Carnegie Mellon University-Wide Studies Courses
About Course Numbers:
Each Carnegie Mellon course number begins with a two-digit prefix that designates the department offering the course (i.e., 76-xxx courses are offered by the Department of English). Although each department maintains its own course numbering practices, typically, the first digit after the prefix indicates the class level: xx-1xx courses are freshmen-level, xx-2xx courses are sophomore level, etc. Depending on the department, xx-6xx courses may be either undergraduate senior-level or graduate-level, and xx-7xx courses and higher are graduate-level. Consult the Schedule of Classes each semester for course offerings and for any necessary pre-requisites or co-requisites.
- 99-020 Doing Modern Research: AI, Open Science & Navigating the New Research Landscape
- Fall and Spring: 6 units
How do you find, organize, and make sense of scholarly knowledge given the millions of academic research papers published each year? In this mini course, you will learn how to develop a research question and use high-quality AI and free software tools to find, organize, and assess research literature to support it. Throughout this process, we will explore topics such as the ethics of generative AI, how research is conducted, and scholarly identity. Special attention will be paid to open science and its impact on equity, inclusion, and public trust in research. Students will explore academic research in interdisciplinary topics, as well as topics of their own choosing. Students will gain skills they can apply to other course projects, research experiences, or in the workforce to guide decision-making.
- 99-101 Core@CMU
- Fall and Spring: 3 units
Core@CMU is an engaging, online learning experience where you'll develop your core competency skills in the Core4 domains - (1) Collaboration and amp; Teamwork, (2) Communication and amp; Presentation, (3) Information and amp; Data Literacy and (4) Intercultural and amp; Global Literacy. This foundational course is an essential first step in your educational journey at CMU, setting you up for academic, personal, and professional success across any field of study. 99-101 is a remote course and coursework is designed to be completed asynchronously. Additionally, there are opportunities for synchronous engagement that will be offered in both in-person and remote modalities. Dates and times for these optional elements of the Core@CMU experience will be announced in the course Canvas site.
Course Website: http://www.cmu.edu/c-cm/
- 99-121 Peer Education Foundations
- Fall and Summer: 3 units
The Peer Education Foundations course is a highly interactive and student-driven course; the material and activities focus on fostering and sharpening internally held knowledge, values, beliefs, creativity, and priorities. Students will reflect on and deepen their awareness of personal identities, skills, experiences, and goals using individual journaling activities as well as small and large group discussions. Students will analyze case studies to explore and discuss the role of identity in peer support. Hands-on practice and role play scenarios are interwoven into all lessons to deepen student's ability to and confidence in providing culturally responsive peer support. This course will also explore the application of the structural elements of peer support. Students will collaborate with peers to design programmatic systems including reporting conventions, leadership structure, outreach and marketing plans, and event planning. A critical lens is applied throughout the course as a way of centering students in the historical and cultural context in which peer education is being applied. Emphasis will be placed on student leadership within the context of Carnegie Mellon University. Academic support will be provided by campus and community partners. This course is part of the Certified Peer Educator (CPE) program offered through the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). Upon completion of this course, students will receive a CPE certification stating that they have been trained in the core skills that will make them a better leader, role model, activist, and team member. More information about the NASPA CPE Training is available on NASPAs website.
Course Website: https://www.naspa.org/project/certified-peer-educator-cpe-training
- 99-129 DC Grand Challenge First-Year Seminar: Unreality: Immersive and Spatial Media
- Intermittent: 9 units
Virtual news stories and game worlds are accessible by putting on cardboard goggles, theme parks are engineered to provide convincing multisensory experiences, and workforces are reliant on augmented views of factory floors. Immersive and spatial media constitute a suite of emerging technologies that offer the opportunity to expand arts, entertainment, science, design, commercial enterprises and countless other domains in ways that were previously limited to science fiction. The potential for augmented reality to disrupt our current technological ecosystem is tremendous. Many of these technologies are now 50 years old and just starting to enter the commercial realm. As immersive experiences and augmented realities become more integrated into our work and leisure, do we need to worry about the ways that unreality affect our experiences of reality, or our interactions with each other? How do we know that we can trust our senses to tell us what is real? How do we begin to grapple with the ethical, cultural, social, technological, and regulatory implications of this shift?
- 99-153 Mindful Living
- Fall and Spring: 3 units
The goal of this course is to increase students internal resources for meeting stress through mindfulness-based meditation training. Each week, students will be trained in formal mindfulness meditation practices and asked to meditate at home with the help of brief guided meditation recordings. Students will also be given weekly informal mindfulness practice suggestions to help them translate the skills of formal meditation practice into daily life. Class meetings will give students the weekly opportunity for reflection, discussion, and questions based on their experience of formal and informal practice assignments.
- 99-190 Managing Stress, Restoring Harmony
- Fall: 6 units
The course is designed to explore the subject of stress and how it can best be managed to achieve optimal health and wellbeing. Topics addressed will include: the environmental, mental and emotional components of stress, factors that affect the experience of stress, how stress contributes to illness, and an overview of various stress management techniques. Several lectures will be supported by Carnegie Mellon faculty and staff.
- 99-194 Intimate Relationships & Sexual Health
- Spring: 6 units
This course will explore the expression of human relationships and sexuality. Emphasis will be placed on college health and the social, cultural and health factors that affect relational interactions. This course is designed to assist students with improved functioning in personal relationships, provide information to take care of their sexual health and help them acquire skills to make decisions now and in the future. Topic areas will include relationships, sexual behavior, sexual health and interpersonal skills. Academic support will be provided by campus and community partners.
- 99-250 Seminar for Peer Mentors
- Fall and Spring: 1 unit
This course provides on-the-job training to students recently hired into Learning Support peer mentoring positions at the Student Academic Success Center. In this course, students will receive training and practice with the various skills required for their positions (e.g., active listening, creating sessions plans and reports, etc.). They will gain awareness of various campus units and resources (e.g., CaPS, Office of Disability Resources) and identify when and how to direct students to these resources. Additionally, students will explore the diversity of learners that they may encounter in their peer mentor positions, and they will practice inclusive mentoring strategies that help these students develop as self-directed learners. Students will have a chance to reflect on their own learning experiences and consider how their experiences might compare to those of other students. This seminar-style course will feature various instructional strategies, including guest speakers, small- and full-group discussion, case studies, and a variety of other active learning strategies. Students will complete an array of assignments, including position-specific documents, reflections, and peer observation/shadowing.
Course Website: http://www.cmu.edu/acadev/studentjobs/
- 99-262 ADDvocate: Anti-Discrimination Dialogue for Social Justice
- Fall and Spring: 6 units
The aim of this multidisciplinary course is to establish a firm, education-based understanding of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion topics in Pittsburgh, Qatar and Worldwide to enhance their classroom and university experience. Through a series of lectures by subject experts, this course aims to educate and raise consciousness of discrimination, racism and bias in the real world. This course will also highlight strategies to become an active bystander and advocate for fair treatment in all our communities.
- 99-264 Introduction to Life Design
- Fall and Spring: 3 units
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" is a dysfunctional question that is asked by society to every child. The nature of this question implies individuals should have a single goal that they desire to reach - and that happiness/success will be achieved when this goal is reached. Instead, Introduction to Life Design asks individuals to explore what they want to grow into as life unfolds. Students in this course will identify what work and life mean to them, explore how their social identities influence how they engage with the world, ideate future possibilities, and learn how to explore those possibilities by prototyping experiences. This class is for juniors and seniors who want to learn how to create and navigate a life of meaning. Attendance is required at the Friday sessions because small group sharing is an integral part of the course pedagogy.
- 99-265 CMUQ ADDvocate: Anti-Discrimination Dialogue
- Fall and Spring: 9 units
The aim of this multidisciplinary course is to establish a firm, education-based understanding of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion topics in Pittsburgh, Qatar and Worldwide to enhance students' classroom and university experience. This course consists of 9 units to provide students with a thorough overview of DEI topics. Through a series of lectures by subject experts, this course aims to educate and raise consciousness of discrimination, racism and bias in the real world. The course encourages students to critically examine their personal beliefs and opinions about race and discrimination. Students will also evaluate and analyze inequalities and systems of privilege that promote marginalization within key topics such as gender bias in research, discrimination in education, and discrimination practices in the healthcare system. Assessments include low-stakes assignments attached to weekly content and a final advocacy project. This course will also highlight strategies to become an active bystander and advocate for fair treatment in all our communities.
- 99-270 Summer Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship
- Summer
This course consists of student participation in projects focused on undergraduate research or creative inquiry under the direction of a Carnegie Mellon faculty member. Tenure track, teaching track, research track, librarian track, and special faculty may serve as SURA mentors. The subject of the inquiry, the number of units, and the criteria for grading are to be determined by the student and the faculty mentor. This agreement should be formalized in a one-page apprenticeship verification form that includes documented approval from the faculty mentor with a copy to be submitted to the Undergraduate Research Office. The students are responsible for finding a faculty member who is willing and able to supervise them on campus over the summer. In addition to the research experience, course requirements include a series of workshop sessions over the course of the summer that will introduce students to the basics of research design. Students will also be expected to present and/or attend the campus-wide undergraduate research symposium, Meeting of the Minds, in May of the following year. Students may register for a maximum of nine units with work to be completed over an eight-week period during the summer all term.
- 99-361 IDeATe Portal
- Spring: 9 units
Full descriptions of each section topic are available at https://ideate.cmu.edu/courses/portal-and-section-details.html. IDeATe Portal courses introduce students to key aspects of critical, creative, and technical practice and prepare them to engage in productive interdisciplinary Collaborative Studio coursework in IDeATe minor areas. Section A: Learning about Learning will provide an introduction to the science of learning. Students will learn about the different ways that people learn, the factors that influence learning, and how to apply this knowledge to their own learning and in designing learning experiences. Section B: Intelligent Environments is a hand-on, project-based course that introduces students to the issues and challenges of creating workable, affordable, and adaptable intelligent environments. Section C: Garments covers the process of design, patterning, and construction of garments or other wearable items - to support creating experimental pieces for the body.
Course Website: https://ideate.cmu.edu/courses/portal-and-section-details.html
- 99-362 IDeATe: Intelligent Learning Spaces
- Spring: 9 units
Intelligent Learning Spaces explores the interactions between human learning and the spaces in which learning occurs. In this project-based course, students discuss, analyze, define, and apply theory from education, architecture and the arts to their project work. Students investigate precedents and existing experiences to create their own learning manifestos and designs. Imagination, in-class participation, speculation, empathy and 360-degree awareness are key components of this class. Students work on scaffolded projects that build on their knowledge to showcase their intentions and creativity, reacting to a variety of contexts relevant to learning. Students have opportunities to develop creative inquiry skills and apply critical perspectives through project-based work that requires experimentations, hands-on learning, reflection, and documentation.
- 99-363 IDeATe: Spatial Storytelling
- Spring: 6 units
Spatial Storytelling promotes the use of digital storytelling methods and methodologies across disciplinary topics. In this Spring mini, students are guided through the process from identifying a research problem, collecting data from diverse sources, learning specific geospatial mapping tools, and finally crafting narrative. They will work with spatial information (geospatial data) to build complex multimodal narratives around social issues. By the end of this course, students will know: what are spatial data, how to find and identify different types of spatial data, how to create a story based on data, and how to analyze data in geospatial software. Students will be able to develop constructive critique and data literacy skills to critically review peer work across disciplinary topics. Using competencies gained over the semester, students will create an online interactive narrative and present it to the broader community.
- 99-383 Technology, Humanity and Social Justice- Education
- Intermittent: 3 units
As humans rely more and more on electronic devices to support their everyday activities, there are ever present warnings about the impacts such reliance has on human autonomy ranging from who owns and controls information networks, the inequitable impact of technology consumption on peoples and places, varying accessibility of technology around the globe, and the promises and limitations of technology in improving human health. By engaging in technology as a lens, this sequence of weekend micro-courses encourages students to examine technology as a system disproportionately impacting humanity by enabling and constraining human rights of groups of people around the globe. With a multi-disciplinary focus, the course invites researchers and practitioners from the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon, and relevant fields more broadly. In Spring 2023, the focus will be on the impact technology has on the future of schooling and work. This will include a discussion as to how technology can improve the efficiency and safety of the workforce through automation while also creating further divides between those who have educational access and those who do not. The effects of technology on education and the common language of the world, including how it impacts native languages and cultures, will also be discussed. Added Note: The course will occur on Friday, Oct. 24, Saturday, Oct. 25, and Sunday, Oct. 26. Engagement in the course should be synchronous; accommodations for those in significant time zone differences will be provided to allow enrollment and completion of all elements of the weekend. If a student is interested in the course but unable to engage in the course dates, please reach out to Korryn Mozisek (kmozisek@andrew.cmu.edu).
- 99-401 ePortfolio/Capstone
- All Semesters
Registration by special permission. This course is for CMUQ students who have declared a minor or are engaged in a certificate program. Students should contact the instructor(s) for permission to enroll. This course is a series of lessons/modules with guided activities to enable students to reflect on and synthesize their academic course of study. The activities may include independent research, reflective exercises, team projects, feedback from faculty, as well as external speakers and recent graduates who have expertise to share. Under the guidance of a faculty advisor, a student may undertake a project that is reflective in nature and synthesizes the student's academic coursework and educational experience throughout their minor or certificate program at CMUQ. The final project may be in various formats approved by the faculty advisor. The course will be offered in IPO or hybrid mode with all modules available through Canvas and/or Zoom. Each semester, the course will be facilitated by the students' course/project advisors. Additionally, students will regularly meet individually with the course instructor in person or through Zoom.
- 99-402 ePortfolio/Capstone
- All Semesters
Registration by special permission. This course is for CMUQ students who have declared a minor or are engaged in a certificate program. Students should contact the instructor(s) for permission to enroll. This course is a series of lessons/modules with guided activities to enable students to reflect on and synthesize their academic course of study. The activities may include independent research, reflective exercises, team projects, feedback from faculty, as well as external speakers and recent graduates who have expertise to share. Under the guidance of a faculty advisor, a student may undertake a project that is reflective in nature and synthesizes the student's academic coursework and educational experience throughout their minor or certificate program at CMUQ. The final project may be in various formats approved by the faculty advisor. The course will be offered in IPO or hybrid mode with all modules available through Canvas and/or Zoom. Each semester, the course will be facilitated by the students' course/project advisors. Additionally, students will regularly meet individually with the course instructor in person or through Zoom.
- 99-408 Get Career Ready: Unlocking Pathways to Success
- All Semesters: 3 units
This course gives students the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their chosen careers. By the end of the course, students will set meaningful career goals, create a plan to achieve them, develop their employability skills, and strategically position themselves for success in the competitive job market. Students will also gain insights from professional guest speakers who will share their experiences, perspectives, and industry-specific knowledge.
- 99-409 Summer Research
- Summer: 1 unit
This course allows undergraduate students from all fields to participate in research (including artistic/creative inquiry) under the direction of a Carnegie Mellon faculty member. Tenure track, teaching track, research track, librarian track, and special faculty may serve as research supervisors. Students should have previously participated in summer research via the Summer Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship and/or the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship before enrolling in 99-409 (students who are unsure of whether 99-409 is appropriate for them should consult with the Undergraduate Research Office). Students will need to complete a supervisor agreement form to be eligible for participation in this 1-unit course. Students are responsible for finding research supervisors. In addition to the summer research with the faculty member, students will be expected to write a brief (one- to two-page) research report about their summer work. This course is not eligible for CPT for international students; please contact the Office for International Education for more information regarding CPT.
- 99-445 US Role in the Conflict between Israel, Palestine, and Gaza
- Spring: 3 units
This course provides a modular exploration of the United States' involvement in the Israel-Palestine conflict, highlighting different facets of its historical and current role. Through standalone lectures, students will analyze specific themes such as US diplomacy in the peace process, economic, humanitarian, and military aid, and the psychological impacts of war and displacement on Arab and Jewish communities in both the Middle East and the US. Each module offers a deep dive into the topic, while collectively, they reveal the interconnectedness of US policy, global perceptions, and community experiences. The course features expert panels and guest lecturers who bring both academic and lived perspectives, alongside short readings, discussion prompts, and opportunities for critical analysis. The aim of the course is to provide students with a comprehensive, multi-faceted understanding of these complex issues.
- 99-520 Collaborative Research through Projects
- Summer
This course has students engage in experiential learning via interdisciplinary projects around a variety of topics determined by each instructor. Students should review the lengthier description for each section posted on the Office of the Vice Provost for Education website (https://www.cmu.edu/education-office/resources/99-520-course-listings.html)
Course Website: https://www.cmu.edu/education-office/resources/99-520-course-listings.html
- 99-530 Senior Preparation Seminar
- Fall and Spring: 6 units
This mini course provides graduating seniors a chance to reflect on their experiences as students at Carnegie Mellon; intellectually, socially and as leaders in this community. In addition to its reflective component, the course will also look at how to prepare for upcoming transitions into post college roles and responsibilities. The course explores intrapersonal, interpersonal, and external factors at play for recent graduates.
- 99-645 The US Role in the Conflict between Israel, Palestine, and Gaza
- Spring: 3 units
This course provides a modular exploration of the United States' involvement in the Israel-Palestine conflict, highlighting different facets of its historical and current role. Through standalone lectures, students will analyze specific themes such as US diplomacy in the peace process, economic, humanitarian, and military aid, and the psychological impacts of war and displacement on Arab and Jewish communities in both the Middle East and the US. Each module offers a deep dive into the topic, while collectively, they reveal the interconnectedness of US policy, global perceptions, and community experiences. The course features expert panels and guest lecturers who bring both academic and lived perspectives, alongside short readings, discussion prompts, and opportunities for critical analysis. The aim of the course is to provide students with a comprehensive, multi-faceted understanding of these complex issues.
- 99-783 Technology, Humanity and Social Justice- Education
- Intermittent: 3 units
As humans rely more and more on electronic devices to support their everyday activities, there are ever present warnings about the impacts such reliance has on human autonomy ranging from who owns and controls information networks, the inequitable impact of technology consumption on peoples and places, varying accessibility of technology around the globe, and the promises and limitations of technology in improving human health. By engaging in technology as a lens, this sequence of weekend micro-courses encourages students to examine technology as a system disproportionately impacting humanity by enabling and constraining human rights of groups of people around the globe. With a multi-disciplinary focus, the course invites researchers and practitioners from the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon, and relevant fields more broadly. In Spring 2023, the focus will be on the impact technology has on the future of schooling and work. This will include a discussion as to how technology can improve the efficiency and safety of the workforce through automation while also creating further divides between those who have educational access and those who do not. The effects of technology on education and the common language of the world, including how it impacts native languages and cultures, will also be discussed. Added Note: The course will occur on Friday, Oct. 24, Saturday, Oct. 25, and Sunday, Oct. 26. Engagement in the course should be synchronous; accommodations for those in significant time zone differences will be provided to allow enrollment and completion of all elements of the weekend. If a student is interested in the course but unable to engage in the course dates, please reach out to Korryn Mozisek (kmozisek@andrew.cmu.edu).