By Sarah Hughes
Most students are probably aware that they can take philosophy or psychology instead of an English or math class for their critical thinking requirement, or astronomy instead of biology or chemistry for their science requirement. But there are plenty of different classes you can explore to fulfill the required general education credits. Did you know that you can watch movies to fulfill your GE requirement?
In Film Studies “Introduction to Cinema” (FMST 100), students learn to value cinema as a text and analyze films. If you’re more interested in dance, there is “Screening Dancing,” (DNCE 124) where dance is also critically analyzed through film.
If you’re a Literature and Writing major, there are a few classes involving different film genres . There’s LTWR 334A, that fulfills the “Forms, Genres, and Authors” requirement under core requirements.
Other classes that count towards the same requirement are: LTWR 336, “Film and Other Genres”; LTWR 337, “American Film and Politics”; and LTWR 338, “Children’s Literature into Film.” For the Global Literature requirement in Literature and Writing, one can take LTWR 415; “Literature and Cinematic Representations Middle East/ North Africa.”
For exploring cultural time periods, movements, and interdisciplinary studies, there is a class about detective films and novels, known as LTWR 336B. If you’re not interested in the humanities and are looking for something different, try PSYC 352, “Human Sexuality,” to fulfill your area D requirement. It’s a popular class and will help examine your thoughts about sexuality, gender and global differences you might not be aware of.
For a class to fill your science requirement, there’s BIOL 309 “Biology of Emerging Diseases,” if you’re intrigued by the rise of drug-resistant infections, or bio-terror agents.
No matter what your major is or what you end up taking for your GE, just make sure it expands your mind and explores topics in a way you haven’t before. Talk with your academic advisor to see what classes fulfill certain requirements based on your major.