HST483 Sports History and Culture (Fall, Spring)

With its heroes and hustlers, its victors and victims, its stars and spectators, sport was, is, and will remain undeniably popular and significant. Ancient and modern civilizations share what amounts to an obsession with physical contests and public performances, but what is “sport” and how can it be studied and understood historically? This course will examine the prominence, variety, cultural distinctiveness and functions of sports (and spectacles) in ancient and modern societies.

Class lectures and discussions will be interactive, engaging and complemented by documentaries/film screenings. Students will be required to attend on their own a professional game of the local soccer team, Fiorentina, which is playing at the top level of the professional Italian soccer series (Serie A).

Cross-listed with SPM 483.

SPM483 Sports History and Culture (Fall, Spring)

Cross-listed with HST 483.

ANT321 Italian Cuisine and Identity (Fall, Spring)

This course examines the active role played by food in shaping identity (and difference) by analyzing how identification processes unfold and how identities are articulated throughout the food system. It first addresses essential debates about food and identity in the social scientific literature and helps students devise a working understanding of the basic concepts, actors and geographical scales. It then investigates identities, specifically Italianness, constructed through food from a comparative perspective that explores key periods in the history of Italy from Ancient Rome to the present. Textual, visual and material sources are critically analyzed in class, giving students the opportunity to directly test hypotheses and assess the multiple factors that shape identities. The topics addressed in this manner involve political events and ideas, social distinctions and economic inequalities, migration and cultural exchanges, religion and rituals, science and technology, health and diet, and gender and the body. In-class discussions, interactive lectures, historical cooking workshops, site visits and a field trip enable students to grasp how these topics interact and how the study of food can shed new light on our understanding of culture and society, in Italy and beyond.

Registration restriction: Students may not register for both this course and NSD 452 – Mediterranean Food and Culture or HST 300.13 – Edible Histories: Mediterranean Food Cultures Through Time And Space.

This course has an associated course fee. See the Course Fees webpage for more information.

PSY300.3 Psychology of Art and Creativity: From Renaissance Bodies to AI Minds (Fall, Spring) NEW FOR FALL 2026

What drives the human impulse to create? Why do certain artworks move us deeply while others leave us untouched? How does the body shape our experience of art and creative practices? How does artificial intelligence relate to the spark of human creativity? And how can creative practices enhance psychological well-being and foster deeper human connection?

This interdisciplinary course offers a transformative exploration of the psychological foundations of artistic expression, creative processes, and aesthetic experience through an embodied, experiential learning approach. Drawing on classical theories and contemporary research in cognitive science, neuroscience, psychoanalysis, and positive psychology, students will investigate—through lectures, creative hands-on activities, museum visits, and a tailored city walk—how they create, perceive, and respond to art within Florence’s rich cultural context and in light of the evolving relationship between human creativity and artificial intelligence. The course deepens students’ understanding of the psychological relationship between mind, body, art, and creativity across history and cultures, while strengthening their capacity to think creatively, communicate effectively across multiple forms of expression, self-regulate through art and creative practices, and engage meaningfully with the world—skills that are essential in an era of rapid technological changes, increasing automation, shifting global relationships, and evolving forms of communication.

Pre-req: PSY 205 or 209 or equivalent introductory psychology course.

Limited enrollment: Psychology majors may take more than one Psychology (PSY) course, all others limited to one PSY course during the semester.

This course has an associated course fee. See the Course Fees webpage for more information.

HOA300.7 Global Florence: Art, Trade and Exploration (Fall, Spring) NEW FOR FALL 2026

This course reframes Florence not as an isolated cradle of a European Renaissance, but as a city shaped by global exchanges across Africa, the Americas, Asia, and the Islamic world in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Organized around oceans and maritime routes, it traces how objects, images, and materials traveled across the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific worlds and entered Florentine visual culture.

Students follow these global networks beginning with Florence and the Arno River, examining luxury goods, maps, scientific instruments, textiles, porcelain, and artworks shaped by new commodities like coffee, sugar, and chocolate. The course situates Florence within the global Baroque, highlighting the rise of Amsterdam and London and Florence’s adaptations, including the development of Livorno.

Weekly site visits to Florentine museums and collections allow students to study global objects firsthand. Through close looking and material analysis, the course positions Florence as a dynamic hub of artistic exchange whose global connections remain visible today.

This course has an associated course fee. See the Course Fees webpage for more information.

HOA400.1 Museum Exhibitions: Conception and Communication (Fall, Spring) NEW FOR FALL 2026

This seminar-style course is designed to provide a mentored experiential learning opportunity which has been developed specifically for students who are taking an internship in the fields of fine arts, art history, and cultural preservation, and who will be working directly with an external client such as a community organization, gallery, website, or journal. Participation will equip students with practical skills which will help them map their knowledge and skills acquired in the classroom to real-world projects.

Students will be introduced to a wide range of practical activities essential for conceiving and communicating the values of an art exhibition in a museum: selecting an appropriate theme, choosing suitable objects, researching selected works, arranging an exhibition, producing Multimedia (labels, signs, audioguides), creating a catalog, engaging with the public (podcasts, blogs, articles), and considering different audiences (children, elderly, disadvantaged, disabled). Participation in the course will enable students to gain a deeper understanding of Italy’s cultural heritage and connect with professionals working in the arts, art history, and communication.

Students discuss the differences between Florentine museums and others they have visited, then take on the roles of consultants for an exhibition, investigating, creating, and/or curating content around a chosen theme. Students will utilize their existing skills and knowledge, which will be supplemented by the mentorship and training provided in this course.

This course has an associated course fee. See the Course Fees webpage for more information.

COM400 The Global Workplace: Intercultural Communication and Change (Fall, Spring)

This class is open only to students enrolled in Syracuse’s Newhouse School of Public Communications and is initially registered under BPS 400.

The internship course is designed to guide students’ professional development as they navigate quickly changing career patterns. Participation will equip students with the practical skills needed to thrive in a globalized world of work — as well as the theoretical background and critical thinking abilities necessary to reflect on their position in that interconnected system.

Seminar-style discussions and reflective assignments will help students consider:

Why is it important to understand globalization as part of any contemporary workforce, no matter its location or employee make-up?
What long-term impacts has Covid-19 had on workplaces? What are some of the benefits – and drawbacks – of remote working, given my preferred workstyle?
How is the rapid development of artificial intelligence impacting professional practice and ethics in my chosen sector?
What are some pressing global challenges that my chosen sector needs to grapple with – and how could I help address them?
How can I best articulate my professional experiences and goals, in ways that showcase my intercultural competencies?

Class activities will focus on applied skill building and reflective discussions with other students taking part in an international internship. Students will have the opportunity to network with a variety of global professionals with established careers, design an intervention meant to improve their chosen workplace or sector, and receive individualized feedback about their professional performance.

This course is required of all Newhouse students participating in a public communications-related internship, in addition to internship hours (45 hours at internship site per credit). Students should initially be registered in BPS 400; the prefix will be updated upon confirmation of placement. Placements cannot be guaranteed and may not be within your field of study. Interested students should submit the Internship Request Form and resume as part of the application process and speak with their college advisor to find out whether there are any limitations or restrictions on how internship credit counts in their degree.

This course has an associated course fee. See the Course Fees webpage for more information.

Beginning Fall 2026, this course registration will be replaced by COM475.

APH380.2 Fashion Art Direction and Photography (Fall, Spring) NOT OFFERED FALL 2026

This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of fashion’s artistic and technical aspects while preparing them for real-life application. Throughout the course, students will develop the ability to interpret and influence customer behavior through research and analytical skills, allowing them to craft impactful visual narratives. The course emphasizes a deep appreciation for Renaissance fashion and its artistic implications, connecting historical aesthetics to contemporary designs and trends.

Limited enrollment, with preference given to students admitted to Studio Art Program.

APH380.1 Discovering Florence through Photography (Fall, Spring)

Students will explore the history and craft of photography using the beautiful and historic backdrop of Florence and Tuscany as inspiration. The course will examine such topics as urban and rural landscape, composition, long exposure and motion techniques and is structured to take full advantage of the experience of being in Florence. Class time will include visits to museums and galleries, field trips, technical demonstrations, darkroom work, individual and group critiques.

This course is open to students with all levels of photo experience. Beginners will master the basics of camera usage, film development, and black and white printing. More advanced students will be encouraged to expand their personal photographic vision and skills. The digital component of the class will be explored on an individual basis according to the interest and previous experience of the student.

Limited enrollment, with preference given to students admitted to Studio Art Program.

This course has an associated course fee. See the Course Fees webpage for more information.

PSY474 Forensic Psychology (Fall, Spring)

Through case studies and project work, students will gain practical and theoretical insights into the field of forensic psychology, focusing on the intersection of psychology and the different legal systems in the US and Italy. Students will begin with foundational concepts and progress through specialized topics including juvenile delinquency, eyewitness testimony, deception detection, and criminal profiling. The course examines psychological theories such as Moffitt’s developmental taxonomy and Steinberg’s dual-systems model to understand adolescent offending. The course also delves into psychopathy, its psychological and neurological underpinnings, and approaches to treatment and rehabilitation.

Pre-req: PSY 205 or 209 or equivalent introductory psychology course.

Limited enrollment: Psychology majors may take more than one Psychology (PSY) course, all others limited to one PSY course during the semester.