Spring 2026 Course Search

Econometrics — PEC2282.01

Instructor: Emma Kast
Days & Time: WE 10:00am-11:50am & WE 2:10pm-4:00pm
Credits: 4

This course introduces students to econometric approaches to asking and answering questions about the economy relating to employment, health, and well-being. The primary aim of the course is to understand how economists analyze data to determine causal effect. We will analyze data sets to ask and answer socioeconomic questions such as: What factors affect a person’s income, and how do we know? How might we investigate the main causes of unemployment?

CDP: Senior Thesis Workshop — DAN4803B.01, section 1

Instructor: Jesse Zaritt
Days & Time: W 10:00AM-2:00PM
Credits: 4

This course is designed to be the culmination of the BFA program for all dance majors. Each student will propose a thesis project, develop goals and objectives for the semester, and present their work. Modes of practicing, situating and expressing thesis project research will be mobilized and extended through ongoing critical dialogue. We will attend to, in practice, the urgent questions facing our lives and the field of dance and performance. 

CDP: Senior Thesis Workshop — DAN4803B.02, section 2

Instructor: Faculty TBA
Days & Time: W, 10:00AM-2:00PM
Credits: 4

This course is designed to be the culmination of the BFA program for all dance majors. Each student will propose a thesis project, develop goals and objectives for the semester, and present their work. Modes of practicing, situating and expressing thesis project research will be mobilized and extended through ongoing critical dialogue. We will attend to, in practice, the urgent questions facing our lives and the field of dance and performance. 

Reading as a Collective Act: Thinking Through Dance and Performance — DAN4819B.01

Instructor: Donna Faye Burchfield
Days & Time: M 1:40PM-3:30PM, W 10:00AM-11:50AM
Credits: 4

This course aims to experiment with generative and alternative forms of reading that can be thought of as not only a methodology, but as a practice that supports us as we engage in research with, alongside and through study in dance and performance. We will ask ourselves what it means to read and “make sense” of texts and events today…together. 
*For BFA students this course satisfies Critical Studies credit.
 

Needs, Wants, and Economic Rights — PEC2279.01

Instructor: Emma Kast
Days & Time: TU,FR 10:30am-12:20pm
Credits: 4

Commodities such as cars, smartphones, laptops, and refrigerators were initially considered luxuries but are now widely viewed as everyday necessities. This shift suggests that our understanding of need is shaped by social, historical, and cultural context. In this class we will explore questions such as: how do we distinguish what we want from what we need to live a dignified life? Moreover, how might societies determine which types of needs should be satisfied through market exchange and which should not?

Economic Minds — PEC2281.01

Instructor: Emma Kast
Days & Time: MO,TH 10:00am-11:50am
Credits: 4

This course explores how ideas about the economy – from money, to labor, to distribution – have changed over time. We will focus on different schools of thought in economics, including mercantilism, physiocracy, classical political economy, the Austrian school, Post-Keynesianism, and neoclassical economics, placing these ideas in their global context. A central focus will be on how different thinkers conceptualize capitalism: both its benefits and pitfalls.

Economic Inequality — PEC4124.01

Instructor: Lopamudra Banerjee
Days & Time: MO,TH 3:40pm-5:30pm
Credits: 4

Economic inequality is often described in terms of uneven distribution of income and wealth. Yet, more importantly, it reflects uneven access to opportunities, advantages, and life chances. Why do some people enjoy a higher standard of living and better quality of life than others? Are such inequalities fair and just? What role do history, policy, and institutions play in sustaining or reducing inequality?