Courses

A study of Jewish literature written in English. Topics may include Holocaust literature, Jewish American theater, issues of language and assimilation, secularism and religious thought, immigration and diaspora, race and whiteness, antisemitism, and gender and sexuality.

A comparative study of selected languages of Europe. Emphasis may be on the origins and historical evolution of the most important European languages, the formation of national languages, and the evolving uses of languages and dialects in contemporary European societies. Aspects to be studied may also include language contact, European languages outside the continent, changing language policies on the European continent. May be repeated once for credit provided the topic is different.

A comparative study of selected languages of Europe. Emphasis may be on the origins and historical evolution of the most important European languages, the formation of national languages, and the evolving uses of languages and dialects in contemporary European societies. Aspects to be studied may also include language contact, European languages outside the continent, changing language policies on the European continent. May be repeated once for credit provided the topic is different.

Literature written by and directed at those of Latino descent, including classic and contemporary influential texts by such writers as Sandra Cisneros, Junot Diaz, Gloria Anzaldúa, and Julia Alvarez. Topics for investigation may include experiences of immigration, coming of age, sexuality, gender, race, identity, community, and language. May be repeated for credit if the topic is different.

Exploration of trials and other legal case studies in early modern and modern European history. Some topics may include developments in the way crime and criminal activity was perceived, transformations in criminal justice and the origins the modern prison system. May be repeated for credit if the topic is different.

Exploration of trials and other legal case studies in Jewish history. Some topics may include the theoretical status of Jewish law within the surrounding state system, the Jewish communal institutions through which Jewish legal norms were administered, and the challenges the Jewish legal system faced in an environment characterized by legal pluralism. May be repeated for credit if the topic is different.

Exploration of trials and other legal case studies in Greece, Rome, the Near East, and other premodern societies. Some topics may include trials related to treason (such as the case of Socrates); corruption (e.g., Julius Caesar); prostitution and sex work; murder; theft; enslavement and manumission; citizenship and immigration; and libel. May be repeated for credit if the topic is different.

Exploration of trials and other legal case studies in non-western history. Some topics may include caudillismo and banditry; the urban "underworld"; the growth of legal medicine; scientific criminology and eugenics; the rise of military governments in the twentieth century; organized crime; transitional justice and the contemporary question of the rule of law. May be repeated for credit if the topic is different.

Exploration of trials and other legal case studies in U.S. history. Some topics may include the roles of the courts, Congress, the executive branch and the Constitution in the enactment of law as well as the law's impact on individuals' rights. May be repeated for credit if the topic is different.

Advanced instruction and practice in the theoretical, stylistic, and ethical matters connected to the study of writing. Topics may include methodologies of writing research, histories and theories of literacy and writing, theories on composing and language use, rhetorical theory, or digital composing. May be repeated for credit if the topic is different.