Fall 2020 REMOTE Courses
A list of possible courses to be offered as remote instruction for the Fall 2020 REMOTE term can be accessed using the drop-down menu below. Select Fall 2020 Quarter or Fall 2020 Semester.
For *preliminary* information about each course, click on the course title. UCDC faculty are currently working to adapt their in-person courses and syllabi for virtual instruction. As a result, course titles and descriptions are likely to change a bit.
Please note: In the event of low enrollment, a class may be cancelled. Students will be informed as soon as possible and enrolled in a different class.
Core Seminar
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Congress, Politics and Elections in a Time of Crisis
Congress and other branches of the U.S. government were designed nearly two and a half centuries ago under circumstances and reflecting values and philosophies that bear little relationship to contemporary America. All of these institutions have...
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General Research: Developing Critical Writing and Thinking Skills Through Independent Research
Stephen Colbert coined the term “truthiness” to describe the tendency of people to “go with their gut” rather than facts and evidence in evaluating the world around them. We are all affected by biases that obstruct critical thinking. Challenging these...
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Reducing Poverty and Inequity: Lessons from International Development
This is an introductory course to the International Development field. The focus is on some of the key questions, challenges, and achievements in this field. Materials from the course (readings, documentaries, discussions of current events) will...
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Researching World Politics in Interesting Times
This seminar is designed to help you to critically engage with the dizzying array of problems faced by human societies today and to guide you through the process of developing a significant research paper on a topic of your choice related to world...
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The U.S. Supreme Court: Conflict, Change and the Court
Immigration. LGBT rights. Healthcare. Abortion. The death penalty. Cell phone privacy. The U.S. Supreme Court has decided cases on all of these topics in recent years, and its decisions ultimately touch the lives of all Americans. In this class we will...
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Washington Media: Fake News, Social Media, and the Reshaping of American Politics
What is the difference between “fake news"and journalism? Why does President Trump call news organizations “the enemy of the American people"? Should the media report what people want to know or ought to know? Does objectivity exist?
This...
Quarter Elective
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Power and Purpose: Understanding U.S. Foreign Policy
This course explores the ideas and assumptions that guide U.S. foreign policy. We will consider how U.S. leaders choose to engage with the rest of the world -- and consider how they might in the future -- by focusing on a number of recurring themes...
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Trump vs. Biden: Campaign 2020 and the Election of a Lifetime
After stunning the nation, and the world, with his win in 2016, President Trump is facing re-election at a moment of racial unrest, economic uncertainty and a global pandemic.
How did we reach this point? What, if any, lessons from previous...