Sample a class

Attend an undergraduate class and get a feel for what it’s like to be a UW student. See the list of available classes below. Don’t forget to register for a guided tour and admission presentation.

Note: Classes start Jan. 6

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American Folk Music

Explores the U.S. as a complex multicultural society through folk music traditions of European Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, Mexican Americans, and Jewish Americans. How racial, ethnic, and cultural groups have influenced each other and the power dynamics; historical/contemporary inequities in race, ethnicity, class, national origin, and immigration status. Folk music as a means of protesting social injustices.

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Application of Calculus to Business and Economics

Rates of change, tangent, derivative, accumulation, area, integrals in specific contexts, particularly economics. Techniques of differentiation and integration. Application to problem solving.

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Arts of Africa

Thematic exploration of art and artists from Africa and its diaspora.

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Astronomy

Introduction to the universe, with emphasis on conceptual, as contrasted with mathematical, comprehension. Modern theories, observations; ideas concerning nature, evolution of galaxies; quasars, stars, black holes, planets, solar system.

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Biopsychology

Examines the biological basis of behavior, the nervous system, how it works to control behavior and sense the world, and what happens when it malfunctions. Topics include learning and memory, development, sex, drugs, sleep, the senses, emotions, and mental disorders.

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Circuit Theory

Electric circuit theory. Analysis of circuits with sinusoidal signals. Phasors, system functions, and complex frequency. Frequency response. Computer analysis of electrical circuits. Power and energy. Two port network theory.

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Contemporary Issues of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans

Critically examines contemporary Asian and Pacific Islander American issues, ranging from the Cold War era to the present-day America. Topics include ethnic enclaves, community-building, civil rights, identity problems, family conflict, social organizations, political movements, and immigration.

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Deep Sea Exploration: Submarine Volcanoes and Novel Life Forms

Examines the dynamic marine processes that shape the planet and cutting-edge oceanographic technologies used to explore the deepest oceans. Includes imagery of rarely seen submarine volcanic eruptions, hot springs, and novel life forms highlighting the interconnected geological-biological processes creating the most extreme environments on Earth.

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Dinosaurs

Biology, behavior, ecology, evolution, and extinction of dinosaurs, and a history of their exploration. With dinosaurs as focal point, course also introduces the student to how hypotheses in geological and paleobiological science are formulated and tested.

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Exploring Environment and Health Connections

Introduction to environmental health concepts. Examines current events to illustrate and better appreciate the relationship between environment and health and to explore whether an environmental condition is or is not an important threat to health. Emphasizes the roles of environmental scientists and related professionals.

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Exploring the Moon

Examines the questions why did we go to the moon, what did we learn, and why do we want to go back.

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First-Year Japanese

Elementary speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills in modern Japanese.

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Fundamentals of Material Science

Fundamental principles of structure and properties of materials utilized in the practice of engineering. Properties of materials as related to atomic, molecular, and crystalline structures. Metals, ceramics, multiphase systems, and polymeric materials. Relationships between structure and electrical, mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties.

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General Chemistry

For science and engineering majors. Atomic nature of matter, quantum mechanics, ionic and covalent bonding, molecular geometry, stoichiometry, solution stoichiometry, kinetics, and gas laws.

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Global Environmental Change and Public Health

Humans are the primary drivers of global environmental changes that are changing the planet on the scale of geological forces. Students will be introduced to these changes and their consequences for human health and well-being, with a focus on climate change and its consequences.

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Growth and Development through the Life Span

Focuses on processes of human growth and development from prenatal life to elder years. Emphasizes influence of growth and development on achievement of health, and how awareness of growth and development theories and research helps guide health promotional efforts directed towards persons of various ages and lifestyles.

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History of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust

History of Nazi Germany and Holocaust from Weimar Republic through rise of Nazis and creation of Nazi state and society to war and genocide. Focuses on social, political, and gender history. Includes transnational examination of Holocaust (especially Eastern Europe); memory and history after 1945; perspectives of outsiders in Nazi Germany, including Jews, Afro-Germans, gay men, communists; examination of debates in historiography of Holocaust.

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Intro to Public Speaking

Designed to increase competence in public speaking and the critique of public speaking. Emphasizes choice and organization of material, sound reasoning, audience analysis, and delivery.

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Introduction to Accounting and Financial Reporting

Nature and social setting of accounting; uses of accounting information; introduction of basic accounting concepts and procedures; interpretation of financial statements.

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Introduction to American Politics

Institutions and politics in the American political system. Ways of thinking about how significant problems, crises, and conflicts of American society are resolved politically.

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Introduction to Classical Music

Studies in listening, with emphasis on the changing components of Western art music. Illustrated lectures, laboratory section meetings, and presentations by guest artists. Intended for non-majors.

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Introduction to Computer Programming I

Introduction to computer programming for students without previous programming experience. Students write programs to express algorithmic thinking and solve computational problems motivated by modern societal and scientific needs. Includes procedural programming constructs (methods), control structures (loops, conditionals), and standard data types, including arrays.

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Introduction to Early Childhood and Family Studies

Explores current practices, programs, and research in the field of early childhood and family studies. Topics include: child development, early childhood education, parenting and family support, mental health, poverty, and other risk factors.

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Introduction to Environmental Studies

Examines the ethical, political, social, and scientific dimensions of environmental issues. Integrates knowledge from different disciplines while evaluating environmental problems at various scales. Uses an environmental justice lens to examine the ways problems are concentrated in some communities while providing opportunities to practice environmental communication and collaboration across disciplines.

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Introduction to Geology and Societal Impacts

Introduction to the processes, materials and structures that shape Earth. Emphasizes the dynamic nature of the earth's tectonic system and its relationship to physical features, volcanism, earthquakes, minerals and rocks and geologic structures. The course emphasizes the intrinsic relationship between human societies and geologic processes, hazards and resources.

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Introduction to International Relations

The world community, its politics, and government.

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Introduction to Law, Societies, and Justice

Explores the central role of law in social processes; investigates the primary types of legal regimes and compares them across different national and international contexts; contrasts legal with non-legal forms of social ordering; investigates the structure and practice of human rights law.

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Introduction to Political Theory

Philosophical bases of politics and political activity. Provides an introduction to the study of politics by the reading of books in political philosophy. Organized around several key political concepts, such as liberty, equality, justice, authority, rights, and citizenship.

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Living with Volcanoes

Explores volcanoes and volcanic eruptions on Earth and in the solar system. Examines how volcanoes work and how they affect the environment, life, and human societies. Illustrates principles using local examples of recent volcanism and ancient examples of mega-eruptions. Evaluates the possibility of predicting future eruptions.

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Nutrition for Today

Examines the role of nutrition in health, wellness, and prevention of chronic disease. Topics include nutrients and nutritional needs across the lifespan, food safety, food security, wellness, body weight regulation, eating disorders, sports nutrition, and prevention of chronic disease.

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Our Global Environment: Physical and Human Dimensions

Explores environmental systems using a geographic perspective that emphasizes spatial patterns of phenomena, relationships between different places, and interconnections between people and environment. Evaluates causes, consequences, and solutions to environmental problems. Topics include climate, atmosphere, water, ecosystems, and soils.

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Plagues and Peoples

Infectious diseases have shaped human culture, biology, and history, in a remarkable array of ways for different pathogens and different societies. Uncovers why, by considering in turn the biology, demography, and cultural history of epidemics. Students develop a broader understanding of biocultural approaches to human disease.

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Principles of Biological Anthropology

Evolution and adaptation of the human species. Evidence from fossil record and living populations of monkeys, apes, and humans. Interrelationships between human physical and cultural variation and environment; role of natural selection in shaping our evolutionary past, present, and future.

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Sex and Evolution

Addresses the evolution of sexual reproduction and mating behavior, particularly as exhibited by humans. Focuses on concepts such as natural selection, sexual selection, and kin selection. Demonstrates how evolution can inform our understanding of sexual strategies, conflict, and orientation, as well as marriage, parenthood, and mate preferences.

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Sociology of Sport

Introduction to the sociological analysis of sport. Issues discussed include the history, definition, and functions of sport; role of sport in the socialization of children; the relationship between sport and values; athletics within the social organization of education; deviance, crime, and violence in sport; the business and economics of sport.

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Survey of Physiology

Human physiology, for non-majors and health sciences students

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Swearing and Taboo Language

Examines swear words and taboo language, both within and across cultures, investigating their linguistic, pragmatic, neurological, psychological, social, and legal aspects.

Note: This course includes discussions of potentially offensive language.

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The Diversity of Human Sexuality

Considers biological, psychological, and socio-cultural determinants of human sexuality and sexual behavior, and how their interaction leads to diverse expressions of sexuality, sexual bonding, gender orientation, reproductive strategies, and physical and psychological sexual development. Topics include cultural appraisal of sexuality, sexual health and reproduction (pregnancy, contraception, abortion), and sexual abuse and assault.

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The Making of the Twenty-First Century

Provides a historical understanding from the mid-twentieth century to major global issues today. Focuses on interdisciplinary social science theories, methods, and information relating to global processes, and on developing analytical and writing skills to engage complex questions of causation and effects of global events and forces.

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The Medieval World

Political, economic, social, and intellectual history of the Middle Ages.

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The Peoples of the United States

History of diverse peoples who have come together through conquest and immigration since 1500, including Native Americans, Europeans, Africans, Asians, and Latin Americans. Explores contributions of may peoples with special attention to changing constructions of race and ethnicity and evolving understandings of what it means to be American.

Note: Some lectures may be more suitable for undergraduates than high school students.

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The Planets

For liberal arts and beginning science students. Survey of the planets of the solar system, with emphases on recent space exploration of the planets and on the comparative evolution of the Earth and the other planets.

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Thriving on the Path to Happiness

Scientific theories for experiencing happiness. Develops behavioral strategies and skills for enhancing subjective well-being, interpersonal relationships, and opportunities for happiness.

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Understanding and Predicting the Weather

Students learn the essentials about weather, including basic concepts on how to read the sky, and how to interpret weather information and forecasts from a variety of sources. Covers origin and structure of the atmosphere, wind, rain, and snow storms, and other major weather features, as well as how weather forecasts are made and evaluated.

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Waves, Optics, Atoms and Nuclei

Principles of waves, optics, atoms, and nuclei using algebra-based modeling with an emphasis on applications in life sciences.

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Wildlife in the Modern World

Covers major wildlife conservation issues in North America. Some global issues are also treated. Examples of topics include the conservation of large predators, effects of toxic chemicals on wildlife, old-growth wildlife, conservation of marine wildlife, recovery of the bald eagle, and gray wolf.

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