Fall 2013 First-Year Interest Group (FIG)
Course Information
Course descriptions are listed below in alphabetical order by department.
FIG Name
FIG Unique
Dept
Course#
Course Title
Meeting Time 1
98240
UGS
Meeting Time 2
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
W 1-2pm
Recommended for English and Rhetoric majors, students
interested in RTF; Prereq RHE 306
E
314L
Banned Books and Novel Ideas
TTH 5-6:30pm
Requirements fulfilled: writing flag, CEHET
AMS
310
Intro to American Studies
MW 3:30-5pm
Requirements fulfilled: American History, cultural diversity
flag
RTF
314
Development of Motion Picture
MWF 12-1pm
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
W 2-3pm
307
History of Rock Music
MWF 12-1pm
T 6-7pm
Requirements fulfilled: VAPA, cultural diversity flag
Masterworks of Lit: American
TTH 2-3:30pm
W 10-11am
Requirement fulfilled: CORE Humanities
F 9-10am
Requirement fulfilled: CORE UGS Signature Course
Alamo Drafthouse
98242
Auditorium
Shores
MUS
E
98244
Barton Creek
98246
Broken Spoke
98248
316K
M 7:30-10pm
Notes
Requirement fulfilled: VAPA
Recommended for English and Rhetoric majors; Prereq RHE
306
UGS
303
Modernity and Art of Uncanny
MW 1-2pm
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
TH 2-3pm
BIO
311C
Introductory Biology I
MWF 1-2pm
CH
301
Principles of Chemistry I
TTH 12:30-2pm
Requirement fulfilled: Sci pt. 1 or 2; Quant. Flag; ALEKS Chem
placement prereq.
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
M 1-2pm
This FIG is recommended for Economics majors, students
interested in Business
UGS
303
Org Corruption Org Control
MW 9-10am
ECO
304K
Introduction to Microeconomics
MWF 11am-12pm
Requirement fulfilled: CORE or COLA Social and Behavioral
Sci
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
W 11-12noon
Pre req: RHE 306
UGS
303
Freedom: Philosophy/Hist/Law
TTH 11-12:30pm
E
314L
Banned Books and Novel Ideas
MWF 12-1pm
This FIG is recommended for Pre-Health Professions, BS in
Psychology
TH 3:30-4:30pm
F 9-10am
Requirement fulfilled: Sci pt. 1 or 2; Prereq. Reg. for CH 301
Requirement fulfilled: CORE UGS Signature Course
Casino El Camino
M 3-4pm
Requirement fulfilled: CORE UGS Signature Course
Requirements fulfilled: writing flag, CEHET
98250
Chuy's
98252
Clarksville
98254
County Line
Deep Eddy
98256
98258
Driskill
Greenbelt
98260
SOC
308
Sociology of Identity
MWF 9-10am
Requirement fulfilled: CORE or COLA Social and Behavioral
Sci
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
W 1-2pm
This FIG is recommended for Pre-Health Professions, BS in
Psychology.
CH
301
Principles of Chemistry I
TTH 11-12:30pm
Requirement fulfilled: Sci pt. 1 or 2; Quant. Flag; ALEKS Chem
placement prereq.
BIO
311C
Introductory Biology I
MWF 10-11am
F 9-10am
Requirement fulfilled: Sci pt. 1 or 2; Prereq. Reg. for CH 301
M
408K
Differential Calculus
MWF 2-3pm
TTH 5-6pm
CORE Math; Quant. Flag; ALEKS Math placement prereq.
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
W 1-2pm
This FIG is NOT recommended for pre-health professions
students or PSY BS majors.
SOC
308
Rich and Poor in America
MWF 12-1pm
Requirement fulfilled: CORE or COLA Social and Behavioral
Sci
PHL
304
Contemporary Moral Problems
TTH 11-12noon
W 2-3pm
Requirements fulfilled: EL flag, CEHET
GEO
302D
Age of Dinosaurs
TTH 9:30-11am
W 9:30-11am
Requirement fulfilled: Sci pt. 1 or 2
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
TH 2-3pm
PS
303
Intro Phys Sci I: Mech & Heat
MW 2-4pm
SOC
302
Intro to the Study of Society
TTH 1-2pm
F 9-10am
Requirement fulfilled: CORE Social Sci
UGS
303
Life and Death Decisions
TTH 9:30-11am
F 11-12noon
Requirement fulfilled: CORE UGS Signature Course
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
M 11-12noon
This FIG is NOT recommended for pre-health professions
students or PSY BS majors.
This FIG is NOT recommended for pre-health professions
students or PSY BS majors.
Requirement fulfilled: Sci pt. 1 or 2
RS
315N
Intro to the New Testament
TTH 12:30-2pm
Requirement fulfilled: CEHET
CH
304K
Chemistry in Context I
MWF 9-10am
Requirement fulfilled: Sci pt. 1 or 2
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
M 11-12noon
WGS
305
Intro to Women/Gender Studies
TTH 12:30-2pm
UGS
303
Performing America
MW 10-11am
AFR
303
Intro to Africa/African Diaspora
Studies
TTH 11-12:30pm
Requirements fulfilled: Global cultures, Cultural diversity, and
Ethics/leadership flags and COLA Social Sci
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
W 3-4pm
Prereq: RHE 306
Requirement fulfilled: CEHET
F 11-12noon
Requirement fulfilled: CORE UGS Signature Course
Hamilton Pool
Hi, How Are You
98262
98264
98266
Hill Country Flyer
98268
Hike and Bike
Ladybird Lake
98270
ANT
305
Expressive Culture
MW 11-12noon
E
314L
Banned Books and Novel Ideas
TTH 2-3:30pm
Requirements fulfilled: writing flag, CEHET
TD
301
Introduction to Theatre
MWF 12-1pm
Requirement fulfilled: VAPA
This FIG is recommended for students interested in Spanish or
Portuguese, or anyone wanting to use Spanish to fulfill their
foreign language requirement
UGS
F 9-10am
Requirement fulilled: CORE Social Sci
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
M 1-2pm
UGS
303
Brazilian Studies
MW 11-12noon
SPN
601D
Intro Spanish I
MWF 2-4pm
Partial fulfillment of Foreign Language
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
W 1-2pm
This FIG is for anyone interested in Mexican American
Studies, or anyone wanting to use Spanish to fulfill their
foreign language requirement
Introductory Spanish
MWF 4-6pm
Partial fulfillment of Foreign Language
Requirements fulfilled: Writing and cultural diversity flags,
CEHET
UGS
018
SPN
601D
MAS
314
Mexican American Literature and
Culture
TTH 12:30-2pm
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
W 1-2pm
CC
301
Introduction to Ancient Greece
MWF 10-11am
UGS
303
Justice, Liberty, Happiness
MW 12-1pm
SOC
308
Intro to Health and Society
TTH 2-3:30pm
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
M 11-12noon
UGS
303
Modernity and Art of Uncanny
MW 1-2pm
AMS
310
Intro to American Studies
MW 3:30-5pm
GRG
305
This Human World: Intro to GRG
TTH 2-3:30pm
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
W 3-4pm
BIO
301M
Ecology, Evolution, and Society
PHL
304
Contemporary Moral Problems
F 1-2pm
Requirement fulfilled: CORE UGS Signature Course
Requirements fulfilled: Global cultures flag, CEHET
F 2-3pm
Requirement fulfilled: CORE UGS Signature Course
Requirement fulfilled: CORE or COLA Social and Behavioral
Sci
F 9-10am
Requirement fulfilled: CORE UGS Signature Course
Requirements fulfilled: American History, cultural diversity
flag
M 10-11am
Requirements fulfilled: CORE Social Sci, Global cultures flag
MWF 4-5pm
W 9-10am
Requirement fulfilled: Sci pt. 1 or 2
TTH 11-12noon
F 2-3pm
Requirement fulfilled: CEHET
98272
Laguna Gloria
98274
303
Social Scientific Imagination
TTH 9:30-11am
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
T 11-12noon
ARC
308
Architecture and Society
TTH 12:30-2pm
M
302
Introduction to Mathematics
MWF 12-1pm
Requirements fulfilled: CORE/COLA Math, QR flag
The United States, 1492-1865
TTH 9:30-11am
Requirements fulfilled: CORE US History, Cultural diversity
flag
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
F 10-11am
316K
Masterworks of Lit: World
TTH 11-12:30pm
PSY
301
Introduction to Psychology
MWF 3-4pm
ARH
303
Surv of Renais Thru Modern Art
MW 10-11am
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
W 1-2pm
This FIG is recommended for students interested in majoring
in Economics
ECO
304K
Introduction to Microeconomics
TTH 3:30-5pm
Requirement fulfilled: CORE or COLA Social and Behavioral
Sci
M
408K
Differential Calculus
MWF 3-4pm
TTH 5-6pm
CORE Math; Quant. Flag; ALEKS Math placement prereq.
F 1-2pm
Requirement fulfilled: CORE UGS Signature Course
HIS
315K
UGS
018
E
Moontower
98276
Oasis
98278
Paramount
Pennybacker
Bridge
UGS
98280
W 12-1pm
Requirement fulfilled: CORE UGS Signature Course
This FIG is NOT recommended for pre-health professions
students or PSY BS majors.
M 8:30-9:30am
F 11-12noon
Requirements fulfilled: CORE VAPA, Cultural diversity flag
Prereq; RHE 306; Requirement fulfilled: CORE humanities
Requirement fulfilled: CORE or COLA Social and Behavioral
Sci
TH 2-3pm
Requirements fulfilled: CORE VAPA, writing and global
cultures flags
UGS
303
Cold War and the War on Terror
MW 11-12noon
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
W 11-12noon
HIS
315K
The United States, 1492-1865
TTH 9:30-11am
Requirements fulfilled: CORE US History, Cultural diversity
flag
PS
303
Intro Phys Sci I: Mech & Heat
MW 8-10am
Requirement fulfilled: Sci pt. 1 or 2
TD
301
Introduction to Theatre
MWF 12-1pm
Requirement fulfilled: VAPA
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
T 11-12noon
HIS
317L
The United States & Africa
TTH 12:30-2pm
Requirements fulfilled: CORE US History, Cultural diversity
flag
PS
303
Intro Phys Sci I: Mech & Heat
TTH 9-11am
Requirement fulfilled: Sci pt. 1 or 2
98282
ANT
307
Culture and Communication
TTH 2-3:30pm
Requirement fulfilled: CORE or COLA Social and Behavioral
Sci
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
W 10-11
This FIG is recommended for students interested in
Economics, BS in Psychology
303
Social Scientific Imagination
TTH 9:30-11am
W 12-1pm
Requirement fulfilled: CORE UGS Signature Course
Differential Calculus
MWF 8-9am
TTH 4-5pm
CORE Math; Quant. Flag; ALEKS Math placement prereq.
Shady Grove
UGS
M
98284
Shoal Creek
98286
SoCo
98288
408K
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
T 2-3pm
AMS
310
Intro to American Studies
MW 3:30-5pm
ANT
302
Cultural Anthropology
MW 12-1pm
BIO
301D
Bio for Business/Law/Lib Arts
MWF 10-11am
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
W 11-12noon
SOC
308
Global Inequalities & Health
TTH 9:30-11am
Requirement fulfilled: CORE or COLA Social and Behavioral
Sci
CC
303
Intro to Classical Mythology
MWF 2-3pm
Requirements fulfilled: CORE VAPA or CEHET, Global
cultures flag
UGS
303
Pursuit of Happiness
TTH 2-3:30pm
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
W 10-11am
UGS
303
Org Corruption Org Control
MW 9-10am
BIO
301D
Bio for Business/Law/Lib Arts
MWF 11-12noon
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
W 3-4pm
ANT
304
Intro Archeol Studies: Prehist
MW 10-11am
CC
303
Intro to Classical Mythology
MWF 2-3pm
UGS
303
Maya Civilization
TTH 11-12:30pm
Requirements fulfilled: American History, cultural diversity
flag
T 3-4pm
Requirements fulfilled: CORE Social Sci, Cultural diversity flag
Requirement fulfilled: Sci pt. 1 or 2
F 9-10am
Requirement fulfilled: CORE UGS Signature Course
F 10-11am
Requirement fulfilled: CORE UGS Signature Course
Tarrytown
98290
Requirement fulfilled: Sci pt. 1 or 2
W 4-5pm
Threadgill's
Requirement fulfilled: Sci pt. 2
Requirements fulfilled: CORE VAPA or CEHET, Global
cultures flag
F 1-2pm
Requirement fulfilled: CORE UGS Signature Course
98292
Treaty Oak
98294
Umlauf
98296
Veloway
98298
Violet Crown
98300
UGS
018
HIS
315K
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
W 2-3pm
The United States, 1492-1865
TTH 9:30-11am
Requirements fulfilled: CORE US History, Cultural diversity
flag
GRG
305
This Human World: Intro to GRG
TTH 2-3:30pm
M 11-12noon
Requirements fulfilled: CORE Social Sci, Global cultures flag
PHL
304
Contemporary Moral Problems
TTH 11-12noon
F 1-2pm
Requirements fulfilled: EL flag, CEHET
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
TH 3:30-4:30pm
HIS
315K
The United States, 1492-1865
TTH 9:30-11am
UGS
303
Freedom: Philosophy/Hist/Law
TTH 11-12:30pm
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
W 11-12noon
UGS
303
Visible Speech Writing Systems
MW 12-1pm
M
302
Introduction to Mathematics
MWF 9-10am
Requirements fulfilled: CORE/COLA Math, QR Flag
SOC
308
Intro to Health and Society
TTH 2-3:30pm
Requirement fulfilled: CORE or COLA Social Sci
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
W 1-2pm
This FIG is recommended for International Relations and
Global Studies majors.
ECO
301
Introduction to Economics
MWF 10-11am
Requirement fulfilled: CORE or COLA Social Sci, IRG major
GRG
305
This Human World: Intro to GRG
TTH 2-3:30pm
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
W 1-2pm
ANT
302
Cultural Anthropology
MW 3-4pm
F 12-1pm
Requirements fulfilled: CORE or COLA Social Sci, cultural
diversity flag
ANT
301
Physical Anthropology
MW 11-12noon
F 1-3pm
Requirement fulfilled: Sci pt. 2
UGS
018
FIRST-YR INTEREST GROUP-LARTS
M 10-11am
This FIG is recommended for Pre-Health Professions, BS in
Psychology.
PSY
301
Introduction to Psychology
MWF 3-4pm
Requirement fulfilled: CORE Social Sci
UGS
303
Medical Ethics
M 4-6pm
Requirements fulfilled: CORE US History, Cultural diversity
flag
M 3-4pm
Requirement fulfilled: CORE UGS Signature Course
F 2-3pm
Requirement fulfilled: CORE UGS Signature Course
W 11-12noon
This FIG is recommended for Anthropology majors.
Wild Basin
98302
Zilker Zephyr
Requirements fulfilled: CORE Social Sci, Global cultures flag,
IRG major.
F 11-12noon
Requirement fulfilled: CORE UGS Signature Course
AFR 303 Intro to Africa/African Diaspora Studies—The first section of the course is devoted to a history of Black Studies in the U.S. using the integration and
development of Black Studies here at the University of Texas, Austin as a case study. We will then turn to considerations of the historical construction of Africa, the
Black Diaspora and the idea of Blackness. Building on this foundation the course provides students with the analytical tools to critically explore canonical Black
Studies literature, themes, and theories. This section of the course interrogates race, gender, class, sexuality, and their intersections as well as culture, power and
politics. The second section of the course will focus in on the expression and use of Black Studies in the areas of: Critical Black Studies; Education, Psychology, and
Mental Health; Government, Law and Public Policy; Expressive Culture, Arts, Music, Sports; and Africa and its Diasporic Cultures.
AMS 310 Introduction to American Studies—AMS 310 is an introductory course in American Studies—the interdisciplinary study of American culture and society. We
will begin our journey by considering some of the critical transformations—both physical and ideological—that World War II brought to American society and
culture. Filled with televisions, cars, suburbs, malls and chain stores, the landscape that we know so well today came of age during this period. Throughout the
course, we will analyze how communities, broadly defined by differing variables like age, geography, gender, race, ethnicity, class and/or political persuasion, have
wrestled with questions about identity, inclusion and exclusion in modern America. While the course will proceed chronologically, I have organized these topics
around three separate themes: consumerism, youth culture, and multiculturalism.
ANT 301 Physical Anthropology—This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of physical anthropology. Physical anthropology is the study of
human beings in a biological context, and seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world. In other words, who are we? How are
we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way we are? The study of physical anthropology requires many different types of knowledge. Throughout the
course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of the evolutionary
process, and trace a pathway of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record. The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in
nature.
ANT 302 Cultural Anthropology (unique #31110)—This course focuses on "classic" themes in anthropology such as ethnicity, language, adaptation, marriage, kinship,
gender, religion, and social stratification. We will consider anthropological theory from its 19th-century origins to the present. The course also explores the nature of
ethnographic fieldwork, especially the relationship between the anthropologist and the field community. The lectures, readings, and films for this course have been
selected with the objective of exploring the social meanings with which diverse groups invest their life. By comparing and analyzing the similarities and differences
between "us" and "others," both within the borders of the U.S. and abroad, the anthropological perspective can expose some of our own cultural assumptions and
enable us to better understand diverse cultures.
ANT 302 Cultural Anthropology (unique # 31135)—Today we continually hear that we live in a global world that is multicultural and interconnected. If that is the
case, we have never been in a greater need to understand the question of what is human culture and how do we understand the question of our cultural differences.
This is an introductory course that seeks to develop students' skills in the understanding and interpretation of cultural difference through “ethnographic” monographs,
articles and films. It guides the students through some key anthropological approaches to the problem of culture and tries to help the students develop a critical sense
of this concept. While we will traverse other cultural worlds through the writings of different anthropologists, the aim of the course will not be to develop a chest of
trivia on other cultures. Rather, the effort will be to gain a perspective on the limits and possibilities of thinking about other worlds while developing an ability to reexamine our own cultural understandings and assumptions about the way social life is organized in the United States.
ANT 304 Introduction to Archaeological Studies: Prehistoric Archaeology—An introduction to archaeology as a discipline. Three major themes that deal with issues
of the past will be covered: 1) a brief history of the discipline, changing theories about various aspects of the past, and the role that the reconstructions of the past play
in national and/or group identities; 2) a survey of the development of human culture from its beginnings to the rise of civilizations and proto-historical cultures in most
areas of the world; 3) archaeological methods of recovery of information about the past, including scientific procedures involved in excavation, dating, and
preservation of the material record.
ANT 305 Expressive Culture—The purpose of this course is to introduce the concept of culture as a crucial dimension of human life. Because we tend to think of
thought and action as stemming from individual impulses, we find the notion of a shared, highly variable, but influential force in our lives hard to fathom. Even if we
speak of "society" as a familiar concept, we tend to make of it a uniform, oppressive force, some institution outside ourselves that we individually confront and oppose.
Yet only if we can learn to recognize how deeply we share certain assumptions and inclinations with others--but only some others, and to varying degrees--can we
appreciate the degree to which culture inheres within us and makes us who we are.
ANT 307 Culture and Communication—The ability to learn and use language is a quintessentially human characteristic—one that distinguishes homo sapiens from
other animal species. Language is simultaneously generated through and generative of social life; the former is a primary resource that we humans use in both the
structuring and accomplishment of the latter. These dynamics form the subject of study of linguistic anthropology. This course is an introduction to linguistic
anthropology. It is impossible in a single semester to provide a complete overview of all topics that linguistic anthropologists address, so this course covers selected
topics, the selection of which is aimed to illustrate how linguistic anthropologists go about doing their work: the range of topics they examine, the kinds of questions
they ask, the types of approaches and methods they utilize, and the sorts of conclusions they reach.
ARC 308 Architecture and Society—In the bounds of this course, we will have a glimpse of some of the significant moments throughout the history of rock, with the
intention not only to find out which great performers have been around and what kind of music have they created, but also to understand what are the broader social
issues that rock music has interacted with and how. We will inquire into the different ways rock music has been a significant element of social and political
negotiations, power relations, cultural shifts, etc. We will learn to talk about this music not only as a collective of notes or tour dates, but as a social process that may
teach us quite a bit about American and world history.
ARH 303 Survey of Renaissance Thru Modern Art—Students examine critically a historical overview of the most significant masterpieces and monuments in Western
architecture and art from the early modern era until today and to introduce a variety of methodological approaches to the study of art. We will investigate a diverse
sample of works of architecture and art in various media, including paintings, sculptures, manuscripts, books, prints, drawings, photographs, textiles, decorative arts,
installations, performances, videos, and more.
BIO 301D Biology for Business/Law/Liberal Arts (unique #48760)—This class teaches an evidence-based method of making decisions: how to evaluate evidence,
what alternatives to consider, and what to trust. The main ideas are taken from the scientific method, but the emphasis is on applying that style of decision-making to
all sorts of normal problems in daily life. You should learn how to evaluate a newspaper article about some new claim or discovery, what kinds of limitations underlie
any study (and thus how to look for weaknesses), and how to improve almost any goal-oriented procedure. The course content consists of lectures and demonstrations
(plus a few short videos) in class. Your course grade is determined by your performance on the exams, written homework assignments, a few on-line quizzes and an
on-line survey.
BIO 301D Biology for Business, Law, and Liberal Arts (unique #48765)—Designed for nonscience majors. The scientific method and the social uses of scientific
information. Topics include diet and chronic disease, radiation biology, DNA fingerprinting, the biology of learning, conservation of biotic diversity, and the biology of
reproduction.
BIO 301M Ecology, Evolution, and Society—This course is designed for non-science majors. Students receive an introduction to environmental adaptations, diversity
of organisms, species interactions, organization and processes of communities, population growth and limitations, evolution and population genetics, origin of life, and
human impact on the environment.
BIO 311C Introductory Biology I—Introduction to biological energy transformation, cell structure and physiology, and gene expression.
CC 301 Introduction to Ancient Greece—This course allows students to learn how ancient Greek civilization lives on today, as evidenced by such diverse phenomena
as the Olympic games, the Hippocratic Oath, and recent films like 300. Our modern philosophy, drama, and even democracy all have their roots on Greek soil, and
exploring these origins has much to tell us about ourselves. Other aspects of Greek culture, such as their polytheistic religion, appear profoundly foreign. Even seeming
continuities begin to seem more distant when we examine the details ̃e.g. a comparison of radical Athenian vs. representative American democracy. Like a visitor to a foreign
country exploring new customs, we can learn much from these contrasts as well. We’ll look for both the similarities and differences in how the Greeks thought about
war, laughter, justice, heroism, gender roles, life, and death (among other things), on a whirlwind tour through the art, literature, religion, politics, and philosophy from
the time of Homer to Alexander the Great.
CC 303 Introduction to Classical Mythology—Myths accompanied Greek and Roman culture as a constant from the pre-literate era before the Homeric epics through
the hyper-literary myths of the Roman period. These myths helped the ancient Greeks and Romans to make sense of their world and to address issues with regard to
religion, philosophy, and even early attempts at natural science. In different forms, myths still inform our understanding of the world, and Classical mythology in
particular has continued to influence western art and literature up to the present day. This class begins with an examination of the Greek understanding of the creation
of the world, the pantheon of gods, and the creation of humanity. Time will also be spent on the origins of Greek mythology, looking to the mythologies of Near
Eastern cultures, which have influenced Greek thought. Throughout the course attention will be given to particular gods, goddesses, heroes and heroines and the myths
that surround them in both the Greek and Roman traditions.
CH 301 Principles of Chemistry I—Development and application of concepts, theories, and laws underlying chemistry.
CH 304K Chemistry in Context—This course addresses the nature of matter, energy, chemical reactions, and chemical thermodynamics. Issues of contemporary
interest and importance, such as ozone depletion and global warming, motivate the discussion; the underlying chemistry is developed as needed. Social, political,
economic, and ethical implications of scientific developments and science policy are considered.
E 314L Banned Books and Novel Ideas (unique #s 34965, 34935)—Students in this course will investigate how, why and to what effects literature and philosophy
communicate with one another. The class helps students prepare for upper-division courses in English and many other disciplines via close reading, research,
discussion, and critical writing, and by introducing formal, historical, and cultural approaches to a variety of texts. Students learn how to use library resources like the
Oxford English Dictionary and others essential to informed study in any discipline. It appeals to English majors interested in philosophical topics, authors, or methods
or to students outside of the English Department who want to earn a writing flag and study ideas and ideologies that inform discussions and debates in fields ranging
from economic theory or military strategy to philanthropy or aesthetics. Readings span multiple genres to include poems, plays, novels, and essays, and students will
mold the course syllabus to fit their interests.
E 314L Banned Books and Novel Ideas (unique #34985)—In this course we will examine books that have been banned in England and America for "graphic" or
"explicit" content. What has offended in these texts is (supposedly) not distasteful political or religious sensibilities, but instead a depiction of that which "should not be
shown": usually sex, violence, or depravity. This sort of literature raises interesting questions about the role of disgust (or horror) in literature. Are there acts, events, or
cultures that should not be shown? Is disgust purely a negative reaction, or might it yield positive results? Is explicit material worth defending for its own sake (see, for
example, the recent controversy over The Human Centipede 2 in Britain), or must it be serving some other artistic, political, or religious purpose? Does what an era
finds disgusting reveal something about the culture's changing sensibilities? Charting violent, sexual, and gory literature from the sixteenth century to today, we will
examine both the thematic uses of explicit literature as well as reactions to it. In doing so, we will discuss the disgusting, the horrific, and the graphic as both a literary
motif and a point of tension within a culture.
Disclaimer: In case the above description is not clear, we will be encountering lots of explicit and potentially offensive material in this class. If you are squeamish or
easily disgusted, this may not be the course for you.
E 316K Masterworks of English Literature—Students will survey American literature in English from the writings of early European settlers in the 17th century to the
poetry, fiction, and prose nonfiction of our own time. The students receive an overview of the literary history of the United States and, necessarily, of the larger social
and cultural histories in which American literature is produced; to examine several different thematic traditions in American literature and life; and, perhaps most
importantly, to provide students with a well-stocked “toolbox” of interpretive tools and methods (and with opportunities to use them) that will help them read not only
American literature but any form of cultural expression more actively, more insightfully, and more pleasurably.
E 316K Masterworks of Literature: American—Because this course covers the broad range of American literature, nearly four centuries of writing, it will necessarily
involve a rich variety of nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and drama. We will begin by examining the origins of American literature from its colonial beginnings in New
England in the 17th century through the Enlightenment of the 18th century and the particular brand of Romanticism that marked the early 19th century. Then we will
focus on a myriad of American voices of the late 19th and 20th centuries, noting, as we proceed, both continuities and innovations. We will be particularly interested
in women and minority writers, and certain longer texts—by Crane, Plath, O’Brien, and McCarthy—will provide special opportunities to study the relationship
between a particular work and the history and culture in which it is grounded. Throughout we will seek to define and elucidate a genuine national literature that is
powerful, multicultural, and inclusive. There is a fair amount of reading to be done in this class, but the rewards in seeking to understand America’s past and present
are immense.
ECO 301 Introduction to Economics—This course will be a mixture of both Micro and Macro Economics. Students who wish to be an Economics major MAY NOT
use this course toward the major and should take ECO 304K and ECO 304L.
• Students will learn how economists describe and measure the economy, in the aggregate, as well as specific markets such as the labor market, the housing
market, financial markets, and international trade. Concepts for measurement and data will be covered.
• Students will learn how economists organize their analysis of economic choices by thinking about how individuals (i) respond to incentives, (ii) seek out
exchange in markets, and (iii) form, and participate in, various economic institutions.
• Students will learn how to think about strategic behavior (for example, markets with a small number of firms, or negotiating trade agreements among a small
number of countries).
• Students will learn about “externalities” and “public goods,” which, by conferring costs or benefits that are not appropriated by individuals or that are “nonrival” in nature (for example, once discovered, a technology can be used by many at the same time), provide reasons for government regulation, taxation, and
government-provided goods and services.
ECO 304K Introduction to Microeconomics—This course provides an introduction to the theory of how consumers and business firms behave in the market economy.
The topics include demand and supply in a competitive market, optimal consumption choice by the individual household given its budget constraint, the producer's
costs and output decisions, the demand for labor and other inputs, and economic outcomes under product demand structures ranging from perfect competition to pure
monopoly.
GEO 302D Age of Dinosaurs—Introduction to Natural History for non-science majors. The course focuses on current scientific theories and controversies surrounding
the evolution and extinction of dinosaurs. In order to appreciate these issues, the course presents an introduction to Earth history, plate tectonics, surface geology,
sedimentary processes, fossilization, and related topics. It also presents an introduction to the theory of evolution, an overview of the diversity of Life on Earth, along
with a discussion on how modern scientists study the relationships among organisms and interpret the evolutionary history of Life. The geological and evolutionary
processes that have affected the history of dinosaurs are the focus throughout the course. In the end, you will learn how Earth history and Life history are intricately
intertwined, and how scientists are using their knowledge of the past to predict what's ahead for us all.
GRG 305 This Human World: Intro to Geography (unique #s 37740, 37755)—Students learn why things are where they are and the processes that underlie spatial
patterns. These processes are fundamentally cultural: they involve a complex mix of folk culture, popular culture, communication, religion, demography, industry and
urbanization, so the course touches on all of these topics. The course also looks at the indications of human-induced environmental changes, including pollution,
resource depletion, and the transformation of ecosystems. It concludes with an introduction to the range of career opportunities for people with training in geography.
GRG 305 This Human World: An Introduction to Geography (unique #37780)—We all know that geography means learning where things are. More importantly,
however, it means understanding how those things got where they are, and why they are the way they are. These questions lead us away from simply memorizing
place names to conducting in-depth inquiry about the processes behind the patterns. Geographical processes are fundamentally cultural; their roots reach into religion,
language, political culture, and built environments, as cultural traits diffuse through space and form culture regions. Geographical processes also reflect the inherent
opportunities and constraints offered by natural environments. A major focus of this course is therefore on the patterns and flows that shape the geographies of various
aspects of culture, while a secondary focus is human-environment interactions. In regard to both foci we will discuss what is entailed by responsible citizenship.
HIS 315K The United States, 1492-1865—Students survey American history through the Civil War, keeping a collective mind open about which and why certain facts,
stories, events, and people are key to understanding our past. It draws on two popular American history books that offer complementary, sometimes conflicting,
interpretations of the American story to illuminate the rich textures of the nation’s history as well as the particular challenges faced in its writing. Using these authorities
as a starting point, participants will work collaboratively to expand their understanding of American history and to engage in the type of thinking required to “do”
history.
HIS 317L The U.S. and Africa—This class will look at the history of the political, economic and cultural relations between the United States and Africa from the early
origins of the slave trade to the present. It explores the role of the US in historical global contexts. The class is intended to elucidate historical developments both in the
US and on the African continent, and should satisfy students with a strong interest in US history as well as those interested in the place of the US in the African
Diaspora. The semester is divided into four parts, each covering a major theme.
M 302 Introduction to Mathematics—Students cover topics such as: number theory (divisibility, prime numbers, the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic, gcd,
Euclidean Algorithm, modular arithmetic, special divisibility tests), probability (definition, laws, permutations and combinations), network theory (Euler circuits,
traveling salesman problem, bin packing), game theory. : This is a terminal course satisfying the University's general-education requirement in mathematics.
M 408K Differential Calculus—Introduction to theory and applications of differential calculus of functions of one variable. Includes limits, continuity, differentiation,
and the mean value theorem and its applications.
MAS 314 Mexican American Literature and Culture —Students in this course will get a general introduction to the literature written by and about Mexican Americans.
Students should expect to develop some understanding of the specific cultural, historical, and political contexts that inform the literature. Knowledge of these contexts
will enhance our understanding of these authors’ politics and aesthetics, in addition to their views of issues such as race, gender, and class.
MUS 307 History of Rock Music-- In the bounds of this course, we will have a glimpse of some of the significant moments throughout the history of rock, with the
intention not only to find out which great performers have been around and what kind of music have they created, but also to understand what are the broader social
issues that rock music has interacted with and how. We will inquire into the different ways rock music has been a significant element of social and political
negotiations, power relations, cultural shifts, etc. We will learn to talk about this music not only as a collective of notes or tour dates, but as a social process that may
teach us quite a bit about American and world history.
PHL 304 Contemporary Moral Problems— An introduction to ethics by way of an examination of a number of contemporary moral problems, including problems of
abortion, sexual morality, capital punishment, and pornography and hate speech.
P S 303 Intro Phys Sci I: Mech and Heat— Inquiry laboratory approach to basic concepts of measurement, forces, motion, energy, temperature, and heat. Four hours
of integrated laboratory and lecture a week for one semester.
PSY 301 Introduction to Psychology—This course will look at the basic problems and principles of human experience and behavior. This course is intended to
introduce a wide range of topics in modern psychology in particular and science in general. The lectures will focus on issues of human development, behavioral
genetics, personality theory, behavior disorders, social psychology, language, memory and cognitive and sensory processes.
R S 315N Intro to the New Testament—This course focuses on some of the most influential religious texts in human history the 27 texts that were included in the New
Testament. In addition, we will also read several other ancient texts that did not make it into the Christian Bible. During the semester we will explore the content of
these texts, theories about how they were produced, methods used by scholars to interpret them, and conclusions that specialists reach about their significance. In the
process, students will also have a chance to reflect on the general nature of human religiosity.
RTF 314 Development of the Motion Picture—Survey of significant movements and schools of filmmaking through viewings and discussions of representative motion
pictures; critical approaches to performance, sociological impact, visual aesthetics, and industry structure.
SOC 302 Intro to the Study of Society—This course will offer insights to understand how social forces in society shape our behavior and influence our being. After all,
we are the product of our society and vice versa. Our identity, hopes, fears, grievances and satisfactions derive from the patterns of socialization orchestrated within
human groups. In this class, you will become familiar with the nature of sociology, macro-micro perspectives, sociological approaches, and concepts such as culture,
socialization, social structures, social interaction, self and society, institutions, stratification, gender inequality, love, marriage, and divorce. Finally, we explore the
sociology of health and the mind-body connection. In this course, we will: a) create an environment that encourages active participation and discussion in the learning
process; b) Use a variety of techniques in the teaching and learning process, and c) we will assess and evaluate your work and give timely feedback.
SOC 308 Global Inequalities and Health-- American society and powerfully structured by inequalities based on gender, race, and class, but we are often oblivious to
the ways in which these forces constantly work in our lives. From a sociological perspective, gender, race, and class intersect to structure individuals and groups’ life
advantages and disadvantages. This course is designed to reveal how they do so in institutional arenas such as work, politics, the family, education, health and health
care, the criminal justice system, and more. We will also discuss how institutionalized inequalities also operate at interpersonal and internalized levels, and the
differing effects these different forms of racism, sexism, and classism may have. Over the course of the class, we will use many examples of popular culture, both “high
brow” and “low brow” to demonstrate the ways in which discourses surrounding race, gender, and class permeate all aspects of society. The goal of this course is to
learn how to apply a sociological perspective to analyze how individual and group life chances are shaped by broader structures of privilege and disadvantage based
on gender, race, and class. While this course is lecture based, discussion is a large component of the course, so be prepared to respectfully debate and discuss often
controversial topics.
SOC 308 Introduction to Health and Society—This course offers a broad multidisciplinary overview that introduces students to the study of health and society. Basic
topics include health patterns, health behavior, medical care, and health policy in social, demographic, cultural, economic, political, and ethical contexts. Basic
methodological approaches to studying these topics will be covered. This course will include guest lectures by representatives of various disciplines. This course is a
requirement for the new college of liberal arts major in Health and Society (HS), which is scheduled to launch in fall, 2014.
SOC 308 Rich and Poor in America—Over the last three decades the gap between the very rich and everybody else has grown dramatically. In this class we will
explore several broad questions concerning the nature and reproduction of class inequality in the U.S. We will ask, for example: What is unique about the inequality
we live with today? How does social class structure our everyday lives? How, in a purportedly democratic and meritocratic society, is class inequality sustained across
generations? What institutions and beliefs systems are involved in this reproduction? How do the rich and poor make sense of their place within the distribution of
wealth and power? How is it that our society has become simultaneously more open (in terms of race and gender) and unequal? What does all this mean for the
viability of a democratic society? And why should we turn to sociologists to help us answer these questions? By exploring answers to these questions I hope to provide
you with a toolkit for critical thinking about the complexities of social class in the U.S., as well as an understanding of how your own experiences are the products of
systems of stratification.
SOC 308 Sociology of Identity—This course explores individuals’ identities from a sociological perspective. We will consider several common arenas of social life
and identity (is gender, work, family, sexuality, education, etc.), power privilege, and the ways in which these components form person’s multifaceted perspectives.
SPN 601D Introductory Spanish I—This is the first course in The University of Texas lower-division Spanish program. The course focuses on developing speaking,
listening, reading, and writing skills in Spanish while building vocabulary, learning basic rules and terminology of Spanish grammar, and gaining a better
understanding of Hispanic cultures in order to communicate in an accurate, effective, and informed manner within a variety of sociocultural situations.
T D 301 Introduction to Theatre—TD 301 is a lecture course that does not include a studio component (you will not act or dance in this class). Students read a
variety of dramatic literature, see, discuss, and write about performance, gain a basic understanding of Theatre conventions, the roles of theatre practitioners, and
theatre history. Students will be required to attend at least three productions in the course of the semester. It is the student’s responsibility to make reservations,
purchase tickets, etc.
UGS 303 Brazilian Studies—This course provides a general introduction to Brazil from the interdisciplinary perspectives of culture, history, politics, society, literature,
and religion.
UGS 303 Cold War and the War on Terror—This course compares the Cold War and the War on Terror-the two defining missions of U.S. foreign policy since end of
World War II. We will ascertain how the United States has defined its chief security threat and fashioned a foreign policy in reaction to that threat by comparing
America’s struggle against the Soviet Union and communism during the Cold War (1945-1991) and its current struggle against international terrorism (2001-present).
We will also study how foreign policy intersects with domestic politics, especially in the tension between maintaining security and protecting individual liberties.
UGS 303 Freedom: Philosophy, History, Law—This course will focus on the philosophical inquiry into negative and positive conceptions of freedom: reexamine the
role of freedom in the founding of the United States, and raise thorny questions about legal constraints.
UGS 303 Justice, Liberty, Happiness—This class introduces students to the great rival conceptions of the moral foundations and goals of political life, as these have
been elaborated by major religious and philosophical works from antiquity to the present.
UGS 303 Life and Death Decisions— The course explores decisions related to our ability to control the life and death process—issues of creation and termination.
UGS 303 Maya Civilization—This course is an overview of Maya civilization and culture. Recent discoveries have revolutionized our knowledge of the Maya past,
and show that ancient Maya did not disappear – they transformed. The colonial and contemporary Maya continued to change as they met the challenges of a very
different world. This course examines long-term adaptations through Maya art, culture, and language.
UGS 303 Medical Ethics—This course will introduce you to real cases and controversies in health care. Ethical and legal questions that confront patients, families,
health professionals, attorneys, judges and policy makers will be explored by studying cases in detail to understand the value conflicts that arise and difficult decisions
that must be made. The cases are analyzed from interdisciplinary and interprofessional perspectives. Insights from philosophy, history, law, psychology, religion and
public policy will be combined with examination of the professional roles and responsibilities of health professionals. The responsibilities and rights of patients and
families will also be considered.
UGS 303 Modernity and the Art of the Uncanny—Although some art claims to represent the world as it really is, this course traces the ways in which the bizarre and
the unexpected feature in the art, music, literature, and film of the last hundred years or so.
UGS 303 Organizational Corruption and Control—Organizational corruption is action taken by organizational members, through their organizational positions or
with organizational resources, which is illegal or unethical by societal standards. This course will examine the drivers of this type of corruption and the tools and
techniques that have been developed for organizations to control corruption and to build ethical organizational cultures.
UGS 303 Performing America— What is "America?" How do we create, communicate, enforce, and embody ideas about America and Americanness? How and in
whose interests do these ideas come to seem "natural"? What are the roles of literary and popular culture in asserting claims to and about America during the last
century? This course examines the ways a variety of dramatic, literary, performance, and other cultural texts stage ideas, aspirations, and anxieties about America
during the 20th and 21st centuries.
UGS 303 Pursuit of Happiness—While many extremists in America stress differences between Americans and the people of Middle East, this course examines and
analyzes a similarity: The pursuit of happiness. In this course, we will investigate different visions and theoriesof happiness well before America and theEuropean
Enlightenment. We will examinehappiness as a perennial theme of humanemotions and social life by focusing on aselection of classical texts from the MiddleEast and
other societies around theMediterranean, such as ancient Egypt,Mesopotamia and Greece. Students will beencouraged to ask, what are the variouspaths to happiness?
Is pleasure enough, orvirtue, or social bonds? How about self-interest? Is it possible to be happy when ourloved ones are not? Why or why not? After examining various
approaches to happiness, we will apply those principles to one of the most pervasive problems of our time: Muslim bashing and Islamophobia in America, which is
analogous to the bashing of Gays, Jews or Hispanics.
UGS 303 Social Scientific Imagination—Students are introduced to some of the most relevant, controversial, and puzzling issues in contemporary social sciences:
residential segregation, social inequality, contentious collective action, and everyday violence.
UGS 303 Visible Speech Writing Systems—Cn u rd ths? Why? How is it possible to record speech and thoughts in visible form, and to understand what others have
recorded? Writing has been called the most important invention of all time, yet it has been invented only a handful of times. We will investigate how writing represents
speech and thought in visual form; the origins of writing five millennia ago; types of writing (pictographic, syllabic, alphabetic); decipherment; and the cultural impact
of literacy.
WGS 305 Intro to Women/Gender Studies—In this course, you will become familiar with key terms within and authors of feminist analysis; use WGS terms and
concepts to analyze texts (archives, films, a novel, a public event); think for yourself and put your life and surroundings in conversation with our readings; practice
looking for and learning from transnational grassroots feminist activists; journal about change and challenges created by a human rights framework for gender justice;
take part in our ongoing discussion about what WGS is and what possibilities it creates.