, and individuals); Jewish resistance; post-Holocaust religious responses; moral and ethical issues. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 685
Representations of the Holocaust in Literature and Film
4 credits.
Questions of representation in literature and film about the Holocaust, including testimonial and fictive works by Wiesel and Levi, Ozick, and others; films include documentaries and feature films. Discussions of the Holocaust as historical reality, metaphor, and generative force in literature. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS RN 690
Archeology and Israeli Society
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Digital/Multimedia Expression Ethical Reasoning Teamwork/Collaboration
Graduate Prerequisites: graduate standing. - In Israel, archaeology is part of current events. We study material remains from the Israelite to the Muslim conquests (c. 1200 BCE -- 640 CE) to learn how physical evidence is created and still plays a role in a larger historical drama. Also offered as GRS AR 742. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS RN 706
Biblical Fakes and Forgeries
4 credits.
Graduate Prerequisites: GRS religion or STH graduate students, or consent of instructor. - Examines issues regarding forged documents and artifacts relating to the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. Examples of forgeries (alleged and certain) include: book of Daniel, Letter of Aristeas, Gnostic Gospels, Secret Gospel of Mark; forged Scrolls in museum collections. Proposed Edit: Examines forged documents and artifacts relating to Hebrew Bible and New Testament, probing historical and ethical questions they raise. Examples (alleged and certain forgeries) include: book of Daniel, Gnostic Gospels, Secret Gospel of Mark, and forged Dead Sea Scroll fragments. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.
CAS RN 753
Topics in Religion and Sexuality
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Creativity/Innovation Ethical Reasoning Historical Consciousness
Exploration of key topics and themes in the study of religion and sexuality, especially as they intersect with gender, race, and politics. Historical periods and religious contexts vary according to instructor. Topic for Spring 2025: Queer and Trans Religion. Religious language figures prominently in both attacks on and affirmations of queer and trans existence. We use religious studies and queer and trans studies to analyze fiction, film, and poetry that explores the relationships between gender, sexuality, and religion. Effective Spring 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS RN 759
Primo Levi and Holocaust Literature
4 credits.
A study of Primo Levi's writings and scientific, theological, and philosophical approaches to the Holocaust. Other theorists (Arendt, Wiesel, Müller-Hill) and other survivors' testimonies (Delbo, Borowski, Fink) are read in conjunction with Levi's works.
CAS RN 760
Seminar on the Holocaust
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Historical Consciousness Oral and/or Signed Communication
This course will examine historical, ethical and religious issues arising from the Holocaust. We will discuss antisemitism and ideology; what communities were considered "other"; human motivation regarding collaborators, perpetrators and bystanders; the role of individuals, organizations and governments; the treatment of women; the ethics of resistance; the behavior of the Jewish Councils; and attitudes to the existence of God during and after the Holocaust. We will also compare the Holocaust to contemporary crises now occurring around the world. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness.
CAS RN 766
Religion and the Problem of Tolerance
4 credits. Fall
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning The Individual in Community Teamwork/Collaboration
Explores the religious roots of tolerance as an alternative to secular, more liberal foundations for pluralism. Grapples with the challenge of tolerance to the revealed religions and the ways different societies have met or failed to meet this challenge. Presents multiple case-studies and contemporary connections, explores relevance to students own experiences. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, The Individual in Community, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS SO 215
Sociology of Health Care
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Social, cultural, and intercultural factors in health and illness. Training and socialization of medical professionals, roots of medical power and authority, organization and operation of health care facilities. U.S. health care system and its main problems. Comparison of health care systems in the U.S. and in other countries. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS SO 215S
Sociology of Health Care
4 credits. Summer
Social, cultural, and intercultural factors in health and illness. Training and socialization of medical professionals, roots of medical power and authority, organization and operation of health care facilities. US health care system and its main problems. Comparison of health care systems in the US and in other countries. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS SO 242
Globalization and World Poverty
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Addresses enduring global poverty and race, ethnic, gender, and class inequalities, especially in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Focuses on colonialism and post-colonialism, strategies of development, urbanization, immigration, religion, politics, women, drugs, social justice, and health issues. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS SO 313
Economic Sociology
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Research and Information Literacy Social Inquiry II
Undergraduate Prerequisites: at least one previous Sociology course or consent of instructor. - Presents the sociological approach to the study of production, distribution, consumption and markets, emphasizing the impact of norms, power, social structure, and institutions on the economy. Compares classic and contemporary approaches to the economy by the social science disciplines. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS SO 314
Social Problems and Social Change
4 credits.
Examines how certain issues come to be seen as social problems and the role of memory, identity, knowledge, and power in social change. Explores how individuals, organizations, and institutions respond to social problems and what produces meaningful change. We also consider the role of social science in creating a better world. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Critical Thinking, Ethical Reasoning, Writing Intensive.
CAS SO 314S
PROBS & CHANGE
4 credits.
Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Critical Thinking, Ethical Reasoning, Writing Intensive.
CAS SO 322
Gender and Health
4 credits. Fall
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Research and Information Literacy Social Inquiry II
Prerequisites: at least one previous sociology course or consent of instructor. - Gender power relations and inequalities in health, healthcare institutions, medical research, public health policy, and global health politics. Examines the intersection of gender with other systems of power in medical practice, research, and the experience of health and illness. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS SO 323
Markets in Biomedicine and Healthcare
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: at least one previous Sociology course or consent of instructor. - Complex ways in which market exchange impacts commodification of the human body, the practice of medicine (assisted reproduction, organ transplantation) and drug clinical trials. Theoretical discussion of market exchange from an interdisciplinary perspective, brief overview of the US health care system and global medical tourism. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS SO 333E
The Italian Food Industry: Economics, Culture and Society
4 credits. Fall and Spring
The Italian food industry from economic, cultural, and social perspectives. Special attention paid to producers, product quality and certification, and relationships to the land and regional cultures. How is the industry evolving to offer consumers up-to-date products while remaining anchored in Italian tradition' Taught through a combination of lectures, seminars by industry experts, case studies, and company visits. Effective Fall 2024 fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry I.
CAS SO 460
Seminar: Economic Sociology
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing and at least two prior sociology courses, or consent o f instructor. - Introduction to core theoretical perspectives and debates in contemporary economic sociology (structural/network, cultural, institutional/political, and performativity) with a special attention paid to morality of markets, commensuration and construction of value, money, credit and finance and inequality. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry II, Critical Thinking.
CAS SO 860
Seminar in Economic Sociology
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Introduction to core theoretical perspectives and debates in contemporary economic sociology (structural/network, cultural, institutional/political, and performativity) with a special attention paid to morality of markets, commensuration and construction of value, money, credit and finance and inequality. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry II, Critical Thinking.
CAS WR 250
AI Literacy for Writing
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Creativity/Innovation Ethical Reasoning Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First-Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CASWR 120); Writing, Research, and Inquiry (e.g., CASWR 151, WR 152, or WR 153). This course provides a foundational understanding of generative AI and its impact on the writing landscape and society. Students explore generative AI tools, addressing ethical considerations and real-world applications, and create projects blending traditional writing with multimodal approaches. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Creativity/Innovation, Ethical Reasoning, Writing Intensive.
CAS WS 233
The Evolutionary Biology of Human Variation
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Addresses human biological variation. An introduction to the fundamentals of comparative biology, evolutionary theory, and genetics and considers how research in these fields informs some of our most culturally-engaged identities: race, sex, gender, sexuality, and body type. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CAS WS 319
Disability and Queerness in Speculative Fiction
4 credits. Fall and Spring
This course examines how LGBTQ2IA speculative fiction engages with disability and other intersecting frameworks of difference to present alternate, parallel, or invented worlds. This course provides opportunities for students to strengthen ethical reasoning, cultural analysis, and aesthetic exploration. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS WS 330
Transforming Life: Anthropology of Gender and Medical Technologies
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Writing-Intensive Course
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120); recommend CAS AN1 01 and AN102 - Seminar anthropologically compares the role of science and medicine in society and troubles what is natural and moral, e.g., about gender, person hood, kinship, and community, using case studies of new reproductive technologies in Asia, the Middle East, and North America. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing- Intensive Course. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, The Individual in Community, Writing- Intensive Course.
CAS WS 341
The Quran
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Digital/Multimedia Expression Ethical Reasoning Research and Information Literacy
The emergence of the Quran as a major religious text, its structure and literary features, its principle themes and places within the religious and intellectual life of the Muslim community. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS WS 345
Shariah Law
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Research and Information Literacy
Shariah Law looks behind the stereotypes and headlines--despotic rulers, barbaric punishments, women's oppression--to understand the origins, history, and structure of Islamic law. Explores its implementation in various times and places, modern transformations, and contemporary debates over legal reform. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS WS 453
Topics in Religion and Sexuality
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Creativity/Innovation Ethical Reasoning Historical Consciousness
Exploration of key topics and themes in the study of religion and sexuality, especially as they intersect with gender, race, and politics. Historical periods and religious contexts vary according to instructor. Effective Spring 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Historical Consciousness, Creativity/Innovation.
CAS WS 640
The Quran
4 credits. Fall
BU Hub Learn More Digital/Multimedia Expression Ethical Reasoning Research and Information Literacy
The emergence of the Quran as a major religious text, its structure and literary features, its principle themes and places within the religious and intellectual life of the Muslim community. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS WS 645
Shariah Law
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Research and Information Literacy
Shariah Law looks behind the stereotypes and headlines--despotic rulers, barbaric punishments, women's oppression--to understand the origins, history, and structure of Islamic law. Explores its implementation in various times and places, modern transformations, and contemporary debates over legal reform. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
CAS XL 244
Greek Drama in Translation
4 credits. Fall and Spring
The history and development of ancient Greek theater; study of important plays in the genres of tragedy, comedy, and satyr drama by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, and Menander. Cannot be taken for credit in addition to CAS CL 324. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
CAS XL 281
Representations of the Holocaust in Literature and Film
4 credits.
How can we understand the impact of the Holocaust and its ongoing legacies' Holocaust representation in literature, film and memorials, including discussions of bystander complicity and societal responsibilities, testimonial and fictive works by Wiesel and Levi, documentaries and feature films. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Ethical Reasoning.
CAS XL 459
Primo Levi Within Holocaust Literature
4 credits.
A study of Primo Levi's writings and scientific, literary, theological, and philosophical approaches to the Holocaust. Other theorists (Arendt, Wiesel, and Muller-Hill) and other survivors' testimonies (Delbo, Borowski, Fink) are read in conjunction with Levi's works. Also offered as CAS LI 459 and RN 459. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Ethical Reasoning.
College of Fine Arts
CFA AR 331
Contemporary Issues: Interpretation
2 credits. Fall and Spring
This seminar course for senior BFA Painting and Sculpture students introduces students to the current discourse and contemporary issues in art by guiding them through diverse ways of understanding the construction of meanings. It is designed to have students question the complex position of an artist as producers and readers of a culture to which they are participants. Students will learn to establish a philosophy on their studio practices, gain a broad knowledge in art theory, expand their existing critiquing abilities, and develop ethical reasoning. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Ethical Reasoning.
CFA AR 565
Art, Access, and Inclusion (4 credits; spring semester)
4 credits. Fall and Spring
The class is designed to help prepare pre-service art educators to work with all students by addressing some of the individual needs for modifications and accommodations that students bring to the classroom: neurological, cognitive, physical, emotional, and linguistic. The course focuses on the social model of disability and students investigate the complexity of individual students' lives, strengths, and challenges, through an intersectional lens. It specifically addresses some of the needs of learners that are related to disability, mental health history, and/or English language skills.
CFA ME 374
Arts Engagement: Cultivating a Deeper Relationship with the Natural Environment to Foster Sustain
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Creativity/Innovation Ethical Reasoning The Individual in Community
In this course, you will explore the arts to contemplate nature, identify unsustainable practices, propose viable alternatives, and share your results with the community via a multimedia arts exhibit. This course is open to juniors/seniors of any major and ability. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Ethical Reasoning, Creativity/Innovation. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, The Individual in Community, Creativity/Innovation.
CFA MP 446
String Pedagogy and Practicum 2
2 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Creativity/Innovation Ethical Reasoning The Individual in Community
Teaching methods and materials for use in private instruction; literature concerned with leading pedagogues' approaches to teaching musical skills and understanding. 2 cr. Effective Fall 2019, this course is part of a Hub sequence: when taken with CFA MP 445, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Ethical Reasoning, Creativity/Innovation.
CFA MP 646
String Pedagogy and Practicum 2
2 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Creativity/Innovation Ethical Reasoning The Individual in Community
Teaching methods and materials for use in private instruction; literature concerned with leading pedagogues' approaches to teaching musical skills and understanding. 2 cr. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Ethical Reasoning, Creativity/Innovation.
CFA TH 101
Introduction to the Study of Theatre and Performance
3 credits. Fall
This course aims to acquaint students to theory and practice related to performance, dramatic literature, and theatre history and studies. On successful completion of this class, students will aesthetically and ethically explore artistic work relying on critical thinking and analytical acumen. Our study relies on analysis, civil discourse, reading dramatic literature and performance theory, as well as seeing, reading, and experiencing various works addressing identity theory and cultural studies. Required for BFA Theatre Core (Design, Production & Management Core and Performance Core). Open to BU Community. 3.0 credits. Fall semester. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CFA TH 399
Stage Management 3: Types & Styles
3 credits. Fall
Prereq: CFA TH 299 or Permission of Instructor. Stage Management 3: Types & Styles examines approaches to leadership, management, communication, critical thinking, and ethics for the stage manager. Through the lens of the artful application of these skills to the different types of live performance the stage manager may encounter, such as new works, musicals, opera, dance, and event work, students will strengthen and hone their personal stage management style. This course requires additional work outside of class time for engagement in practice-based exercises and rehearsal/performance observations. Fall Semester. 3.0 credits. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CFA TH 459
Social Change Through Theatre of the Oppressed
4 credits. Spring
An active, experiential learning course for theatre and non-theatre students that explores Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed and Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed. This course engages and challenges students' minds, bodies and creativity as we read, discuss and apply the political, social and educational theories and ethics through Boal's physical theatre gamesercises, image techniques, and Forum Theatre. These techniques serve to "democratize theatre" by transforming the "monologue" of traditional performance into a dialogue for social change between audience and stage. 4.0 credits. Spring semester. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Creativity/Innovation.
CFA TH 659
Social Change Through Theatre of the Oppressed
4 credits. Spring
An active, experiential learning course for theatre and non-theatre students that explores Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed and Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed. This course engages and challenges students' minds, bodies and creativity as we read, discuss and apply the political, social and educational theories and ethics through Boal's physical theatre gamesercises, image techniques, and Forum Theatre. These techniques serve to "democratize theatre" by transforming the "monologue" of traditional performance into a dialogue for social change between audience and stage. 4.0 units. Spring semester. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Creativity/Innovation.
College of General Studies
CGS HU 201
History of Ethics
4 credits. Fall
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
A rigorous course in the history of ethical thought from the ancient world through the nineteenth century. The course also includes selected films and literary works that embody philosophical ideas and ethical dilemmas. Primary texts are used throughout. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
CGS HU 201E
HIS WEST ETH I
4 credits. Fall, Spring, Summer
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
HIS WEST ETH 1
CGS HU 202
Modern and Applied Ethics
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Creativity/Innovation Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
The course focuses on the application of philosophical ideas to various areas of modern life, such as politics, science, business, personal development, education, and religious faith. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Creativity/Innovation.
CGS HU 450
Giving Well
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning The Individual in Community Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Giving Well is a class that explores the theory and practice of impactful charity. Students will read influential texts on philanthropy and apply ideas from these texts as they evaluate the effectiveness of existing charities. The course is supported by a grant from the Philanthropy Lab, and it culminates with the disbursement of potentially upwards of $50,000 to causes selected by students. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, The Individual in Community, Ethical Reasoning.
College of Communication
COM CM 525
Public Relations Ethics
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: CM215 or CM701 - This course will acquaint students with ethical standards and expectations society has for public relations practitioners. Through the study of case studies and other readings it will prepare students so they can adequately wrestle with ethical complexities, dilemmas and ambiguities so as to form personal ethical underpinnings for their future careers. 4 credits. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Ethical Reasoning.
COM CM 525S
Public Relations Ethics
4 credits. Summer
Undergraduate Prerequisites: CM215 or CM701 - Acquaints students with ethical standards and expectations society has for public relations practitioners. Through the study of case studies and other readings, the course prepares students to adequately wrestle with ethical complexities, dilemmas, and ambiguities so as to form personal ethical underpinnings for their future careers.
COM JO 300
Media and Democracy - Journalism in an Age of Disinformation
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning The Individual in Community Research and Information Literacy
Undergraduate Prerequisites: JO150 and at least junior standing. - This course is for anyone who reads the news or produces it, for those who want accurate information and those who want to provide it. Students will gain a true-north understanding of the role of the free press in a democracy, the rise and allure of online fake news, and how empowered individuals and the news media can push back against this 21st century threat to freedom. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, The Individual in Community, Research and Information Literacy.
COM JO 350
Law and Ethics of Journalism
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Research and Information Literacy Social Inquiry II
This interactive course introduces the core legal and ethical issues affecting how journalists, including the student press, gather, verify and communicate news. This course offers an exciting deep-dive into the key concepts affecting newsgathering and dissemination today.Students will discover the underpinnings of a free press as well as practical tools to use when confronted with government efforts to block legitimate newsgathering. Students will gain a working knowledge of how and why the First Amendment protects them as they gather, verify and disseminate the news. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
COM JO 350S
Law and Ethics of Journalism
4 credits.
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Research and Information Literacy Social Inquiry II
Introduces the core legal and ethical issues affecting how journalists, including the student press, gather, verify, and communicate news. Offers an exciting deep-dive into the key concepts affecting newsgathering and dissemination today. Students discover the underpinnings of a free press as well as practical tools to use when confronted with government efforts to block legitimate newsgathering. Students gain a working knowledge of how and why the First Amendment protects them as they gather, verify, and disseminate the news. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Ethical Reasoning, Research and Information Literacy.
College of Engineering
ENG BE 400
Undergraduate Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering
4 credits.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASMA226) - Globally more than a 100 million people are forcibly displaced from their homes due to conflict, climate change and persecution. Health challenges faced by these displaced persons are complex and multi-faceted. This course will focus on understanding the health challenges of forcibly displaced persons, identifying why existing solutions may not work, and designing robust, effective and context appropriate solutions for these settings. Effective Fall 2025, this course fulfills a single requirement in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
Kilachand Honors College
KHC CH 140
The Material World
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Discussion of how matter (gas, liquid, solid) is cycled within the earth's systems in the context of human use of the earth's resources and contemporary concerns about sustainability e.g. ozone layer, rare-earth elements, hydrocarbon combustion, potable water, plastic recycling. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
KHC HC 301
Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Global Challenges I
4 credits. Fall
In this course, students will develop an understanding of global public health from interdisciplinary perspectives. Specifically, the course will foster students¿ ability to critically consider key contemporary issues in global public health with a lens on ethical considerations, and in turn make links to policy and practice implications. Students will take on a range of issues that go well beyond the study of public health itself, raising questions such as those around identity, childhood, mental health, historical legacies of colonialism, and contemporary inequalities. This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
KHC HI 106
Solving the Problem of Cornerville' Street Corner Society
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Research and Information Literacy
This seminar will examine ¿The Problem of Cornerville¿ (Boston¿s North End) as formulated by William Foote Whyte in his 1943 ethnography Street Corner Society: The Social Structure of an Italian Slum. In the process we will explore a variety of topics including immigration policy and history, the early Progressive movement, `slumming,¿ urban sociology, theories of crime and deviance, racial formation, and gentrification. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy.
KHC IR 102
Spies and Terrorists of Boston
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Oral and/or Signed Communication Teamwork/Collaboration
Using an interdisciplinary approach, this course will examine various important, impactful, and, in some ways, underappreciated espionage activities and terrorist events that germinated, received support, or otherwise occurred in the Boston metropolitan area. Please note: This course requires students to (1) take a mandatory four-hour field trip of Boston spy sites with the professor on a weekend and (2) participate in three one-hour oral briefing practice sessions with the professor to be scheduled in the evenings outside of class. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
KHC LW 102
Marriage, Families & Gender: Contemporary Legal and Social Controversies
4 credits. Fall and Spring
This seminar will critically examine the family, marriage, and gender by asking several basic questions: What is family' What is marriage' Why do family and marriage matter to individuals and to society' What role does or should law have in supporting and regulating families and marriage' In defining parenthood' How do new technologies that provide new pathways to parenthood (assisted reproductive technology, or "ART") and new forms of control over reproduction (such as genetic testing and screening) pose ethical and legal challenges and how should law address those challenges' Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry II, Critical Thinking.
KHC LW 104
Citizenship, Immigration, and the Constitution
4 credits. Fall and Spring
In this seminar, we will examine constitutional questions concerning (1) the acquisition and loss of citizenship status, and (2) the privilege or right of entry into the United States. Throughout, we will consider the ethical and constitutional principles that have shaped rules governing national membership and entry into the United States. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.
KHC PY 104
Energy and Society
4 credits. Fall and Spring
"Energy powers the world." This seminar explores that pithy statement, beginning with basic concepts and definitions. Students examine the history of human uses of energy, how energy arises in different realms (physical, chemical, biological), the primary sources of energy, how to transmit and store energy, and the politics of energy, seeking to answer the ultimate question: "What should be the path forward to a sustainable, environmentally sound, equitable energy future'" Students will demonstrate their understanding through problem sets/short essays, a mid-term exam, and a final project. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Scientific Inquiry II, Critical Thinking.
KHC UC 104
The Ethics of Food
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Choices about what food to eat pervade our everyday lives. This course explores the ethics of such choices. We'll examine arguments for vegetarian and vegan diets, for eating organic, for eating local, and for restricting oneself to only humanely raised and slaughtered meat. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
KHC UC 105
Liberty, Fanaticism & Censorship
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
From Socrates's execution for speech that 'corrupted the youth' and Jesus's crucifixion for claims that threatened empire to today's debates about cancel culture, disinformation, and social media censorship, questions about free speech and its political, ethical, and religious consequences have been central to western history. This course examines some of the enduring issues animating these questions with an eye to their ongoing significance. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
KHC UC 106
Biomedical Enhancement and the Future of Human Nature
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Biomedical technologies are increasingly being used to enhance the biological, cognitive, and psychological capacities of otherwise healthy human beings. Although the enhancement enterprise aims to increase levels of human wellbeing, it also raises a host of ethical concerns, such as worries that it will exacerbate inequality, undermine authenticity, devalue diversity, or even pose an existential threat to the human species. This course will survey the ethics of biomedical enhancements carried out through the administration of drugs, genetic modifications, and human-machine interfaces. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
KHC UC 107
Sexual Ethics
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
Sexual activity has attracted a bewildering range of preoccupations. These shifting concerns raise questions about what ¿sex¿ means, how it becomes ethically problematic, and how it might still matter to our lives. We will pursue these questions through current debates around sexual identity, monogamy, polyamory, sexual violence, sex work, pornography, and erotic desires across the stages of a human life. You will be encouraged to use the course material to clarify and refine your own ethical reasoning about sex. Effective Spring 2025, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU HUB areas: Critical Thinking, Ethical Reasoning, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings.
Questrom School of Business
QST BE 101
Introductory Microeconomics for Business and Strategy
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Business economics provides students with an intellectual framework for understanding how businesses work: how firms interact in markets, and how markets respond to regulation and policy. Business economics has a dual mission: it is both a social science that describes how markets function and a framework that provides practical guidance for business leaders. This course focuses on business-relevant questions of how markets and businesses interact to create and distribute value. The course takes a data-based, empirical approach to these questions and uses experiential learning and interactive activities to enhance students' applications of economics to BU business problems. The course describes how social value is created via innovation and economic growth and how social value can be destroyed through harmful externalities. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Critical Thinking, Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry I.
QST MO 356
Leadership and Management of Social Enterprises
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: QST SM131 or QST SI250 or QST SI480 or COM FT591 or SHA HF231; Sophomo re standing - A well-managed social enterprise can translate idealism into action. It can help create a world that is more sustainable, more compassionate, and more just. This course will explore the distinctive aspects of launching, leading, and growing an enterprise -- nonprofit or for-profit -- whose primary goal is social impact. We will study mission, strategy, marketing, ethics, entrepreneurship, and scaling. We will learn that success for social enterprise is driven less by a compelling story or a charismatic advocate than by diligent management and insightful, ethical leadership. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Ethical Reasoning.
QST MO 456
Leadership and Management of Social Enterprises
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: QST SM131 and at least two semesters of full-time coursework - A well-managed social enterprise can translate idealism into action. It can help create a world that is more sustainable, more compassionate, and more just. This course will explore the distinctive aspects of launching, leading, and growing an enterprise -- nonprofit or for-profit -- whose primary goal is social impact. We will study mission, strategy, cause marketing, social entrepreneurship, and scaling. We will learn that success for social enterprise is driven less by a compelling story or a charismatic advocate than by diligent management and insightful leadership. The course will use a variety of lively in-class learning activities and assignments, including debates, role plays, case studies, site visits, and guest experts. All students will conduct a research project on a social enterprise of their choice, culminating in a final paper. Entrepreneurship concentrators can use this course to help fulfill their elective requirements. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Ethical Reasoning.
QST SM 131
Business, Markets, and Society
4 credits.
Undergraduate pre-requisite: Required of all Questrom first year students in their first term. Open to non-Questrom students who have completed one full-time term at Boston University. - SM131 provides students with a philosophical, economic, and applied foundation for understanding the functions of business and the role of business, markets, governments, and other stakeholders in society. It is the first course in the Questrom BSBA curriculum and is a required course for the Minor. It introduces the functions of business, explains the roles of businesses in markets, and explores the roles of business in society and the interactions between business and other economic actors. Along the way, the course introduces students¿ to Questrom¿s critical and analytic thinking, communication curriculum (including both written and verbal communication), teaming curriculum, and fosters civil discourse on issues related to the strategic conduct of business and the roles of business and markets in society. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
QST SM 131S
Business, Ethics, and the Creation of Value
4 credits. Summer
Undergraduate pre-requisite: Required of all Questrom first year students in their first term. Open to non-Questrom students who have completed one full-time term at Boston University. - SM131 provides students with a philosophical, economic, and applied foundation for understanding the functions of business and the role of business, markets, governments, and other stakeholders in society. It is the first course in the Questrom BSBA curriculum and is a required course for the Minor. It introduces the functions of business, explains the roles of businesses in markets, and explores the roles of business in society and the interactions between business and other economic actors. Along the way, the course introduces students¿ to Questrom¿s critical and analytic thinking, communication curriculum (including both written and verbal communication), teaming curriculum, and fosters civil discourse on issues related to the strategic conduct of business and the roles of business and markets in society. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences
SAR HP 522E
HEALTH/LIFESPAN
4 credits. Fall, Spring, Summer
HEALTH/LIFESPAN
SAR HS 325
Introduction to Global Health
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Teamwork/Collaboration
This course will provide students with an overview of the complex social, economic, political, environmental, and biological factors that structure the origins, consequences, and possible treatments of illness worldwide, as well as the promotion of health. Students will learn about the major themes and concepts shaping the interdisciplinary field of global health, and will gain an understanding of solutions to health challenges that have been successfully implemented in different parts of the world. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
SAR HS 325S
Introduction to Global Health
4 credits. Summer
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy Teamwork/Collaboration
Provides students with an overview of the complex social, economic, political, environmental, and biological factors that structure the origins, consequences, and possible treatments of illness worldwide, as well as the promotion of health. Students learn about the major themes and concepts shaping the interdisciplinary field of global health, and gain an understanding of solutions to health challenges that have been successfully implemented in different parts of the world. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
SAR HS 345
Global Environmental Public Health
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Environmental health is associated with recognizing, assessing, understanding and controlling the impacts of people in their environment and the impacts of the environment on the public health. The complexity of the problems requires multidisciplinary approaches. This course will provide an introduction to the principles, methods, and issues related to global environmental health. This course examines health issues, scientific understanding of causes, and possible future approaches to control of the major environmental health problems internationally. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
SAR HS 422
Ethics in Health Care
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Available in Dublin Health Science program onlyIntroductory course developing a critical awareness of issues arising in biomedical ethics. Contemporary issues will be used to examine ethical reasoning, ethical theories, ethical principles, and cases and narratives in ethics. Special attention will be paid to developing skills of critical thinking through an examination of philosophical arguments and practical exercises. Learners are also provided with a theoretical grounding in classical and contemporary schools of ethical reasoning. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
SAR HS 444
Child Health Programs in Low Resource Settings
4 credits. Fall and Spring
This health science senior seminar will explore programs and policies that impact child health in Low and Middle Income Countries. We will cover infectious diseases - including HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, respiratory infections and diarrhea - as well as major non-infectious causes of child morbidity and mortality, including nutrition, early child development and mental health. We will discuss the full life cycle of global health programs from building the evidence base through epidemiological studies through implementation science and monitoring and evaluation. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
School of Hospitality Administration
SHA HF 323E
ITLFOODINDUSTRY
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Effective Fall 2024 fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry I.
SHA HF 328E
AUS WINE INDSTY
4 credits. Fall, Spring, Summer
AUS WINE INDSTY
Wheelock College of Education & Human Development
WED CE 342
Anti-Oppressive Practice: Education & Applied Psychology
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Students will be introduced to various cultural perspectives and social constructs in order to promote respectful and effective interactions with children, families, and colleagues from multicultural backgrounds and diverse social locations. Analysis of issues of social justice will be scaffolded within critical multicultural and equity literacy frameworks. 4 cr. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
WED DE 340
Dynamics of Diversity, Oppression, and Social Justice within Deaf Communities
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Examines theories and applications of diversity, dynamics of oppression, and social justice through a Deaf Studies lens. Explores the interrelated principles of social justice, equity, access, participation, and human rights, and the impact of these movements on Deaf communities. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
WED DE 640
Dynamics of Diversity, Oppression, and Social Justice within Deaf Communities
4 credits. Fall
Examines theories and applications of diversity, dynamics of oppression, and social justice through a Deaf Studies lens. Explores the interrelated principles of social justice, equity, access, participation, and human rights, and the impact of these movements on Deaf communities. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
WED ED 206
Family & Community Engagement
4 credits. Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Students will be invited to explore their own positionality towards and definitions of engagement, community, schools, and family, and learn how to best sustain and affirm the families and communities that they endeavor to serve. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
WED ED 220
Theme-Based Approaches to Studying Complex Issues of Language in Education and Human Development
4 credits. Spring
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (WR120) - Prerequisite for this course: First Year Writing Seminar (WR120). Effective Spring 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.
WED HD 331
African American School Achievement
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Ethical Reasoning The Individual in Community Teamwork/Collaboration
How do schools shape the lives of African Americans' Who are the teachers that best educate African American students' How do African American parents shape learning' What are the characteristics of a "good" school for African Americans' In this course, students will address these questions and more. Drawing from the disciplines of psychology and education, students will examine historical and contemporary factors that shape school achievement for African Americans. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, The Individual in Community, Teamwork/Collaboration.
WED SE 250
Disability, Education, and Public Policy
4 credits. Fall and Spring
Students will examine how disabilities impact students, their families, and their educational/community participation; analyze the historical treatment of individuals with disabilities; discuss contemporary ethical issues; learn federal legislation; and develop a foundational understanding of inclusive educational practices. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Ethical Reasoning.
WED SO 567S
History Laboratory
2 credits. Summer
BU Hub Learn More Digital/Multimedia Expression Ethical Reasoning Teamwork/Collaboration
Provides practice working with historical documents, objects, and places and developing instructional materials based on those resources. The course is situated at and materials are drawn from a local historic site. Emphasis on integrating historical analytical methods, research-based historical pedagogy, and instructional practice. No prerequisites, but recommended to be taken concurrently with SED SO 572, SED CT 575, or CAS HI 200.
WED SO 571
Curriculum & Special Methods for History & Social Sciences, 5-12
4 credits. Fall and Spring
BU Hub Learn More Digital/Multimedia Expression Ethical Reasoning Teamwork/Collaboration
Examines curriculum and teaching methods in social science education, grades 5-12. Students develop and present research-based lessons and unit plans in history, civics, economics, geography, and other social sciences. Development of teaching materials and classroom techniques for social studies education. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.
WED YJ 201
Intro to Youth Justice & Delinquency
4 credits. Fall
Overview of juvenile justice and the nature, extent, and causes of juvenile delinquency. Considers topics of delinquency prevention, youth-police interaction, juvenile court process, correctional intervention, and multi- systemic interactions. Includes an experiential component. 4cr. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Ethical Reasoning.