You don’t need to pore over Shakespeare or sit through another biology class to get your degree at DePaul. Instead, you can discuss the hero’s journey with “Harry Potter” – which is being offered for the first time this quarter – or explore philosophical concepts through movies.
Whether you want to expand your horizons or just have fun, here are some unique and interesting choices to fulfill DePaul’s liberal studies requirements in Winter Quarter 2016.
Arts and Literature
MUS 112: Rock Composition
Monday/Wednesday 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Despite what “Rock Band” might have led you to believe, rock isn’t as simple as jamming red-yellow-green buttons. You won’t leave a rockstar, but you will learn the basics of different styles.
ENG 286: Topics in Popular Literature: “Harry Potter” and the Hero’s Journey
Monday/Wednesday, 11:50 a.m. – 1:20 p.m.
No matter if you’re a Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, you will enjoy exploring good and evil through witches and wizards, and re-imagining the wizarding world. But spoiler alert: read the books first, as all seven will be discussed.
ENG 286: Topics in Popular Literature: “Game of Thrones”
Monday/Wednesday, 3:10 p.m. – 4:40
WRD 284: Sports Writing in America: Myths, Memories, Heroes and Villains
Tuesday/Thursday, 2:40 p.m. – 4:10
Put your sports knowledge to some good use (other than yelling at the television) by exploring the roles of different writing formats in sports.
Understanding the Past
HIS 217: The Vikings: Medieval Ambassadors of Terror, Trade and Multiculturalism
Monday/Wednesday, 9:40 a.m. – 11:10 a.m.
Besides having an epic course name, this class is all about Viking history, how they spoke about themselves and their interaction with other cultures.
HST 240: History of Chicago
Monday/Wednesday, 10:10 a.m. to 11:40 a.m.
Learn about the growth of the city from its humble beginnings to its modern day stature as an industrial and cultural center. At the very least, you will become a knowledgeable host when friends visit and think a clumsy dairy cow started the Great Chicago Fire.
HST 247: African-American History, 1800 – 1900
Tuesday/Thursday, 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Explore African-American participation in frontier life, the Civil War and Reconstruction.
Philosophical Inquiry
PHL: 233: Issues in Sex and Gender
Tuesday/Thursday 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m., or Monday 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Investigate the nature of sex and gender, and the role they play in identity.
PHL 247: Philosophy and the Value of Music
Tuesday/Thursday, 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Explore the value of music, both as a tool in the development of character and as a tool of social and political change.
DC 227: Film Philosophy
Multiple course offerings; also offered online
Watch films and explore the ensuing philosophical questions.
Religious Dimensions
REL 190: Interpreting Sacred Texts: With Queer Eyes
Online
Understand religious texts through the lens of the LGBTQ community.
REL 212: Religion and Pop Culture
Tuesday/Thursday 8 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Explore how pop culture intersects with religious traditions, and how mass media markets religious themes.
REL 218: Black Intellectual Traditions
Tuesday/Thursday, 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Understand black intellectual traditions which emerge from and inform black religious teachings.
Self, Society and the Modern World
Ant 109: Food and Culture
Monday/Wednesday, 11:20 a.m. – 12:50 p.m.
Explore culture through food preferences, tastes and the environmental and health impact.
HSP 101: Introduction to Global Tourism
Tuesday/Thursday, 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Learn about global tourism while examining the environmental, economic and socio-cultural impacts on the host destination.
Scientific Inquiry (with lab)
DC 274: Image, Optics and Cinematic Motion
Multiple course offerings
Gain a new appreciation for each selfie and video you take by understanding the science behind the moving picture.
NSG 230: Women’s Health: The Physical Self
Multiple course offerings
Get to know the biology of women’s health – and if you are a woman, how to care for yourself – from a feminist standpoint.