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Fall 2025 New & Trending Online Courses

The College of General Studies, in partnership with other academic departments and schools, is excited to announce the newest and popular courses in online or hybrid format. 
 
Browse through the list below to find the courses that fit your academic needs and interests.
 
Online courses fill up fast. Register Now! 
 
COMMRC 0300-7510  Communication & Society
Instructor: John W Gareis
Class size: 30 students
Frequency: Fall / Spring / Summer
Class Format: Web / Asynchronous (no scheduled meetings)
 
Description: This course is an introduction to basic theories, models, and concepts in interpersonal, small group, organizational and intercultural communication.
 
What does this course count for in CGS: Major - Liberal Studies BA (self design); Certificate - Communication Elective. General Education Oral and Professional Communication and Social Science Requirement. 
 
Interested in Communications?  Visit the Department of Communication »
DENHYG 1925-7510  Intro to Nutrition in Community Health
Instructor: Jessica Magnu
Class size: 30 students
Frequency: Spring
Class Format: Web / Asynchronous (no scheduled meetings)
 
Description: This course will examine the role of basic nutrients in health and wellness. Emphasis will be placed on the evaluation of nutritional information and messaging as well as social determinants to health and nutritional wellness. This course is appropriate for students completing the Pre-Physician Assistant track in the CGS Natural Sciences major and the Community Health Assessment track in CGS Health Services Programs.
 
Interested in Dental Hygiene?  Visit the School of Dental Medicine »
ENGCMP 0200 -7510  Seminar in Composition
Instructor: Christy Kuehn
Class size: 22 students
Frequency: Fall / Spring / Summer
Class Format: Web / Asynchronous (no scheduled meetings)
 
Description: This introductory course offers students opportunities to improve as writers by developing their understanding of how they and others use writing to interpret and share experience, affect behavior, and position themselves in the world.  Specific reading and writing assignments may vary from section to section, but student writing will be the primary focus in all sections.  The course is designed to help students become more engaged, imaginative, and disciplined composers.
 
What does this course count for in CGS: Major - Liberal Studies BA (self design). General Education Workshop in Composition Requirement. 
 
Interested in English Composition?  Visit the department of English »
ENGCMP 0420-7510  Writing for the Public
Instructor: Sara Watson
Class size: 22 students
Frequency: Fall
Class Format: Web / Asynchronous (no scheduled meetings)
 
Description: This course explores the theory and practice of writing that serves the public interest, including writing for the nonprofit and the governmental sectors of American society. The course will explore the ethics of writing for the public, the impact of rhetorical contexts on writing, and the ways in which writing and revision can allow us to understand a problem or issue in a new way.  Students can expect to read examples of writing for the public, conduct significant research, and write in different genres.
 
What does this course count for in CGS: Major - Liberal Studies BA (self design) and Media and Professional Communications BA; Certificates - Corporate and Community Relations and Writing for the Professions. Writing Intensive Course (WRIT)
 
Interested in English Composition?  Visit the Department of English »
ENGCMP 0440 -7510  Critical Writing
Instructor: Cristina Maria D'Imperio
Class size: 22 students
Frequency: Fall / Spring
Class Format: Web / Asynchronous (no scheduled meetings)
 
Description: Students in this course will be trained in the responsible development and articulation of written opinions.  Material drawn from various media will be used to help students increase their powers of observation and analysis that they may learn the art of making discriminating evaluations of situations, events, issues, controversies, artifacts and objects.
 
What does this course count for in CGS: Major - Liberal Studies BA (self design). Writing Intensive Course (WRIT)
 
Interested in English Composition?  Visit the department of English»
ENGCMP 0520-7510  Integrating Writing and Design
Instructor: Sarah Leavens
Class size: 22 students
Frequency: Fall
Class Format: Web / Asynchronous (no scheduled meetings)
 
Description: This course allows students to explore the rhetorical implications of design and invites students to consider design and writing as an integral process. The class will alternate lecture/discussion sessions with studio sessions, so that students can learn how to use Adobe InDesign to create both single- and multi-paged documents for particular rhetorical contexts. Student will create a number of designed pieces of writing, including a longer multi-page document for a specific audience.
 
What does this course count for in CGS: Major - Liberal Studies BA (self design) and Media and Professional Communications BA; Certificates - Corporate and Community Relations, Digital Media, and Writing for the Professions. General Education Creative Work Requirement.
 
Interested in English Composition?  Visit the Department of English »
ENGCMP 0560-7510  Writing Arguments
Instructor: Amanda Sevilla
Class size: 22 students
Frequency: Fall
Class Format: Web / Asynchronous (no scheduled meetings)
 
Description: Rooted in a foundation of rhetorical inquiry, this course has two goals: to help students become more adept at understanding and critically analyzing arguments, and to help students become better arguers themselves. Students in "Writing Arguments" will practice composing arguments across a variety of forms, genres, and technologies (written, visual, digital) in order to develop and hone their persuasive language skills. As part of this practice, students will have the opportunity to design and participate in intellectual conversations on topics of social interest and to compose their own examples of public persuasive discourse. Writing Arguments would be especially appropriate for students headed to law school, graduate school, careers in writing, and/or advanced courses in Public and Professional Writing.
 
What does this course count for in CGS: Major - Liberal Studies BA (self design) and Media and Professional Communications BA; Certificates - Corporate and Community Relations and Writing for the Professions. 
 
Interested in English Composition?  Visit the Department of English »
HIST 1175 / PS 1348-7510 Xenophobia in Modern Europe
Instructor: John Boonstra
Class size: 35 students
Frequency: Fall / Spring
Class Format: Web / Asynchronous (no scheduled meetings)
 

This course will examine Europe's post-war xenophobic, racist and exclusionary policies. 

We will use memoirs, photo-journalism, film and interviews to understand recent discrimination against refugees, guest workers, Jews, linguistic and religious minorities.  We will also put the question into scholarly context, as we examine how historians, sociologists, psychologists and anthropologists try to understand the way in which Europeans construct the categories of "us" and the "others".


What does this course count for in CGS: Major - Liberal Studies BA (self design); General Education Historical Analysis and Specific Geographic Region Requirement

Interested in History?  Visit the Department of History »

LCJS 1120-7510 Crime Prevention
Instructor:  Hyunjung Shim
Class size: 30 students
Frequency: Fall / Spring
Class Format: Web / Asynchronous (no scheduled meetings)
 
Description: This course is designed to explore various theories and methods of evidence-based crime prevention. In contrast to the traditional criminological theories that center on criminality of individuals, the theories of crime and place, crime science, and environmental criminology analyze crime events and their environmental factors to prevent crime. Throughout the course, we will critically explore relevant theories and research related to crime events, examining ways of reducing crime at places and lowering the risk of victimization for individuals. We will evaluate evidence concerning the success and failure of crime prevention efforts.
 
What does this course count for in CGS: Major - Liberal Studies BA (self design), and Law Criminal Justice, and Society BA; and LCJS Minor. 
 
Interested in Law, Criminal Justice, and Society?  Check out our LCJS Major »
NPHS 1520-7710 State and Local Framework for Emergency Preparedness
Instructor:  Carey Balaban & Ken Sochats
Class size: 30 students
Frequency: Fall
Class Format: Hybrid (online with scheduled meetings)
 
Description: All response to crisis begins locally. NPHS 1520 presents ways in which states, regions, and localities have implemented response planning for their jurisdictions. It also explores boundaries between federal and state law, and how, for example, decisions are made for evacuation versus sheltering in place. Case studies and models for drafting response plans will be offered and rehearsed, as well as templates for planning and allocation of resources.
 
What does this course count for in CGS: Major - Liberal Studies BA (self design); Certificate - National Preparedness and Homeland Security.
 
Interested in National Preparedness and Homeland Security?  Learn more about our NPHS Certificate »
NPHS 1530-7710 Analysis, Intelligence and Decision Tools for Emergency Preparedness
Instructor:  Carey Balaban & Ken Sochats
Class size: 30 students
Frequency: Fall
Class Format: Hybrid (online with scheduled meetings)
 
Description: Efforts to professionalize the emergency management workforce include familiarizing the next generation with modern decision support software and analytical tools now used in planning and responding to crises.  These include discrete- and agent-based simulation, geographical information systems, pattern recognition, virtual reality and predictive modeling tools.  This course will offer introductory experience with these tools in realistic crisis scenarios.  NPHS 1530 also will explore realities that are changing the delivery of emergency services to a model based on distributed versus centralized operations.
 
What does this course count for in CGS: Major - Liberal Studies BA (self design); Certificate - National Preparedness and Homeland Security.
 
Interested in National Preparedness and Homeland Security?  Learn more about our NPHS Certificate »
PSY 1225-7510 Psychology of Emotion
Instructor:  Ruth Hofrichter
Class size: 30 students
Frequency: Fall / Spring
Class Format: Web / Asynchronous (no scheduled meetings)
 
Description: The science of emotion is critical to our understanding of human behavior.  Applications and related fields include neuroscience, marketing, affective computing, psychopathology, and human-robot communication. This course will introduce you to major approaches to emotion and address topics that may include perception, communication, individual differences, development, affective computing, and dynamics of facial and vocal expression. Depending upon student interests, some topics and readings may be more or less emphasized and others introduced. Readings will include a textbook and empirical articles and chapters. You will learn about measurement approaches and develop and present a major project.
 
What does this course count for in CGS: Major - Liberal Studies BA (self design), Natural Sciences BA Standard and Pre-PA track. 
 
Interested in Psychology?  Visit the department of Psychology »
PUBSRV 1130-7510  Planning in the Public Sector
Instructor: James Hassinger
Class size: 25 students
Frequency: Fall
Class Format: Web / Asynchronous (no scheduled meetings)
 

This course will introduce the profession of urban planning through a review of the historical development of cities. With this framework we will look at the actual work of the planner:  data gathering, analysis, policy, public process and politics.  We will address the relation between the physical nature of cities and the quality of community that develops. 

This course underscores the importance of physical and geographic determinants to city growth, and makes the connection between democratic values and city development policy.


What does this course count for in CGS: Major - Public Service BA, Liberal Studies BA (self design); Minor - Public Service

Interested in public administration?  Visit GSPIA »

PUBSRV 1230-7510  Fundraising for Non-Profit Organizations
Instructor: David Coplan
Class size: 25 students
Frequency: Fall / Spring
Class Format: Web/ Asynchronous (no scheduled meetings)
 

This course provides students an overview of fundraising, including the size and scope of the nonprofit sector and the sources of money available, as well as a brief introduction to the most common fundraising strategies, the role of the board, and planning and budgeting for fundraising.

The course is designed for people exploring fundraising as a career as well as people who wish to work in other capacities in nonprofit organizations and want to understand fundraising.

The course is also appropriate for people who intend to serve on boards or to volunteer for nonprofit organizations.


What does this course count for in CGS: Majors - Public Service BA and Liberal Studies BA (self design); Minor - Public Service; Certificate - Nonprofit Management

Interested in public administration?  Visit GSPIA »

RELGST 0505 / HIST 0755-7510  Religion In Asia
Instructor: Margarita Delgado Creamer
Class size: 30 students
Frequency: Fall / Spring / Summer
Class Format: Web / Asynchronous (no scheduled meetings)
 

This course serves as an introduction to the major religious traditions of South and East Asia. During the course of the semester, we encounter Hinduism and Jainism; the native Confucian, Daoist (Taoist), and popular traditions of China; and the Shinto, folk and new religions of Japan. Buddhism, which originated in India but later spread to East Asia, is examined in its relation to the history of both Chinese and Japanese religions.

We approach these traditions through lectures and discussion based on Chinese classical and popular literature, secondary scholarship, and films, which inform us about cultural and historical context, beliefs, practices, and personal experience. In the process we expect to learn something about the ways in which non-Western religious traditions see themselves and their world on their own terms, and to see how/if they can complement our own worldviews.


What does this course count for in CGS: Major - Liberal Studies BA (self design); General Education Cross-Cultural Awareness Requirement

Interested in Religious Studies?  Visit the Department of Religious Studies »

SOC 0460-7510 Race and Ethnicity
Instructor: Natalia Duarte Mayorga
Class size: 30 students
Frequency: Fall / Spring
Class Format: Web / Asynchronous (no scheduled meetings)
 
Description: This is a course presenting the central sociological interpretations of majority/minority relations.  The course begins with a consideration of minorities around the world. With world minorities as a frame of reference, the course turns to the United States and its special opportunities and problems.
 
What does this course count for in CGS: Major - Liberal Studies BA (self design).
 
Interested in Sociology?  Visit the department of Sociology »