Courses

[Track C] Plastic is a ubiquitous material that has recently become a central focus of environmental concern. But how did we get here? How was plastic developed and what consequences does its rapid expansion have on our culture, politics, environments and bodies? This course will address plastic thr...

This course will explore the fantastic short fiction of several women writers. What promises does this genre, fantastic fiction, make? How does it keep them? What are its limits? What about length? How do short texts work their magic? What is the difference between fantastic fiction and magica...

Improvisation is all around us. It occurs in a wide range of human activity, from creative practice in the arts to everyday conversations to spontaneous negotiations with one’s environment. Nevertheless, perhaps because of its liveness and unpredictability, improvisation is often difficult to define...

The camera is a tool to engage, socially and politically, the world around us. Through close examination of photographic essays, books of photojournalism, and news reportage, students learn how to read photographs to gain an understanding of visual literacy. The course emphasizes process (drafting p...

This course looks at the interrelationships between mathematics and music from analytical, historical, and social perspectives. We will explore themes common to both disciplines such as pattern, repetition, and harmony. We will also discuss how mathematics can be used to understand how we experience...

Are museums inherently colonial institutions? Can colonial institutions be decolonized? This course will examine the history of the ‘universal’ museum--from its transnational imperial origins to contemporary attempts to confront these tangled legacies--through a decolonial lens to ask what the place...

The proportion of ELC students who might vote for Donald Trump for President in 2024 does not exceed 20%, and it might be less than half that. Many students have never had any sustained interaction with a Trump supporter, beyond an uncomfortable conversation at a large Thanksgiving dinner. From Manh...

This course explores ecosystem dynamics among plants, marine life, microbes, and humans and the ways that biotechnology can alter those dynamics and influence planetary health. Class sessions involve discussions, lab experiments, and small group work. Course resources include videos, animations, int...

New York City as campus: The Field Trips course is structured around weekly field-trips to exhibitions, screenings, and performances. Cost of students’ admission tickets (up to $200 per student) will be covered by the Department of the Arts and the Dean’s Office of Eugene Lang College of Liberal Art...