Honors Courses for First Year Students

Anthropology Majors:

ATH 180: Apes, Behavior, and Conservation
CRN 16156, 3 credit hours
Description: This course offers an introduction to the biology, behavior, culture, and conservation of great apes around the world. Through a comparative lens, and using examples from both captive and wild populations, we will explore behavioral similarities and differences among the great apes (and ourselves). Importantly, we will examine the biological, anthropogenic, and abiotic threats facing great apes today, and the ecosystems in which they live, and discuss the conservation strategies used to combat those threats and increase their chances of survival.

Biology, Botany, Microbiology, and Zoology Majors:

BIO 116H/MBI 116H: Biological Concepts: Structure, Function, Cellular, and Molecular Biology Multiple sections, 4 credit hours total (3 lecture, 1 lab)
Course Description: Biological principles common to microbes, plants, and animals, including interactions between organism and environment.

MTH 135H: Math for Science Applications*
Two sections at different times, 3 Credit Hours
Course description: Taught at the precalculus level, the course focuses on concepts and examples from chemistry, physics, and biology to give students practice with problems they will encounter in natural science courses. Being multidisciplinary by nature, the course prepares students knowledge and skills to tackle real-world problems and for analysis of global issues such as climate and temperature changes, spread of infectious diseases, and drinking water availability. Enhanced with MCAT practice problems, the course also gives additional motivation for students interested in premedical studies.

CAS Economics Majors:

ECO 201H: Principles of Microeconomics 
Two sections with different meeting times, 3 Credit Hours
Course Description: Nature and scope of microeconomics, including the role of the market in resource allocation, the role of competition, market forces, the forces governing the distribution of income, and the role of foreign trade in economic welfare.

MTH 151H: Calculus I*
CRN: 15948, 4 credit hours
Course Description: Topics include limits and continuity, derivatives and their applications, and early integration techniques of polynomial, rational, radical, trigonometric, inverse trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic functions. It is expected that students have completed a trigonometry or pre-calculus course and possess the following prerequisite knowledge: factoring polynomials, working with fractional exponents, finding the domain of functions, properties of common functions such as polynomial, absolute value, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric, and rational functions, solving a variety of types of equations, inverse functions, graphing, and other related topics.

OR 

MTH 251H: Calculus II*
CRN: 13001, 4 credit hours
Course Description:  Continuation of Calculus I. Plane analytic geometry, techniques of integration, parametric equations, polar coordinates, infinite series, approximations, applications. Credit not awarded for both MTH 249 and 251. Prerequisite: a grade of C or better in MTH 151.

Chemistry and Biochemistry Majors:

Discuss your math placement with your divisional advisor.

CHM 141H: College Chemistry- Honors
CRN: 15651, 3 Credit Hours
Course Description: General chemistry lecture course. Examines the fundamentals of atomic and molecular structure, chemical reactions and stoichiometry, properties of solutions, thermochemistry, gases, and chemical bonding. Students also develop ideas, experience, methodology, and skills used in the application of scientific methodology. Credit not given for both CHM 141R and 141. IVB, LAB. PA-2B.
Prerequisite: one year of high school chemistry and a math ACT score of 22 (or a SAT math sub-score 530) or higher or permission of instructor.
Co-requisite: CHM 144 (lab).

MTH 135H: Math for Science Applications *
Two sections at different times, 3 credit hours
Course Description: Taught at the precalculus level, the course focuses on concepts and examples from chemistry, physics, and biology to give students practice with problems they will encounter in natural science courses. Being multidisciplinary by nature, the course prepares students knowledge and skills to tackle real-world problems and for analysis of global issues such as climate and temperature changes, spread of infectious diseases, and drinking water availability. Enhanced with MCAT practice problems, the course also gives additional motivation for students interested in premedical studies.

MTH 151H: Calculus I*
CRN: 15948, 4 credit hours
Course Description: Topics include limits and continuity, derivatives and their applications, and early integration techniques of polynomial, rational, radical, trigonometric, inverse trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic functions. It is expected that students have completed a trigonometry or pre-calculus course and possess the following prerequisite knowledge: factoring polynomials, working with fractional exponents, finding the domain of functions, properties of common functions such as polynomial, absolute value, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric, and rational functions, solving a variety of types of equations, inverse functions, graphing, and other related topics. 

MTH 251H: Calculus II*
CRN: 13001, 4 credit hours
Course Description:  Continuation of Calculus I. Plane analytic geometry, techniques of integration, parametric equations, polar coordinates, infinite series, approximations, applications. Credit not awarded for both MTH 249 and 251. Prerequisite: a grade of C or better in MTH 151.

Data Science & Statistics Majors:

Discuss your math placement with your divisional advisor.

MTH 151H: Calculus I*
CRN: 15948, 4 credit hours
Course Description: Topics include limits and continuity, derivatives and their applications, and early integration techniques of polynomial, rational, radical, trigonometric, inverse trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic functions. It is expected that students have completed a trigonometry or pre-calculus course and possess the following prerequisite knowledge: factoring polynomials, working with fractional exponents, finding the domain of functions, properties of common functions such as polynomial, absolute value, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric, and rational functions, solving a variety of types of equations, inverse functions, graphing, and other related topics. 

MTH 251H: Calculus II*
CRN: 13001, 4 credit hours
Course Description:  Continuation of Calculus I. Plane analytic geometry, techniques of integration, parametric equations, polar coordinates, infinite series, approximations, applications. Credit not awarded for both MTH 249 and 251. Prerequisite: a grade of C or better in MTH 151.

MTH 252H: Calculus III*
CRN: 12634, 4 Credit Hours
Course Description: Three-dimensional analytic geometry, vectors, derivatives, multiple integrals, applications. The honors course offers an in-depth treatment of these topics. Admission to the honors course requires honors standing or permission of the instructor. Prerequisite: MTH 249, MTH 249H or MTH 251.

English: Creative Writing and English: Literature Majors Majors:

ENG 180: Why Are There So Many Conspiracy Theories?
CRN: 15271, 3 Credit Hours
Course Description: Why are conspiracy theories such a prominent part of contemporary culture? Have they always been so prolific? What is a “conspiracy theory,” anyway? And what, if anything, distinguishes it from a legitimate explanation of social events? We will explore these questions through a wide range of literature, history, film, psychology, and social theory. In the process, we will attempt to understand the appeal of conspiratorial explanations and their relation to paranoia, rumor, disinformation, public relations, covert government, mass surveillance, and contemporary media. See more details in the Emerging Questions section below.

Geology and Environmental Earth Science Majors:

CHM 141H: College Chemistry- Honors
CRN: 15651, 3 Credit Hours
Course Description: General chemistry lecture course. Examines the fundamentals of atomic and molecular structure, chemical reactions and stoichiometry, properties of solutions, thermochemistry, gases, and chemical bonding. Students also develop ideas, experience, methodology, and skills used in the application of scientific methodology. Credit not given for both CHM 141R and 141. IVB, LAB. PA-2B.
Prerequisite: one year of high school chemistry and a math ACT score of 22 (or a SAT math sub-score 530) or higher or permission of instructor.
Co-requisite: CHM 144 (lab).

MTH 135H: Math for Science Applications *
CRN: 13195, 3 credit hours
Course Description: Taught at the precalculus level, the course focuses on concepts and examples from chemistry, physics, and biology to give students practice with problems they will encounter in natural science courses. Being multidisciplinary by nature, the course prepares students knowledge and skills to tackle real-world problems and for analysis of global issues such as climate and temperature changes, spread of infectious diseases, and drinking water availability. Enhanced with MCAT practice problems, the course also gives additional motivation for students interested in premedical studies.

MTH 151H: Calculus I*
CRN: 15948, 4 credit hours
Course Description: Topics include limits and continuity, derivatives and their applications, and early integration techniques of polynomial, rational, radical, trigonometric, inverse trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic functions. It is expected that students have completed a trigonometry or pre-calculus course and possess the following prerequisite knowledge: factoring polynomials, working with fractional exponents, finding the domain of functions, properties of common functions such as polynomial, absolute value, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric, and rational functions, solving a variety of types of equations, inverse functions, graphing, and other related topics. 

Note: Discuss your math placement with your divisional advisor.

History Majors:

HST 180: Why do we workout?
CRN: 15270, 3 Credit Hours
Course Description: Have you ever gone to the gym? Taken a Pilates class or done Crossfit? Scrolled for fitness videos? Why do we workout? The answer is historical. In HST180, you will have the opportunity to use the historian’s craft to explore the why and how of popular (and unpopular) fitness trends. We will look at how, for example, strength evolved from spectacle to military imperative to bodybuilder influencer status, yoga shifted from a seemingly “foreign” spiritual practice to a sweaty commodity, and Pilates moved from an internment camp to an expensive reformer studio. By examining the longer history of America’s fitness obsession, we will explore issues of class, gender, and identity, along with consumerism and capitalism.

Students will receive a distinctive learning experience, during which they read about the history of fitness, as well as how historians do history, AND design their own research agenda. They will have the opportunity to develop their own research project based on any aspect of fitness (physical exercise, business, culture, etc.) that they find in need of investigation. The final product of these research projects can take the form of a traditional research paper or something more creative (a podcast, website, exhibit, etc., along with a written component). See more details in the Emerging Questions section below.

International Studies Majors:

ITS 201H: Introduction to International Studies*
CRN: 16071, 3 credit hours
Course Description: Integration of core disciplines comprising international studies, with analysis of major world regions and issues. Honors students will join Professor Sackeyfio to present coursework at a conference

Mathematics and Math & Statistics Majors:

Discuss your math placement with your divisional advisor.

MTH 151H: Calculus I*
CRN: 15948, 4 credit hours
Course Description: Topics include limits and continuity, derivatives and their applications, and early integration techniques of polynomial, rational, radical, trigonometric, inverse trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic functions. It is expected that students have completed a trigonometry or pre-calculus course and possess the following prerequisite knowledge: factoring polynomials, working with fractional exponents, finding the domain of functions, properties of common functions such as polynomial, absolute value, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric, and rational functions, solving a variety of types of equations, inverse functions, graphing, and other related topics. 

MTH 251H: Calculus II*
CRN: 13001, 4 credit hours
Course Description:  Continuation of Calculus I. Plane analytic geometry, techniques of integration, parametric equations, polar coordinates, infinite series, approximations, applications. Credit not awarded for both MTH 249 and 251. Prerequisite: a grade of C or better in MTH 151.

MTH 252H: Calculus III*
CRN: 12634, 4 Credit Hours
Course Description: Three-dimensional analytic geometry, vectors, derivatives, multiple integrals, applications. The honors course offers an in-depth treatment of these topics. Admission to the honors course requires honors standing or permission of the instructor. Prerequisite: MTH 249, MTH 249H or MTH 251.

Philosophy Majors:

PHL 105H: Theories Of Human Nature
CRN: 15238, 3 Credit Hours
Description: There have been various ways that human beings have understood themselves and their place in nature. Every conception of the self embodies a conception of what can be known, of how we ought to live, of what values we ought to hold, and to what extent we are free. We consider various conceptions of the person in light of these questions. Introduces fundamental questions of philosophy and basic reasoning skills, methodologies, and concepts used by philosophers. Students are prepared for further work in philosophy and develop skills in critical thinking, reading, and writing for any area of learning.

PHL 131H: Introduction to Ethics
CRN: 15240, 3 Credit Hours
Course Description: Introduces students to, and cultivates, ethical reasoning. The course will foster students' capacity to recognize ethical issues and situations, to understand different ethical perspectives and concepts, and to engage in ethical deliberation. Students will have opportunities to analyze concrete situations and human conduct in relation to ethical principles, ideas, and frameworks and thereby to reflect more deeply on their own values and on the social context of ethical obligations and ethical dilemmas. Course topics may include the nature of our responsibilities to ourselves and to others, confrontations between the rights of an individual and those of society, and consideration of what it means to lead a good life. The course aims to enrich students' ability to see themselves as ethical actors in the world.

PHL 205H: Science and Culture
CRN: 16174, 3 credit hours
Description: This course will examine philosophical questions that arise at the intersection of scientific understanding and everyday ways of living. Looking at the cultural, ethical, political, and social dimensions of various sciences, and reading across multiple genres, we will explore a variety of arenas where scientific knowledge and technological development have transformed human experience (including experience with the non-human world), and, conversely, arenas where reflection and insight are necessary to confront and navigate conundrums of meaning, value, and action presented by scientific endeavors. Potential topics might include: the roles of scientific, political, and ethical reasoning in considerations of public health; human/non-human animal relations; climate change and collective agency; the impact of new media and communication technologies on the boundary between public and private; the social transmission of (mis-)information; and the significance of social identity for scientific investigation.

Physics Majors:

Discuss your math placement with your divisional advisor.

MTH 151H: Calculus I*
CRN: 15948, 4 credit hours
Course Description: Topics include limits and continuity, derivatives and their applications, and early integration techniques of polynomial, rational, radical, trigonometric, inverse trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic functions. It is expected that students have completed a trigonometry or pre-calculus course and possess the following prerequisite knowledge: factoring polynomials, working with fractional exponents, finding the domain of functions, properties of common functions such as polynomial, absolute value, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric, and rational functions, solving a variety of types of equations, inverse functions, graphing, and other related topics. 

MTH 251H: Calculus II*
CRN: 13001, 4 credit hours
Course Description:  Continuation of Calculus I. Plane analytic geometry, techniques of integration, parametric equations, polar coordinates, infinite series, approximations, applications. Credit not awarded for both MTH 249 and 251. Prerequisite: a grade of C or better in MTH 151.

MTH 252H: Calculus III*
CRN: 12634, 4 Credit Hours
Course Description: Three-dimensional analytic geometry, vectors, derivatives, multiple integrals, applications. The honors course offers an in-depth treatment of these topics. Admission to the honors course requires honors standing or permission of the instructor. Prerequisite: MTH 249, MTH 249H or MTH 251.

Political Science, Public Administration, and Diplomacy & Global Politics Majors:

POL 221H: Comparative Politics
CRN: 15576, 3 credit hours
Course Description: Comparative introduction to the development, governmental structures, and political processes of societies in modern world. Case studies used to relate theories to actual problems and governing strategies in contemporary political systems.

Premedical and Pre-Health Studies Co-Majors:

BIO 116H/MBI 116H: Biological Concepts: Structure, Function, Cellular, and Molecular Biology Multiple sections, 4 credit hours total (3 lecture, 1 lab)
Course Description: Biological principles common to microbes, plants, and animals, including interactions between organism and environment.

MTH 135H: Math for Science Applications*
Two sections at different times, 3 Credit Hours
Course description: Taught at the precalculus level, the course focuses on concepts and examples from chemistry, physics, and biology to give students practice with problems they will encounter in natural science courses. Being multidisciplinary by nature, the course prepares students knowledge and skills to tackle real-world problems and for analysis of global issues such as climate and temperature changes, spread of infectious diseases, and drinking water availability. Enhanced with MCAT practice problems, the course also gives additional motivation for students interested in premedical studies.

Psychology Majors:

PSY 112H: Foundational Experiences
CRN: 16095, 1 Credit Hour
Course Description: Introduction to fundamental early experiences in psychological research and practice. Students will become familiar with important features of psychological research and how core skills of psychological science relate to academic and non-academic careers. Honors students will have additional guidance and support into joining undergraduate psychology labs and research projects in the honors section of PSY 112H. All Honors College Psychology majors will be pre-enrolled in PSY112H.

PSY 210H: Psychology Across Cultures*
CRN: 16017, 3 Credit Hours
Course Description: A topics course, focused on the examination of culture and cultural perspectives, within the United States and globally, as frameworks through which theories and findings of the field of psychology may be critically evaluated.

Public Health Majors:

MBI 131H: Exploring Public Health
CRN: 14076, 3 Credit Hours
Course Description: Exploration of public health problems and solutions in the US. Impacts of physical and social determinants of health on development of health-related problems, impacts of disease prevention strategies, and the roles of public health professionals and organizations are addressed. Does not count as credit toward an A.B. or B.S. in microbiology. 

BIO 116H/MBI 116H: Biological Concepts: Structure, Function, Cellular, and Molecular Biology Multiple sections, 4 credit hours total (3 lecture, 1 lab)
Course Description: Biological principles common to microbes, plants, and animals, including interactions between organism and environment.

MTH 135H: Math for Science Applications*
Two sections at different times, 3 Credit Hours
Course description: Taught at the precalculus level, the course focuses on concepts and examples from chemistry, physics, and biology to give students practice with problems they will encounter in natural science courses. Being multidisciplinary by nature, the course prepares students knowledge and skills to tackle real-world problems and for analysis of global issues such as climate and temperature changes, spread of infectious diseases, and drinking water availability. Enhanced with MCAT practice problems, the course also gives additional motivation for students interested in premedical studies.

Spanish Majors:

SPN 311H: Modern Communication and Culture*
CRN: 15987, 3 Credit Hours
Course Description: Enhance speaking and writing skills in a context-driven, topic-based approach. Targeting Intermediate-mid proficiency, the course explores relevant vocabulary, form-meaning connections, and cultural insights in the Spanish-speaking world. Rooted in proficiency guidelines, students actively use Spanish for communication, cultural respect, identity reflection, and analyzing equity and social justice. A proficiency-oriented course fostering language growth and cultural awareness.
Note: Spanish placement in 311 or credit for SPN 202 required. 

SPN 315H: Intro to Hispanic Literatures*
CRN: 15988, 3 Credit Hours
Course Description: Close reading and critical analysis of selected poetry, essay, narrative fiction, and drama from Spain and Latin America.
Note: Credit for SPN 311 required.

Quantitative Economics Majors:

Discuss your math placement with your divisional advisor.

ECO 201H: Principles of Microeconomics 
Two sections with different meeting times, 3 Credit Hours
Course Description: Nature and scope of microeconomics, including the role of the market in resource allocation, the role of competition, market forces, the forces governing the distribution of income, and the role of foreign trade in economic welfare.

MTH 151H: Calculus I*
CRN: 15948, 4 credit hours
Course Description: Topics include limits and continuity, derivatives and their applications, and early integration techniques of polynomial, rational, radical, trigonometric, inverse trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic functions. It is expected that students have completed a trigonometry or pre-calculus course and possess the following prerequisite knowledge: factoring polynomials, working with fractional exponents, finding the domain of functions, properties of common functions such as polynomial, absolute value, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric, and rational functions, solving a variety of types of equations, inverse functions, graphing, and other related topics. 

MTH 251H: Calculus II*
CRN: 13001, 4 credit hours
Course Description:  Continuation of Calculus I. Plane analytic geometry, techniques of integration, parametric equations, polar coordinates, infinite series, approximations, applications. Credit not awarded for both MTH 249 and 251. Prerequisite: a grade of C or better in MTH 151.

MTH 252H: Calculus III*
CRN: 12634, 4 Credit Hours
Course Description: Three-dimensional analytic geometry, vectors, derivatives, multiple integrals, applications. The honors course offers an in-depth treatment of these topics. Admission to the honors course requires honors standing or permission of the instructor. Prerequisite: MTH 249, MTH 249H or MTH 251.

World Languages and Cultures Majors:

CHI 264H: Chinese Film in Global Context*
CRN: 15182, 3 credit hours
Description: This course studies the dynamic development of Chinese speaking cinema from the early 20th century to the present within a global context that impacts filmmaking beyond national borderlines. Through examining selected films from Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, it explores the global perspectives of Chinese film and culture. Introducing Chinese cinema's national and transnational identities, cross-cultural influences, socialist censorship, international circulation, global popularity, and boundary-crossing experiments, this course provides students with a profound global consciousness to help them better understand the multi-faceted modern world through the lens of Chinese cinema and culture.

FRE 131H: Masterpieces of French Literature in Translation*
CRN: 13568, 3 Credit Hours
Course Description: Accessible introduction to French culture through the study of selected examples of significant works in literature and the arts (understood in a broad sense). Works are examined in their social, historical, and ideological contexts and cover the period from the Middle Ages to the mid-20th century. All readings in English translation.

FRE 301H: Culture & Interpretation*
CRN: 13569, 3 Credit Hours
Course description: Gateway to upper-level offerings in French. Organized around a theme developed by each professor (for example: modernity, desire, revolution, or voyages), this class initiates students into the work of original analysis and creative interpretation. The course will include works from a variety of media, voices, and historical moments, from films to comics, speeches to sonnets, Paris to Algiers, Versailles to the street. Students will explore the relationships between literature and culture while gaining exposure to a range of approaches to, and theories of, reading. Students will hone their ability to present their ideas in writing. Taught in French. Prerequisite: FRE 202, or placement through Miami's French language placement exam.

RUS 101H: Beginners Russian*
CRN: 15202, 4 credit hours
Course Description: Essentials of Russian language including rudiments of grammar, acquisition of a simple vocabulary, practice in reading and conversation, and simple written exercises.
Note: No experience with Russian Language required.

RUS 201H: Intermediate Russian*
CRN: 15203, 3 Credit Hours
Course Description: Conversation, vocabulary building, readings, composition, grammar.
Prerequisite: Placement in RUS 201 or credit for RUS 102.

Architecture and Interior Design Majors:

Architecture and Interior Design majors are also encouraged to explore Miami Plan 2023 PA-2A Natural Sciences, PA-2B Social Science, PA-4A Ethical Citizenship, PA-4B Intercultural Consciousness, PA-4C Global Inquiry, and/or Signature Inquiry Honors courses. 

Architecture students may want to consider:

GER 245H: Imagining the Sustainable City*
CRN: 16268, 3 credit hours
Description: This course examines the intersection of imagination and urbanization in the quest for sustainable cities. Whether in the planning stages, the peak, or the memory of a lost city, artists, writers, public intellectuals, and citizens have sought to find a sense of community, identity, problems, solutions, and hope in their representations of urban life. Thus, communication and creativity are instrumental to effect change. By engaging in dialogue about existing cities and envisioning their futures, audiences will be able to intervene in the trajectories of urban environments. Taught in English. Approved for Miami Plan Signature Inquiry and PA-4C Global Inquiry requirements.

Art and Graphic + Experience Design Majors:

ART 188H: Art and Society: Renaissance to Modern*
CRN: 13358, 3 Credit Hours
Course Description: Course covers roles played by the visual arts (painting, sculpture, drawing, etc.) in societies from the Renaissance (ca. 1300 CE) to the present day. Students will understand how the visual arts facilitate religious devotion; define group and individual identities; offer new ways to value the artistic creativity; and other functions that reveal how the visual arts across history shape, reflect, and are informed by societies different from our own. Honors students complete an additional project in connection to the art at the Miami University Art Museum.

Art majors interested in a concentration in Art History can also consider:

ART 276H: Intro to Art Black Diaspora*
CRN: 15941, 3 Credit Hours
Course Description:  Introduces visual arts produced by black artists in Africa, the U.S., and the Black Diaspora. Examines seminal creative ideas, philosophies, and movements and focuses on the work of key artists in analyzing the contextual significance of art in society.

Art and Graphic + Experience Design majors are also encouraged to explore Miami Plan 2023 PA-1B Math & Formal Reasoning, PA-2A Natural Sciences, PA-2B Social Science, PA-3B Humanities, PA-4A Ethical Citizenship, PA-4B Intercultural Consciousness, PA-4C Global Inquiry, and/or Signature Inquiry Honors courses. 

Art Education Majors:

ART 195H: Facilitating Art Experiences*
CRN: 14397, 3 Credit Hours
Course Description: Thematic approaches to art education will be discussed and applied through personal artmaking, lesson planning and experiences in community settings. Students will visit educational sites and practice methods of digital documentation and reflective practice. Field experience hours required.

Art Education majors are also encouraged to explore Miami Plan 2023 PA-1B Math & Formal Reasoning, PA-2A Natural Sciences, PA-3B Humanities, PA-4A Ethical Citizenship, PA-4B Intercultural Consciousness, PA-4C Global Inquiry, and/or Signature Inquiry Honors courses. 

Arts Management & Art Entrepreneurship Majors Majors:

CCA 111H: Creativity & Design Thinking
2 sections with different meeting times, 3 Credit Hours
Description: This course is intended to enhance creativity, innovation, and design thinking skills of students transferrable to disciplines beyond this course. We will explore how the Design Thinking process influences the evolution of a user-centered design problem and explore the interrelationship of creativity, design, and innovation in problem solving. Learning the roles and processes of innovation and design thinking will be central to this exploration. Team work, problem-solving and leadership skills will also be addressed, and students will both self-author and collaboratively author original concepts.

Arts Management and Art Entrepreneurship majors should consider Miami Plan 2023 PA-2A Natural Sciences, PA-2B Social Science, PA-3B Humanities, PA-4A Ethical Citizenship, PA-4B Intercultural Consciousness, PA-4C Global Inquiry, and/or Signature Inquiry Honors courses. 

Games + Simulations Majors:

Games + Simulation majors should consider Miami Plan 2023 PA-2A Natural Sciences, PA-2B Social Science, PA-4A Ethical Citizenship, PA-4B Intercultural Consciousness, PA-4C Global Inquiry, and/or Signature Inquiry Honors courses. 

Students who plan to double major in Computer Science should consider CEC 111H:

CEC 111H: Imagination, Ingenuity and Impact I*
Multiple sections with different meeting times, 2 Credit Hours
Description: This course is for first-year students interested in exploring engineering and computing. Students engage in hands-on, interdisciplinary design that addresses societal and environmental challenges. Students work in teams to design innovative solutions and develop communications skills. The course facilitates student transition to college by introducing key information, resources, and skills needed to succeed. It addresses issues including information literacy, academic integrity, personal responsibility and career development; and identifies key campus resources to enhance academic success.

Interactive Media and Design Majors:

Interactive Media and Design majors should consider Miami Plan 2023 PA-2A Natural Sciences, PA-2B Social Science, PA-3B Humanities, PA-4A Ethical Citizenship, PA-4B Intercultural Consciousness, PA-4C Global Inquiry, and/or Signature Inquiry Honors courses.

Music (BA & BM) Majors:

MUS 185H: Multicultural Perspectives in Music*
CRN: 16059, 3 credit hours
Description: This course explores non-Western classical musical tradition and practices from around the world. By studying how music and society intersect, students develop skills for identifying and tracing musical differences and reflecting on factors such as history, culture, politics, economics, thought, and religion that shape their personal music- listening identities. Young scholars will think critically about music's power, not as a universal language but as an agent of unity, identity, war, propaganda, division, and faith. Students will develop cultural competency for their future professional and civic life by investigating disparate musical perspectives. An emphasis on self- reflection and intercultural learning is encouraged through a deeper understanding of self and others in a global context. This course will challenge students in scholarly areas beyond their primary studies and features authentic, active learning. Students can employ prior knowledge or skills from this course in other fields through interdisciplinary readings, media, writing, and cooperative projects.

This class is offered as Hybrid Asynchronous, meaning it will have both fully online course requirements and in-person meeting class times. Limited seats are available.

Music and Music Performance majors are also encouraged to explore Miami Plan 2023 PA-2A Natural Sciences, PA-2B Social Science, PA-3B Humanities, PA-4A Ethical Citizenship, PA-4B Intercultural Consciousness, PA-4C Global Inquiry, and/or Signature Inquiry Honors courses. 

Music Education Majors:

MUS 185H: Multicultural Perspectives in Music*
CRN: 16059, 3 credit hours
Description: This course explores non-Western classical musical tradition and practices from around the world. By studying how music and society intersect, students develop skills for identifying and tracing musical differences and reflecting on factors such as history, culture, politics, economics, thought, and religion that shape their personal music- listening identities. Young scholars will think critically about music's power, not as a universal language but as an agent of unity, identity, war, propaganda, division, and faith. Students will develop cultural competency for their future professional and civic life by investigating disparate musical perspectives. An emphasis on self- reflection and intercultural learning is encouraged through a deeper understanding of self and others in a global context. This course will challenge students in scholarly areas beyond their primary studies and features authentic, active learning. Students can employ prior knowledge or skills from this course in other fields through interdisciplinary readings, media, writing, and cooperative projects.

This class is offered as Hybrid Asynchronous, meaning it will have both fully online course requirements and in-person meeting class times.

NOTE: Music Education Majors will be enrolled in MUS 185H prior to Orientation.

Music Education majors are also encouraged to explore Miami Plan 2023 PA-2A Natural Sciences, PA-3B Humanities, PA-4A Ethical Citizenship, PA-4B Intercultural Consciousness, PA-4C Global Inquiry, and/or Signature Inquiry Honors courses. 

Theatre/Performance Arts Majors:

Theatre majors should take an honors course that fulfills a Miami Plan 2023 requirement such as PA-2A Natural Sciences, PA-2B Social Science, PA-4A Ethical Citizenship, PA-4B Intercultural Consciousness, PA-4C Global Inquiry, and/or Signature Inquiry Honors courses. 

Teacher Education Majors:

TCE 191H: Threshold Concepts of Teaching, Curriculum, and Educational Inquiry
CRN: 13212, 3 Credit Hours
Course Description: This course explores the purposes, organizations, and outcomes of schooling from the perspectives of the field of social foundations of education. Students undertake critical inquiry into teaching as a profession and examine threshold concepts related to teaching, curriculum, and educational inquiry. Students will explore historical, philosophical, and contemporary purposes of schooling in order to open up new possibilities for them as teachers and community members in a complex, multicultural society. The course challenges students to understand how historical and contextual issues related to schooling intersect with matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion. This examination centers issues related to schooling within the context of power, justice, and social change.

NOTE: Students with a major in any EHS Teacher Education program will be enrolled in TCE 191H prior to Orientation.

Kinesiology Majors:

KNH 188H: Physical Activity and Health*
CRN: 15639, 3 Credit Hours
Description: Critical examination of relationships among exercise, physical activity, fitness, and health from epidemiological perspective. The role of genetic, sociocultural, economic, geographic and political influences on physical activity patterns, exercise habits, fitness and health are explored. A description of the physiological mechanisms that link physical activity and health are also examined.

NOTE: Students majoring in Kinesiology will be enrolled in KNH 188H prior to Orientation.

MTH 135H: Math for Science Applications*
Two sections at different times, 3 credit hours
Description: Taught at the precalculus level, the course focuses on concepts and examples from chemistry, physics, and biology to give students practice with problems they will encounter in natural science courses. Being multidisciplinary by nature, the course prepares students knowledge and skills to tackle real-world problems and for analysis of global issues such as climate and temperature changes, spread of infectious diseases, and drinking water availability. Enhanced with MCAT practice problems, the course also gives additional motivation for students interested in premedical studies.
Note: Discuss your math placement with your divisional advisor.

Nutrition Majors with the Food & Nutrition for Pre-Health Professions Concentration:

Sport Management Majors:

ECO 201H: Principles of Microeconomics 
Two sections with different meeting times, 3 Credit Hours
Course Description: Nature and scope of microeconomics, including the role of the market in resource allocation, the role of competition, market forces, the forces governing the distribution of income, and the role of foreign trade in economic welfare.

ESP 201H: Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Business Models
CRN: 13524, 3 Credit Hours
Course Description: Topics include requirements and challenges of successful entrepreneurship, characteristics of successful entrepreneurs, the life cycle stages of a business, careers and opportunities for entrepreneurship.
Note: Requires the co-requisite course ESP 101.

Sports Coaching Majors:

KNH 188H: Physical Activity and Health*
CRN: 15639, 3 Credit Hours
Course Description: Critical examination of relationships among exercise, physical activity, fitness, and health from epidemiological perspective. The role of genetic, sociocultural, economic, geographic and political influences on physical activity patterns, exercise habits, fitness and health are explored. A description of the physiological mechanisms that link physical activity and health are also examined.

CEC 111H: Imagination, Ingenuity and Impact I*
Multiple sections with different meeting times, 2 Credit Hours
Course Description: This course is for first-year students interested in exploring engineering and computing. Students engage in hands-on, interdisciplinary design that addresses societal and environmental challenges. Students work in teams to design innovative solutions and develop communications skills. The course facilitates student transition to college by introducing key information, resources, and skills needed to succeed. It addresses issues including information literacy, academic integrity, personal responsibility and career development; and identifies key campus resources to enhance academic success.

NOTE: Students with majors in the College of Engineering and Computing will be enrolled in CEC 111H prior to Orientation.

Students who need to explore an alternative Honors course instead of CEC 111H should consult with an Honors advisor at Orientation.

Most students in a Farmer School of Business (FSB) major will be pre-enrolled into either an honors section of the First Year Integrated Core with BUS 101H as the honors course, or into one of the following honors sections of an FSB required classes:

ECO 201H: Principles of Microeconomics 
Two sections with different meeting times, 3 Credit Hours
Course Description: Nature and scope of microeconomics, including the role of the market in resource allocation, the role of competition, market forces, the forces governing the distribution of income, and the role of foreign trade in economic welfare.

OR

ACC 221H: Intro To Financial Accounting
CRN: 13146, 3 credit hours
Course description: Introduction to the purposes of financial statements and the recognition, measurement, and disclosure concepts and methods underlying financial statements. Focus is on preparing, using and interpreting financial statements and on understanding the impact of transactions and events on financial statements and financial ratios.

OR

ESP 201H: Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Business Models
CRN: 13524, 3 Credit Hours
Course Description: Topics include requirements and challenges of successful entrepreneurship, characteristics of successful entrepreneurs, the life cycle stages of a business, careers and opportunities for entrepreneurship.
Note: Requires the co-requisite course ESP 101.

Honors students in a FSB major who are not pre-enrolled into one of these options or who need an alternative honors course should explore Miami Plan course options with a FSB and an Honors advisor at Orientation.

Nursing Majors

Select a Miami Plan 2023 course from the following: PA-1A Mathematics and Formal Reasoning, PA-2B Social Science, PA-3A Creative Arts, PA-3B Humanities, PA-4A Ethical Citizenship course, PA-4B Intercultural Consciousness, PA-4C Global Inquiry, and/or Signature Inquiry Honors courses. 

The question of what a good society would look like is very old. This first-year honors Emerging Questions seminar introduces you to the origins of Utopianism, with a focus on the 20th century and on key cultural texts that captured the era’s hopes in, and anxiety about, the creation of a good society for all. You will engage with readings and films focused on utopian and dystopian societies all semester. This culminating project in this seminar asks you to explain your own vision for a good society. This is a 3 credit hour course. CRN: 15135

This course can fulfill Miami Plan Perspective Area-3B (Humanities) and/or a Signature Inquiry requirement.

Watch the video below to hear from the course instructor:

This course offers an introduction to the biology, behavior, and conservation of great apes around the world to understand "what is happening to the great apes?". Through a comparative lens, and using examples from both captive and wild populations, we will explore behavioral similarities and differences among the great apes (and ourselves). Importantly, we will examine the biological, anthropogenic, and abiotic threats facing great apes today, and the ecosystems in which they live, and discuss the conservation strategies used to combat those threats and increase their chances of survival. This course is appropriate for non-science majors. This is a 3 credit course. CRN: 16156

This course can fulfill Miami Plan Perspective Area-2B (Natural Sciences) and/or a Signature Inquiry requirement.

Note for CAS majors: This course is NOT approved for the CAS-D Natural Science requirement, only the MP PA-2B Natural Science requirement.

Why are conspiracy theories such a prominent part of contemporary culture? Have they always been so prolific? What is a “conspiracy theory,” anyway? And what, if anything, distinguishes it from a legitimate explanation of social events? We will explore these questions through a wide range of literature, history, film, psychology, and social theory. In the process, we will attempt to understand the appeal of conspiratorial explanations and their relation to paranoia, rumor, disinformation, public relations, covert government, mass surveillance, and contemporary media. This is a 3 credit hour course. CRN: 15271

This course can fulfill Miami Plan Perspective Area-1C (Advanced Writing) and/or a Signature Inquiry requirement.

Watch the video below to hear from the course instructor:

Have you ever gone to the gym? Taken a Pilates class or done Crossfit? Scrolled for fitness videos? Why do we workout? The answer is historical. In HST 180, you will have the opportunity to use the historian’s craft to explore the why and how of popular (and unpopular) fitness trends. We will look at how, for example, strength evolved from spectacle to military imperative to bodybuilder influencer status, yoga shifted from a seemingly “foreign” spiritual practice to a sweaty commodity, and Pilates moved from an internment camp to an expensive reformer studio. By examining the longer history of America’s fitness obsession, we will explore issues of class, gender, and identity, along with consumerism and capitalism. Students will receive a distinctive learning experience, during which they read about the history of fitness, as well as how historians do history, AND design their own research agenda. They will have the opportunity to develop their own research project based on any aspect of fitness (physical exercise, business, culture, etc.) that they find in need of investigation. The final product of these research projects can take the form of a traditional research paper or something more creative (a podcast, website, exhibit, etc., along with a written component). This is a 3 credit hour course. CRN: 15270

This course can fulfill Miami Plan Perspective Area-3B (Humanities) and/or a Signature Inquiry requirement.

Watch the video below to hear from the course instructor:

Everyone wants to have a good life. But not everyone agrees what makes a good life. Does living a good life amount to having a successful career, making a lot of money, and having a comfortable material life? Having a family? What is the relationship between having a good life and being a good person—in other words, what role does morality play in living a good life? If we want to live a good life, are we also responsible for helping others in having the possibility to have a good life too? To live a meaningful life, does one have to believe that life has a higher purpose or meaning? These are some of the enduring questions this course will explore. This course will approach these questions through a variety of disciplinary frameworks, including philosophy and religious thought. This is a 3 credit hour course. CRN: 15344

This course can fulfill Miami Plan Perspective Area-3B (Humanities) and/or a Signature Inquiry requirement.

Watch the video below to hear from the course instructor:

Contract course option:

CEC 266H: Engineering Global Heavy Metal*
CRN: 14420, 3 credit hours
Description: This course addresses the linkages among heavy metal music, global culture and engineering developments. Heavy metal is a truly global popular music with major impacts from Europe, Asia, the Americas and beyond. Advances in various technologies have extensively influenced heavy metal , enabling some of its most defining characteristics. This course explores the interplays of technology, music and culture by integrating the powerful history of metal with an overview of the engineering impacts. Students will engage in demonstrations and discussions of the musical breadth along with the engineering technologies. Honors students will work in groups to build an electric guitar.

MTH 135H: Math for Science Applications*
Two sections at different times, 3 credit hours
Description: Taught at the precalculus level, the course focuses on concepts and examples from chemistry, physics, and biology to give students practice with problems they will encounter in natural science courses. Being multidisciplinary by nature, the course prepares students knowledge and skills to tackle real-world problems and for analysis of global issues such as climate and temperature changes, spread of infectious diseases, and drinking water availability. Enhanced with MCAT practice problems, the course also gives additional motivation for students interested in premedical studies.
Note: Discuss your math placement with your divisional advisor.

Honors exclusive course options:

ENG 180: Why Are There So Many Conspiracy Theories?
CRN:15271, 3 credit hours
Description: Why are conspiracy theories such a prominent part of contemporary culture? Have they always been so prolific? What is a “conspiracy theory,” anyway? And what, if anything, distinguishes it from a legitimate explanation of social events? We will explore these questions through a wide range of literature, history, film, psychology, and social theory. In the process, we will attempt to understand the appeal of conspiratorial explanations and their relation to paranoia, rumor, disinformation, public relations, covert government, mass surveillance, and contemporary media See more details in the Emerging Questions section above.

Honors exclusive course options:

ECO 201H: Principles of Microeconomics 
2 sections with different meeting times, 3 Credit Hours
Description: Nature and scope of microeconomics, including the role of the market in resource allocation, the role of competition, market forces, the forces governing the distribution of income, and the role of foreign trade in economic welfare.

POL 221H: Comparative Politics
CRN: 15576, 3 Credit Hours
Description: Comparative introduction to the development, governmental structures, and political processes of societies in modern world. Case studies used to relate theories to actual problems and governing strategies in contemporary political systems.

Contract Honors course options:

ITS 201H: Introduction to International Studies*
CRN 16071, 3 credit hours
Course Description: Integration of core disciplines comprising international studies, with analysis of major world regions and issues. Honors students will join Professor Sackeyfio to present coursework at a conference.

KNH 188H: Physical Activity and Health*
CRN: 15639, 3 Credit Hours
Description: Critical examination of relationships among exercise, physical activity, fitness, and health from epidemiological perspective. The role of genetic, sociocultural, economic, geographic and political influences on physical activity patterns, exercise habits, fitness and health are explored. A description of the physiological mechanisms that link physical activity and health are also examined.

Honors exclusive course option:

ATH 180: Apes, Behavior, and Conservation
CRN 16156, 3 credit hours
Description: This course offers an introduction to the biology, behavior, culture, and conservation of great apes around the world. Through a comparative lens, and using examples from both captive and wild populations, we will explore behavioral similarities and differences among the great apes (and ourselves). Importantly, we will examine the biological, anthropogenic, and abiotic threats facing great apes today, and the ecosystems in which they live, and discuss the conservation strategies used to combat those threats and increase their chances of survival.

MBI 131H: Exploring Public Health
CRN: 14076, 3 Credit Hours
Description: Exploration of public health problems and solutions in the US. Impacts of physical and social determinants of health on development of health-related problems, impacts of disease prevention strategies, and the roles of public health professionals and organizations are addressed. Does not count as credit toward an A.B. or B.S. in microbiology. 

Honors exclusive course option:

CCA 111H: Creativity & Design Thinking
Two sections with different meeting times, 3 Credit Hours
Description: This course is intended to enhance creativity, innovation, and design thinking skills of students transferrable to disciplines beyond this course. We will explore how the Design Thinking process influences the evolution of a user-centered design problem and explore the interrelationship of creativity, design, and innovation in problem solving. Learning the roles and processes of innovation and design thinking will be central to this exploration. Team work, problem-solving and leadership skills will also be addressed, and students will both self-author and collaboratively author original concepts.

Contract course options:

ART 188H: Art & Society: Renaissance to Modern*
CRN: 13358, 3 Credit Hours
Description: Course covers roles played by the visual arts (painting, sculpture, drawing, etc.) in societies from the Renaissance (ca. 1300 CE) to the present day. Students will understand how the visual arts facilitate religious devotion; define group and individual identities; offer new ways to value the artistic creativity; and other functions that reveal how the visual arts across history shape, reflect, and are informed by societies different from our own. Honors students complete an additional project in connection to the art at the Miami University Art Museum.

MUS 184H: Opera: Human Stories in Music*
CRN: 13567, 3 Credit Hours
Description: This course focuses on opera as the "total art work," encompassing aspects of Western European history and culture. From opera’s roots in ancient Greek drama to the present day, opera is constantly being shaped by the society in which it has thrived. Art, literature, theatre, and business are also relevant to opera and will be included in our journey through operatic masterpieces. Framed in the context of Italy as the self-proclaimed birthplace of opera, the course addresses how the passion for this art form has spread through—and united—cultures around the globe. A focus is on the patrons who have supported opera from its inception to the present-day. Students will learn to appreciate the art form by studying selected operas, attending an opera at Miami University and watching videos of operas.

MUS 285H: Introduction to African American Music*
2 sections with different meeting times, 3 Credit Hours
Description: This course is an overview of the musical practices of African Americans and how this array of musical sounds, performance practices, and modes of dissemination correlate with the evolving consciousness of Blackness. Emphasis is placed on the evolution of Black folk practices into specific forms of popular music and classical (concert) music.

Honors exclusive options:

AMS 180: What is a Good Society?
CRN: 15135, 3 credit hours
Description: This first-year honors Emerging Questions seminar introduces you to the origins of Utopianism, with a focus on the 20th century and on key cultural texts that captured the era’s hopes in, and anxiety about, the creation of a good society for all. You will engage with readings and films focused on utopian and dystopian societies all semester. This culminating project in this seminar asks you to explain your own vision for a good society. See more details in the Emerging Questions section above.

HST 180: Why Do We Workout?
CRN: 15270, 3 Credit Hours
Description: Have you ever gone to the gym? Taken a Pilates class or done Crossfit? Scrolled for fitness videos? Why do we workout? The answer is historical. In HST 180, you will have the opportunity to use the historian’s craft to explore the why and how of popular (and unpopular) fitness trends. We will look at how, for example, strength evolved from spectacle to military imperative to bodybuilder influencer status, yoga shifted from a seemingly “foreign” spiritual practice to a sweaty commodity, and Pilates moved from an internment camp to an expensive reformer studio. By examining the longer history of America’s fitness obsession, we will explore issues of class, gender, and identity, along with consumerism and capitalism. Students will receive a distinctive learning experience, during which they read about the history of fitness, as well as how historians do history, AND design their own research agenda. They will have the opportunity to develop their own research project based on any aspect of fitness (physical exercise, business, culture, etc.) that they find in need of investigation. The final product of these research projects can take the form of a traditional research paper or something more creative (a podcast, website, exhibit, etc., along with a written component). See more details in the Emerging Questions section above. 

PHL 131H: Introduction to Ethics
CRN: 15240, 3 credit hours
Description: Introduces students to, and cultivates, ethical reasoning. The course will foster students' capacity to recognize ethical issues and situations, to understand different ethical perspectives and concepts, and to engage in ethical deliberation. Students will have opportunities to analyze concrete situations and human conduct in relation to ethical principles, ideas, and frameworks and thereby to reflect more deeply on their own values and on the social context of ethical obligations and ethical dilemmas. Course topics may include the nature of our responsibilities to ourselves and to others, confrontations between the rights of an individual and those of society, and consideration of what it means to lead a good life. The course aims to enrich students' ability to see themselves as ethical actors in the world.

REL 180: What is a Good Life?
CRN: 15344, 3 credit hours
Description: Everyone wants to have a good life. But the answers to what constitutes a good life are likely to differ. Many people pursue goals that are shaped for them by societal norms, without necessarily reflecting on what is essential for living a good life and what may be secondary. Does living a good life simply amount to having a successful career, making a lot of money, and having a comfortable material life? Perhaps having a family? What is the relationship between having a good life and being a good person—in other words, what role does morality play in living a good life? If we want to live a good life, are we also responsible for helping others in having the possibility to have a good life also? To live a meaningful life, does one have to believe that life has a higher purpose or meaning? These are some of the enduring questions this course will explore. This course will approach these questions through a variety of disciplinary frameworks, including philosophy and religious thought. See more details in the Emerging Questions section above.

Contract course options:

CHI 264H: Chinese Film in Global Context*
CRN: 15182, 3 credit hours
Description: This course studies the dynamic development of Chinese speaking cinema from the early 20th century to the present within a global context that impacts filmmaking beyond national borderlines. Through examining selected films from Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, it explores the global perspectives of Chinese film and culture. Introducing Chinese cinema's national and transnational identities, cross-cultural influences, socialist censorship, international circulation, global popularity, and boundary-crossing experiments, this course provides students with a profound global consciousness to help them better understand the multi-faceted modern world through the lens of Chinese cinema and culture. Taught in English.

FRE 131H: Masterpieces of French Literature in Translation*
CRN: 13568, 3 credit hours
Description: Accessible introduction to French culture through the study of selected examples of significant works in literature and arts (understood in a broad sense). Works are examined in their social, historical, and ideological contexts and cover the period from the Middle Ages to the mid-20th century. All readings in English translation.

PHL 205H: Science & Culture*
CRN: 16174, 3 credit hours
Description: This course will examine philosophical questions that arise at the intersection of scientific understanding and everyday ways of living. Looking at the cultural, ethical, political, and social dimensions of various sciences, and reading across multiple genres, we will explore a variety of arenas where scientific knowledge and technological development have transformed human experience (including experience with the non-human world), and, conversely, arenas where reflection and insight are necessary to confront and navigate conundrums of meaning, value, and action presented by scientific endeavors. Potential topics might include: the roles of scientific, political, and ethical reasoning in considerations of public health; human/non-human animal relations; climate change and collective agency; the impact of new media and communication technologies on the boundary between public and private; the social transmission of (mis-)information; and the significance of social identity for scientific investigation.

SPN 315H: Intro to Hispanic Cultures*
CRN: 15988, 3 credit hours
Description: Close reading and critical analysis of selected cultural manifestations from Spain and Latin America.
Note: Credit for SPN 311 required.

Honors exclusive course options:

DST 272H: Intro to Disability Studies
CRN: 14505, 3 credit hours
Description: Explores the link between the social construction of disability and that of race, class, gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation as they pertain to social justice in a multicultural and democratic society. Promotes critical analysis of dominant and nondominant perspectives on disability.

Contract honors course options:

ART 188H: Art & Society: Renaissance to Modern*
CRN: 13358, 3 credit hours
Description: Honors contract course. Course covers roles played by the visual arts (painting, sculpture, drawing, etc.) in societies from the Renaissance (ca. 1300 CE) to the present day. Students will understand how the visual arts facilitate religious devotion; define group and individual identities; offer new ways to value the artistic creativity; and other functions that reveal how the visual arts across history shape, reflect, and are informed by societies different from our own.

CHI 264H: Chinese Film in Global Context
CRN: 15182, 3 credit hours
Description: Honors contract course. This course studies the dynamic development of Chinese speaking cinema from the early 20th century to the present within a global context that impacts filmmaking beyond national borderlines. Through examining selected films from Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, it explores the global perspectives of Chinese film and culture. Introducing Chinese cinema's national and transnational identities, cross-cultural influences, socialist censorship, international circulation, global popularity, and boundary-crossing experiments, this course provides students with a profound global consciousness to help them better understand the multi-faceted modern world through the lens of Chinese cinema and culture.

MUS 285H: Introduction to African American Music*
2 sections with different meeting times, 3 Credit Hours
Course Description: This course is an overview of the musical practices of African Americans and how this array of musical sounds, performance practices, and modes of dissemination correlate with the evolving consciousness of Blackness. Emphasis is placed on the evolution of Black folk practices into specific forms of popular music and classical (concert) music.

SPN 311H: Modern Communication and Culture*
CRN: 15987, 3 Credit Hours
Course description: Enhance speaking and writing skills in a context-driven, topic-based approach. Targeting Intermediate-mid proficiency, the course explores relevant vocabulary, form-meaning connections, and cultural insights in the Spanish-speaking world. Rooted in proficiency guidelines, students actively use Spanish for communication, cultural respect, identity reflection, and analyzing equity and social justice. A proficiency-oriented course fostering language growth and cultural awareness.
Note: Spanish placement in 311 or credit for SPN 202 required. 

Honors exclusive options:

POL 221H: Comparative Politics
CRN: 15576, 3 credit hours
Description: Comparative introduction to the development, governmental structures, and political processes of societies in modern world. Case studies used to relate theories to actual problems and governing strategies in contemporary political systems.

Contract course options:

CEC 266H: Globalization and Engineering in Heavy Metal Music*
CRN: 14420, 3 Credit Hours
Description: This course addresses the linkages among heavy metal music, global culture and engineering developments. Heavy metal is a truly global popular music with major impacts from Europe, Asia, the Americas and beyond. Advances in various technologies have extensively influenced heavy metal, enabling some of its most defining characteristics. This course explores the interplays of technology, music and culture by integrating the powerful history of metal with an overview of the engineering impacts. Students will engage in demonstrations and discussions of the musical breadth along with the engineering technologies. Honors students will work in groups to build an electric guitar. Non-CEC majors welcome.

FRE 131H: Masterpieces of French Literature in Translation*
CRN: 13568, 3 Credit Hours
Description: Accessible introduction to French culture through the study of selected examples of significant works in literature and the arts (understood in a broad sense). Works are examined in their social, historical, and ideological contexts and cover the period from the Middle Ages to the mid-20th century. All readings in English translation.

GER 245H: Imagining the Sustainable City*
CRN: 16268, 3 credit hours
Description: This course examines the intersection of imagination and urbanization in the quest for sustainable cities. Whether in the planning stages, the peak, or the memory of a lost city, artists, writers, public intellectuals, and citizens have sought to find a sense of community, identity, problems, solutions, and hope in their representations of urban life. Thus, communication and creativity are instrumental to effect change. By engaging in dialogue about existing cities and envisioning their futures, audiences will be able to intervene in the trajectories of urban environments. Taught in English.

ITS 201H: Introduction to International Studies*
CRN 16071, 3 credit hours
Course Description: Integration of core disciplines comprising international studies, with analysis of major world regions and issues. Honors students will join Professor Sackeyfio to present coursework at a conference

SPN 315H: Intro to Hispanic Cultures*
CRN: 15988, 3 credit hours
Description: Close reading and critical analysis of selected cultural manifestations from Spain and Latin America. Taught in Spanish.
Prerequisites: SPN 311 or SPN 311L or SPN 311H credit.

NOTE: Signature Inquiry courses can overlap (i.e. "double dip") with the Perspectives Areas requirement for the Miami Plan. Meaning, if a course is approved for a Perspectives Area and Signature Inquiry, the course can fulfill two requirements of the Miami Plan. Each course below indicates if it also fulfills a PA.

Honors exclusive options:

AMS 180: What is a Good Society?
CRN: 15135, 3 credit hours
Description: Emerging questions first year seminar. The question of what a good society would look like is very old. This first-year honors Emerging Questions seminar introduces you to the origins of Utopianism, with a focus on the 20th century and on key cultural texts that captured the era’s hopes in, and anxiety about, the creation of a good society for all. You will engage with readings and films focused on utopian and dystopian societies all semester. This culminating project in this seminar asks you to explain your own vision for a good society. See more details in the Emerging Questions section above. Approved for PA-3B Humanities as well.

ATH 180: Apes, Behavior, and Conservation
CRN 16156, 3 credit hours
Description: This course offers an introduction to the biology, behavior, culture, and conservation of great apes around the world. Through a comparative lens, and using examples from both captive and wild populations, we will explore behavioral similarities and differences among the great apes (and ourselves). Importantly, we will examine the biological, anthropogenic, and abiotic threats facing great apes today, and the ecosystems in which they live, and discuss the conservation strategies used to combat those threats and increase their chances of survival. Approved for PA-2B Natural Sciences as well.

CCA 111H: Creativity & Design Thinking
2 sections with different meeting times, 3 Credit Hours
Description: This course is intended to enhance creativity, innovation, and design thinking skills of students transferrable to disciplines beyond this course. We will explore how the Design Thinking process influences the evolution of a user-centered design problem and explore the interrelationship of creativity, design, and innovation in problem solving. Learning the roles and processes of innovation and design thinking will be central to this exploration. Team work, problem-solving and leadership skills will also be addressed, and students will both self-author and collaboratively author original concepts. Approved for PA-3A Creative Arts as well.

DST 272H: Intro to Disability Studies
CRN: 14505, 3 credit hours
Description: Explores the link between the social construction of disability and that of race, class, gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation as they pertain to social justice in a multicultural and democratic society. Promotes critical analysis of dominant and nondominant perspectives on disability. Approved for PA-4B Intercultural Consciousness as well.

ENG 180: Why Are There So Many Conspiracy Theories?
CRN:  15271, 3 Credit Hours
Description: Why are conspiracy theories such a prominent part of contemporary culture? Have they always been so prolific? What is a “conspiracy theory,” anyway? And what, if anything, distinguishes it from a legitimate explanation of social events? We will explore these questions through a wide range of literature, history, film, psychology, and social theory. In the process, we will attempt to understand the appeal of conspiratorial explanations and their relation to paranoia, rumor, disinformation, public relations, covert government, mass surveillance, and contemporary media. See more details in the Emerging Questions section above. Approved for PA-1C Advanced Writing as well.

HST 180: Why Do We Workout?
CRN: 15270, 3 Credit Hours
Description: Have you ever gone to the gym? Taken a Pilates class or done Crossfit? Scrolled for fitness videos? Why do we workout? The answer is historical. In HST 180, you will have the opportunity to use the historian’s craft to explore the why and how of popular (and unpopular) fitness trends. We will look at how, for example, strength evolved from spectacle to military imperative to bodybuilder influencer status, yoga shifted from a seemingly “foreign” spiritual practice to a sweaty commodity, and Pilates moved from an internment camp to an expensive reformer studio. By examining the longer history of America’s fitness obsession, we will explore issues of class, gender, and identity, along with consumerism and capitalism. Students will receive a distinctive learning experience, during which they read about the history of fitness, as well as how historians do history, AND design their own research agenda. They will have the opportunity to develop their own research project based on any aspect of fitness (physical exercise, business, culture, etc.) that they find in need of investigation. The final product of these research projects can take the form of a traditional research paper or something more creative (a podcast, website, exhibit, etc., along with a written component). See more details in the Emerging Questions section above. Approved for PA-3B Humanities as well.

PHL 131H: Introduction to Ethics
CRN: 15240, 3 credit hours
Description: Introduces students to, and cultivates, ethical reasoning. The course will foster students' capacity to recognize ethical issues and situations, to understand different ethical perspectives and concepts, and to engage in ethical deliberation. Students will have opportunities to analyze concrete situations and human conduct in relation to ethical principles, ideas, and frameworks and thereby to reflect more deeply on their own values and on the social context of ethical obligations and ethical dilemmas. Course topics may include the nature of our responsibilities to ourselves and to others, confrontations between the rights of an individual and those of society, and consideration of what it means to lead a good life. The course aims to enrich students' ability to see themselves as ethical actors in the world. Approved for PA-3B Humanities as well.

REL 180: What is a Good Life?
CRN: 15344, 3 credit hours
Description: Everyone wants to have a good life. But the answers to what constitutes a good life are likely to differ. Many people pursue goals that are shaped for them by societal norms, without necessarily reflecting on what is essential for living a good life and what may be secondary. Does living a good life simply amount to having a successful career, making a lot of money, and having a comfortable material life? Perhaps having a family? What is the relationship between having a good life and being a good person—in other words, what role does morality play in living a good life? If we want to live a good life, are we also responsible for helping others in having the possibility to have a good life also? To live a meaningful life, does one have to believe that life has a higher purpose or meaning? These are some of the enduring questions this course will explore. This course will approach these questions through a variety of disciplinary frameworks, including philosophy and religious thought. See more details in the Emerging Questions section above. Approved for PA-3B Humanities as well.

 

Contract course options:

CEC 111H: Imagination, Ingenuity and Impact I*
Multiple sections with different meeting times, 2 Credit Hours
Description: This course is for first-year students interested in exploring engineering and computing. Students engage in hands-on, interdisciplinary design that addresses societal and environmental challenges. Students work in teams to design innovative solutions and develop communications skills. The course facilitates student transition to college by introducing key information, resources, and skills needed to succeed. It addresses issues including information literacy, academic integrity, personal responsibility and career development; and identifies key campus resources to enhance academic success. FOR CEC MAJORS.

CEC 266H: Globalization and Engineering in Heavy Metal Music*
CRN: 14420, 3 Credit Hours
Description: This course addresses the linkages among heavy metal music, global culture and engineering developments. Heavy metal is a truly global popular music with major impacts from Europe, Asia, the Americas and beyond. Advances in various technologies have extensively influenced heavy metal, enabling some of its most defining characteristics. This course explores the interplays of technology, music and culture by integrating the powerful history of metal with an overview of the engineering impacts. Students will engage in demonstrations and discussions of the musical breadth along with the engineering technologies. Honors students will work in groups to build an electric guitar. Non-CEC majors welcome. Approved for PA-4C Global Inquiry as well.

GER 245H: Imagining the Sustainable City*
CRN: 16268, 3 credit hours
Description: This course examines the intersection of imagination and urbanization in the quest for sustainable cities. Whether in the planning stages, the peak, or the memory of a lost city, artists, writers, public intellectuals, and citizens have sought to find a sense of community, identity, problems, solutions, and hope in their representations of urban life. Thus, communication and creativity are instrumental to effect change. By engaging in dialogue about existing cities and envisioning their futures, audiences will be able to intervene in the trajectories of urban environments. Taught in English. Approved for PA-4C Global Inquiry as well.

MTH 135H: Math for Science Applications*
Two sections at different times, 3 credit hours
Description: Taught at the precalculus level, the course focuses on concepts and examples from chemistry, physics, and biology to give students practice with problems they will encounter in natural science courses. Being multidisciplinary by nature, the course prepares students knowledge and skills to tackle real-world problems and for analysis of global issues such as climate and temperature changes, spread of infectious diseases, and drinking water availability. Enhanced with MCAT practice problems, the course also gives additional motivation for students interested in premedical studies. Approved for PA-1A Math & Formal Reasoning as well.
Note: Discuss your math placement with your divisional advisor.

SPN 311H: Modern Communication and Culture*
CRN: 15987, 3 Credit Hours
Description: Enhance speaking and writing skills in a context-driven, topic-based approach. Targeting Intermediate-mid proficiency, the course explores relevant vocabulary, form-meaning connections, and cultural insights in the Spanish-speaking world. Rooted in proficiency guidelines, students actively use Spanish for communication, cultural respect, identity reflection, and analyzing equity and social justice. A proficiency-oriented course fostering language growth and cultural awareness. Approved for PA-4B Intercultural Consciousness as well.
Note: Spanish placement in 311 or credit for SPN 202 required. 

The new American Civic Literacy requirement will apply to all undergraduate students graduating in Spring 2030 and beyond.

HST 113H: Citizenship and Civic Literacy
CRN: 16104, 3 credit hours
Description: HST 113 is pending approval to fulfill Ohio’s American Civic Literacy requirement by introducing students to the complex history of American democratic and civic traditions through close analysis of some of the most important texts in U.S. history from the colonial era to the present.

Only CAS majors are required to complete foreign language courses to the 202 level, however if you are interested in minoring in a foreign language or adding a second major in Spanish or World Languages & Cultures, you may want to consider the following courses as an honors course option:

FRE 301H: Culture & Interpretation*
CRN: 13569, 3 Credit Hours
Description: Gateway to upper-level offerings in French. Organized around a theme developed by each professor (for example: modernity, desire, revolution, or voyages), this class initiates students into the work of original analysis and creative interpretation. The course will include works from a variety of media, voices, and historical moments, from films to comics, speeches to sonnets, Paris to Algiers, Versailles to the street. Students will explore the relationships between literature and culture while gaining exposure to a range of approaches to, and theories of, reading. Students will hone their ability to present their ideas in writing.Taught in French.
Note: Prerequisite: FRE 202, or placement through Miami's French language placement exam.

RUS 101H: Beginners Russian*
CRN: 15202, 4 credit hours
Description:  Essentials of Russian language including rudiments of grammar, acquisition of a simple vocabulary, practice in reading and conversation, and simple written exercises.
Note: No experience with Russian Language required.

RUS 201H: Intermediate Russian*
CRN: 15203, 3 Credit Hours
Description: Conversation, vocabulary building, readings, composition, grammar.
Note: Placement in RUS 201 or credit for RUS 102 required.

SPN 311H: Modern Communication and Culture*
CRN: 15987, 3 Credit Hours
Description: Enhance speaking and writing skills in a context-driven, topic-based approach. Targeting Intermediate-mid proficiency, the course explores relevant vocabulary, form-meaning connections, and cultural insights in the Spanish-speaking world. Rooted in proficiency guidelines, students actively use Spanish for communication, cultural respect, identity reflection, and analyzing equity and social justice. A proficiency-oriented course fostering language growth and cultural awareness.
Note: Spanish placement in 311 or credit for SPN 202 required. 

SPN 315H: Intro to Hispanic Literatures*
CRN: 15988, 3 Credit Hours
Description: Close reading and critical analysis of selected poetry, essay, narrative fiction, and drama from Spain and Latin America.
Note: Credit for SPN 311 required.