Spring 2027 Courses

• Course: AGR3303
• Class Number: 16592
• Instructor: Kara Riggs

 

 

• Course: AGR4212
• Class Number: 17136
• Instructor: Chris Wilson

In this course, students will develop an appreciation of and the ability to think critically about culture and be provided with the tools to understand, analyze, and discuss works of visual art and material culture, including works from the western canon and other cultural traditions.

 

• Course: ARH2000
• Class Number: 16855
• Instructor: TBA

 

 

• Course: CHM2051
• Class Number: 26528
• Instructor: TBA

 

• Course: CHM2051
• Class Number: 17614
• Instructor: Alexander Angerhofer

 

 

 

• Course: ENC3459
• Class Number: 18614
• Instructor: TBA

This course will provide more depth on topics introduced in Beekeeping I including beekeeping styles, colony stressors and yearly management. This course will also explore issues affecting the beekeeping industry including integrated pest management, pests/diseases, African bees, commercial pollination, queen production, bee removals and pesticides will be discussed. ENY 4573, Beekeeping I, is a prerequisite for this course.

 

• Course: ENY4574
• Class Number: 19478
• Instructor: Cameron Jack

 

• Course: MAP2302
• Class Number: 18475
• Instructor: TBA

In this course, students will survey the history of classical music from antiquity to the modern period, focusing on Western music. The curriculum may also integrate a variety of popular and global styles where appropriate.

MUL 2010 is designed to examine music and its role in culture: how it both shapes and is shaped by social, political, national, and cultural forces. Examples from Western art music, popular music, and world music will be used to demonstrate music’s inextricable link to life in both historical and contemporary settings. No prior or concurrent courses are required for enrollment in MUL 2010, nor is any prior musical training or experience. However, it is strongly recommended that you have taken ENC 1101 or 1102, as your writing will be held to college-level standards. 

This course is designed to enhance the student's understanding of music from a technical, aesthetic, historical, and sociological perspective. To accomplish these goals, the course will concentrate on: 

• The development of an attentive style of listening.
• The introduction and systematic study of the building blocks of music.
• Enhancing awareness of the main musical styles of selected Western and non-Western cultures.
• Application of critical thinking skills to musical constructs to better understand human creativity and problem solving.
  

   
• Course: MUL2010
• Class Number: 25706
• Instructor: Lauren Hodges

 

PHY 2060 (Enriched Physics with Calculus 1) is the first course in the honors physics sequence for majors and others seeking a deeper understanding of the subject. Covering classical mechanics and special relativity—kinematics, dynamics, Newton's laws, conservation of energy, momentum and angular momentum, gravitation, oscillations, waves, and relativity—the course treats these foundational topics at a faster pace and greater conceptual depth than the standard calculus-based sequence. Taught in a small-class format with hand-graded exams that reward clear reasoning and award partial credit, PHY 2060 emphasizes conceptual understanding and the ability to tackle challenging, unfamiliar problems. Students will strengthen their quantitative problem-solving skills while learning to reason about the physical world through the lens of the scientific method.

 

• Course: PHY2060
• Class Number: 15482
• Instructor: Mark Meisel

 

• Course: PHY2061
• Class Number: 15494
• Instructor: Philip Chang

 

• Course: PHY3063
• Class Number: 22379
• Instructor: Ivan Furic

The underlying theme of this class is democracy. We will discuss various conceptions of democracy, and how to assess various aspects of the political system using those concepts. We will also read and discuss possible reforms to the current structures of American politics.  By the end of the course, students should be able to critically evaluate claims about the U.S. political system using empirical evidence.

In this course, students will investigate how the national government is structured and how the American constitutional republic operates. It covers the philosophical and historical foundations of American government, including but not limited to the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution (the original text and all its amendments), and the Federalist Papers. The course examines the branches of government and the government’s laws, policies, and programs. It also examines the ways in which citizens participate in their government and ways their government responds to citizens.

 

• Course: POS2041
• Class Number: 15396
• Instructor: Michael Martinez

The multidisciplinary course examines the Jewish experience from Biblical origins to modern times, with particular focus on how Judaism fits into the American religious landscape, Jewish holidays, and the influence of Jews and Judaism on American culture. No prior understanding of Jews and Judaism required.

 

• Course: REL2600
• Class Number: 26486
• Instructor: Rachel Gordan

 

 

 

• Course: SPC2608
• Class Number: 22640
• Instructor: TBA

 

 

• Course: SPN3300
• Class Number: 15699
• Instructor: TBA

This course will explore the history of agricultural innovations while examining their social, political, economic, and environmental consequences within the context of the global food system. Through analysis of how eating evolved, we will formulate ideas on how global food systems will change and function in the future.

 

• Course: PLS2030
• Class Number: 23144
• Instructor: Rosalie Koenig

 

 

• Course: STA2090
• Class Number: 22328
• Instructor: Elizabeth Johnson

Cape Verde came to international attention during the 2026 World Cup competition, firstly through making it into other cup competition, and then through the outstanding performance of the nation's 40 year old goalie and the story involved with bringing his mother to the games to watch him play. Prior to these games, few perhaps had ever heard off this small nation, which is considered an African nation and is inhabited by people whose identities derive from African cultures and partly from European nations- primarily Portugal, the former colonial ruler. Through reading Cape Verdean literature- especially the novel "The Last Will and Testament of Señor da Silva Araujo by Germano Almeida, and exploring its music- including attending a concert at the Phillips Center- the class will explore how this unified culture developed and how cultural understandings are expressed.

Nina Stoyan-Rosenzweig created the archives for the University of Florida Health Science Center Libraries and Director of Medical Humanities at the College of Medicine. She teaches medical humanities including narrative medicine, literature and medicine, the use of arts in developing observational skills, reflective writing and nature writing with a focus on history of medicine, and has taught bioethics in the College of Medicine since 2002. She is involved with the Arnold P. Gold Foundation’s Humanism Honor Society’s efforts to promote humanism in medicine, serving on the Advisory Council, and several committees . At UF she also teaches in the Center for African Studies- having co-developed a course on the arts and health in Sub-Saharan Africa, and has served on the CAS Advisory Council. She teaches Uncommon Read courses in the UF Honors College, including a one credit course on Harry Potter and Medicine Humanities and Clinical Practice course for undergraduates. Ms. Stoyan-Rosenzweig’s research interests include environmental history, the history of the human-animal relationship, and the history of science and medicine, especially eugenics, and medicinal herbs. She co-developed the Medical Humanities Pathway for the UF College of Medicine.

 

• Course: IDH2952
• Class Number: 26672
• Day/Period: M/5
• Instructor: Nina Stoyan-Rosenzweig

A fascinating story of the origins of Delta blues, the diaspora to Chicago and north, the transitions to rock, and the people keeping blues alive. Some of this course will be attending live blues show in town. 

 

• Course: IDH2952
• Class Number: 19147
• Day/Period: T/5
• Instructor: Edmund Kellerman

Giorgio Vasari's Lives of the Artists (1550-1568) is generally considered the first true work of art history and remains one of the most widely read older texts in the discipline. It is simultaneously prized and controversial. This course offers a close reading of the Lives both as a primary historical document and as the foundational text that influenced categories that art historians still rely on including the idea of a "Renaissance," the narrative arc from Giotto to Michelangelo, and the artist as biographical subject. We'll read selected lives, discuss Vasari's biases, and attempt to answer how this gossipy, biased, and factually shaky work became an indispensable bedrock. This is a discussion-based seminar, and full participation depends on keeping up with the reading before each session.

Carol Demas is a senior lecturer in mathematics with a background in numerical methods of differential equations and a work history that includes IBM-Houston and NASA-KSC. She developed and taught the honors quest 1 course, "Mathematics in the Arts of Renaissance Italy." Her love of the arts stems from her mother, a coloratura-lyric soprano who studied voice in Florence.

 

• Course: IDH2952
• Class Number: 26664
• Day/Period: T/3
• Instructor: Carol Demas

As the United States commemorates the 250th anniversary of its founding, this Honors seminar explores not only the life of Alexander Hamilton but also the ways Americans remember, reinterpret, and reinvent their past. Using Ron Chernow's bestselling biography Alexander Hamilton alongside popular media, students will examine the relationship between historical scholarship and popular memory.

The course follows Hamilton's journey from the Caribbean to the center of the American founding, exploring his role in the American Revolution, the creation of the Constitution, the development of the nation's financial system, and the emergence of political parties. At the same time, students will investigate how historical figures become cultural icons and how each generation reshapes the past to address contemporary questions and concerns.

Through discussion, students will consider larger questions about history itself. What responsibilities do historians and artists have when representing the past? Where does interpretation end and mythmaking begin? Why do some historical figures remain central to national memory while others fade from public attention?

 

• Course: IDH2930
• Class Number: 26665
• Day/Period: T/4
• Instructor: Matthew Strickland

As the United States commemorates the 250th anniversary of its founding, this Honors seminar explores the life and legacy of George Washington through Ron Chernow's award-winning biography Washington: A Life. More than a Revolutionary War general or the nation's first president, Washington played a central role in shaping the political institutions, leadership traditions, and civic culture of the early United States. Through discussion of Chernow's biography, students will examine Washington's rise from a young Virginia surveyor to commander of the Continental Army, president of the Constitutional Convention, and first President of the United States. Students will explore questions that remain relevant today: What makes an effective leader? How should power be exercised and restrained? How does a nation build trust in its institutions? What responsibilities accompany public service? The course also examines the complexities of Washington's life, including his military leadership, political judgment, relationship with slavery, religious beliefs, and evolving public reputation. Through discussions, students will engage with one of the most influential figures in American history while considering the challenges of leadership.

 

• Course: IDH2930
• Class Number: 26700
• Day/Period: T/5
• Instructor: Matthew Strickland

“Who lives, who dies, who tells her story?” In this course, we trace Eliza Hamilton’s life as we let her tell her story. Through excerpts from historical novels such as My Dear Hamilton and I, Eliza Hamilton to Tilar J. Mazzeo’s biography of Eliza, alongside the Broadway songs that have defined her life until now, we will reject the narrative that Eliza was “helpless.” Beyond being a wife and a widow, Eliza shaped life in the colonies through her own, distinct personhood. Her perspective offers a vital lens on a period of time when women were too often written out of our history. By the end of this course, students will see how Eliza’s voice - both sung and written - reframes history through loss, endurance, and the revolutionary act of telling her own story.

 

• Course: IDH2930
• Class Number: 26286
• Day/Period: W/5
• Instructor: Jake Truscott
• Peer Instructor: Aurora Lai
• Peer Instructor: Madalena Meeker

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman explores the tragic clash between Hmong cultural beliefs and Western medicine through the story of a young girl with epilepsy and her family’s struggles with the American healthcare system.  The class will explore approaches to healthcare, focusing on working with patients from differing worldviews.

 

• Course: IDH2930
• Class Number: 26663
• Day/Period: T/8
• Instructor: Gregg Henderschiedt

In this discussion-heavy course, we will read Barbara Kingsolver's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Demon Copperhead as a starting point for exploring contemporary issues through the lens of literature. We will examine the novel's themes, characters, and social context while considering larger questions about resilience, community, and the forces that shape individual lives. We will experience what a novel can reveal about the world that statistics, news headlines and policy reports cannot convey. 

 

• Course: IDH2930
• Class Number: 26650
• Day/Period: W/4
• Instructor: Meredith Beaupre

Book 5 of Nicomachean Ethics. Is there any action that is intrinsically evil? What about genocide? Is it evil only when committed by a defeated army? This course will introduce you into the corner stone of all classical conceptions of natural right and justice and therefore provide you with tools that are necessary to answer that question. In book 5 of the Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle explores what justice and the just are and the different meanings they can take, lays the foundations for all future conceptions of republican order and also for the understanding of the nature and functions of money and currency. More importantly, Aristotle distinguishes between what is just by convention and what is naturally just. This short text is the fountain source of Western, Jewish and Muslim natural right traditions. It is surprisingly short (around 20 pages) but rich and dense. We will read it slowly in class and extract all its meaning, setting it in discussion with alternative conceptions, such as those of Locke, Marx and Nietzsche. The professor will lead the discussion following the Socratic method. You will try to use this classic work as a way to question your beliefs and presuppositions concerning the meaning of justice and the just and concerning the existence or inexistence of natural right. The evaluation will be based on a final essay following the technique of the Oxford tutorials. The last weeks of the semester will be dedicated to help the students to rightly conceive the problem and write the essay. We will have relaxed, instructive and fun sessions of reading, discussing, thinking and solving a philosophical problem, the existence or inexistence of natural right.

 

• Course: IDH2930
• Class Number: 26666
• Day/Period: W/7
• Instructor: Carlos Casanova

"Who are you, and what are you doing here? These questions may sound simple, but they open into the deepest uncertainties of life. In a world marked by division and distraction, it's easy to avoid asking them, or to cling to quick answers that leave us unsatisfied. Open Socrates: The Case for a Philosophical Life by Agnes Callard challenges us to take those questions seriously, and to live more philosophically in our everyday choices.

This one-credit Uncommon Reads course invites students to put philosophy into practice. Together, we will explore Callard’s idea of “untimely questions,” the fundamental issues of purpose, value, and identity that tend to arrive too late, and consider how confronting them can reshape our lives. Through weekly readings, conversations, and reflections, we will practice Socrates’ method of “persuade or be persuaded,” learning how open-minded dialogue can cut through polarization and open new possibilities for connection.

What does it mean to live an examined life in today’s world? How can embracing uncertainty become a strength? And what happens when we try to bridge divides by asking “why” rather than retreating into certainty? This course aims to show that philosophy is not a distant academic exercise, but a tool for living more intentionally, more honestly, and more fully. The course is ideal for students who enjoy big questions, spirited discussion, and reflecting on how timeless ideas apply to modern challenges.

Lucy Pellenbarg is a senior at the University of Florida majoring in Public Health with a focus on medical anthropology. Her academic and professional experiences range from finance and biotechnology to engineering, as well as clinical and global health research, reflecting a curiosity-driven path shaped by exploration across disciplines. Guided by Mary Oliver’s question, “What will you do with your one wild and precious life,” Pellenbarg turned to Open Socrates to help her ask difficult questions about purpose, identity, and meaning. As a peer instructor, she is passionate about fostering thoughtful dialogue and helping others reflect on their values, challenge assumptions, and discover their sense of purpose.

 

• Course: IDH2930
• Class Number: 26648
• Day/Period: R/6
• Instructor: Michael O'Malley
• Peer Instructor: Lucy Pellenbarg

What sparks a revolution? Why do people risk everything for freedom and justice? Inspired by Les Misérables, Sky Without Stars transports readers to a futuristic world marked by inequality, oppression, and revolution. This course uses the novel as a lens to examine questions of justice, privilege, leadership, and social change. Students will engage in discussions connecting literature with revolution, justice, inequality, power, and resistance, history, ethics, and contemporary issues while exploring why stories of revolution continue to resonate across cultures and generations.

Patty Takacs studies how information literacy can foster critical thinking and strengthen political discourse. As an assistant university librarian and liaison to the Political Science department and the Bob Graham Center for Public Service, she supports students and faculty in navigating complex information landscapes. 

 

• Course: IDH2930
• Class Number: 26285
• Day/Period: M/4
• Instructor: Patricia Takacs

The Anthropocene is full of mess, but what happens when we decide to engage the complexities of our time and stay with the trouble? In her 2016 book, "Staying With the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene," ecofeminist scholar Donna Haraway frames the "Chthulucene" or a time when human and nonhuman lives are interwoven with complexity. In this class, we will engage with Haraway's ideas through her book and discuss how we might reimagine our collective future with Earth and biodiversity.

 

• Course: IDH2930
• Class Number: 26667
• Day/Period: R/3
• Instructor: Vaughn Shirey

Success in Business and Life by Avinash K. Dixit and Barry J. Nalebuff entertainingly combines the theory behind various tactical games with their practicality in real life scenarios. The authors stress how every interaction, no matter how insignificant, can be won or lost through calculated decision making. Engaging examples of game theory in action are presented in a wide range of fields including sports, elections, test taking, and even the gameshow Survivor.

Now for the fun part: utilizing the strategies discussed in the book in a competitive classroom environment! Each class will begin with a discussion of the corresponding week’s reading. Then, the class will be presented with a game theory scenario which will challenge everyone’s cooperative and critical thinking abilities. Competitive spirits will be fostered, as points will be awarded based on individual performances each week. Whoever has the most points by the end of the semester will win a small prize!

 

• Course: IDH2930
• Class Number: 26655
• Day/Period: T/9
• Instructor: John Streese
• Peer Instructor: Ben Shapiro

Bildungsroman is the German translation for what is often called “coming-of-age” in English. These tales are relatable to a wide swath of readers because of their universal themes: disruption, loss, exposure, growth, heartbreak, maturation, and so on. In this course, we’ll read three different coming-of-age titles all set during Europe in the summer. In class, we’ll discuss our thoughts on the novels, comparing them to each other and our own individual experiences, highlighting similarities and differences between ourselves and the protagonists as well as the role that place and setting play. The course’s primary assignments will be reflective in nature and include a letter to one’s younger or older self and a mapping of your own hero’s journey.

This course is the academic component of a Recreational Sports trip to Germany scheduled for June 19-27, 2027, where the class will participate in a bike tour of several cities and town. Students are expected to commit to both the UnCommon Reads course and the RecSports trip and will need to pay a $500 deposit by 01/13/2027. Students may also apply to the Honors Program’s Wentworth Fund to help pay for this trip.

Book titles:

One Grand Summer by Ewald Arenz
Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman
Discontent by Beatriz Serrano

 

• Course: IDH2930
• Class Number: 26653
• Day/Period: T/8
• Instructor: TehQuin Forbes

Described as a “devastating tale” and “the definitive novel of the war in Ukraine,” Serhiy Zhadan’s 2017 The Orphanage describes the thirty-five-year-old Ukrainian language teacher Pasha’s increasingly desperate struggle to rescue his nephew Sasha from an orphanage in occupied territory when hostile soldiers invade a neighboring city. How have ordinary Ukrainians experienced the Russo-Ukrainian War and its disruption of their world? More broadly, how do writers meaningfully capture the lived reality of war? What is the role of literature in documenting and understanding national trauma on an epic scale? These are some of the questions we will consider in this course as we read Zhadan’s novel, along with selected diary entries from 2022-present by the historian and writer Olena Styazhkina and some examples of contemporary war-related poetry (Luba Yakimchuk and others). We will examine how Ukrainian culture has responded to the ongoing assault against it as well as the central place of literature in giving voice to recent Ukrainian experience.

 

• Course: IDH2930
• Class Number: 26687
• Day/Period: M/6
• Instructor: Ingrid Kleespies

"I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. But choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet." 

This famous passage from Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar, about the fig tree, captures the paralyzing weight of choice, expectation, and identity on women in the 1950s and 1960s. In this course, we will use The Bell Jar, Plath's most well-known novel, as our anchor text, as we explore how Plath represented the tensions of mental illness, gender roles, and ambition in mid 20th century America. Along the way, we will also spend time with Plath's poetry and her Letters Home to better contextualize her work, and offer different registers of her voice, in confessional, lyrical, and personal writings.

By reading Plath across genres, we will debate the conflicts she raises between conformity and individuality, and consider how her struggles with identity, voice, and ambition continue to resonate in our world today.

Assignments will focus on engagement and reflection, with weekly discussions and short responses. By semester's end, students will have "unsealed" The Bell Jar to uncover the literary, cultural, and personal forces that shaped Plath's voice.

 

• Course: IDH2930
• Class Number: 26654
• Day/Period: T/8
• Instructor: Sean Trainor
• Peer Instructor: Eden Thomas
• Peer Instructor: Dominic Kaps-Trumbull

 

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer is a profound exploration of the interconnectedness between humans and the natural world, blending Indigenous wisdom with scientific knowledge. In this class you'll have the chance to reflect critically on key themes: Reciprocity in nature, environmental stewardship, and cultural identity and heritage; we will have open dialogues on these topics, provide opportunities for student-lead discussion, and participate in local environmental projects.

Join us in exploring Kimmerer’s blend of Indigenous wisdom, ecological insights, and personal stories while reflecting on our own values, beliefs, and relationship with the natural world around us!

Racheal (she/her) is an academic advisor for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and teaches a few courses at UF throughout the year. She is a member of the Shasta and Tututni Bands of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and grew up on her Tribal reservation in Oregon. As a first-generation college student, Racheal graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from Western Oregon University, and an M.S. in Human Development and Family Sciences from Oregon State University. Racheal’s favorite part of teaching is sharing her interests while getting to know students on a deeper level. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring Florida with her family, traveling, journaling, and all things nature! 

 

• Course: IDH2930
• Class Number: 26668
• Day/Period: T/5
• Instructor: Racheal Croucher

Honoring the Ocean is a 1-credit interdisciplinary course that takes place in the virtual classroom and at sea. Students selected for this Honors Signature Experience will engage in discussions about the ocean through a humanistic lens, working with fellow Honors students and faculty from and across the state of Florida. The course culminates with an overnight trip aboard a Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO)Research Vessel departing from St. Petersburg, FL. Interested students must apply for this course by the October 18th deadline; a link to the application will be shared via the Honors on Wednesday email.  All majors and disciplines are encouraged to apply. Honors students selected for the course will be registered by the Honors Program.

 

• Course: IDH3931
• Class Number: 20212
• Instructor: Deborah Amberson
• Instructor: Gabriele Belletti

Students will learn the basics of communication skills in the health professions.  Students will apply the concepts taught in class by practicing with small groups.  Although patient communication is emphasized, the course will also cover communication with staff at all levels.

 

• Course: IDH3931
• Class Number: 23272
• Day/Period: T/7
• Instructor: Gregg Henderschiedt

Using various forums, technology provides a mostly convenient, practical, and beneficial method for people to communicate with each other locally and worldwide. This course will analyze the impact of digital tools and social networks on interpersonal communication, and present information to help students effectively communicate in a digital world, improve communication skills, and expand their professional network.

 

• Course: IDH3931
• Class Number: 18447
• Day/Period: R/8
• Instructor: Renita Renee Clark

Are you applying to med school? This course is focused on supporting students who are applying for the upcoming cycle. Only students applying in this upcoming cycle are eligible to take this course.

If you want to take the course, please complete this short google form. Course enrollment is limited to 25 students. You must be signed into your UF G Suite account to access the form.

 

• Course: IDH3931
• Class Number: 19857
• Day/Period: W/3
• Instructor: Meredith Beaupre