Fall 2024 Course Offerings
The information below may be subject to change. For the most up-to-date course information, please check My BU Student. Students are responsible for checking the course prerequisites, class meeting times, and class meeting locations.
French
CAS LF 111 First Semester French
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see MyBU for instructors
Course Description
A multimedia approach for students who have never studied French. A variety of communicative tasks develop speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A.
CAS LF 112 Second Semester French
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see MyBU for instructors
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LF 111 or placement test results.
Continues CAS LF 111. A multimedia approach which develops speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills, together with the grammar and vocabulary needed for more complex communicative tasks.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A.
CAS LF 113 Intensive Beginning French
4.0 Credits
Gagnon
Course Description
Intensive French course for beginners or according to placement test results. Introduction to grammar, vocabulary, and structure of French, emphasizing the basic communication skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
If CAS LF 111, 112, or a more advanced college-level course has been completed, this course cannot be taken for credit.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A.
CAS LF 211 Third Semester French
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see MyBU for instructors
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LF 112 or placement test results.
Advances proficiency in speaking, writing, reading, and listening in a communicative classroom setting. Grammar studied is used in context through thematic discussions on topics ranging from daily life to Francophone culture, in short readings, and through diverse written tasks.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A.
CAS LF 212 Fourth Semester French
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see MyBU for instructors
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LF 211 or placement test results.
Advances proficiency in French in a communicative setting through thematic discussions on diverse, contemporary topics and media, short readings, and written tasks. Fulfills CAS language requirement, prepares for Level 1 Advanced Courses (CAS LF 307 — LF 311).
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A.
CAS LF 307 French Arts & Society
4.0 Credits
Duséwoir
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LF 212 or equivalent; or placement test results.
Students may take one or two (maximum) French Language courses in the group LF307, LF308, LF309, LF310, LF311, and/or LF313 before moving on to LF323, LF324, or higher level courses. Any combination of two of these courses may be taken for credit, provided the two courses have different course topics.
Advanced study of French language through the analysis of a topic or theme in the arts and society. Students advance in speaking, reading, writing, and listening through the analysis of literary, historical, and cultural texts. Specific themes vary by semester.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation.
Course Description (detailed description)
Reading Comics and Graphics Novels
This course introduces the unique literary genre of la bande dessinée, with a selection of contemporary pieces by acclaimed global francophone artists (Belgian, Canadian, French, Lebanese, and Iranian). We read a variety of forms such as graphic novels, manga, story boards, movie adaptations, webcomics and graphic journalism. Alongside analysis of the comics’ rich visual vocabulary and narrative formulas, we confront current societal questions as they are addressed through a plurality of faces, bodies and stories. We also explore the origin and history of the medium, as well as the evolving politics of legitimizing institutions such as the publishing industry, festivals and awards.
CAS LF 308 French Through Film & Media
4.0 Credits
J. Cazenave
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LF 212 or equivalent; or placement test results.
Students may take one or two (maximum) French Language courses in the group LF307, LF308, LF309, LF310, LF311, and/or LF313 before moving on to LF323, LF324, or higher level courses. Any combination of two of these courses may be taken for credit, provided the two courses have different course topics.
With the goal of better understanding French and Francophone culture and society, students study various media forms that can include film, written and broadcast press, television, podcasts, blogs, and social media.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
Course Description (detailed description)
France on the Small Screen
This course focuses on recent TV shows and films made for television that explore issues of race, gender, and sexuality in French society. TV shows include Mixte (2021) and Miskina la pauvre (2022).
CAS LF 309 A1 French in the World
4.0 Credits
Lakin-Schultz
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LF 212 or equivalent; or placement test results.
Students may take one or two (maximum) French Language courses in the group LF307, LF308, LF309, LF310, LF311, and/or LF313 before moving on to LF323, LF324, or higher level courses. Any combination of two of these courses may be taken for credit, provided the two courses have different course topics.
Advanced study of French through the analysis of images, short stories, and excerpts of novels that explore the diverse countries, regions and cultures that make up the Francophone World. Specific regions vary by semester, but can include Africa, the Caribbean or North America.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
Course Description (detailed description)
Cross-Continental Connections
Where can I go with French? Where are the numbers of French speakers growing? Why does the language still have such a profound influence in a postcolonial world?
French is spoken widely on the continent of Africa and while the number of speakers continues to grow, understanding the complicated history driving this ongoing linguistic influence allows us to develop a cultural fluency that is indispensable in Africa and Europe alike.
This course seeks to improve students’ proficiency in speaking, reading, writing, and listening through the discussion of images, short stories, excerpts of novels, and films that address the relationship between France and several of its former colonies, notably in West Africa, from colonial times to the present. Though we will begin with an introduction into French colonialism through the study of images and propaganda portraying the colonies, we will soon shift our focus to readings and films that address this relationship from an African perspective.
The course will progress chronologically ending with a study of the nature of this relationship in the 21st century through the readings of the Senegalese writer, Fatou Diome. Activities will include small group work, two peer edited compositions, class discussion, and a blog for additional writing practice. There will be three assessments of oral proficiency and one final group presentation. Themes explored include colonialism, education, African culture, migration, and cultural identity.
CAS LF 312 A1 French Language & Identity
4.0 Credits
Chazal
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LF 212 or equivalent; or placement test results.
This advanced French language course focuses on social debates and sociolinguistic issues on language and identity in the French-speaking world. Themes, such as language policy, gender representation, and regional languages, are explored through analysis and discussion of authentic cultural materials.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Social Inquiry I.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A.
CAS LF 313/GRS LF 613 A1 French Through Translation
4.0 Credits
Huckle
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LF 212 or placement test results, one other LF course at the 300-level, or consent of instructor.
Grad Prereq: Advanced proficiency in French
Students develop language skills and cultural awareness by exploring literary, technical, legal, and audiovisual texts. Students translate from different genres with special emphasis on prose, analyze essays on translation, and prepare a substantial translation from French into English, learning how to develop their own voice.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A.
CAS LF 323 A1 Creative Writing in French
4.0 Credits
Hennessey
Course Description
Prereq: One CAS LF 307-313 course, or equivalent or placement test results. First Year Writing Seminar (i.e., WR 100 or WR 120)
Intensive study of the art of writing through the development of individual style through readings, analysis of genre, free composition, translation exercises and class discussion.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-Intensive Course, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LF 324 A1 Advanced Spoken French
4.0 Credits
Mathieu
Course Description
Prereq: One CAS LF 307-313 course, or equivalent or placement test results.
Advanced training in rapid and idiomatic French speech. Oral reports. Role playing; vocabulary building; targeted work on pronunciation, intonation, and aural comprehension.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Teamwork/Collaboration.
Course Description (detailed description)
This course guides students to strengthen their conversational skills by improving both their production and comprehension of spoken French. Students explore authentic “texts”— press articles, podcasts, TV series, films, etc.—on topics of current interest. Due to the integrated nature of the course material, students seamlessly build their vocabulary and gain insights into francophone cultures. Assignments include individual, pair, and small group work, all requiring oral communication in different contexts.
CAS LF 350 Reading the French Way
4.0 Credits
Mancuso
Course Description
Prereq: At least one Level 1 Advanced Course (CAS LF 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 313) or equivalent; or placement test results. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120).
Development of techniques for reading and interpreting French literary texts. Special attention to the study of lyric poetry, drama, and short narrative. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-intensive Course.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LF 448/LF 648 A1 Topics in Text/Image/Spectacle
4.0 Credits
TBA
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LF 350 or CASLF 351 or consent of instructor.
Explores literary texts and their relation to works of visual and performance art. Uses critical and historical study in combination with creative practices to explore the creative dynamics of influence, appropriation, and transformation across axes of time and space. Readings and works selected may vary by instructor.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Creativity/Innovation.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LF 455/CAS LF 655 Studies in Nineteenth-Century French Literature
4.0 Credits
Mesch
Course Description
Prereq: CASLF 350; First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
Examines major themes and works in the literature of nineteenth-century France. Attention to cultural context and dialogue between the arts, literature, politics, and popular culture.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration.
Course Description (detailed description)
The Nonbinary Nineteenth Century
Nineteenth-century French literature is replete with stories about gender variability and gender crossing. Some of the most canonical authors of the nineteenth century—Balzac, Gautier, and Sand—along with many lesser known wrote stories of ambiguous gender, hidden identities, and gender crossing. In addition to analyzing the ways in which these writers were working through prevailing concerns of the century about the nature of gender roles and philosophies of romantic love, this class will examine a range of related themes and patterns present in these works. These include: a voyeuristic fascination with bodies and desires that strayed from the mainstream (often inspired by nineteenth-century medicine); more personal engagement with a “felt sense of gender” in tension with the identity assigned at birth; explorations of same sex love through the cover of gender disguise; and gender crossing as a means of accessing power and subverting patriarchy. We will thus contextualize the writings of this period through alternating and overlapping queer, trans, and feminist frameworks, revealing a rich and contradictory archive of gender stories within and beyond the nineteenth-century French canon. Authors include Sand, Balzac, Gautier, Rachilde, paired with theoretical writings by Judith Butler, Jack Halberstam, Gayle Salomon and the latest contemporary scholarship.
This course will be taught in English.
CAS LF 462/CAS CI 482 Cinema-Monde: Mapping French Film
4.0 Credits
J. Cazenave
Course Description
Spanning from the silent era to the present-day, this course reframes the key movements of French cinema through the lens of the global. Directors include Georges Melies, Jean Renoir, Jean-Luc Godard, Chantal Ackerman, Agnes Varda, and the Dardenne brothers.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LF 569 Topics in Francophone Writing
4.0 Credits
O. Cazenave
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LF 350 or CAS LF 351 or Permission of Instructor
Course Description (detailed description)
Through a Writer’s Eye: Trauma & Literature.
This seminar in French offers a subjective journey of readings on the theme of trauma. Each session centers on reading and commenting on selected texts. Students will develop an intimate reflection on links between writing and traumatic memory.
CAS LF 613 French Through Translation
4.0 Credits
Huckle
Course Description
See CAS LF 313.
CAS LF 621 Reading French for Graduate Students
4.0 Credits
Huckle
Course Description
Designed for graduate degree candidates preparing for language reading examinations. Develops skills in interpreting written French with minimal phonological or cultural references. Practice in translating passages relating to the sciences and humanities. No previous knowledge of French required. Students will not receive graduate credit for this course and there is no tuition charge.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LF 648 Topics in Text/Image/Spectacle
4.0 Credits
TBA
Course Description
See CAS LF 448.
CAS LF 655 Studies in Nineteenth-Century French Literature
4.0 Credits
Mesch
Course Description
See CAS LF 455.
CAS LF 850 / LS 850 C1 Graduate Theory Seminar
4.0 Credits
Mesch
Course Description
Satisfies departmental theory requirement.
Course Description (detailed description)
Literary Theories & Critical Practices
In this course, students will learn to examine, deploy, and critique methodologies that have shaped literary studies. Tracing literary theories from the twentieth century (semiotics, deconstruction, psychoanalysis, feminism, postcolonialism, cultural criticism, new historicism) to the most recent trends in gender and sexuality studies, ecocriticism, disability studies, and critical race studies, we will gain familiarity with influential texts from the past while exploring the ways that some of the foundations of the field established certain hierarchies that more recent scholarly inquiry seeks to challenge and dismantle. We will pair short stories and novellas with our readings, asking to what extent the fictions that we study can be forms of theory themselves– creating, engaging and commenting on the questions raised more directly by our theoretical texts.
GRS LF 860 A1 Topics in French Literature
4.0 Credits
Kleiman
Course Description
Medieval Women & Contemporary Feminism, An Inquiry.
Sustained close reading and analysis of medieval and pre-modern texts and images by and about women. Historicist and theoretical approaches to questions of authorship, embodiment, Law, and constructions of (gendered) personhood.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
Italian
CAS LI 111 First Semester Italian
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see Student Link for instructors
Course Description
For students who have never studied Italian, or by placement test results. Introduction to grammatical structures used in written exercises. Emphasis on aural comprehension, speaking, and pronunciation. Readings on contemporary Italian culture. Meets three days a week.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A.
CAS LI 112 Second Semester Italian
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see Student Link for instructors
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LI 111 or placement test results.
Continues study of basic grammatical structures used in written assignments. Emphasis on speaking, aural comprehension, and pronunciation. Readings on contemporary Italian culture. Meets three days a week.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A.
CAS LI 211 Third Semester Italian
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see Student Link for instructors
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LI 112 or placement test results.
Intended for students with a satisfactory background in elementary Italian who wish to continue study of grammatical structures. Emphasis on speaking, pronunciation, and aural comprehension. Reading about Italian culture and contemporary short stories. Compositions and oral assessments including interviews and/or presentations. Meets three days a week.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LI 212 A1 Fourth Semester Italian
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see Student Link for instructors
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LI 211 or placement test results.
For students who wish to build active use of Italian in speaking, writing, and reading. Intensive practice of spoken and written language. More advanced readings from Italian culture. Writing involving more complex grammatical and syntactical patterns. Oral assessments including interviews and/or presentations. Meets three days a week. Satisfactory completion of CAS LI 212 fulfills the CAS language requirement.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LI 283/CAS CI 266 A Study of Italian Cinema from the 1940s to the Present
4.0 Credits
Carter
Course Description
Films by De Sica, Fellini, Benigni, Sorrentino and others tell the story of social and cultural development during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LI 313 Italian Media & Popular Culture
4.0 Credits
TBA
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LI 212 or placement exam results
Students analyze how print, audiovisual, and digital media impact Italian culture and society. Through viewing, discussing, and writing students examine how television, advertising, and folklore represent current social phenomena, and make comparison between Italian and US cultures.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LI 445/CAS CI 445 On Screen: Italians in America
4.0 Credits
Carter
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LI 212 or placement exam results
Italian Americans have long been represented in American film and television. What are these representations and how have they been received? How is Italian American identity constructed through these media?
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LI 621 Reading Italian for Graduate Students
4.0 Credits
Brusetti McGinn
Course Description
Designed for graduate degree candidates preparing for language reading examinations. Develops skills in interpreting written Italian with minimal phonological or cultural references. Practice in translating passages relating to the sciences and humanities. No previous knowledge of Italian required. Students will not receive graduate credit for this course and there is no tuition charge.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
Pedagogy
CAS LL 691 Proficiency-Based Language Teaching 2
4.0 Credits
Carberry
Course Description
Prereq: GRS LL 690 or consent of instructor.
Fosters professional outlook on language teaching and learning. Students deepen their knowledge of instructional technologies, further develop proficiency-based pedagogy projects for their own courses, and prepare teaching philosophies, conference presentations, and other portfolio materials.
This is LL 691 Part A, the second segment in the cycle of pedagogy classes.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
Portuguese
CAS LP 111 A1 First-Semester Portuguese
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, see MyBU for instructors
Course Description
Introduction to grammatical structures. Fundamental communications skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Exposure to the culture and civilization of the Portuguese-speaking world through media broadcast, literature readings, films, music, and videotapes. Lab required. Four hours weekly.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LP 211 A1 Third-Semester Portuguese
4.0 Credits
Bianconi
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LP 112 or placement test results.
Promotes cross-cultural understanding of the Luso-African-Brazilian cultures through authentic literary texts, multimedia, film and music. Completes study of grammatical structures and syntactical patterns. Emphasizes reading, writing and conversational competency. Conducted in Portuguese.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LP 231 / CAS LP 631 Portuguese for Spanish Speakers 1
4.0 Credits
Cruz
Course Description
Prereq: Native or near-native speakers of Spanish only.
Designed to develop speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills in Portuguese for Spanish speakers. Focuses on comparisons between Spanish and Portuguese language systems for students to communicate accurately and effectively within a diversity of cultural situations.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LP 308 A1 Brazilian History and Contemporary Identities
4.0 Credits
Bianconi
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LP 212 or placement results or consent of instructor.
Students develop intercultural competence by analyzing the influence of history on on contemporary Brazilian identity. Written and oral work explores colonial legacy in relation to culture, race, and ethnicity. Readings and screenings present diverse voices within Brazil and interactions with other Portuguese-speaking countries.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LP 362 Inventing Brazil (in English Translation)
4.0 Credits
Carvalho Gimenes
Course Description
This course focuses on the main figures who undertook the task of forging the national image of Brazil in the 20th century. It encompasses several cultural realms and intellectual disciplines — literature, history, art, film, sociology, and anthropology.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
Course Description (detailed description)
TBA
GRS LP 631 Portuguese for Spanish Speakers 1
4.0 Credits
Cruz
Course Description
Please see CAS LP 231.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
Spanish
CAS LS 111 First Semester Spanish
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see MyBU for instructors
Course Description
For students who have never studied Spanish, or by placement test results. Introduction to grammatical structures. Emphasis on aural comprehension, speaking, and pronunciation. Introduction to Hispanic culture. Lab required.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LS 112 Second Semester Spanish
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see MyBU for instructors
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LS 111 or placement test results.
Completes study of basic grammatical structures. Emphasis on speaking and aural comprehension. Readings on contemporary Hispanic culture. Writing assignments. Lab required.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LS 211 Third Semester Spanish
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see MyBU for instructors
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LS 112 or placement test results.
Completes study of grammatical structures of Spanish. Use of spoken language in conversation. Reading in Hispanic civilization and of contemporary short stories. Writing exercises involving more complex grammatical and syntactical patterns.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A.
CAS LS 212 Fourth Semester Spanish
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see MyBU for instructors
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LS 211 or placement test results.
Review of the structures of Spanish. Intensive practice of spoken language. More advanced readings from Hispanic culture. Frequent compositions. Satisfactory completion of CAS LS 212 fulfills the CAS language requirement.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship & Intercultural Literacy.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A.
CAS LS 306 Spanish Through Translation
4.0 Credits
Basker-Seigel
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LS 212 or Spanish SAT subject test score of 560 or higher, or placement test results.
Not open to students for whom Spanish is a first language. Students may take up to two 300- level Spanish language courses (LS 306, LS 307, LS 308, LS 310, LS 311) before moving on to higher levels. Any combination of two 300-level courses may be taken for credit, provided the two courses have different course numbers; repeating a course with the same number is not allowed.
Advanced study of the Spanish language through the translation of written texts. Analysis of the theory and practice of translation as a catalyst of cultural transfer. Taught in Spanish.
This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship & Intercultural Literacy, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
Course Description (detailed descriptions)
Techniques of Literary Translation
Practice in translating different forms of literary prose including novels, short stories, letters, speeches, plays, children’s literature, and poetry from and into Spanish. Students explore key elements of cultural transfer while analyzing translation challenges and solutions of major translation theorists.
CAS LS 307 Spanish Through Literature and the Arts
4.0 Credits
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LS 212 or Spanish SAT subject test score of 560 or higher, or placement test results.
Not open to students for whom Spanish is a first language. Students may take up to two 300- level Spanish language courses (LS 306, LS 307, LS 308, LS 310, LS 311, and/or LS 318) before moving on to higher levels. Any combination of two 300-level courses may be taken for credit, provided the two courses have different course numbers; repeating a course with the same number is not allowed.
Advanced study of the Spanish language through the analysis of literature in its relations to the arts and society.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship & Intercultural Literacy, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
Course Descriptions (detailed descriptions)
Section A1 – Datel
Indigenous Perspectives on Contemporary Global Issues.
This course explores indigenous cultures throughout Latin America from a decolonial standpoint, which challenges the impacts of colonization and unlearns the legacies it has left behind. We recognize that such cultures offer insights and alternatives to resolving modern-day crises – including climate change, food sovereignty, healthcare access, and gender inequalities – while refraining from romanticizing an idealized past. To enrich our understanding, we will host weekly guest scholars and activists from indigenous communities.
Section B1 – Rodríguez-Ballesteros
What Are We Afraid Of? Horrific Dystopias, Nightmarish Tales, & the Appeal of the Dark Arts.
Join us for a thrilling adventure exploring films, plays, short stories, legends, fine arts, photography, music, and escape rooms to analyze the myriad ways in which a society reflects its deepest fears and concerns. This exploration of social expressions of anxiety will allow us to deepen our knowledge of Hispanic cultures while we reflect on the forms and uses of the Dark Arts (dystopia, psychological thriller, horror stories, gothic fiction, dark fantasy etc.) and their appeal as a cathartic tool to purge (¿exorcize?) the fears (¿the demons?) that haunt a community.
Section C1 – Hackbarth
Visual Creations in the Hispanic World.
In Visual Creations in the Hispanic World students analyze and discuss works of art, including paintings, street art, sculptures, architecture and film from the Hispanic World with an emphasis on the thematic and cultural messages contained within them. What happens when you put Pablo Picasso and Fernando Botero in dialogue with each other? How did Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s work help shape contemporary Mexican culture? During the semester we also visit local museums and delve into the world of art auctioning.
CAS LS 308 Spanish Through Film & New Media
4.0 Credits
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LS 212 or Spanish SAT subject test score of 560 or higher, or placement test results.
Not open to students for whom Spanish is a first language. Students may take up to two 300- level Spanish language courses (LS 306, LS 307, LS 308, LS 310, LS 311, and/or LS 318) before moving on to higher levels. Any combination of two 300-level courses may be taken for credit, provided the two courses have different course numbers; repeating a course with the same number is not allowed.
Advanced study of the Spanish language through the analysis of films and media of the Spanish-speaking world: cinema, the internet, and social media.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship & Intercultural Literacy, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
Course Descriptions (detailed descriptions)
Section A1 – Griffin
La Road Movie
The course analyzes how films from Hispanic countries portray these quests for meaning and/or change. Students learn to analyze socio-political, narrative, and cinematographic elements of each film. This knowledge informs their own multimedia projects.
Section B1 – Noonan
The Music of Protest & Social Change in Latin America.
In this course, students will approach key moments of social change, critique, and upheaval in Latin America through music. Students will become film and music critics as they study films, songs, and music videos from artists who have dared to question the status quo. Students will utilize the practical, analytical skills they develop throughout the semester to work individually or collaboratively on multi-media projects or research papers, depending on their interests. Creative options are offered for students who desire to explore course themes through other mediums like song, poetry, and film.
Section C1 – Díaz Baez
Revolutionary Cinema of the Southern Cone
The 1960’s witnessed political upheaval across Latin America. In Chile and Argentina, this cultural revolution manifested itself in a series of documentaries, such as La hora de los hornos and La batalla de Chile. This course explores these and similar works.
CAS LS 309 Spanish for Heritage and Native Speakers
4.0 Credits
Course Description
Prereq: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120). Not open to students who have completed any 300- level Spanish Language course.
Designed for heritage speakers who have lived part of their lives in Spanish-speaking settings (including Spanish-speaking households in the U.S.), who speak at an advanced level, and who wish to strengthen their reading and writing skills while exploring Hispanic and Latinx cultures.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Writing-Intensive Course.
Course Description (detailed descriptions)
Section A1 – Monet-Viera
N/A
Section B1 – Tormos Bigles
N/A
CAS LS 310 A1 Spanish for the Professions
4.0 Credits
TBA
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LS 212 or Spanish SAT subject test score of 560 or higher, or placement test results.
Not open to students for whom Spanish is a first language. Students may take up to two 300- level Spanish language courses (LS 306, LS 307, LS 308, LS 310, LS 311, and/or LS 318) before moving on to higher levels. Any combination of two 300-level courses may be taken for credit, provided the two courses have different course numbers; repeating a course with the same number is not allowed.
Transition to advanced study of Spanish as used in the health and business world. Analysis and discussion of intercultural professional communication, acquisition of specialized vocabulary, and interpretation of authentic materials in the context of the healthcare and business professions.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Oral and/or Signed Communication.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LS 311 A1 Spanish Through Performance: The Theater of Everyday Life
4.0 Credits
Torre Perez
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LS 212 or Spanish SAT subject test score of 560 or higher; or placement test results.
Not open to students for whom Spanish is a first language. Students may take up to two 300- level Spanish language courses (LS 306, LS 307, LS 308, LS 310, LS 311, and/or LS 318) before moving on to higher levels. Any combination of two 300-level courses may be taken for credit, provided the two courses have different course numbers; repeating a course with the same number is not allowed.
Invites students to tap into their creative, playful and risk- taking selves to gain more confidence, fluency and expressiveness in their communicative skills in Spanish, while exploring Spanish drama from the point of view of an actor, director and playwright.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LS 318 A1 Spanish Through Public Speaking
4.0 Credits
Carberry
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LS 212 or Spanish SAT subject test score of 560 or higher; or placement test results.
As public speakers, how can we engage different communities at different times and places? This course explores theories concerning how to construct narratives and arguments that resonate with specific audiences in Spanish and invites students to put such theories into performative practice.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Teamwork/Collaboration.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LS 350 Introduction to Analysis of Hispanic Texts
4.0 Credits
Multiple sections are offered, please see MyBU for instructors
Course Description
Prereq: Any 300-level Spanish language course or placement exam results.
Development of techniques for reading and interpreting Hispanic literary texts; reading of lyric poetry, drama, and fictional narrative. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
Course Description (detailed description)
N/A
CAS LS 450 Contemporary Spanish Literature
4.0 Credits
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LS 350.
Course Description (detailed description)
Section A1 – Cancelled
Section B1 – Crespo-Jaramillo
Early Queer Iberias.
An inquiry into contemporary and premodern histories of sexuality in medieval and early modern Iberia (European and American). Through the complementarity of literary texts, archival materials, art, and contemporary critical thought, the course constructs a multifaceted portrait of LGBTQ people.
CAS LS 452 Topics in Latin American Literature & Culture
4.0 Credits
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LS 350.
Provides new and contemporary perspectives on Latin American literature and culture. Can focus on some specific works through their connection to avant-garde movements, questions of identity and politics, media and the arts, canonical and marginal authors.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking.
Course Description (detailed description)
Section A1 – Rodríguez
Narrating the Self.
Contemporary Latin American Literature has witnessed a proliferation of texts that use the self as its main creative inspiration. Authors like Camila Sosa Villada, Margarita García Robayo, Alejandro Zambra, and Gabriela Weiner bring forward an innovative approach to fiction writing that center individual memories, experiences and perspectives. In this course we will read texts that problematize the boundaries between fiction and autobiography to uncover how returning to the self can be a way to address broader contemporary issues, such as climate change, racial capitalism, and the marginalization of gendered identities.
Section B1 – Carvalho Gimenes
¡Vivas nos queremos!: Feminist Resistance to Femicide
In this course we study literary and artistic contributions to the political struggle against femicide in Latin America. We engage with feminist scholarship on violence against women and examine works by Cristina Rivera Garza, Selva Almada, Mariana Enriquez, and others.
CAS LS 548 Text/Image/Spectacle in the Hispanic World
4.0 Credits
Crespo-Jaramillo
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LS 350 and two LS 400-level literature courses or consent of the instructor.
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. May be repeated for credit as topics change.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Creativity/Innovation, Ethical Reasoning
Course Description (detailed description)
Global Colonial Latin America
Demonstrates the fundamental role of Colonial Latin America within hegemonic literary, legal, and cultural systems. Based on canonical and novel viceregal sources (fiction, history, science, poetry) the course critiques categories such as globality, colonialism, race, modernity, gender, and development.
CAS LS 576 A1 Topics in Spanish American Literature
4.0 Credits
Rodríguez
Course Description
Prereq: CAS LS 350 and two LS 400-level courses, or consent of instructor.
Course Description (detailed description)
Writing the Nation.
In nineteenth-century Latin America, fiction writing was an essential tool for building the nation. This was in part because political leaders in charge of writing legislation tended to also be members of literary salons, periodical directors, and magazine editors. These authors understood the importance of literature for the creation of a shared national identity and notions of collective belonging In this course we will read nineteenth-century “national novels” to better understand how the creation of fictional plots could serve as instruments for “writing” the nation.
CAS LS 606 Spanish Through Translation
4.0 Credits
Basker-Siegel
Course Description
Prereq: Advanced proficiency in Spanish
See CAS LS 306
Course Descriptions (detailed descriptions)
N/A
CAS LS 850/LF 850 Seminar: Theories of Literature
4.0 Credits
Mesch
Course Description
May be repeated for credit if topic is different. Satisfies department theory requirement.
Course Descriptions (detailed descriptions)
See CAS LF 850.
CAS LS 860 Seminar: Topics in Hispanic Literature
4.0 Credits
Course Description
May be repeated for credit if topic is different.
Course Descriptions (detailed descriptions)
Section A1 – Borinsky
Julio Cortázar and the Living Tradition of the Vanguardias
A study of Cortázar’s corpus with special attention to the interconnections with jazz, painting, film, philosophy and multilingualism.
Section B1 – Maurer
The poetry of exile and return.
Readings from Juan Ramón Jiménez, Antonio Machado, and from the essays and poetry of their disciples.