Online Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies
Online Course Schedule for Summer 2024

Ancient Rome & the Big Screen

This class will explore representations of Rome in classical texts and their adaptations in cinema, focusing on shifts accompanying Rome’s changing political and cultural status vis-à-vis America’s. Rome is not a fixed and unchanging entity but rather a set of constantly shifting and adapting representations. As a primary text, we will use Monica Cyrino’s Big Screen Rome to get a sense of the film history and sociopolitical contexts of the films, as well as readings in ancient literature that correspond to the films under discussion, including Plutarch’s Lives, Suetonius’ Lives, Tacitus’ Histories, Plautus’ plays, and the poetry of Catullus and Horace. We will begin the class with Plautus and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, moving through films including Spartacus, Cleopatra, and Life of Brian, and end with the film The Eagle and episodes in HBO’s Rome with readings from Suetonius and Caesar. We will also read short scholarly articles about the production and reactions to the films of the course. In addition to written assignments, such as weekly musings and analysis of secondary sources, we will also complete creative assignments crafting our own reimaginings of Rome in varied formats. Through this course, we will gain a foundation in Roman history and Rome’s changing image in America that directly correlates with America’s own changing image.

Note: This online course is open to BLS Coursera students only.

Childhood in America

Using an interdisciplinary approach, this course surveys foundational texts in the field of childhood studies. This course examines the ways that childhood has been conceptualized and understood as a social category. We consider the meaning of “the child” as it intersects with the dimensions of age, race, class, gender, and religion. As historian Corrine Field encourages, we will regard children as more than “consumers of culture and objects of socialization” but as “producers or even conduits of ideas.” This course combines social history with cultural studies to better understand the social construction of childhood across time and space. We consider what it means to come of age amid ever-changing social relations and cultural contexts. We will explore subjects such as labor, sexuality, gender, education, media, and popular culture.

Design Thinking for Entrepren

Students will experiment with design thinking tools and mindsets to gain new perspectives and problem-solving skills to use in careers as entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, or whatever path they choose. This course focuses on learning by doing in an interactive, team-based, and reflective way.

Note: This online course is open to BLS Coursera students only.

Geopolitics and Cyberspace

This multidisciplinary course explores the dynamics of international relations in the context of cyberspace, focusing on cyber power, sovereignty, and global cyber governance. Students will examine key aspects of cybersecurity, cyber warfare, as well as the economic and political impacts of the digital domain. The course also addresses ethical and societal implications such as privacy, surveillance, and the digital divide. Students will learn how digital technologies influence geopolitics and national security. The course also explores emerging trends and future scenarios in cyber conflicts and diplomacy. Students will learn through engaging case studies, short lectures, and practical activities.

Human Evolution and Variation

In this class, students will learn the process of scientific inquiry, the basic principles of evolution and human genetics, the evolution of the hominin lineage including other primates and vertebrates, and the influence of ecological and sociocultural factors on biological variation, diversity, and adaptation. In this course, you will be examining photographs of skeletal remains of modern humans, hominin ancestors and non-human animals of various species shown in your course textbook and lectures to illustrate the evolution of key features in the hominin lineage.

Note: Natural Science Core Area

Intro to Business

This course will provide a comprehensive introduction to business from a practical and “real-world” perspective, and explore the major areas of business to include product and service innovation and development; marketing and strategy; management and operations; and, finance. Importantly this course will explore the opportunities and challenges presenting by international business, technology, and the use of data and data analytics.

Introduction to Applied Intell

This course explores the multifaceted world of intelligence. Students will examine the core principles, methodologies, and ethical considerations that underpin the intelligence community's role in safeguarding society. Through a blend of theory and case studies, students will gain a foundational understanding of intelligence's crucial function in strategic decision-making and operational applications across national security, homeland security, law enforcement, cyber intelligence, and business intelligence. The course features dynamic discussions focused on applied intelligence, knowledge checks for concept reinforcement, written assignments to develop students’ analytical skills, and presentations to refine their communication skills. Central to the course is a group project where students critically analyze an AI-generated intelligence report, offering hands-on experience in intelligence analysis.

Leadership in Intl Relations

This course offers a broad introduction to leadership in international relations and wonders whether leaders make history, if history makes leaders, or if some third option is possible. Leadership in international relations is usually thought of in one of two ways. On the one hand, good leadership is thought of as the opposite of bad leadership (tyranny), in which case good leadership means something like providing subjects with freedom from tyrants. This course is designed to promote a full understanding of how leadership functions in international relations. It introduces the key paradigms and theories of “leadership” and examines a wide variety of portraits of leaders in international relations, and their consequential choices.

Operations Management

Phil of Gender, Love, Sex

The poet and short story writer Raymond Carver once wrote: “It ought to make us feel ashamed when we talk like we know what we’re talking about when we talk about love.” This may seem like an odd admonition. After all, it is often said that love is one of the things that make life worthwhile. How can we really fail to understand something most of us assume to be so important and to which we devote so much time and effort? But a little reflection suggests that love is perplexing. Sexuality is a battleground in our culture. It is often seen as the terrain where love can become perverse or unethical. Do celibates sacrifice something important? Can one love multiple romantic partners simultaneously? Is it wrong to? Should marriage be restricted to opposite-sex couples? Should it be restricted to couples at all, rather than extended to groups of three or more people? In this course, we will explore such questions in order to clarify and deepen our engagement with contemporary problems surrounding love and sexuality. Some authors whose work we will examine include Thomas Aquinas, Judith Butler, Irving Singer, Martha Nussbaum and Audre Lorde. The goal of the course is to help us become more thoughtful about the problems and possibilities of love and sexuality in our lives and our society.

Note: This online synchronous course counts toward the Philosophy OR Humanities Core Area.

Professional Communication

Professional communication is a critical skill in every professional setting, every job and in every industry, but it is also valuable in everyday life. If you learn to communicate more clearly and directly you are more likely to avoid conflict, advocate for what you want and save time. This course teaches you how to analyze, develop, and effectively communicate via writing in every channel – from social media and videos to emails and presentations. We will use a variety of methods including lectures, a variety of writing techniques to get started, reading and sharing class examples, a simulation, personal reflections and lots of practice. Communication is a practiced and learned skill so we will start your journey where you are and help you communicate more effectively and learn ways that work for you. Harness the power of this invaluable skill.

Note: This online course is open to BLS Coursera students only. This course meets either a Writing Core Area or a Prof Media and Communications concentration elective or a Business and Entrepreneurship concentration elective.

Theology, Education & Virtue

What does theology have to do with liberation? And, in turn, what does it mean for being a good person? This course explores these themes in three segments. First, we explore how St. Ignatius, founder of the Jesuit order, reflected and codified his religious experience to help people discern and move towards where God is active in their lives and in the world. His emphasis on reflection on experience, adaptability, and freedom led to an extensive commitment to education and “finding God in all things.” In the next course segment, we will look at how experience is fundamental to theology and education, for all people, and particularly for those who may not hold political or social power. We will read feminist, latino, and black theology to better appreciate the relationship between theology, education and liberation. Finally, we will consider how theology and liberation shape key virtues of justice and hope. While this course will have a focus on Christian ethics, all are warmly welcome.

Note: This online course is open to BLS Coursera students only.

Versatile Verse

This workshop-style, generative writing course explores how to express yourself creatively through poetry, fiction, short stories, creative nonfiction, and flash fiction. Acquire the essential tools and skills to harness your imagination, crafting polished creative pieces that authentically reflect your voice. We will journey through the works of literary legends such as Sappho, Catullus, Emily Dickinson, and Audre Lorde and modern poets like Mary Oliver, Faylita Hicks, and Chen Chen, alongside the vibrant voices of local DC poets including Regie Cabico, Sunu Chandy, and Kim B. Miller. Through our work, we will develop the tools and skills to use our imagination to create polished creative works, express ourselves in our authentic voices, and begin writing and work habits that will cross over to other areas of study. This course will provide in-class writing time and real-time feedback. By the semester's end, students will possess a collection of compelling pieces ready for submission or potential expansion into longer works.