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Fall 2008 Final Courses

Please note the following:

  • Each course is three credits except where noted.
  • Lower division courses are designated with 100- and 200-level course numbers. Upper division courses are designated with 300- and 400-level course numbers.
  • All students must register for one of the two Global Studies (or core) classes for the F08 voyage.
  • Students are required to register for an additional 3 courses for a total of 12 credit hours.
  • The SEMS mnemonic is assigned to courses that are approved by the University of Virginia (U.Va.) faculty to be offered for credit but for which there is not a simple fit with an existing department at U.Va. The courses offered are often interdisciplinary courses or are courses for which there is no home department at U.Va. The SEMS courses are listed under the heading that most closely describes their disciplinary focus. Interdisciplinary courses may appear under more than one heading.

This following listing represents the final course offerings for the Fall 2008 voyage. Syllabi are available for all courses with assigned course numbers. Click on any course number to view the syllabus.

Global Studies (RELG 228Z) or (PLIR 100Z)

  • Core Course A: RELG 228Z - Religion, Politics, and Society
  • Core Course B: PLIR 100Z - The Rise of New Great Powers

During the Fall 2008 voyage, the Global Studies theme is "China at the Center - Then and Now."

The format of our voyage, sailing between nine different countries rather than parking ourselves in one place for a semester, offers an excellent opportunity to reflect on how interactions between nations, societies, and cultures shape our world. During this Fall 2008 voyage, we will concentrate on the connections emanating from one of our stops: China. In what ways did China, in its earlier period at the Center of Asia, shape the world? And how is it reshaping the world today as it returns to its position of prominence?

In previous years, Semester at Sea has required all students to attend a single Global Studies lecture that met every day. This year, we have planned TWO core classes (meeting on alternate days) that address the theme of the voyage. The first focuses on the earlier, very long period in which China was the dominant political, religious, and cultural influence in Asia. The other focuses on the modern period in which China has rejoined the ranks of the Great Powers. We are asking all students to choose ONE of these two classes. Those with strong interests in both subjects are invited to enroll in both.

Anthropology

  • ANTH 101Z - Introduction to Anthropology
  • ANTH 326Z - Globalization and Development
  • ANTH 359Z - Fieldwork Methods in Social Research
  • ANTH 380Z - Anthropology of Tourism
  • SEMS 480-7 - Plants and People: Explorations in Ethnobotany
  • SEMS 480-8 - Societies and Environments: Human Factors in Ecological Change

Art History

Biology

  • BIOL 155Z-1 / BIOL 155Z-2 - Plumpy'nut and Big Macs: World Nutrition and Health (2 sections)
  • BIOL 349Z - Agriculture in the Age of Biotechnology - Local Opportunities and Global Challenges
  • SEMS 480-7 - Plants and People: Explorations in Ethnobotany

Business/Commerce

Communication

Drama

Economics

Education

  • SEMS 115-3 - Introduction to Science Education
  • EDLF 589 - Education around the Globe (Undergraduate Course)

English Language and Literature

Environmental Sciences

Geography

History

Linguistics

Music

Philosophy

Politics

  • PLCP 300Z - Science and Politics of Climate Change
  • PLCP 363Z - Politics in India and Pakistan
  • PLIR 300Z - Global Environmental Policy

Psychology

Religious Studies

Sociology

Studio Art

Women's Studies