34 Cool Classes at Binghamton University
Class selection is underway and looking through the lengthy list on BU Brain can be a hassle. Luckily for you, I have selected a few of the many interesting and thought-provoking courses offered at Binghamton. With classes for over 130 majors, there will certainly be something that will satisfy your curiosity and broaden your mind. Check them out!
Taylor Swift, 21C Music
Course Number: MUS380B
Instructor: Phoebe Hughes
Credits: 4
Offered: spring semester 2023
Swifties will be happy to hear that Binghamton’s very own music department is offering a class on the evolution of Taylor Swift’s music and how her journey has been influenced by the 21st-century music industry. Explore issues of gender, race, sexuality and the business of popular music as it relates to Swift and take this special elective that will only be offered this upcoming spring!
Experimental History & Analysis of Cinema
Course Number: CINE121
Instructors: Elijah Horwatt & Kristen Loutensock
Credits: 4
Offered: fall & spring semester
You really can’t go wrong with CINE121! As someone who took this class, I can say that it is both fun and insightful. Immerse yourself in the cinematic universe – learn about how films are constructed and ways to interpret them and their relation to reality through a series of in-class movie screenings.
Intro to African Drumming
Course Number: AFST188B
Instructor: James Burns
Credits: 4
Offered: fall & spring semester
Have you always wanted to play the drums and learn about different cultures? Well, now is your chance! In this class, students will explore music from the African continent and diaspora – including Cuba, Brazil and Haiti – by drumming, singing and playing melodic instruments, such as the xylophone and Mbira. No prior music experience is required.
Social Media Marketing
Course Number: MKTG465
Instructor: Yang Guo
Credits: 4
Offered: spring semester
Thinking about pursuing a career in marketing? In a world dominated by technology, it is more important than ever to understand the fundamentals of social media marketing. Students will learn strategies and techniques to best promote products and services online.
Suns, Stars and Galaxies
Course Number: ASTR114
Instructor: Christopher Taylor
Credits: 4
Offered: fall & spring semester
If you love all things space and are intrigued by our vast universe, ASTR114 is for you! Become a true astronomer and discover topics such as historical astronomy; solar system dynamics; observational techniques; and solar, stellar and galactic astronomy.
Beginning Photography
Course Number: ARTS260
Instructor: Kari Varner
Credits: 4
Offered: fall & spring semester
Calling all aspiring photographers! Throughout the course, students will be introduced to film exposure, processing, printing and print finishing, and issues of composition. Get hands-on experience with black-and-white photography and in the darkroom by registering for this course!
Teaching, Learning and Schooling
Course Number: EDUC406
Instructor: David Archer
Credits: 4
Offered: fall & spring semester
If you’re like me and have a strong interest in education, take EDUC406, which offers students insight about the school as a social institution and what it means to be an educator. It also uncovers many issues relating to teaching, learning and schooling. This course truly is eye-opening and is a guaranteed good time for aspiring educators and school administrators.
Children’s Literature
Course Number: ENG280R
Instructor: Meisha Lohmann
Credits: 4
Offered: fall & spring semester
What better way to feel nostalgic than by studying classic children’s literature! This course will explore the wide range of children’s literature over time and how the genre has moved from orality to literacy and the influence of identity by starting with fairy tales and ending with more contemporary works.
Strategic Leadership
Course Number: LEAD353
Instructor: Kimberly Jaussi
Credits: 4
Offered: spring semester
Want to be an effective leader of an organization? This course focuses on leading larger systems and the role of culture. After taking this course, students will have more confidence in their ability to implement change in management practices and will understand what it takes for companies to have good strategic leadership.
Marathon Training/Running & Health Awareness
Course Numbers: HWS222/HWS217
Instructor: Matthew Gawors
Credits: 2
Offered: fall & spring semester, respectively
I don’t know about you, but running is always my way of releasing stress. Get your exercise in for the day while also learning valuable lessons about proper body mechanics, equipment, care and prevention of injuries, cardio-respiratory endurance and more! While those with more experience with running tend to take Marathon Training in the fall semester, both classes offer students training that will surely improve their endurance and running form.
Entrepreneurship
Course Number: ENT460
Instructor: Chou-Yu Tsai
Credits: 4
Offered: fall & spring semester
Dreaming about opening a business? In this class, students will work together to develop a business plan for a business idea, learning about financing, creating liquidity for shareholders, and how to build a team with the skills required for success along the way. The course is a part of a business competition, with monetary prizes awarded to the winners. How cool is that?
Stress Management
Course Number: HWS233/NURS220
Instructors: Jennifer Wegmann & Mary Justis
Credits: 2
Offered: fall & spring semester
Being a full-time college student and balancing work and extracurriculars can be super stressful. In this course, students will learn and practice techniques to help combat this, including exercise, nutrition, breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, visualization, meditation, and cognitive strategies such as goal setting and time management.
Flavor of Italy: Food & Tradition
Course Number: ITAL181B
Instructor: Maria Cook
Credits: 4
Offered: fall & spring semester
Do you love Italian food and have a desire to learn more about Italian culture? This class focuses on the blend of cultures and the history, traditions and food throughout the different regions of Italy, including the two islands of Sicily and Sardinia. The best part is that students will be provided with a sample of each food at the end of each class. Yum!
Robotics
Course Number: ME428
Instructor: Kaiyan Yu
Credits: 3
Offered: fall & spring semester
Beep-boop! Design, program and build your own autonomous microcomputer-controlled robots using the LEGO Mindstorm robotics kit and electro-mechanical actuators and sensors. Students will discover how to use feedback from sensors, applied mathematics and measurement to program a robot which will compete with the other robots created by their classmates.
TV & American Culture
Course Number: ENG280S
Instructor: Ryan Vaughan
Credits: 4
Offered: spring semester
One of the best ways to wind down after a long day is to watch some TV. Add to your list of shows to watch and take this student-favorite writing course! Students will analyze and consider the importance of television in their lives and the issues that arise in many shows, such as globalization, class, race, gender, sexuality, entertainment, culture, family, hegemony, ideology, politics, language, and meaning and identity.
Religions of the World
Course Number: JUST100
Instructor: Douglas Jones
Credits: 4
Offered: fall & spring semester
It’s one thing to practice your own religion, but it’s another to study many different religions from an academic perspective. In a society that has become more globally diverse, it is more important than ever to recognize and understand the traditions of various religions. This class focuses on Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam and explores the history of religious studies as a discipline, religion and popular culture, religion and violence, the history of utopian thought, and the status of new and controversial movements across the globe.
Diversity and Oppression
Course Number: SW303
Instructors: Becka Moore & Kristin Condie
Credits: 4
Offered: spring semester
It is imperative that everyone is able to define prejudice, discrimination and oppression, so they can have a full understanding of people’s lived experiences and hardships. In this course, students will discuss many societal issues, including but not limited to racism, homophobia, transphobia, classism, and xenophobia, in the context of social work practice, research, policy, theory and activism.
Intro to Journalism
Course Number: RHET240
Instructors: Rachel & Eric Coker
Credits: 4
Offered: fall & spring semester
Intro to Journalism is definitely one of my favorite classes that I have taken here. It is perfect for those looking to go into the journalism field or anyone interested in improving their writing skills. Students write several news stories, conduct interviews and report on events outside of class.
Broadway for Beginners
Course Number: THEA219
Instructor: Tommy Iafrate
Credits: 4
Offered: fall semester
You never know if theatre is your calling. Find out and take this class aimed for beginners who wish to perform in musicals but do not know where to start. Students will learn the foundations of musical theatre and will sing their hearts out to many songs.
Animals and Society
Course Number: HIST231
Instructor: Fa-Ti Fan
Credits: 4
Offered: fall semester
They aren’t wrong when they say that a dog is a man’s best friend. Animals and humans have always had a strong relationship since prehistoric times. This class studies animals in early human history; the roles of animals in food, culture, agriculture, and commerce in traditional societies; and important topics of the modern era, such as animals as pets, wildlife preservation and animal protection movement.
Skiing and Snowboarding
Course Number: OUT122
Instructor: William Bellingham & Teresa High
Credits: 1
Offered: spring semester
I think that it’s safe to say that there is nothing more fun and appealing than learning how to ski and snowboard at the Greek Peak Mountain Resort. Whether you’re amateur like me or highly advanced, the lessons and practice times will surely meet your needs as you work to improve your skills. Transportation is provided and fees are required.
Oceanography
Course Number: GEOL112
Instructor: Molly Patterson
Credits: 4
Offered: spring semester
Have you ever wondered about how the ocean sustains its life and the creatures that inhabit it? By taking this course, students will obtain a better understanding about the Earth system’s processes and history, along with interactions in the ocean system and ocean policy.
Art & Science: Aristotle - Instagram
Course Number: ARTH281C
Instructor: Katherine Reinhart
Credits: 4
Offered: spring semester
What an intriguing title! This course focuses on the relationship between art and science that has existed since the time of Aristotle and has evolved to the Instagram era. Students will study a variety of materials, including paintings, illustrated albums, books, prints and maps, and how they have contributed to knowledge-based fields, such as natural history, medicine, the study of vision and cartography.
Thermodynamics
Course Number: ME331
Instructor: Paul Chiarot
Credits: 3
Offered: fall semester
Thermodynamics plays a vital role in our lives as it is the science that is used to design and operate many of the devices we use daily, including heating and cooling systems. In this course, students will discover the properties of pure substances, concepts of work and heat, fundamental laws of thermodynamics, entropy, and basic gas and vapor cycles.
Sweet Harvest: Bees and Maple
Course Number: ENVI336
Instructor: Sara Velardi
Credits: 4
Offered: spring semester
If you have an affinity for nature and all things bees, you must take this class! Learn about how maple syrup is produced and beekeeping in the Northeast. This buzz-worthy class even includes guest lectures and field trips.
Pharmacy Law
Course Number: PHRM512
Instructor: Sarah Lynch
Credits: 3
Offered: spring semester
When practicing pharmacy, it is crucial to abide by the law to ensure that every individual is safe while also providing quality health care service. In this course, graduate students will be introduced to the federal and state systems of government and how laws are enacted and executed with special attention to the medical field.
Race & Sex in American History
Course Number: HIST355
Instructor: Diane Sommerville
Credits: 4
Offered: spring semester
Even to this day, race and sex are topics under immense scrutiny. Students enrolled in this class will learn about how race, gender, and sexuality has converged throughout American history. Groups including Euro-Americans, Native Americans, Africans and African Americans, and immigrant groups, will be the main focus of the class where students will be informed about the hardships of marginalized groups and the impact of conquest, including sexual exploitation of slaves and free people of color.
General Psychology
Course Number: PSYC111
Instructor: Ann Merriwether
Credits: 4
Offered: fall & spring semester
The brain is the most powerful part of our bodies. If you want to learn more about yourself and others, I recommend taking this class. Delving into the history of psychology and modern psychology, students will grasp the physiological, cognitive, developmental, social, and clinical perspectives and be able to apply it to human behavior.
IT Security and Forensics
Course Number: MIS450
Instructor: Thi Tran
Credits: 4
Offered: spring semester
With the prevalence of technology, knowing how to protect your devices from security breaches is key. This course covers different security technologies, managerial aspects, and the technical and legal aspects of conducting computer forensic analysis and investigation. Strive to become an expert in IT security and forensics so you can help your friends and family combat malicious software!
Introduction to Musical Theatre
Course Number: THEA101
Instructor: Jane Elliott
Credits: 4
Offered: fall & spring semester
The stage is a magical place. In this class, students will be exposed to the world of musical theatre, including the different elements and intricacies of performance. From attending live performances to creating projects using the same skills that actors use, students will recognize the importance of theatre as an art form and how it connects with real-life situations.
Nutrition
Course Number: HWS332/NURS312
Instructors: Michelle Gimbar, Sarah Thompson & Lina Begdache
Credits: 4
Offered: fall & spring semester
Personally, food is one of my all-time favorites. To maintain good nutrition and increase your understanding of your own health, take this class so you can learn about the science and impact of nutrition.
Philanthropy & Civil Society
Course Number: PPL280A
Instructor: David Campbell
Credits: 4
Offered: spring semester
I’m sure you’ve all been asked the question “If you had $10,000, how would you spend it?” Well, in this class, you will have the opportunity to think more deeply about it as you will have this budget (yes, real money) with one goal: change the world. Just like many philanthropists, you will have to consider how you want to make a difference by making grants to nonprofit organizations in the greater Binghamton community.
LGBTQ Antiquity
Course Number: ENG380G
Instructor: Tina Chronopoulos
Credits: 4
Offered: spring semester
Are you curious about LGBTQ identities in ancient times? In this class, students will analyze Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome literature and art to determine how identities based on gender, sexual behavior and sexual desire are depicted and how it relates to the topic of identity today.
Scuba
Course Number: HWS202
Instructor: Robert Hamilton
Credits: 2
Offered: fall & spring semester
You may be able to swim, but can you scuba dive? Taking this class will certainly help you. Dive into the West Gym swimming pool and awaken your inner open-water diver desires! A fee is required for training materials and additional support/safety staff.
To register for classes and view the full list, visit BU Brain.
Brooke Gallo is an intern for the Office of Media and Public Relations, and a junior majoring in English and minoring in education. She hopes to become a high school English teacher. She can typically be found running, reading, writing and watching sports games.
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