Course Selection

Amilcar Castellano-Sanchez

This course aims to bring forth the unbreakable—yet not well-valued and sparsely characterized—connection between the worlds of text (narrative, poetry, short stories, memoirs, interviews, and film adaptations) to the worlds of medical ailments and medical practice. The course will encourage the creative writing and close reading and interpretation of different literary media coupled with a mirror representation of adult disease (s) being discussed throughout the semester.

Pouyan Esmaeil Zadeh

Explore the multifaceted world of Artificial Intelligence and its profound impact on humanity. This interdisciplinary course delves into AI foundations, generative technologies, business implications, ethical considerations, artistic applications, robotics, and societal transformations.

Andrej Milic

This course delves into a diverse array of legal and policy challenges stemming from artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and other emerging technologies. Students will have ample opportunities to contemplate how current laws can be adapted to address the regulatory and policy requirements pertinent to these advancing technologies.

Andrej Milic

This interdisciplinary honors seminar examines the legal frameworks governing human-animal relationships and the emerging field of animal law. Students will critically analyze how different legal systems classify animals—as property, subjects of welfare protections, or potential rights-holders—while investigating landmark cases, statutes, and regulations that shape animal treatment across jurisdictions.

Garrett Pierman

Living in this century, it is pretty clear that, as a species, we have some pretty big problems. Some of these problems are so big, in fact, that they may threaten the continued survival and success of homo sapiens.

Paul Jaure

In this course, you'll explore the fascinating world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its transformative impact on business. Discover the foundations of AI and think like an innovator, embracing adaptability and resilience, traits that will last you a lifetime.

Amilcar Castellano-Sanchez

This interdisciplinary course examines France’s widespread, sustained and continued influence our individual and worldwide scenarios. Such profound and sometimes unrecognized legacy stems onto political, intellectual, linguistic and cultural portions of our lives. Students will experience French civilization by learning while on campus about France’s history from its beginning to contemporary times, stressing certain periods that will be experienced first-hand upon our summer visit.

Pioneer Winter

‘The Art as Persuasion Online course focuses on the cultural and political appropriation of visual and performance art for the purposes of public conformity, propaganda, and dissent 1935-present day. In this course, we examine how a.m.bitions of power and the development of certain artistic (visual and performance) canons were mutually influenced; what rebel vs.

Joaquin Pedroso

Sean Hermanson

Students will engage with classic works and foundational theories concerning the question of reality and will become versed in contemporary debates on the issue to develop a nuanced understanding of conceptual approaches to reality and its various dimensions and registers. Topics to be covered include holistic understandings of reality and existence, truth, perception and perspective, the nature and role of science, mind and consciousness, reality in art and culture, the relationship between power and reality, the meaning of reality, universes and multiverses, technology, and virtual realities.

John Bailly

This seminar offers students the opportunity to immerse themselves into this progressive and innovative milieu. The class will visit museums, private collections, artists collectives, artists’ studios, and galleries. In addition, students will have the opportunity to assist artists on their projects.

Amilcar Castellano Sanchez

This is the 2nd half of a yearlong course but this one can be taken without the 1st half. This course encompasses the study of medical world history in the period that extends after the industrial revolution to current times; in similarity to the previous semester, this course will highlight medicine’s history s as it has been portrayed in different forms of art, i.e.

Amilcar Castellano Sanchez

‘Art Medical History to the Renaissance. This course encompasses the study of medical world history as it has occurred through time portrayed in different forms of art, i.e.

Erica del Riego

Shakespeare is known for his captivating language, dazzling or infuriating characters, and expert craftsmanship in storytelling. Yet, within many of his most renowned plays lies an intriguing commentary on meals, the danger of mixing food and revenge, and the importance of good company.

Ruben Garrote

In 2018, the American Psychological Association (APA) issued a set of guidelines for practice with men and boys that was critical of aspects of “traditional masculinity.” These guidelines, and the vocal response on the cultural Right, were the latest skirmish in the decades-long contest to define and redefine masculinity in the academy, the psychological profession, politics, and popular culture. This course will enter the fray by engaging in an interdisciplinary study of what it means to be a man, and what manliness has meant in the past and still means in societies around the world.

Ernesto Fernandez

Music plays an important role in our daily lives and in shaping society. It accompanies us in our daily activities and as an outlet for our feelings.

Trina Sanders

This course will explore the themes of racism meets horror stories. This course will use the dark fantasy horror television series "Lovecraft Country" to uncover blackness, queerness, fantasy, and the struggle against racism and imperialism.

Lillybet Guilarte

This comprehensive course is designed to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to excel in the critical field of healthcare documentation, with a specific focus on ethics and legal aspects. Students will explore the multifaceted dimensions of healthcare documentation across various healthcare disciplines, emphasizing the principles of ethics and the legal framework governing this essential sector.

Barbra Roller

This yearlong course is intended primarily for premedical students or those planning to enter other graduate health professions. It provides a comprehensive overview of the US healthcare system, discusses public health issues, gender and health, end of life issues, and the role of technology in medicine, among other contemporary topics It provides clinical case studies and the opportunity for discussion and critical thinking.

Barbra Roller

This course is intended primarily for premedical students or those planning to enter other graduate health professions. It provides a comprehensive overview of the US healthcare system, discusses public health issues, gender and health, end of life issues, and the role of technology in medicine, among other contemporary topics It provides clinical case studies and the opportunity for discussion and critical thinking.

Jennifer Houston

"Changing the Game" is a course that explores the multifaceted dynamics of esports culture with a focus on promoting inclusivity and enhancing wellbeing within the community. This course will delve into a comprehensive analysis of esports culture across various dimensions.

Aileen Marty

The course encompasses the scope of immunological functions and principles for bacteria, animals, and humans. The approach presents immunology from a one health perspective.

Niurca Marquez

This course engages some of the latest research on the material effects of ethical, political, scientific, environmental and social practices. For our purposes, materiality is defined as the notion that the physical properties of a cultural artifact have consequences for how the object is used.

David Wernick

Corporate Diplomacy is an emerging field of inquiry that focuses on strategies that businesses can take to promote peace, conflict resolution, respect for human rights, and sustainable prosperity. During the semester, students will examine the Corporate Diplomacy efforts of companies across a variety of industries and geographical regions, with an eye to identifying best practices that promote peace, reconciliation, collaboration, and deliver value for their various stakeholders.

Andrej Milic

This course examines the intersection of environmental sustainability and legal frameworks within Costa Rica's unique ecological and regulatory context. Students will explore Costa Rica's pioneering environmental legislation, conservation strategies, and sustainable development practices while analyzing the legal mechanisms that support the country's reputation as a global leader in environmental protection.

Elizabeth Hanly

To survive we tell stories, says Umberto Eco, philosopher, medieval scholar and novelist. This is a course that asks you to lean into your authentic voice, and explore how best to use that voice to tell both your own stories and those of others.

Elizabeth Hanly

“To survive we tell stories,” says Umberto Eco, philosopher, medieval scholar and novelist. This is a course in storytelling, in writing and reading creative nonfiction.

Gustavo Roque

This course will introduce you to the Design Thinking methodology for creating and innovating. However, the only way to learn Design Thinking is by doing Design Thinking.

Jason Calloway

This course will examine these interdependent issues from diverse vantage points, encompassing everything from the influence of the Catholic church during the Middle Ages through the Civil Rights era, from the agitprop of communist countries to the restrictions, explicit or oblique, right here in contemporary America.

Jason Calloway

This is the second half of a yearlong course but this one can be taken without the first half. This course will examine these interdependent issues from diverse vantage points, encompassing everything from the influence of the Catholic church during the Middle Ages through the Civil Rights era, from the agitprop of communist countries to the restrictions, explicit or oblique, right here in contemporary America.

Melba Pearson

Students analyze the lyrics of songs from the last few decades and explore the social and political events that inspired the artists' lyrics. The songs are selected from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and present day.

Dora Cortinas

Customer experience is now decidedly digital-first. Empowered by choice and increasing control over their personal data, trust is critical, and customers expect flexibility and a thoughtful, personal touch.

Joaquin Pedroso

This course delves into the concept of death, exa.m.ining it from various perspectives, including philosophical, cultural, psychological, economic, and religious viewpoints. This course will not focus on understanding what death is, but rather how the idea of death (and death itself) is endured across cultures, philosophical approaches, social and individual practices.

Marcela Lopez Bravo

This course will examine both pre-modern and modern aspects of several Southeast Asian cities by visiting Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei to understand their eGorts in developing United Nations SDGs. Traveling in the course aims at challenging and changing the Western-centric approach in which students feel and behave, while simultaneously encouraging creativity and broadening students' awareness and understanding of multicultural perspectives of contemporary living.

Maikel Right

Digital Fairytale examines how social movements, folklore, AI, and digital culture intersect to shape modern storytelling and belief. Students conduct a digital ethnography of an online community or fandom, analyzing how myths, identities, and power circulate through platforms, algorithms, and participatory media.

Maikel Right

In this class, we look at the invisible forces that control our emotions, purchases, prejudices, ideas, and exposure to the digital story that is our life. We will critically explore how the design of social media and various disruptive technologies and movements have affected our society, our economy, and our personal lives.

Brian Fonseca

The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomacy Lab at FIU’s Honors College affords students the opportunity to explore real-world challenges identified by State Department officials and work under the guidance of FIU faculty members with experience in diplomacy and international relations.

Barbara Cotto Jimenez

This course examines how disruptive technologies are transforming business models, social systems, and economic development across emerging markets. Students will explore technologies such as artificial intelligence, fintech, blockchain, renewable energy systems, and digital platforms, analyzing how these innovations address long-standing challenges and create new opportunities in regions with resource constraints.

Niurca Marquez

Centered on concepts of environmental choreography, this interdisciplinary course analyzes the interconnectedness of body and land in the formation contemporary politics, spiritual practices, and identity. By focusing on choreographic principles and some of the latest research in botany, embodiment, somatics, and environmental sciences, the course will expose students to considerations about the body and land that point that the inextricable connections between humans and their environment.

Paula Powell

In this course, we’ll explore how social movements, especially those focused on environmental issues, have evolved alongside technology. Students will learn how to harness the power of digital media, storytelling, and strategic communication to drive real-world change.

Niurca Márquez

This course will engage in an interdisciplinary study of Spanish culture along two axes. First, along a spatial axis (aquí y allá), it will look at the ongoing transatlantic dialogue between Spain and the Americas—with an emphasis on Miami in the Spring, and four Spanish cities in the Summer.

Jason Kostrna

This course on Performance Under Pressure explores the stressors, psychological and physiological stress responses, and stress coping mechanisms present across diverse professional domains and activities. We will discuss pressure and stress in areas including sports, music, law enforcement, firefighting, military service, business leadership, culinary arts, and test-taking!

Prem Chapagain

This two-semester program is designed to prepare students for a month-long study abroad in Nepal, a small landlocked country in South Asia known for its stunning landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and diverse ethnicity. Nepal's history is rich in ancient traditions, with a legacy of kingdoms, dynasties, and warriors.

Wendy Guess

Music, dance and movement are a vivid interpretation of our history, identity, heritage and were used as a primary communication tool to explore meaning and purpose throughout the world and the centuries. Geography and health also influenced how they were shaped over the ages and their importance in human history, as well as how we might apply them for developing our future legacy as a human race, personally and professionally.

Amy Paul-Ward

This course provides students with an introduction to topics related to Disability Culture. To understand the evolution of disability culture, we will begin by reviewing relevant interdisciplinary theories that highlight foundational concepts, ongoing debates, and critiques of the concept of disability as it relates to representation, access, and inclusion in everyday life.

Elizabeth Hanly

Extraordinary filmmaking has been accomplished, often in nearly impossible circumstances, across the Third World. What were the political and cultural circumstances in the country at the time the film was made? This course will look at films from throughout the continent of Africa.

Elizabeth Hanly

Extraordinary filmmaking has been accomplished, often in nearly impossible circumstances, across the Third World. What were the political and cultural circumstances in the country at the time the film was made?

Monica Smith

In this course, students will expand their culinary horizons and learn about new and exciting dishes and beverages that they may not have otherwise encountered. We will also consider the historical, cultural and religious influences that shape food and beverage choices in these regions, as well as the role of consumables in shaping and reflecting social norms and values, politics, as well as health and well-being.

Erica Del Riego

In a world where food transcends mere sustenance, the act of sharing bread becomes a sacred ritual, bridging diverse cultures and beliefs. This course invites you to explore how the simple act of breaking bread is infused with profound spiritual significance across the three Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Noel Barengo

Foundations of Population Health introduces essential concepts and methods in population health, emphasizing how social, economic, and environmental factors shape health outcomes. Students explore health disparities, social determinants of health, and public health systems while building skills in interpreting epidemiological data and assessing community health needs.

Brenda Luna

This course examines the relationships between human health and the environment. Students will explore the role of the natural and built environment and their impact on their health, as well as their local and global community's health.

Barbara Cotto Jimenez

Global Social Entrepreneurship introduces the key skills, tools, and mental frameworks required to solve the world’s most complex and pressing challenges through social entrepreneurship, including those needed to launch, grow, and sustain a social enterprise venture. We will explore the role of social entrepreneurship in society globally, nationally, and locally, including opportunities and challenges of social entrepreneurship for creating real change.

Ruben Garrote

The course examines some of the “big questions” students explore in a liberal arts program about “life, the universe, and everything.” In particular, we deal with questions of faith and reason, with pain and suffering, and of various ways of expressing deep truths by reading classic passages in religious, philosophical, and literary works. Through the lectures, I introduce various perspectives to bear on these questions, and through the discussions and paper assignments.

Gretchen Scharnagl

This class will begin with reading, presenting, and discussing graphic works ranging from the graphic novel to outsider artist comics, and including coloring books, to discover the potential of this language to disseminate important stories and historic, social, psychological, artistic or scientific content. This visual communication form gives a platform to tales and truths otherwise lost or unshared.

Trina Sanders

In Haunted Realities: Race, Horror, and the Shadows of Dehumanization, you will journey through films, stories, and cultural myths to uncover the deeper meanings behind our collective fears. This course examines how horror intersects with race and societal mechanisms of dehumanization, highlighting how marginalized communities are portrayed and often distorted within the genre.

Amanda Emery

Often, people outside of the healthcare industry and those with a vested interest in profiting from laws meant to hinder access are shaping policy and laws related to proactive, access and education for medicine and healthcare. It is important that future doctors, nurses, healthcare educators, and allied health professionals are aware of how government and politics can shape the trajectory of their field and healthcare practices, and their role as an advocate for their patients and their profession.

Jason Bell

Human-Centric Skills for Healthcare explores the connection between emotional intelligence and business sustainability, and the development of soft skills critical to meeting patient expectations. The course emphasizes the development of public speaking and presentation skills.

Francis Hill

This course explores human experience in relation to the technologies that produce our modern world. Students will study technology's impact on thinkers from the Scientific Revolution until today; analyze literature and discourse treating technological themes; distill contemporary attitudes about human-tech relationships and observe closely the paradigm shift we are currently living, where the proliferation of Generative AI problematizes and renews the importance of the age-old question "what does it mean to be human?" Students will collaborate with AI to code an interactive system from scratch that explores and provides commentary on this question and the themes of the course.

Jorge Zumaeta

“Individual Choice, Market Forces, and Economic Inequality” is an economics course that examines how individual decision-making and market dynamics jointly shape the distribution of income, wealth, and economic opportunity. The course integrates microeconomic foundations—preferences, incentives, risk, human capital, labor supply, and consumer behavior—with macroeconomic forces such as business cycles, inflation, monetary and fiscal policy, and long-run growth, showing how these interact to generate (or mitigate) inequality over time.

Andi Flug Wolfer

Aaron Kaplowitz

Israel is a global hub for entrepreneurship and innovation, producing technologies that transform industries worldwide. This course explores the challenges entrepreneurs face, the role of failure, investor priorities, and government support in fostering start-ups.

Barbara Cotto Jimenez

This course focuses on the practices and processes that innovators use to ideate, test, and implement innovation effectively. Over the semester we will examine six aspects of social innovation: exploring, defining, ideating, implementing, testing, and renewing innovation.

Magda Novelli Pearson

Marcela Lopez Bravo

This course will examine Eastern and Western Gardens through the ages to evaluate how philosophical and cultural trends changed the structure and use of gardens from sacred to secular. Although the content is organized chronologically, a multi-perspective approach will be used to critically examine the diversity and interrelation affecting garden design and use in Italy and Japan.

Amy Desouvre

This course will take an academic multidisciplinary approach to learning how to shop in an economic way. We will examine the basic elements of shopping history, the role that advertising and marketing play in social media as well as print, how to keep a minimalistic mind rather than becoming an over consumer, and finally the impact of internet, technology, and mobile apps and how to use them to your advantage.

Andrew Otazo

This course's objective is to teach students how to produce art that lampoons seemingly intractable systemic societal issues. It includes an overview of the definition and history of satire that will explore how people in different settings and periods used satire for their own ends.

Andrej Milic

Law school can be a transformative, transcendental experience, but the student has to make it so; the Professor can't. - The Paper Chase The law informs all areas of human existence and yet permeates in a prevalent way throughout pop culture narratives.

Angela Puentes-Leon

This yearlong course is designed to introduce students to a learning experience mirroring the first year of law school. The class is welcoming in its atmosphere and diverse in its structure.

Gabriela Icabalceta

A hands-on seminar designed to help students become the kind of leaders others trust when situations are messy, uncertain, or tense. Rather than focusing on leadership and conflict theory alone, the course emphasizes practical tools students can apply, whether in teams, group projects, campus organizations, workplaces, or personal relationships.

Andrej Milic

Legal Ethics is a foundational course that examines the professional responsibilities, ethical obligations, and moral dilemmas that attorneys face throughout their careers. This course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the rules governing lawyer conduct, including the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, state bar regulations, and case law that shapes ethical standards in legal practice.

Andrej Milic

Negotiation is an essential skill for lawyers, regardless of practice area. This course provides an in-depth understanding of the different models of negotiation, practical skill development for meeting negotiation challenges in different contexts, and examines issues relating to professional responsibility and the law pertaining to negotiation and settlement.

Devyn Hoskisson

This course prepares students to research and write legal scholarships. Students will learn to conduct legal research and evaluate statutes, case law, and regulations.

Modesto Maidique

The purpose of this course is to familiarize the students with basic building blocks of leadership and happiness to prepare them for future leadership roles. The purpose of the course is to help the students identify their personal strengths and weaknesses as leaders; understand their life journey; examine the elements of effective leadership; and evaluate the performance of leaders.

Jennifer Houston

This course invites you on a thought-provoking journey that delves into the multifaceted dimensions of what happens when we die, the ways we cope with death, rituals of celebration and remembrance, and the lasting imprints we leave behind. Death, a universal experience, is intertwined with cultural, ethical, and personal considerations that shape our understanding of life and its meaning.

Gabriela Icabalceta

Throughout history, books have been questioned, challenged, or removed from schools and libraries due to concerns about content, language, or themes. This course explores works of literature that have been at the center of such debates, examining the narratives, contexts, and perspectives that generate discussion.

Eric Isaac

This course prepares you to take the LSAT.

Yanatha Desouvre

Entrepreneurs thrive in the arts and entertainment industries. In this class, we uncover the entrepreneurial fundamentals key to success in entertainment.

John Bailly

This seminar examines the historical, social, and cultural identity of Miami. The course will go beyond the four walls of a traditional university setting and use Miami itself as its classroom. We will walk, talk, and eat our way through the streets and history of Miami, posing questions and searching for answers.

Maikel Right

Miami Stories | Untold is a deep dive into the power and value of storytelling, with podcasting as its central experiment and final project. Students seek out hidden, silenced, or contested narratives in Miami by conducting interviews, field observations, and archival research.

John Bailly

The “Miami the Sequel” seminar delves into the identity of Miami. Structured around fundamental questions—who shapes Miami, what defines it, where its boundaries lie, when key transformations occurred, why they matter, and how they continue to evolve—the course integrates fieldwork with critical reflection.

Ernesto Fernandez

This interdisciplinary course introduces students to the fascinating intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and music. Through an exploration of AI’s impact on music creation, performance, and consumption, students will investigate how technology shapes creative processes and the music industry.

Ernesto Fernandez

For many of us, music is a powerful companion through life in the best and worst of times, and in everything in between. Why is this?

Trina Sanders

What if you could feel history, hear it in the beat of a drum, the hum of a spiritual, the bassline of protest? Music for the Soul: Rhythm, Resistance, and Revolution in American History takes you on a journey through the soundtrack of Black a.m.erica, showing how music has always been more than art, rather the voice of power, pain, resistance, and revolution.

Adam Gorelick

This course integrates theoretical discussions of myth and ritual (as interrelated cultural dimensions of religion) with analyses of the relatively contemporary medium of film. In each case, a collective artistic experience employs narrative form to evoke, to explain, or even to create meaning.

Adam Gorelick

*This is the 2nd half of a yearlong course but this one can be taken without the 1st half* This course applies theoretical discussions of myth and ritual to the contemporary medium of film. Following the trail of 19th-century anthropology and 20th-century psychology, students will explore the binding connections between myth and ritual and between literature and drama.

Adam Gorelick

This course explores the theory and practice of imagination through the works of philologist and professor J.R.R. Tolkien.

Amilcar Castellano-Sanchez

This is the 2nd half of a yearlong course but this one can be taken without the 1st half. This course continues to explore the unbreakable—yet not well-valued and sparsely characterized—connection between the worlds of text (narrative, poetry, short stories, memoirs, interviews, imagery and film adaptations) to the worlds of medical ailments and medical practice focused to the pediatric experiences.

Fang Shu

This online course has been designed for FIU Honors College students who intend to accelerate an impact and make the world a better place, using their own philanthropic resources. Students will learn philanthropic processes and approaches to philanthropy that pairs their passions with strategy.

Maikel Right

Player One examines play through philosophical, neurobiological, and applied perspectives. Students explore how different forms of play influence brain function, emotion regulation, motivation, and creativity across the lifespan.

Noel Barengo

This course provides students with essential concepts, methods, and frameworks to understand and address health at the community level, emphasizing the interplay between individual, social, economic, environmental, and cultural factors. Covering 13 key topics, it examines the historical evolution of health systems, social determinants, epidemiological transitions, environmental challenges, and Indigenous health, while also exploring innovative policy interventions and the role of art and culture in shaping public health narratives.

Ozan Atalan

The course explores posthumanist philosophy and video art as a medium for interdisciplinary expression. This course encourages students to challenge anthropocentric views by creating socially responsible narratives that connect humans and nonhumans.

Maikel Right

This course analyzes the anthropological, biological, and business implications and significance of play throughout the human experience. With mobile gaming representing a multimillion-dollar business and its sociological impact on health and communication by our continuous "tech-reliance", online community development, and its implications on ADDHD; play represents a significant and often overlooked foundation in the smartphone-Era.

Amber Webber

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is the ability to recognize and use emotional information. EQ skills account for as much as 90% of what sets high performers apart from their peers in many career fields.

Fang Shu

This course has been designed for students who intend to make an impact and make the world a better place using their own philanthropic resources. Students will learn philanthropic processes and approaches to philanthropy that pairs their passions with strategy.

Joseph Lichter

In 2019, 3 cities in the US (Santa Cruz, Oakland, and Denver) voted to decriminalize possession of psilocybin mushrooms. In 2020, the city of Washington DC voted similarly, and the state of Oregon voted in favor of allowing psilocybin to be available as treatment for psychotherapy statewide.

Andrej Milic

Public Speaking for Lawyers is a specialized communication course designed to develop the oral advocacy and presentation skills essential for effective legal practice. Recognizing that lawyers must persuade judges and juries, negotiate with opposing counsel, present to clients and colleagues, and advocate in various professional settings, this course focuses on building confidence and competence in legal public speaking.

Rhona Trauvitch

The arts and the sciences have long intersected in fascinating ways. This course considers how certain concepts in the fields of quantum mechanics, genetics, and taxonomy manifest in narrative structure and dovetail with notions in narrative theory.

Robert Hacker

The course begins with a detailed examination of transformative research (and fundamental principles), using the National Science Foundation (NSF) definition of the term. Then the course explores how to define 'opportunity' as a means to select a research topic.

Trina Sanders

This course will prepare students for an immersive, multi-city educational and service-learning adventure through Ghana, where they will embark on a transformative journey through the nation's rich history, vibrant culture, and commitment to community development. From bustling cities to serene villages, students will delve into Ghana's customs, laws, and tribal ritual before traveling across the country.

Anthony Rionda

Our National Parks are America’s Crown Jewels. They are worshipped by avid adventurers, campers, road-trippers and the former students of FIU Honor’s Everglades course.

Tolga Erbora

This class is designed to offer an analytical eye to what has shaped present day city life and allow students to creatively model new initiatives that positively impact societies in the future. This course also invites students to use the information to create scenarios describing plausible cities in the present.

Masako Kubota

This course explores Japanese minimalism through the literary and theatrical works of Kamo no Ch?mei and Zeami. Students will learn to craft Haiku and engage in Haikai-Haiku critique sessions within the classroom community.

Adam Gorelick

This is a course about poetic forms, but mostly it’s about writing poetry. Students will read, research, and attempt several poetic forms including epic, sonnet, free verse, haiku, elegy, limerick, sestina, and others.

Cesar Evander Castillo

This course explores the concept of Reciprocity through the lens of traditional Japanese culture, Indigenous Ainu beliefs and practices, and contemporary cultural tourism (which we interchangeably explore as ethnic, academic, and anthropological tourism). By examining these interconnected domains, we will delve into the principles and lived experiences of sustainable and reciprocal societies in ways that challenge conventional western perspectives.

Eric Isaac

This course explores how religion can create hope or cause harm, and what justice looks like when religious leaders become abusive. Students will examine real cases and stories through the lenses of law, psychology, theology, and ethics, gaining insight into how justice systems respond to harm within faith communities.

Maria Ilcheva

On January 1st, 2016, the United Nations officially released the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which launched the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that will drive global activities to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and reduce climate change. This course will examine the relationship between SDGs, community problems, and current sustainable and social solutions.

Hortensia Sampedro

This course is suitable for Honors students from all disciplines interested in applying interdisciplinary, practical solutions to global problems. We will study practical approaches to the second nine (9) United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Cory Fairfield; Eloisa C. Rodriguez-Dod

This two-semester program is designed to prepare students for a five-week study abroad in Southeast Asia. Students will teach English to Cambodian students or assist in a local clinic (pre-med students), explore Siem Reap culture and society, and reflect on their travel experience.

Gustavo Roque

Technosociety: Emerging Technologies and Their Ethical Implications explores the complex intersections of technology, ethics, and human behavior in an increasingly digital world. Through case studies, simulations, and reflective inquiry, students examine how emerging technologies—such as artificial intelligence, surveillance systems, biotechnology, and social media—reshape identity, work, privacy, and power.

Veronica Diaz

In, The Cuban-American Dream: Cubans in the US, students will examine prevalent theories of immigrant incorporation and identify factors that either facilitate or hinder upward mobility. Students will then apply an interdisciplinary lens to examine how Cubans have adapted to US society and compare their experiences to that of other immigrant groups.

Ruben Garrote

This is neither a political science course nor a history course. Rather, the seminar will try to survey the breadth of Conservative thought both in terms of its geographical and cultural differences and in its historical and philosophical developments.

Adam Gorelick

This course examines America’s national game and its cultural impact, home and abroad. Older than the Civil War, baseball has ever since been inextricably tied to our nation’s history: its growing pains, its triumphant joys, and its unique potential for what Walt Whitman described as “transcendental Union.” Topics include national myth, storytelling, civic ritual, mass media, Japan, Latin America, sabermetrics, hot dogs, beer, racial integration, gender, democracy, gambling, doping, cheating, perseverance, integrity, sportsmanship, field trips, guest speakers, fandom, baseball cards, memory, and family.

Natalie Yagual

The purpose of this course is to explore the interdisciplinary intersection between pop culture, technology, and nutrition. Students will analyze the relationship between media, digital innovations, and nutritional trends, how these areas interact to influence individuals, cultures, and movements across the globe.

Jorge Zumaeta

The purpose of this course is to explore the extent of inequality, its causes and its consequences, and policy recommendations that are being considered to mitigate social and economic disparities. This exploration occurs at the macroeconomic, microeconomic, political, and sociological levels in the international arena.

Jacqueline Nusz

How are characteristics of a humane society constructed and normalized? In times of extreme circumstances, the boundaries of ethics and morality are blurred and the pillars of humanity are compromised in an attempt to maintain a sense of normalcy or to ensure the preservation of life.

Magda Novelli Pearson

The Grand Tour was a traditional trip through Europe for the upper class. The custom of embarking in this educational journey, started in the 17th century and lasted for centuries. Italy was the key destination of the Grand Tour. Nowadays Italy is still one of the most visited countries in the world and during our study abroad you will find out why. You will step into the past to better understand the present, you will be wondering in the arena where gladiators were fighting for their freedom, and you will be overwhelmed by architectonical beauty and timeless art.

Ruben Garrote

This seminar will survey masterpieces of the Western Canon. The aim is to read them carefully and to appreciate them as works of art and works of memory.

Andrej Milic

Intern's Journey to a Legal Career is a practical, experiential course designed to bridge the gap between academic legal education and professional practice. This course provides students with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in law-related internships while developing the essential skills, professional networks, and practical knowledge needed to launch successful legal careers.

Masako Kubota

During the semester, we will explore the dynamic literary works by Japanese great writers and film directors. After we examine Japanese classic literature and films, we will cover a new generation of writers such as Yoshimoto Banana and a new generation of directors, Kore’eda Hirokazu.

Matthew Kutz

This course is an interactive virtual class that introduces the student to the nuance of how a binary paradigm makes us uncomfortable with paradox and limits our thinking, creativity, and innovation. Attention is given to how cognitive diversity and contextual intelligence are prerequisites for successful leadership in a rapidly changing and dynamic workforce.

Anthony Rionda

The organization of this course leverages a unique interdisciplinary approach to politics, government, civic engagement, policy analysis, and advocacy. The course may provide opportunities for field trips, or experiential opportunities (online or in-person) to observe how governments and political campaigns operate.

Daniel Alvarez

Ever since Rene Descartes the question of what knowledge is, and whether we have it, has become a major concern in our post-modern culture. From Descartes on the dominant answer has been that knowledge is "justified true belief," and justification has been understood as evidence that supports that our beliefs are true.

Jennifer Houston

The concept of perfection transcends space and time, spans geopolitical and cultural borders, and is persistent despite the unique definitions of what the results of this goal may be. We see perfectionism in religion, across societies and cultures, in business, and in nearly every other facet of our everyday lives.

Edmund Newborn II

This course will survey how the question of God has been addressed throughout history beginning with Plato and Aristotle and their influence on early and medieval Christian philosophers continuing in the Enlightenment with the turning point brought about by Descartes and Kant and culminating with 21st Century thinkers.

Yuleisy Mena

This course presents students with a unique opportunity to learn about Brigade 2506, a force of Cuban exiles that invaded Cuba in April 1961 to oust Communist dictator Fidel Castro and restore democracy to the island. The course will cover the general history of Brigade 2506 and Bay of Pigs Invasion, as well as the political forces driving this momentous chapter in the history of the Cold War.

Anthony Rionda

This interdisciplinary course focuses on our constant political cycle, a cycle that includes politics, government, communications, business interests, government funding, data analysis (specifically voter targeting, social media, and polling), law (constitutional, state and local, and administrative), and advocacy (how individuals, businesses, and associations lobby government for their interests). In this course, we will focus on current events to dive deeper into our political cycle. We will work through how to approach challenges with an interdisciplinary lens, focused on solutions, and how citizens and residents, interact with local, state, and federal governments.

Joseph Lichter

In this course, we will use the dynamic world of sports as an intricate lens through which to understand fundamental aspects of human behavior. We will meticulously examine the history, philosophy, physiology, nutrition, psychology, cultural impact, and other facets of the following categories of sports, developing an interdisciplinary understanding of how these elements shape the experience: (1) power sports, (2) endurance sports, (3) skill/focus sports, (4) aesthetic sports, and the various hybridizations of these groupings.

Amber Webber

What separates the top professionals, athletes, musicians, innovators, creators, analysts, and thinkers from others in their disciplines? What are the habits that allow them to perform at the top of their games again and again?

James M. Sutton

There is too much in London and the whole of the UK and Ireland to ever encompass it “all” in the space of just one month; that said, your travels in London and the southeast, and then in Ireland, Cornwall and Devon should provide you an excellent introduction to the UK, vastly deepening your understanding of this fabled nation-state and its current position in the world. 

Elizabeth Hanly

While much of the world celebrates the work of the great film-makers of the U.S.A, France, Germany, and Japan, extraordinary filmmaking has been accomplished, often in nearly impossible circumstances, across the Third World. This course will examine some of those films.

Jeanette Smith

Although most cultures are clear that theft of any type is wrong, wage theft has become epidemic in the United States and elsewhere. It and other workplace injustices are often justified by employers and some policy makers as “just the cost of doing business.” But how did we get here?

Kioceaia Stenson

Thriving in the Law I is the first part of a Year Long Course, designed to help students develop the skills necessary to thrive in the legal industry. The class begins with a multi-disciplinary exploration of the Law; it transforms into an in-depth look at the necessary skills to thrive in the legal profession.

Kioceaia Stenson

*This is the second half of a year-long course* Students will leave this course with a tangible understanding of what it means to practice law, the path to entering the field, and how to thrive once they have joined the legal profession. Classes include cutting-edge lectures by local practitioners, thematic workshops, and field trips.

Ruben Garrote

Adam Gorelick

J.R.R. Tolkien, hailed as “the author of the twentieth century,” retains profound influence in the twenty-first.

Trina Sanders

This course will deconstruct rap lyrics to uncover the multilayered/dynamic meanings to reframe the dominant narrative that this music genre is all about violence. We will examine hip hop in America, its historical, racial, and political journey, tracing this movement's creation and evolution from the early 1970s and beyond.

Malgorzata Durygin

This course will provide students with an opportunity to survey Ukraine, investigating basic issues related to the Ukrainian language and cultural heritage including art, music, literature, and cuisine, and its significant contributors. Historical and contemporary context, and geographical conditions influencing both the development and the oppression of the Ukrainian language, culture and the arts via the study of primary and secondary sources (written and audiovisual aids) will be examined.

Hortensia Sampedro

This two-semester seminar-style course is suitable for Honors students from all disciplines interested in applying interdisciplinary, practical solutions to global problems. We will study practical approaches to the second nine (9) United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Erica Del Riego

Andre Gordon

In this course, students will explore the fundamentals of podcasting, from audio storytelling and interview techniques to recording and editing. Through hands-on practice, they will develop the technical and creative skills needed to produce compelling podcast episodes.

Ruben Garrote

We explore the utopian imagination by tracing its development from its ancient precursors to its modern manifestations. Through the readings and discussions, we address the shifts in utopian thought as it was affected by contemporary sociopolitical realities and the relationships between the utopian imagination and these realities—perennial yearning for better days past transformed into hopes of a perfect society to come; self-conscious warnings of authors faced with the real results of the planned society; dystopian fantasies looking ahead to the new frontiers of technology and the uncertain future of humanity.

Gretchen Scharnagl

An exploration of meaning in meaningless marks. This course is designed for those that are abundantly curious. Each week we will ponder such things as asemic writing, concrete poetry, intermedia art, archetypal imagery, scribbles, doodles, maps, diagrams, tattoos, and graffiti, and much, much, more.

Charlyn Stanberry

This course is designed to help students get the most of their Washington, D.C. in-person experience by providing access to elected officials and their teams, government agencies, advocacy organizations, private sector businesses, etc. This course will focus on giving students the interdisciplinary tools necessary to process, research, and analyze public policy solutions.

Rhona Trauvitch

This course is an interdisciplinary adventure in Westworld. Our core material is the first season of the television series, a tapestry of science fiction, philosophy, narratology, and machine learning.

Elizabeth Hanly

This course sets out to untie the knot we are living. We will watch current and archival Frontline documentaries dealing with international issues affecting America.

Niurca Marquez

Why We Dance explores the historical, cultural, aesthetic, neurological, and philosophical reasons why humans dance. We draw from dance ethnography, history, neuroscience, phenomenology, ontology, epistemology, and philosophy of performance.

Jeanette Smith

Although the migration of workers from country to country has been an inexorable part of our world for centuries, we rarely hear the stories of the workers themselves. Instead, we frequently hear the term immigration used derisively as part of the political rhetoric without acknowledgement of the essential role that many of these workers serve in the United States nor of the physical and emotional toll that their presence here has taken on both their families and the workers themselves.

Connie Viamonte

This course will investigate the women's experience through the lens of modern media and entertainment. It will teach students how theoretical positions on women’s studies can be applied to modern social movements in the realm of technological innovation.