Course Spotlights

• SLC 125
• Gold GCSI
• Session C
• Immersion

How do we actively participate in a globalized world? This course introduces students to the idea of global citizenship, defined as consciousness of the interconnectedness of all forms of life on this planet. Just as humans are connected across earth through technology, social media, travel, politics and commerce, so too viruses and climate change are not restricted by national borders. Aims to develop global literacy that enables students to recognize, engage with and participate in developments that occur at a global scale, such as migration and climate change.

• SLC 394
• Session C
• Immersion

• SPA/SLC 294
• Gold SOBE
• Session C
• Immersion

This course explores Spanish, English, Portuguese, French, and indigenous writings and images describing, promoting, and/or decrying the discovery, conquest, and colonization of the Americas.

• SPA/SLC 113
• Gold SOBE
• Session C
• Immersion

Offers an in-depth exploration of the U.S. Latinx language experience, focusing on the complex interplay between language, identity and power. Students engage with key concepts such as language ideologies, attitudes and the dynamics of language shift and maintenance within Latinx communities.

• FRE/SLC 194
• Gold GCSI
• Session C
• Immersion

In this course, we will use French as a case study for the examination of various linguistic and sociolinguistic phenomena that occur when languages come into contact with each other. From a historical perspective, we will examine the diffusion of the French language outside of France through colonization: in the Caribbean in the 1600s, in East Africa and the Indian Ocean in the 1700s, and finally in North and West Africa in the 1800s. From a linguistic perspective, we will examine the various ways in which the language of the colonizers, and the language of the colonized, may evolve when placed into contact with each other, including the linguistic phenomenon of pidgin and creole language formation.

• FRE/SLC 194
• Gold HUAD
• Session C
• Immersion

This course explores the intersections of food, fashion, and the arts across France and the Francophone world, highlighting how creativity and innovation drive societal change. From Parisian salons and bohemian cafés to American kitchens, students trace how iconic figures Coco Chanel, Josephine Baker, Yves Saint Laurent, Julia Child, Ernes Hemingway and others reshaped culture. Special attention is given to American expatriates in France, whose encounters with French cuisine, fashion, and art transformed both French and American cultural movements. Students will engage with texts, images, and artifacts while producing creative and analytical projects that connect historical insight with contemporary vision.

• GER/SLC 194
• Session C
• Immersion

As AI tools reshape how we live, work, and communicate, something unexpected is happening: fundamental human abilities, like the capacity to think critically and make ethical decisions, are also becoming more valuable in our personal and professional lives. Combining these skills with AI-literacy, this course will explore enduring questions about human existence, freedom, identity, suffering, love, with an eye to the future. We will discuss film, science fiction, graphic novels, gothic, and other forms of literature from a range of different traditions in order to cultivate capacities that will serve students throughout their time at ASU and beyond. Open to majors from across the university, this is a course for anyone curious about what it means to be human, especially now.

• GRK/LAT/SLC 294
• Gold HUAD
• Session C
• Immersion

Sports were central to ancient Greek and Roman culture. Ancient Greece and Rome were eternally competitive societies, in which striving for honor in every area of life was paramount, and few things satisfied that urge for glory and status better than athletic events. Sports played a role in individual self-definition, in civic and national identity, and in politics, even attempted coups and elections. At the same time, it gave rise to a body of literature and art that grant us insight into the mindset of the Greeks and Romans, who established sporting practices that we still follow today. In this course, students will learn the basics of ancient sports history, art, and literature, and the impact of these practices on their societies, and apply the lessons of the course to sports in society today. The course is in English.

• GRK/LAT/SLC 294
• Gold SOBE
• Session B
• iCourse

Who gets to kill, and who gets justice, in the ancient world? This course dives into real and legendary murders from Greece and Rome, exploring cultural representations of divine sanction, courtroom drama, ritual revenge, family vendettas, and political assassination. Along the way, we'll use tools from anthropology, psychology, and legal studies to uncover how ancient cultures understood violence, guilt, and the human need for retribution. From Heracles to Julius Caesar, murder was never just a crime. It was a cultural phenomenon. These cases are studied not for their supernatural or mythic claims but for what they reveal about ancient cultural systems, institutions, and behavioral norms. The course is in English. No ancient languages needed, just curiosity and a strong stomach.

• POR/SLC/SPA 194
• Session C
• Immersion

What does it mean to be American...or Mexican or Brazilian? How are legal citizenship and national belonging understood in different countries over time? What are the similarities between democracies in the Western Hemisphere and what are their differences and why does it matter? How have authors, politicians, courts, visual artists, activists, musicians, and other opinion makers mobilized notions of national culture to achieve specific goals? This course historicizes and contextualizes conceptions of national identity in the US and different Latin American countries using a variety of primary materials from political speeches, pamphlets, literature, visual arts, music, and film. Students will gain a close-up view of the shifting, contested, and political nature of national identity discourses from multiple perspectives. In- class lectures and secondary source readings will provide the necessary historical background to situate discussions of the primary materials (textual and otherwise).

• ITA 220
• Maroon G
• Session B
• Online

Provides an exploration of Italian cinema, focusing on the cultural, historical and aesthetic elements of its evolution. Examines key periods and themes in Italian film history and analyzes the relationship between Italian cinema and broader societal and cultural contexts. Requires no prior knowledge of Italian or film studies and is entirely taught in English, with films presented in Italian with English subtitles.

• SLC 294
• Session C
• Immersion

Why do some stories survive for centuries, constantly finding new life in different times, places, and formats? This course explores how stories travel, adapt, and survive across cultures and historical moments, introducing students to the fundamentals of cultural analysis through the lens of narrative transformation. By examining how tales are retold, reimagined, and repurposed, students will gain tools to recognize the cultural, social, and political forces that shape literary production and reception. Emphasizing comparative perspectives and theoretical discussion, the course invites students to consider questions of adaptation, translation, and circulation, while drawing on their own linguistic and cultural backgrounds. As we trace these categories, we will continually return to the broader questions of the course and how literature functions as a form of time travel and how narratives negotiate past, present, and future. At the same time, each cluster of texts will open up distinct themes for discussion, whether the power of storytelling to suspend time, the reimagining of myth across centuries, or the ways science and history reshape our imagination of human futures. All course materials and instruction are in English, though students are encouraged to engage with texts and traditions in the languages of their focus.
 

• SLC 294
• Gold QTRS
• Session C
• Immersion

In this interactive course, you'll use digital tools and statistics to analyze large datasets, uncover patterns, and visualize meaningful insights. From detecting emotions in text to identifying key names and locations, you'll explore how data can reveal hidden information in text about text author and other things. You'll also learn to evaluate arguments, build data-driven hypotheses, and communicate your findings in compelling ways. By the end, you'll master digital tools to create powerful visualizations and connect data to real-world decisions. The course wraps up with a fun prize-giving ceremony, celebrating top achievements in digital text analysis.

• SLC 294
• Gold QTRS
• Session C
• Immersion

This course explores how language and culture are shaped by, and reflected in, real-world data. Students will examine common beliefs and stereotypes about communication, including claims related to emotional expression, gestures, multilingualism, and professional language. Through hands-on inquiry, students will analyze how these beliefs hold up when tested against real data drawn from interviews, online content, surveys, and video recordings. The course is taught in English. No prior background in statistics or programming is required.