Courses within College of Humanities Arts and Social Sciences
Art and Life in Pompeii
Frozen in time by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, Pompeii offers an unparalleled window into the textures of everyday life in the ancient world. This first-year seminar explores the city's art, architecture, and material culture, from grand public monuments to intimate household objects, revealing what it meant to live, work, and belong in this ancient Roman city.
Elections 2026
It's a national election year in the U.S. and there is no better time to understand how American democracy actually works. This first-year seminar follows the 2026 election cycle in real time, using political science research to examine voter behavior, candidate strategy, and electoral forecasting from a variety of perspectives, building a deeper understanding of this election and all the future ones.
Food in History
Food is far more than sustenance, it is one of the most powerful forces shaping human history, culture, and identity. This first-year seminar traces the story of civilizations through what they grew, traded, and ate, investigating how food has shaped the distinct cultural, political, and religious identities that define the entire societies.
Get Real! Reality TV and Social Life
Reality TV is more than guilty-pleasure entertainment, it is a mirror held up to our social world. This first-year seminar uses reality television as a lens for exploring group dynamics, cultural values, and the social forces that shape everyday life, blending pop culture with the tools of social scientific analysis.
Latin American in the American South
The connections between Latin America and the American South are older, deeper, and more intertwined than most people realize. This first-year seminar traces the historical and contemporary ties between these two regions, from the Age of Exploration to the present, revealing a shared and often surprising story.
Mexican and Mexican-American Arts in Translation: Literature, Media, Craft
From muralism to literature, craft traditions to contemporary media, Mexican and Mexican-American artistic expression is as vast as it is vital. This first-year seminar traces the history and evolution of these aesthetic traditions across borders and generations, exploring how art travels, transforms, and continues to speak across cultures.
Navigating Cultures
Every culture has its own rules, rhythms, and ways of seeing the world, including the culture of a university. This first-year seminar uses the art of navigating cultures as a lens for exploring diversity, difference, and the skills students need to move thoughtfully through an interconnected world.
Reading and Writing Nature
Nature has inspired some of the most powerful writing in human history and this first-year seminar invites students to build their own meaningful connection to it. Through reading, reflection, and creative writing, and with plenty of time spent outside on UNCA's beautiful campus, students will deepen their relationship with the natural world and find their own voice within it.
STEAM: Tools for Self-Efficacy
Truly knowing yourself is one of life's most transformative journeys and art, design, and culture are some of its most powerful resources. This first-year seminar blends social science and the arts to provide students with practical and creative tools for building a meaningful, self-aware life.
Storytelling and Resilience Through Latinx Music
From Bad Bunny to Los Tigres del Norte, Latinx music has always been a channel for storytelling, resilience, and community. This first-year seminar explores how artists across generations have used music preserve culture and amplify voices of strength.