Art

ARTH 1: Introduction to Art (Syllabus)
by Jennifer Jones

The scope of this course is the history of art from ancient prehistory to the contemporary. The motives, materials, methods and aesthetics of art from ancient to the present will be analyzed, compared and contrasted with works of the same and other periods, and evaluated for content, technique, style and other criteria. Classes will follow both a chronological and thematic progression through art history alongside thematic explorations of related art works, while also spanning several continents and art traditions.

ARTH 102: History of Western Art II (Syllabus)
by Heather Horton

Syllabus for History of Western Art II, a chronological survey of major periods, styles, artists, and monuments of western visual arts, primarily painting, sculpture, and architecture beginning with the development of the arts from about 1300 to the present day.

ARTS 151: Drawing I
by Jennifer Sullivan

This introductory drawing course offers an immersive, practice-based exploration of observational drawing from life. Emphasizing perceptual skills, students will engage with key visual principles—such as proportion, space, perspective, and composition—through projects focused on still life, the human figure, and portraiture. Working with graphite, charcoal, and ink, students will develop both technical fluency and expressive range, learning to convey presence, mood, and memory through mark and form. The course blends rigorous studio practice with critical looking and discussion, encouraging students to cultivate their own artistic voice through sustained attention, experimentation, and care.

PHOTO 165, PHOTO 225, PHOTO 235: Digital Photography (Syllabus)
by Steven P. Harris

Digital photography I, II, and III course: To further develop Photography skills by shooting and editing using a DSLR or mirrorless digital camera at all levels. Additional learning goals will include experimenting with a range of digital techniques in Photoshop CC to create lens based photographic images. A final portfolio of 16 images will be created along with a written artist statement, and students will present to the class and engage in assignments given in the LMS online.

Classical, Middle Eastern, and Asian Languages and Cultures

CLAS 150: Greek and Latin Classics in Translation (Syllabus)
by Raymond L. Capra

An introduction to the masterpieces that have made the literature of Greece and Rome an
enduring part of the modern heritage. The literature will be studied for its enduring values, in
relation to its times, and as background for literature in modern languages.

MES 160: Classical Islamic Literature & Civilization (Syllabus)
by Kirsten Beck

This open resource includes a syllabus, class schedule, grading rubrics, and guidelines/examples for digital poetry annotation. In this course, we will take a journey through history, literature, and ideas, traveling through Islamic civilization from 600-1250 CE. We will learn about and contemplate the major events and concerns of Islamic civilization, from the dawn of Islam through the expansions, transformations, and fragmentations of Islamic empires, up until the end of the 13th century. Works of Islamic literature from a variety of genres will fuel our journey. Along the way, we will learn how we might respond to questions such as: Why did poetry matter so much? What did poets write about? Was history considered to be different from literature? What kind of identities mattered to people living in the medieval Islamic world?

Comparative Literature

CMLIT 100: Writing about World Literature (Philosophical Literature) (Syllabus)
by Victoria Tomasulo

This syllabus was designed as an Open Educational Resource for Writing about World Literature, a comparative literature course focused on the writing of research papers. The course theme, Philosophical Literature, will be of interest to those in the academic community who are engaged in the teaching and learning of interdisciplinary writing. Students choose a philosophical concept that interests them the most, among three– the absurd hero, lightness versus weight, and the will to power– and they use it as a lens through which to better understand literary works from different cultures. They learn to write recursively, putting literature and philosophy into a dialogue with each other. The course culminates in the creation of pedagogical materials, including samples of writing assignments and student works, that will be published on an open educational forum.

CMLIT 101: Global Literatures I (Syllabus)
by Alexander Moudrov

Historical evidence suggests that the concepts of literature and religion developed in tandem: one shaped the other to the point that early writers and readers could hardly tell the difference between literary and religious texts. With time, however, the two concepts started to drift apart. This course invites you to read and discuss a few exemplary ancient texts from different parts of the world to learn about the origins of what we call literature in its relation to religion. Our primary readings include selections from the Bible and the Qur’an (the Middle East), Ovid’s epic Metamorphoses (Ancient Rome), and Euripides’s play The Bacchae (Ancient Greece).

Drama, Theatre, and Dance

DRAM 111: Introduction to Stage Design (Syllabus)
by Meghan Healey

The goal of this course is to help you master the understanding of how Scenographers, also known as Scenic, Lighting, Costume, Projection, and Sound designers, create and express the visual world of a play, dance, or live performance by analyzing the text of the play, finding primary and inspirational research, collaborating with other designers and artists working on the play, and then presenting those ideas through oral presentation and 2 or 3-dimensional renderings of their ideas. The projects referenced in the syllabus are available as separate downloads in CUNY Academic Works.

English

Writing About Literature
by Rachael Benavidez and Kimberley Garcia

OER Course Text for English 130 at CUNY Queens College. An expansive compendium of academic writing strategies and literary texts.

 

 

ENGL 110: College Writing (Comedy, Satire, & Persuasion) (Syllabus)
by Scott R. Kapuscinski

This syllabus provides a themed approach to Freshman composition. Students are tasked with composing three essays in three distinct styles. Student engagement is high through the use of student-sourced primary sources (funny videos from YouTube, etc.) and the emphasis on thesis building and critical thinking.

ENGL 110: College Writing (Media Literacy) (Syllabus)
Rachael Miller Benavidez

This syllabus was adapted and developed for Professor Benavidez’s English 110 College Writing I course at Queens College. The theme for this First Year Writing course is “Media Literacy: Critically Reading and Responding to Media,” and since the course explores current events, the specific media sources are left open for instructor selection. Otherwise, all links to required course materials are included.

ENGL 1130: Writing about Literature in Global Contexts (Course site)
by Rachael Benavidez

College Writing 2 (CW2) is a methods course in a discipline. In CW2, ENG 130: Writing About Literature, you will learn how to engage in scholarly conversations about literature by using close reading of primary and secondary sources, conducting original research, and developing analytical arguments about literary texts in different genres. You’ll build on the interdisciplinary work you did in ENG 110 by learning to write well in the discipline of English Studies. My aim is to teach you to write about literary texts in ways that connect with the practices, methods and conventions of the discipline, and that are also shaped by the questions and interpretations that are meaningful to you. Using methods of reading, writing and research that are common to English Studies and other literary fields, you’ll identify the questions that interest you most about the texts you read.

ENGL 130: Writing about Literature in English (Syllabus)
by Kimberley Garcia

This Open and Free Educational Resource (OER) and Zero-Cost Syllabus outlines a set of course materials for English 130: Writing about Literature in English. The course materials provided (all open education resources) include both written and visual texts to accompany and encourage multimodal assignments. The materials provided address literary analysis or composition practices and are adaptable to specific topics or literary works. The course model presented consists of three units (literary analysis, rhetorical analysis & scholarly engagement, and independent research).

ENGL 152W: Readings in American Literature (Syllabus)
by Weihung Sun

English 152W is an introduction to the development of American literature from its beginnings to the twentieth century through a study of selected poetry, drama, fiction, and/or nonfictional prose. Authors studied may include Thoreau, Hawthorne, Whitman, Dickinson, O’Neill, Hemingway, and Wright. Designed for nonmajors.

ENGL 157: Great Works of Global Literature (Syllabus)
by Scott R. Kapuscinski

Abstract
Syllabus for a general education course bringing together celebrated texts by Joseph Conrad, Chinua Achebe, Bessie Head, and Marjane Satrapi. Survey of perspectives beginning during the “scramble for Africa” via Conrad, through postcolonial writers Achebe and Head, and finally making a connection via dehumanization to Orientalism and undoing monocultural presumptions in the near East through Satrapi’s Persepolis.

English 162W: Writing about Literature and Place (Syllabus)
by Farrah J. Goff

Haunted spaces are occupied spaces, inhabited by some force or trace of the past. In this course we will explore the various ways in which authors have employed hauntings to understand our relation to place and to the past, to issues of time, memory, knowledge, culture, history, and mortality. How do ghosts function both as objects to fear and as historical subjects with ethical and political potential? Why does literature insist on keeping the dead (and the Gothic) alive? In focusing our course on haunted spaces we will consider the text itself as a haunted site, asking questions about how and why we read , and what happens when we do. Both real and phantasmatic, texts hover between life and death, operating as conduits through which authors communicate, through which characters and events appear, again and again and again. We believe in ghosts. English 162 is a course for non-English majors that uses literature to deepen the understanding of the rich, complex, and varied engagement between human beings and the places they inhabit and imagine. We will examine how places, with their history, traditions, myths, customs, tensions, social structures, and physical form interact with people’s daily lives. In this course, we will read texts from various literary genres–novels, short stories, essays, memoir, poetry, and drama–to think about the myriad functions of place in a rich, complex, and varied engagement between human beings and the places they inhabit and imagine. Throughout the semester students will develop their skills of literary analysis, building arguments, and making connections among various texts, and communicating ideas effectively. Students will have the opportunity to practice and share these developing skills by participating in our class discussions, informal writing responses to readings online and in class, as well as in a formal academic essay, a midterm and final.

ENGL 211W: Intro to Nonfiction (Points of Entry and/or Exit Wounds) (Syllabus)
by heather simon

We will explore the notion of creativity as it pertains to new ways of engaging familiar topics and carving out frameworks for exploring uncharted territory. We will actively read and respond to works of creative nonfiction to enrich our understanding of structure, style, and language. Assigned readings will demonstrate how creative nonfiction can encompass a variety of forms (think: reportage, braided essay, erasure, visual essay) and draw from both research and experience to offer a unique perspective and elicit an emotional response. We will develop our own creative nonfiction toolbox through a series of reflections, creative exercise, and projects. We will provide our classmates with thoughtful feedback to ensure collective growth.

ENG 302: Playwriting Workshop
by Hillary Miller

• Students in this workshop will:
• Understand the foundational elements of dramatic writing.
• Identify, analyze, and compare thematic and structural aspects of playwriting.
• Learn about stage storytelling practices, strategies, and techniques.
• Practice close reading and analysis of play texts and essays about dramatic writing.
• Collaborate with peers through shared work, open discussion, and feedback.
• Revise writing based upon peer critiques and collaborative feedback.
• Cultivate the habits and discipline of a regular writing routine.
• Incorporate various perspectives on the aesthetic, political, technical, metadramaturgical choices of playwrights.

ENGL 328: The Golden Age of Children’s Literature in Britain (Syllabus)
by Veronica Schanoes

Our current idea of what children’s literature should be—imaginative, exciting, and fun—is almost entirely the creation of the Golden Age of children’s literature, beginning in 1865 with Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and ending in 1926 with A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh. These years produced the majority of what we regard as children’s classics today. Whereas previous decades had stressed the importance of moral improvement and education for young readers, the children’s literature of the Golden Age brought into being an awareness of the child as a reader to be entertained with adventure, magic, and wordplay. How did these two ideas about how children’s books should be written interact? How did the ideas of childhood and what it meant to be a child change? How were these ideas of childhood related to gender and class? And given that the Golden Age coincides quite closely with the height of British imperial power, how did imperialist ideologies influence children’s literature—and did the influence run only one way? How did these texts construct the idea of England for the child reader? And which children are we talking about anyway?

ENGL 334: Milton: Politics of Desire and Dispossession (Syllabus)
by Sawyer Kemp

In this course we will study John Milton’s most famous poem, Paradise Lost, alongside a selection of his major verse and prose works. Milton’s literary projects were inextricably political, and we will wade into the discourse of his legacy as either—or both—state propagandist or public scholar. We will discuss and explore Milton’s role in the charged political climate of the British Revolution of the 17th century, as well as his work on gender, marriage, divorce, the free press, sin, and heroism. How do we read Milton’s work in our own political climates of unrest? How has deconstruction of the literary canon affected the ways in which we read Paradise Lost? What might Milton have to offer the modern university and its increasing calls for publicly-engaged scholarship? Toward answering these questions, we will also read receptions of Milton in critical contexts of eco-justice, critical race studies, queer theory, and disability studies.

ENGL 351: Nineteenth-Century U.S. Literature (Syllabus)
by Duncan Faherty

American literary history has long framed the nineteenth century (“C19”) as the high point of U.S. cultural production. This history is founded on two questionable presumptions: the first, that New England tells us all we need to know about national culture; and the second, that the Civil War was the most important event of the century. This course seeks to reckon with the
complexities of C19 by embracing a more unsettled sense of time and place. We will examine how this history privileges a modern narrative of “progress” (i.e., modest beginnings to a perfected future) that overlooks any number of important contextual flashpoints and alternative geographical coordinates. What might it mean, in other words, to push past the primacy of the Civil War by grounding our sense of C19 as framed (for example) by: the legacies of Haitian Revolution; by the implications of westward expansion emerging from the Mexican-American War/Intervención estadounidense en México beginning in 1846; the insurgency of the women’s rights convention at Seneca Falls in 1848; the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850; or by the working class resistance of the General Strike of 1877?

European Languages and Literatures

Pame!: Modern Greek for Beginners
by Ioanna Glava

Pame is a digital textbook designed for the modern beginner who wants to speak, hear, and live the language from day one. The book provides students with a comprehensive framework for developing both linguistic proficiency and deep cultural competency, grounding the beginner’s journey in the lived realities of Modern Greece.

GERM 203: Intermediate German I (Syllabus)
by Christa Spreizer

A continuation of German 112 designed to bring the student to an intermediate level of
proficiency. Comprehensive review of grammar, vocabulary building, and reading of cultural
texts at the intermediate level. Prerequisite: German 112 or three years of high school German or
the equivalent. This course fulfills the Pathways “Language” requirement.

German 204: Intermediate German II (Syllabus)
by Christa Spreizer

A continuation of German 203 designed to bring the student to an intermediate level of proficiency.
Comprehensive review of grammar, vocabulary building, and reading of cultural texts at the intermediate
level. Prerequisite: German 203 or three years of high school German or the equivalent. This course fulfills the Pathways “Language” requirement.

GERM 250W: Weimar German Cinema (Syllabus)
by Christa Spreizer

German 250W (German Film and Media) analyzes various iconic Weimar German silent and sound films of the early 20th century such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu, The Nibelungen, Metropolis, M, Dr. Mabuse, Blue Angel and others. We will analyze the extraordinary development of German cinema during a period of great political and economic instability, and an all-encompassing cultural revival.

GRKMD 41W: Modern Greek Literature in Translation (Syllabus)
by Fevronia Soumakis

This course surveys Modern Greek literature in translation from the middle of the nineteenth century to the present. We will consider authors and their works not only for their individual stylistic elements, but also within the context of European literary and cultural movements. As a “W” course, we will also focus on the development of writing skills. We will devote several class sessions to reviewing the essential elements of writing.

ITAL 223: Advanced Conversation in Italian (Syllabus)
by Nicola Lucchi

This course is designed to immerse students into the practice of Italian conversation and into the world of verbal performance. We will familiarize with the vocabulary, expressions and registers that Italians use to express themselves on radio and television, in newspapers, cafés, universities, offices, and on the streets. We will discuss cinema and music, politics and sports; we will learn how to navigate job interviews and interactions with strangers, both friendly and hostile. All the while, we will review and expand our vocabulary and grammatical competencies. Classroom activities include debates, skits, role-play scenarios, task-based scenarios, as well as more traditional close readings, presentations, and oral exams.

RUSS 150W: Russian Culture and Thought (Syllabus)
by Malika Ziyamova

The survey of Russian culture and civilization through the lenses of literature, art, folklore, music, history, politics, philosophy, and key aspects of everyday life. Russian history has resulted in a culture that is both familiar and alien to Western observers. Russia’s writers, intellectuals, artists, and scientists have been long and widely appreciated for their contribution to understanding the human condition. The reading, translation, adaptation, and response to their work has shaped a good deal of the cultural and intellectual heritage we have inherited.

Hispanic Languages and Literatures

SPAN 280: Survey of Spanish-American Literature I (Syllabus)
by Mariana C. Zinni

This course is designed for any student interested in Spanish American literature. No previous knowledge of it is needed. However, a good command of written and oral Spanish are indispensable. We will examine several topics, periods and literary works from pre-hispanic manifestations to Latin American Modernism. We will watch a series of movies and documentaries related to specific topics and events.

SPAN 290: Survey of Spanish-American Literature II (Syllabus)
by Mariana C. Zinni

This course is designed for any student interested in Spanish American literature. No previous knowledge of it is needed. However, a good command of written and oral Spanish is indispensable. We will examine several literary periods, topics, artifacts and works from 20th and 21st centuries. We will watch a series of movies and documentaries related to specific topics and events.

SPAN 338/704: Foundations of Spanish Linguistics (Syllabus)
by Mark Hoff

Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguists ask questions such as: how do we acquire language? how do multiple languages interact in speakers’ minds? how are the sounds of language organized? how are words, phrases, and sentences constructed? how is meaning derived and how does it change contextually? how can we account for language variation from place to place and across social groups, and what are its social ramifications? This course offers a general, panoramic introduction to the foundational concepts and methods of linguistic analysis, applied to the several main areas in the linguistic structure of Spanish: (i) its sound system (phonetics/phonology); (ii) word formation (morphology); (iii) sentence structure (syntax); (iv) meaning (semantics); (v) use in context (pragmatics); and (vi) social dimensions (sociolinguistics). Students will learn fundamental linguistic concepts, as well as perform basic linguistic analysis in each of these areas. Other related areas, such as language acquisition and bilingualism and basic tenets of variation will also be covered.

Linguistics and Communication Disorders

LCD 106: Introduction to Communication Sciences and Disorders (Syllabus)
by Yael Neumann

This course will provide an introduction to the development and disorders of speech, language, and communication in children and adults. Disorders such as autism, aphasia, stuttering, and learning disabilities will be discussed. Differences noted in culturally and linguistically diverse communities will also be addressed. The course activities will give students an experiential appreciation of the experience of communication challenges and supporting people with those challenges. Information about the professions of Speech-Language Pathology (SLP), Audiology, and Speech and Hearing Science will be reviewed as potential career paths.

LCD 207: Anatomy and Physiology for Speech and Language (Syllabus)
by Yael Neumann

This course is an introduction to the anatomy and physiology of the respiratory, phonatory, articulatory, resonatory, and nervous systems as they relate to voice, swallowing, speech production and language systems.

LCD 720: Teaching English Sound Structure (Syllabus)
by Dana Calvet

This syllabus is part of a graduate teacher preparation program for English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Students learn about phonetics and discuss methods and approaches for teaching English pronunciation in NYC schools to multilingual learners. They also discuss current issues related to teaching pronunciation in schools, such as accent bias, accepting multiple Englishes, and English language hegemony.

LCD 322: Disorders of Speech (Syllabus)
by Yael Neumann

This four-credit course (three credits of lecture, and one credit of clinical lab) will provide information
about the symptoms, etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of various speech disorders, such as stuttering,
disorders of voice and articulation, and speech impairments associated with cleft palate, dysarthria, and
motor disorders.

LCD 322: Disorders of Speech (Syllabus)
by Karen ball

LCD 322 is an undergraduate class that provides an overview of the symptoms, etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of various speech disorders including disorders of phonology/articulation, voice/resonance, fluency, swallowing, and speech impairment associated with neurological impairment. Speech disorders will be considered across the lifespan.

Media Studies

MEDST 101: Contemporary Media (Syllabus)
by Juan Monroy

A survey of contemporary media industries including their technical, economic, social, political and cultural implications. We will also examine the economic underpinnings of media, the role of advertising and public relations, and the policies that govern contemporary media industries.

MEDST 258: Intro To Motion Graphics & Effects (Syllabus)
by Andrea E. DeFelice

Get a project-based approach to the aesthetic and technical aspects of motion graphics and effects. This introductory course is designed to inform and inspire beginners, while utilizing OER and zero-cost materials. Students enrolled in this course are provided a free Adobe CC license and taught to use Adobe After Effects. Students are also taught how to be resourceful by searching out open license/free media online, by way of reliable sources used by professionals in the VFX field. Together we’ll learn capabilities and implement into class exercises and projects. Students learn the interface of industry-standard software. They are provided a server of free media, taught how to source free media, and taught how to use it. As they progress in the course learning the fundamentals of media management and workflow, technical use of software, and making actual motion graphics & effects projects, their independence and problem solving commensurate.

MEDST 260: Advertising and Marketing (Syllabus)
by Mara Einstein

This course is an introduction to advertising and marketing that will focus primarily on the ‘nuts and bolts’ of advertising – how an ad campaign is created, why particular media are purchased, and what part marketing research plays in this process.

MEDST 343W: Nonfiction Forms (syllabus for an 8-week asynchronous section)
by Ash Marinaccio

In this course, we will explore how various forms of nonfiction storytelling represent reality and shape our understanding of the world. Over the semester, we will examine how “the real” is represented across different mediums, including theatre, film, photography, and literature. Through critical readings, case studies, creative exercises, and Brightspace discussions, we will examine the intricate interplay between truth, ethics, form, and authorship in documentary and nonfiction works.

Music

Primary Sources in the History of Western Music (up until 1750)
by Emily Wilbourne

Designed to support MUS 246 at Queens College CUNY. This site collates a number of primary sources that are to be read and perused in conjunction with MUS 246 Music History I: From the Earliest Notations to 1750.

 

MUS 121: Writing About Music (Syllabus)
by Emily Wilbourne

Elvis Costello famously said that writing about music is like dancing to architecture. These are compelling words, though their force relies in part on the irony of the formulation—in effect, the quote does exactly that which it (convincingly) claims is impossible to do, explicating in words something powerful about musical experience, specifically the
difficulties of transposing musical experience into words. In this class students will tackle two related questions. First, what is Western art music (commonly referred to as “Classical music”)? And second, how can we write (better) about Western art music? “Music 121: Writing about Music” is a College Writing 2 course and fulfills Gen Ed and Music department course requirements. Instruction about writing is included throughout the semester; students should come to each class prepared to write, to revise their own work, and to think constructively about the work of their peers.