This Creative Life - Honors College

Beyond the Gaze

Trina Sanders

Online

In this course, we will embark on a critical exploration of the intersectionality between the hypersexualization of black women's bodies, the influence of hip hop and music, and the increase of harmful beauty standards. Grounded in an intersectional feminist framework, we will also delve into historical and contemporary contexts, examining the objectification of black women, the legacy of Saartjie Baartman and others, and the complex relationships between black feminism, colorism, and misogyny.

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Foundational and Special Topics at the Intersection of Law, Health and Tech

Rafael Yaniz

Wed., 4:30P-7:00P

This course focuses on students becoming conversant in foundational ideas and special topics in each of the Course areas (broadly, Law, Health, & Tech) so that they can be engaged lifelong learners and leaders in their subsequent academic and professional pursuits.

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This Creative Life

Pioneer Winter

Tues., 12:30P-3:15P

This course focus on artistic impetus, improvisation, and the way creativity seeps into all aspects of our life. Guests from the Miami art community will share their stories as well as how they have applied their artistic practice to things outside the realm of ¿making art. Students will be mentored by Professor Winter on a semester project that allows students to put what they learn into action.

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The Secret War: Brigade 2506 and the Global Consequences of the Bay of Pigs Invasion.

Yuleisy Mena

Thurs., 3:30PM-6:00PM

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.

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AI, Tech, and the Law

Andrej Milic

Online

This course delves into a diverse array of legal and policy challenges stemming from artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and other emerging technologies. The legal framework in the areas under consideration is often either nonexistent or in its early stages. Consequently, 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.

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Miami Stories Untold

Maikel Right

Every other Friday, 11:00A-2:00P (HYBRID)

Miami Stories Untold invites students to delve into the vibrant tapestry of Miami's cultural communities through the lens of virtual reality storytelling. This immersive course empowers students to create VR experiences that bring to life the rich traditions, values, food, music, and practices of their cultural backgrounds in Miami, Florida. Utilizing cutting-edge VR technology, the course covers storytelling fundamentals, world-building, research, and VR production.

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Making Moves in Miami

Yanatha Desouvre

Wed., 10:00AM-12:30PM

Entrepreneurs thrive in the arts and entertainment industries. In this class, we uncover the entrepreneurial fundamentals key to success in entertainment. We also explore current trends and opportunities, with an emphasis on where you fit in and how you can develop your personal brand. To achieve these objectives, a combination of methods will be used, including topical lectures, group discussions/exercises, and presentations by dynamic speakers who are movers and shakers in the business. You will have the opportunity to learn from real world professionals.

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Artificial Realities

Joaquin Pedroso & Sean Hermanson

Tues., Thurs., 11:00AM-12:15PM

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.

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Marxism Beyond Politics

Matthew Shafer

Tues., 2:00PM-4:30PM

Marxism is most frequently associated with politics: with leftwing activist movements and the socialist states of the twentieth century. This course intensively surveys that interdisciplinary milieu, approaching Marxism not simply as a political project but as a method for the study of the world as a whole. The course is organized thematically and (more loosely) historically, moving from the nineteenth century to the present.

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Life After Death

Jennifer Houston

Wed., 2:00PM-4:30PM

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. In this course, we will explore the diverse ways that religions, societies, and even businesses navigate the journey from life to death, examining the rituals, practices, and ethical considerations that accompany this profound transition.

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Capturing Healthcare: Where Excellence Meets Documentation

Lillybet Guillarte

Thurs., 11:00AM-12:15PM (Hybrid).

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.

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Innovator's Workshop: Mastering Design Thinking & Innovation Skills

Kiesha Moodie

Wednesday., 3:30P-4:45P (Online LIVE)

This course is an immersive exploration of applying design thinking and innovation methodologies to design solutions that provide value and are compelling. This course features series of three design projects that each aimed at tackling problems with design thinking from different domains with a students environment (e.g., product, service, and spaces). This thematic approach ensures that the projects are relatable and impactful, fostering a deep connection between the students' work and their immediate environment.

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Save our Parks: Environmental Law, Policy and Politics

Anthony Rionda

Mon., 6:00P-7:15P (Online LIVE)

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. The aim of this course (Save our Parks) is to focus on how politics, policy, and law have shaped, saved, and at threatened our most beautiful natural legacy.

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The Great Books

Ruben Garrote

Tues., Thurs., 3:30P-4:45P

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. Students will discuss the major themes in these works as they relate to the human condition, and to their place in the great conversation about beauty, goodness, and truth that has taken place along the history of the Canon in the West.

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Being a Man

Ruben Garrote

Tues., Thurs., 12:30P-1:45P

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. It will offer definitions from fields such as anthropology, psychology, biochemistry, and philosophy, while also engaging how masculinity is contested in contemporary popular American culture.

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The Question of God

Edmund Newborn

Mon., Wed., 6:00P-7:15P

The past several decades have seen a statistical decline in the number of people who claim to believe in God or who choose to participate in a religion. This course will explore the underlying philosophical causes for this shift as well as looking at how people of faith can possibly answer the challenges of modern atheism.

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Legal Negotiation and Alternative Dispute Resolution

Andrej Milic

Wed., 11:00A-1:30P

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.

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Contemporary Materialities from a Feminist Perspective

Niurca Marquez

Wed., 2:00P– 3:15P

Through a feminist perspective, students will have an opportunity to reconsider the ideas and assumptions that have prevailed about the body. The course includes topics such as the impact of disability experience, the material reality of race, the significance of sexual difference and the complex interactions between nature and traumatic events such as Hurricane Katrina.

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In the Garden of Good and Evil: Symbolism from East to West

Magda Novelli Pearson and Marcela Lopez Bravo

Mon., 11:00A– 1:30P

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. Awareness of contemporary social concerns will be highlighted by examining and evaluating how traditional design influence the present gardens.

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Global Burden of Diseases- The Patient Illness Experience

Anthoni Llau Jr

Online

Students will first learn about current diseases and conditions of global health significance from a public health perspective. They will familiarize themselves with the determinants, risk factors, symptoms, and consequences of diseases and conditions in global populations.

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Art in Miami

John Bailly

Every other Fri., 10:00A-3:45P

Art in Miami offers students the opportunity to immerse themselves into the contemporary art world of Miami. The class will visit museums, artists collectives, artists’ studios, and galleries. Students will have the opportunity to assist artists on their projects. All class meetings will be off campus; students need to provide their own transportation.

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Marketing for the Future: A Harvard Business Simulations

Sustainable Development: Using A Harvard Business Simulation Approach

Hortensia Sampedro

Tues., 11:00A-12:15P (Online Live)

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). We will use Harvard Business Simulations to gain experiential learning.

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TikTok, Taiwan and Beyond: How China is Changing the World

Leland Lazarus

Tues., Thurs., 2:00P-3:15P

This interdisciplinary course will explore China's foreign policy from 1949 to today, blending history, international relations theory, business/ economics, and national security. We will hold rigorous debate about the economic and national security implications of China's engagement in various regions, including economic coercion and espionage, cybersecurity, disinformation, supply chain resilience, military expansion, and technological competition. The course will also incorporate Collaborative Online International Learning, as well as guest lectures from U.S., Chinese, and Taiwanese practitioners in the field.

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The Political Cycle

Anthony Rionda

Online

The organization of this course leverages a unique interdisciplinary approach to politics, government, civic engagement, policy analysis, and advocacy.

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Third World Cinema: The Middle East

Elizabeth Hanly

Online

This course leaves Hollywood film-making behind in the dust. Instead, it explores film from the so-called Third World, focusing in particular on work from Africa and the Middle East.

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Myth and Ritual in Film, Part 2

Adam Gorelick

Tues.,Thurs., 12:30P - 1:45P

This course applies theoretical discussions of myth and ritual to the contemporary medium of film.

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Honoring the Ocean

Gretchen Scharnagl

Contact the instructor

An interdisciplinary experience exploring humankind's relationship with the ocean. A six-week online pre-course taught by Honors faculty across the State University System prepares students for a short adventure at sea on a Florida Institute of Oceanography vessel. No background in marine science is required - this program is accessible to a diverse student population.

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Human-Centric Skills for Healthcare

Jason Bell

Tues., 5:00P - 6:15P

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. Upon completion of this course, students will understand the value of soft skills and appreciate their importance to careers in healthcare.

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Material Culture of the Viking Age

Erika Kern

Tues., Thurs., 1:00P – 2:15P

The Minnesota Vikings. MARVEL’s Thor. Vikings on the History Channel. Norse mythology adopted by Neo-Pagans and Neo-Nazis alike. Viking Metal. The Viking Age ended centuries ago, and still, the Vikings and their world continue to tickle our imagination. This semester we will explore Viking society and culture from the seventh century to the end of the thirteenth century.

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Workers Without Borders: Negotiating Family & Identity

Jeanette Smith

Thurs., 11:00A - 12:15P (Hybrid)

In this course, we will examine the conditions that drive migrant workers to the United States as well as their experience in the country and how it informs their concepts of identity and self. The course is intentionally interdisciplinary and will incorporate debates from history, sociology, anthropology, public policy, and more. We will not be limiting our explorations to the United States as this class will incorporate a collaborative online international learning (COIL) component. Students will work directly with their peers at a university in another country on a project related to the class content.

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Deconstructing Race Power & Privilege in America

Trina Sanders

Online

This course will explore the phenomena of race, class, oppression, power, and privilege. Students will critically analyze their own identities within the context of power, privilege, and inequity. Through the course lectures, required readings, films/clips, and discussions, students will also critically examine and describe the social, political, and historical construction of inequality while recognizing structures of power and privilege in the U.S.

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Music Cognition: An Exploration of the Mental Processes Underlying Musical Behaviors

Ernesto Fernandez

Online

This course examines human development regarding how and when musical behaviors emerge and what methods improve musical practice. It takes a close look at how musicians’ brains process audio signals differently from non-musicians. It also explores arguments for and against the notion that music-making is an evolutionary adaptation in humans.

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The American Dream: Cubans in the US

Veronica Diaz

Online

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.

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Cult of Baseball

Adam Gorelick

Tues., Thurs., 9:30A-10:45A

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."

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The Special Relationship: United Kingdom, the United States, the Common Law and the Foundations of Economic Liberty, Democracy and Freedom

Anthony Rionda

Online

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).

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Thriving in the Law 2

Kioceaia Stenson

Wed., 5:00PM - 7:45PM

*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.

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Challenges in Healthcare 2

Barbra Roller

Mon., Wed., 5:00 - 6:15 PM (Yearlong)

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.

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Visual Thinking

Gretchen Scharnagl

Mon., Wed., 2:00P-3:15P

An exploration of meaning in meaningless marks. This course is designed for those that are abundantly curious.

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Creative Nonfiction: Oral Histories

Elizabeth Hanly

Tues., 2:00P-3:15P (Online Live)

"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. It is a course in finding the stories that are all around us all the time. This course is as much about developing one's skills in listening and reflection as it is about writing.

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The Top of Your Game: Exploring Paths to Personal Excellence & Power Skills

Amber Webber

Online

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? Explore cases from diverse fields and interdisciplinary research to build a personalized plan for performing at the top of your game and striving for personal excellence in your career.

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Art Medical History to date

Amilcar Castellano Sanchez

Mon., 1:00PM – 3:30PM

This course encompasses the study of medical world history in the period that extends after the industrial revolution to current times.

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Pediatric Experiences in Narrative Medicine

Amilcar Castellano-Sanchez

Tues., 1:00PM-3:30PM

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.

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Turn My Mic Up! Beyond the Lyrics of Hip Hop from A to Z

Trina Sanders

Online

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.

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Exploring Disability Culture: Why it Matters

Amy Paul-Ward

Mondays & Wednesdays 9:00AM-10:15AM

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.

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Law, Literature and Pop Culture

Andrej Milic

Online

The law informs all areas of human existence and yet permeates in a prevalent way throughout pop culture narratives. To properly understand humanity and anthropology we must look at the impact of law throughout history.

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Mind Games: How Digital Designs Shape Beliefs and Choices

Maikel Right

Online

Digital Legacies, is a course dedicated to evaluating the disruption the “Smart-phone Era” and the Internet of Things have had on our holistic living experience. Students will regularly look to the value of design and the art of digital manipulation. They will then construct a digital campaign of their own promoting either a Topic, Idea, Movement, Object, or Business of their choosing.

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Psychedelic Renaissance

Joseph Lichter

Mon., Wed., 12:30PM - 1:45PM

The course will have us look at the history and chemistry of psychedelics, serotonin receptors, neuronal activity and the glutamatergic system, psychedelics and gene expression, research methodologies used with such molecules, why the criminalization, why the continued research and the recent resurgence of interest in the last decade specifically towards therapeutic uses.

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What's Going On: Frontline --- America and the World

Elizabeth Hanly

Online

This course sets out to untie the knot we are living. It presumes that we can agree that Frontline, a documentary series aired on the Public Broadcasting Network, is a reliable source, or at least a place to begin.

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Innovation, Sustainability, and Startups

Barbara Cotto Jimenez

Tues., 10:00A - 12:30P

This course focuses on the practices and processes that innovators use to ideate, test, and implement innovation effectively.

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Culture And Expression: Censorship, Suppression, And Propaganda Today

Jason Calloway

Wed., 9:00AM - 11:45AM

For as long as humankind has gathered in groups, we have sought to express ourselves through various means: music, visual art, dance, speech, literature, and now digital media.

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Practice Philanthropy: A Call to Action

Fang Shu

Every other Fri, 10:00AM-12:30PM (Hybrid).

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.

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Creativity and Innovation via Design Thinking

Gustavo Roque

Online

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. Therefore, this course will be light on theory and heavy in practice.

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The Moral Point of View

Daniel Alvarez

Mon., Wed., Fri., 1:00 PM - 1:50PM

Have you ever wondered if there is an objective right and wrong? In IDH 3035 we will look at the four ethical (actually, metaethical, but more about this later) theories that are considered the most influential today: NATURALISM, KANTIANISM, CONSEQUENTIALISM, and DIVINE COMMAND.

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Comparative Immunology and Socioeconomic Ramifications

Aileen Marty

Online

The course encompasses the scope of immunological functions and principles for bacteria, animals, and humans.

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Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach

Robert Hacker

Tuesday, 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM

The course begins with a detailed examination of transformative research (and fundamental principles), using the National Science Foundation (NSF) definition of the term.

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Washington Seminar

Charlyn Stanberry

FIU in DC, Tues., 5:00P- 6:15P (HYBRID)

A course designed to help students get the most of their Washington, D.C. semester experience by providing access to elected officials and their teams, government agencies, advocacy organizations, private sector businesses, etc.

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Apocalypse How: Crisis And Optimism in The 21st Century

Garrett Pierman

Fully Online

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. Thinking about problems that may doom our species can be a serious downer. Instead, in this course we will take a careful, analytical look at a series of problems that are massive, and think towards their solutions.

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Quantum Narratology and Other Curiosities: Intersections of Science and Storytelling

Rhona Trauvitch

Wed., 9:30A-10:45A (Hybrid)

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.

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Miami in Miami

John Bailly

Every other Wed., 10:00A-3:45P

Miami in Miami is an experiential seminar which examines the historical, social, and cultural identity of Miami. Class meeting will be off campus at a variety of different setting-everything from hiking in the Everglades to walking on Ocean Drive. All class meetings will be off campus; students need to provide their own transportation.

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Lessons in Life and Leadership

Modesto Maidique

Wed., 2:00P - 4:45P

This course provides you with the tools to examine your own leadership profile and help build upon your innate talents.

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Law School in a Nutshell

Angie Puentes-Leon

Wed., 10:00A-12:30P (YEARLONG)

The course is designed to introduce students to a learning experience mirroring the 1st year of law school.

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Diplomacy Lab

Brian Fonseca

Thurs., 5:00P-7:30P

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.

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