UCOR Section Descriptions

Course Description

What lies at the heart of clashes between cultures and sub-cultures? In this course, we will explore the difficulties we face when communication and understanding between cultures break down and when our preconceptions diverge from fact. Frameworks from fields as diverse as cross-cultural management and non-violent communication will help us prepare for- and, hopefully, diffuse- cultural misunderstandings. For your major topic, you'll choose your own specific culture clash to examine in detail and address.

Course Description

Anthropocene, or the era of the humans, and consequently climate change are the biggest threat to global biodiversity. However, biodiversity conservation policies are themselves products of social histories of colonization and social stratification. The course will enable students to adopt a critical analytical lens to learn about the challenges to our global environment, as well as understand how principles of social justice and equity can lead to a better future.

Course Description

As the global movement of people increases in the 21 century, how have we updated the concept of citizenship? By examining the theoretical frameworks of nationalism and cosmopolitanism, the impacts of globalization, and our own lived experiences, the course will explore emerging global citizenship orientations and its relevance in the United States

Course Description

As the world’s two most powerful and important players, the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China hold the key to collectively solving many of the global challenges we face in the 21st century. This course explores this most important and complex strategic relationship through an examination of the basic dynamics of strategic thinking and policy‐making in the U.S. and China and a theory‐informed analysis of key contemporary issues in the bilateral relations, including security, arms control, trade, human rights, energy, and the environment, from a variety of perspectives of International Relations and Foreign Policy Analysis. No prior background on China, U.S. foreign policy, or International Relations is assumed or required.

Course Description

Globally, excess female mortality after birth and missing" girls at birth account every year for an estimated 3.9 million women below the age of 60. About two-fifths of them are never born, one-fifth goes missing in infancy and childhood, and the remaining two-fifths do so between the ages of 15 and 59" (World Bank, 2012). In this course you will learn how the social sciences help us understand this current world crisis and why the health of women and children is seen by many institutes as a proxy for the country's health and future prosperity (United Nations, 2012).

Course Description

This course explores the complexities of education. This exploration encompasses the study of philosophical and historical orientations, purpose of schools, and contemporary and critical issues and trends in schools and schooling. Included is a comparative look at global school reforms and practices and their influence on education in the United States. Service Learning field experience with a minimum of two hours per week through the Children’s Literacy Project is required. This course is taught onsite at the Bailey Gatzert Elementary School, the focal point of the Seattle University Youth Initiative (SUYI).

Course Description

This course introduces students to the widespread challenge of achieving both environmental sustainability and social equity. We consider this challenge from a cross-cultural perspective by reading, discussing and assessing a wide variety of both international and local case studies drawn from history and the present day. In addition to reading and viewing case studies, students also engage in hands-on learning in the local community in order to better assess and address local sustainability issues.

Course Description

The proposed course will introduce major concepts in artificial intelligence and its applications in society, addressing major concerns including ethical issues, security, economical characteristics of AI, and accountability. The course will go through the applications of AI in various areas such as agriculture, science, security, justice, and health, and will introduce AI tasks and algorithms, such as genetic algorithms, neural networks, machine learning, and rule based systems.

Course Description

Virtually any chemical, even water, can be considered a "poison" at the right dose. Correspondingly, mankind faces a significant challenge to understand toxicology and to take the necessary personal and governmental actions to ensure long term global survival. This course is focused on the global challenges created by poison exposure and is an exploration of the scientific principles and technical advances that are at the intersection of toxicology, medicine, environmental health, law, and ethics.

Course Description

This course will address the issue of global climate change. We will discuss the science behind how humans can affect the global climate--covering the major greenhouse gasses, how they impact the climate, and how the current and projected changes compare to previous climactic and atmospheric shifts. Students will dig into the science behind the "climate controversies," and explain the various lines of evidence for how we know the global shift is already underway.