Special Topic Course Descriptions
The courses described below are offered under "Special Topics" course numbers. Departments offer Special Topics only occasionally and the selection is different every semester. Special Topics courses do not repeat material presented by regular semester courses.
All Semesters
Spring 2010
AH 497/597 Section 01 Art Deco and Japan
We explore the Art Deco movement of the 1920s and 1930s both as an international phenomenon and in its particular manifestation in Japan. We examine architecture, crafts, product design and graphic design. Subthemes include topics as diverse as the relation of Deco to militarism, world's fairs, the women's movement and jazz culture. The seminar is connected to a national exhibition of Japanese Art Deco curated by Professor Brown.
AH 498/598 Section 01 Etruscan Art
Survey of Etruscan art from the Bronze Age to the rise of Rome. Lectures explore key monuments of architecture, sculpture, painting and so-called minor arts discussed relative to contemporary theories, criticism, and history. Focus on techniques and materials of various arts.
ASAM 490 Section 01 Ethnic and Transnational Media in Asian America
This course investigates how Asian Americans read and respond to mainstream, ethnic, and transnational (Hong Kong, Korean, Japanese, etc.) media and popular culture as they inform trends, identities, and communities.
CLSC 490 Section 01 CLSC Monuments and Topography of Rome
A close study of the monuments and topography of Rome from the pre-Classical through the late Classical/Early Christian periods with an emphasis on the major structures, their history, and their place in the social and cultural fabric of the city.
COMM 590 Section 01 Qualitative Research Methods
Through presentation of scholarly readings and immersion into one's own in-depth research project, this course is designed to explore a variety of qualitative research approaches in communication studies, taking into account issues of epistemology, methodology and representation.
CRJU 490 Section 01 Women and Crime in a Global Perspective
Prerequisites: Completion of 300-level core courses or consent of instructor.
Historical and contemporary issues facing girls and women as crime victims, criminal offenders, prisoners, and professionals working in the criminal justice system both in the U.S. and abroad.
CRJU 490 Section 03 Sex, Media, and the Criminal Justice System
Prerequisites: Completion of 300-level core courses or consent of instructor.
An examination of the criminalization of sex, sexuality, gender identity, and sexual practices often considered "deviant." Special attention is paid to the media's role in the social construction of sexual deviance, as well as how offenders experience correctional settings.
CRJU 690 Section 01 Women and Crime in a Global Perspective
Prerequisites: Completion of 300-level core courses or consent of instructor.
Historical and contemporary issues facing girls and women as crime victims, criminal offenders, prisoners, and professionals working in the criminal justice system both in the U.S. and abroad.
CRJU 690 Section 02 Professional Writing in Criminology and Criminal Justice
A workshop focusing on synthesizing justice research to assist students with writing papers, theses, and comprehensive examination essays. Emphasizes presenting evidence, thinking critically, developing a professional writing style, and editing for organization, APA format, grammar, punctuation, consistency, and accuracy.
CRJU 690 Section 03 Sex, Media, and the Criminal Justice System
Prerequisites: Completion of 300-level core courses or consent of instructor
An examination of the criminalization of sex, sexuality, gender identity, and sexual practices often considered "deviant." Special attention is paid to the media's role in the social construction of sexual deviance, as well as how offenders experience correctional settings.
CWL 461/561 Section 01 Visual Studies: Literary Images, Artistic Renderings and Scientific Gazes
Students will examine various theories of perception, develop specific visual and verbal skills, and learn to analyze and interpret the increasing visualization of contemporary culture. An underlying theme of the course will be how technological development from the medieval period up to today has played a major role in this process of understanding space, motion, and reality.
CWL 449/549 Section 01 Major 20th - 21st Century Writers
This course is based on an intensive study of selected major 20th - 21st Century writers, recognized among the leaders of the avant-garde in modem times. Authors who may be covered include Franz Kafka, Vladimir Nabokov, Marguerite Duras, Annie Ernaux, Umberto Eco, Milan Kundera, Jose Saramago, Roberto Bolano.
ED P 590 Section 01Instructional Consultation in Middle School Reading Across the Content Areas
Consent of instructor required
Focus on middle school reading curriculum, instruction, and appropriate assessment models to inform instruction. Emphasis placed on the analysis and modification of multiple variables in the instructional environment that influence student performance in reading content subject materials, including curriculum demands, teaching strategies/presentation, and student skills. Credit/no credit only.
EDSE 490 Section 01 The Politics of Disaster: Hurricane Katrina and its Aftermath
Members of this learning community will acquire a complex understanding of Hurricane Katrina, not just as a severe meteorological event but as an event with very real implications for what is one of the most unique cities in the United States. This course will provide an invaluable service learning experience, as the classroom experience here at CSULB will be amplified through participation in the recovery efforts in the greater New Orleans metropolitan area during the Spring Break.
PHIL 491/591 Section 01 Early Modern Women Philosophers
Prerequisite: 6 units of philosophy or consent of instructor
This course focuses on early modern women philosophers (17th and 18th century) including Princess Elizabeth, Margaret Cavendish, Mary Astell, Anne Conway, Damaris Masham, Sophie de Grouchy, and Mary Shepherd, and examines their work in metaphysics, philosophical theology, morality, and politics.
PHIL 620 Section 01 William James
An in-depth study of William James's psychology and philosophy. Readings will be organized around his monumental Principles of Psychology, which we'll supplement with background from other philosophers and psychologists. We'll ask how his pragmatist philosophy is connected to his psychology.
PHIL 690 Section 01 Explanation in the Special Sciences
After briefly surveying traditional theories of scientific explanation, this course focuses upon the goals, overarching structure, and individual component elements of explanations in the special sciences. Special emphasis is placed upon computational explanations in cognitive science.
WGSS 490 Section 02 Sex and Style
Prerequisite: Completion of Foundation Courses
Fashion is a powerful way to express gender, politics, personalities, and desire. Yet fashion can also repress freedom and sexual expression. This course explores these issues through critical analysis of gender, race, sexuality, class, and nation.