Courses
Rutgers University-New Brunswick Summer Session offers more than 2,400 undergraduate and graduate courses in over 250 fields. Convenient schedules are available in the morning, afternoon and evening. Courses can be taken on the New Brunswick campus, online, or at an off-campus location throughout the state.
View All Summer Session Courses
Instructor(s): Joel PlummerExpand
The American sports industrial complex reflects the society in which it exists. Thus, the African Americans and Sports course uses the world of sports as a Trojan Horse to examine the social, political, and economic relationship of African Americans with the larger American society. The course looks at the role that sports have played in African Americans’ quest for freedom, equality, and full recognition as human beings in America. It examines the notion that African Americans’ success on fields of play translates into success in the larger American society.
The historical scope of the course’s content is broad as it covers African Americans’ first entrée into organized American sports during chattel slavery through the current controversies surrounding the political stances of African American athletes in the 21st century such as LeBron James and Colin Kaepernick. Perhaps most importantly it also examines the role that race plays in the business of sports and the relationship between capital and labor within the $71 billion American sports industry.
This course will provide students with a deeper understanding of the intersection of race, politics, and gender using a seemingly innocuous institution--sports. Through the examination of sports, students will gain an understanding of how all institutions reflect the values and beliefs of the societies in which they are contained.
Though this course will have scheduled meeting dates at the beginning and end of the course, the students will learn asynchronously during the middle of the semester using recorded lectures, readings, discussion boards on Canvas, and through small group meetings to work on their final project presentations.
Joel Plummer earned both his B.A. in African American Studies and M.A. in History at Rutgers University-Newark and completed the Rutgers Graduate School of Education's Supervisor's Endorsement program. Plummer has taught African American and U.S. history for more than two decades at the secondary level and has worked as a professional News and Sports photographer for more than a decade. As a photojournalist, his work has been published by The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Daily Beast, Newsweek, NBC, CBS, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, and numerous international media outlets.
Instructor(s): Jonathon Appels Expand
In this course, students compare the value of New Jersey beaches with beaches from other far flown geographic regions, including the overwhelmingly tall beaches of Atascadero, cliffside beaches of the Olympic peninsula, Hawaii's beaches, the surfing beaches of Portugal, the liberated beaches of Southern France, the thermal bathing beaches of Iceland, and the ninety-mile beach of Australia with golden sand and blue water of the Tasman Sea.
Each of the meetings will provide a chance to enjoy the outside weather of various New Jersey beaches while we study the many experiential aspects of beach economy, anthropology, and sociology: labor, industry, tourism, recreation and hospitality, ecology, global warming, "beach reading," beach poetry, architectural and historical sites, cultural venues, beach arts, yoga on the beach, and athletic beach life.
Instructor, Jonathon Appels was born near beaches on the Gulf of Mexico, and grew up on beaches around the world, including Mediterranean beaches (from the Southern European and Northern African sides), beaches of West Africa, California beaches, beaches of the San Juan Islands of the Pacific Northwest, and all the way to the beaches of New Jersey.
Instructor(s): Amy LewisExpand
This hybrid course takes place mainly asynchronously, however, students are given the opportunity to leverage what they learn from the course through a visit to the American Museum of Natural History. The course requires future and practicing educators to learn science content, as students of science, and to consider how to apply what they learn in practice with their own students in both formal and informal learning spaces.
This course was designed by geologist and climatologists affiliated with the American Museum of Natural History. Students who enroll in this course are taught by museum instructors who specialize in this area of science.
Instructor(s): Christine HarringtonExpand
This asynchronous course introduces both traditional and innovative approaches to the design of college-level courses, giving specific consideration to learner characteristics and context. For students who are interested in teaching college-level courses, this course content is not specific to student subject matter and provides an opportunity to reflect on different design models and consider the implications for design in their own settings.
Christine Harrington is an experienced researcher and faculty member on the subject of course design and program management.
Instructor(s): Jonathon AppelsExpand
What is the relationship between laughter, comedy, wonder, and happiness? Often in this fast-paced, technological American society of the 21st century we forget to be content with the subtle humor hidden in our daily lives, both at work and home. This course surveys recent psychological, anthropological, sociological, and motivational literature on happiness, especially groundbreaking studies of the last decade. Simultaneously we examine the history of comic theatre, from its roots in Ancient Greece to stand up routines found in today¿¿s urban and suburban comedy clubs. Be prepared to take the subject seriously, and you will likely complete the course having found an inner smile.
Instructor(s): Caroline Clauss-Ehlers Expand
Families in the 21st century are diverse and dynamic. This course explores the meaning of family in the 21st century. Critical issues families face are considered that include mental health and substance abuse, domestic violence, and child abuse. Such issues are considered within the context of the COVID-19 crisis. For instance, the advancing role of teletherapy is discussed as a treatment option during COVID-19; domestic violence is considered within the context of stay-at-home mandates; and the role of parenting within a social-distancing framework are considered. The course culminates with students researching and presenting on a contemporary family issue of their choice. Students will learn about family dynamics and gain a greater skill set for clinical work with families.
The instructor, Caroline Clauss-Ehlers, is an internationally known psychologist. She has specialty board certification in couple and family psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychologists. She is an APA Fellow of Division 43, Society for Couple and Family Psychology.
Instructor(s): Camila BelliardExpand
This online course analyzes the different ways feminist practices are articulated from a transnational perspective. We will be drawing from Cherrie Moraga's "theory in the flesh", the foundational work of This Bridge Called my Back, and feminist discussions of the tensions between theory and practice. You will learn pathways of practice for grounded knowledge production, embodied positionally, and activist work. This course is 100% online asynchronous, you will interact with multiple tools and resources and participate in weekly discussions with peers, all assignments are designed to promote writing, critical thinking as well as creative skills.
Instructor(s): Serena ConnollyExpand
Acclaimed gastronome Anthelme Brillat-Savarin declared, "Tell me what you eat; I will tell you what you are." Human activity is regulated by the constant need to source and consume food. Finding ever better ways to produce food has helped to shape social structures and controlling access to it has been an impetus for the development of writing and political organization. Modes of food preparation have contributed to the gendering of everyday life, and dining practices and food choices have provided key means of cultural definition. A people’s foodways offer unparalleled insights into their history, society, culture and economy.
This course, both asynchronously and synchronously, combines traditional lectures, readings, and discussion with hands-on work: students will prepare and consume ancient Mediterranean dishes. Our synchronous sessions will be (online) communal dinners, at which we discuss the process of cooking and the experience of eating ancient meals.
Basic course content, including video lectures, will be delivered asynchronously. We will meet twice weekly synchronously for discussion of that content and to exchange our experiences of preparing and consuming ancient Mediterranean dishes. Students will be able to fit much of their preparation for the course around their summer schedules, while bi-weekly synchronous dinner discussions will give them the opportunity to discuss course materials, interact with their classmates, and complete hands-on graded work.
Experience and/or enthusiasm in the kitchen will be a plus for this course, though not essential. Students will not be graded on their cooking skills, though an ability to understand cooking methods and ingredients will be helpful, as will an ability to assess adaptations of ancient recipes for modern kitchens, foodstuffs, palates, and dining styles. Students will need access to a kitchen and must be able to obtain the necessary ingredients.
Instructor, Serena Connolly is a social historian of the ancient Mediterranean world, whose research has engaged with ancient foodways.
Instructor(s): Keri SansevereExpand
This 4-credit course is designed to orient students with archaeological techniques, concepts, and principles. The course’s learning materials include access to the instructor’s podcast (Cultural Corner with Dr. Keri) episodes which explain how archaeologists think and look at the past and the kinds of conclusions archaeologists draw from material evidence. Examples of archaeological work will be presented from a local and global perspective throughout time. The course also offers a point of entry into the specialties of artifact conservation, ethnoarchaeology, experimental archaeology, floral and faunal analysis, bioarchaeology, historical archaeology, and heritage management. This course is recommended for anyone interested in archaeology and may be particularly useful to students planning careers in anthropology, historic preservation, cultural resource management, museum work, or earth sciences.
This class operates in an asynchronous format, meaning there are no live meeting times. This affords students the flexibility to get their work done throughout the week. I release weekly learning guides that outline your learning path for the week with work generally due on Fridays and/or Sundays. No prerequisite is required. Meets intro requirement for anthropology and evolutionary anthropology majors/minors; Meets Core Curriculum Requirement: HST
Instructor, Keri Sansevere, holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Temple University and Sansevere’s research operates at the intellectual borderland between cultural anthropology and archaeology. My dissertation examined colonoware, a kind of pottery traditionally found on archaeological sites in the American Southeast and Caribbean associated with enslaved laborers. Through ethnographic interviewing, oral history, and participant-observation, my research discovered that the pottery is present in the American Northeast, but knowledge of it resides in places that are difficult to access: the memories of archaeologists, inaccessible storage facilities, and obscure literature. Though the field of anthropology traditionally uses analytics like class, gender, and race to reveal hidden structures of power among so-called “ethnographic others,” my research discovered there is much to learn when the same analytics are applied to the industry of North American archaeology.
Instructor(s): Xenia MorinExpand
Come and join the fun with this asynchronous 3-credit course! We all participate in the food system – we all eat, but many do not appreciate the complexity of food systems. This introductory course investigates and analyzes agriculture and food systems in the context of public health, the environment and social justice. We primarily focus on American food systems and explore some global agriculture and food systems as well. The environmental, economic, biological, cultural, social and ethical dimension of our food system—from farm to fork—are considered. We look critically at some of the challenges faced through the food systems in order to feed a growing world population, anticipated in exceeding 9 billion people by 2050. Expect to surprise friends and family with new dinner conversation topics!
Dr. Morin is the undergraduate Program Director of the Agriculture and Food Systems Program at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and has been teaching this course for over six years. She is part of the Rutgers Climate Task Force and serves as the co-chair of the working group of the food and water system.
Instructor(s): Jonathon Appels Expand
Students are often familiar with Jersey Shore music culture, especially Asbury Park, but students don't often compare the musical styles that have evolved on differing beaches.
The course studies the places where Jersey Shore music culture had its beginnings -- and where it continues to flourish. We study the widest dimensions of the connection between music and summer beach culture, and the yearning for a song that will speak to our hearts. Students will gain a full understanding of how summer beach culture music has contributed to popular music today. Students will see the rise from humble beginnings of Bruce Springsteen. As well, this course helps to narrow the gap between students' personal online familiarity with Jersey Shore music culture and the pleasure of live social listening.
Instructor(s): Ramazan GungorExpand
Learning and performance in organizations are influenced by the context in which they occur. This asynchronous course examines these contextual factors, beginning with an exploration of globalization and the impact of globalization on learning. The course also looks at initiatives designed to improve learning on a global scale. Learners who are concerned with individual and organizational performance in a variety of contexts (workplace learning, formal education, online eLearning) will benefit from this exploration of the global context.
Dr. Ramazan Gungor is Assistant Dean in the Rutgers School of Graduate Studies. Dr. Gungor's experience in administration and assessment of professional development across the entire Rutgers graduate community gives him rich practice from which to draw. His research exploring international education, family literacy programs, and higher education provide rich case studies related to the global context of learning initiatives.
Instructor(s): Jonathon Appels Expand
Get a move on and get outdoors – Join us in seeing outdoor and virtual performances in a relaxed summer environment while we study differing world religions and their commitment to dance and movement rituals, as well as the relationship of your body to movement sensation. Through this course, we will sense the mystical within the body configurations inherent in music-making, painting, sculpture, theatre, sports, yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, gym and body training cultures, etc. We explore the sacred nature of the current club dancing scene, as we also appreciate the spiritual nature of your own individual dance expression! We will include a trip (virtual or otherwise) to Asbury Park to watch dancers at the outdoor beach bonfire!
The course will be asynchronous. Students will be guided to their own movement experiences, whether as audience members or participants in brief movement exercises both athletic and relaxed (optional). Online discussion groups are combined with performance field trips (virtual or socially distanced) of the student's choice.
Professor Appels is both a choreographer and an academic. His dance company has toured twenty countries on three continents. He marvels at the movement expression and personal agility of everyone at all times! When club dancing is possible (before and after Covid) he is as likely to be found on the dance floor, as he is to be found at a dance recital, a dance class, athletic fields, and gyms, or in the classroom at Rutgers!
Instructor(s): Martin SmithExpand
Are you a world language educator? Offered for the first time in the summer, this course will help you gain a competitive edge by providing you with familiarity in both research and practice in Dual Language Immersion.
Dual Language Immersion is known to produce the greatest gains in language development for students. This course will examine the factors that lead to this (beyond time on task) and consider the ways in which these strategies can be incorporated into any world language classroom. By the end of the course, students will be conversant in DLI pedagogy and be able to design units and lessons for their teaching contexts. This knowledge can help educators advocate for stronger programs in their own districts.
Martin Smith has decades of experience in world languages having worked on numerous projects at both the state and national levels. In addition, Smith has implemented dual language programs in both Chinese and Spanish.
Instructor(s): Jonathon AppelsExpand
Students do not often bring discussion about sex into the classroom and speak of it in an academic setting, which means that they are missing out on valuable information.
This course provides an opportunity for frank and candid conversations about sexual expression and sexual health. Students will explore love relationships and values throughout history leading up to contemporary practices of sex and dating. The course will provide a context for comparing today's hook up culture with romantic courtship of other time periods and cultures. Is sexting a modern form of courtship? At the end of the course, students will be able to more comfortably articulate their concerns for their own sexual health and be able to broaden their view on the differing aspects of sensation, love, sexual expression, romance, and intimacy.
Instructor, Jonathon Appels, has many years of experience working with a wide range of students from dancers and athletes to the literary and scientifically minded to broaden their expressive capacity and integrity. When sexuality is understood as expression, it is intimate rather than industrial.
Instructor(s): Paulina Barrios Expand
This asynchronous course is centered around the theme of love. What do we think of when we hear or read the word love? How central is love to our societies? How has love influenced literature and our way of viewing the world (or vice versa)? This course will use literary texts by female and queer writers from Latin America and Africa from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries to answer these questions. We will engage with a variety of genres, including poetry, short stories, and comics, as well as some theoretical works. Through textual analysis and creative engagement with these works this course aims to have students generate their own responses to the questions that guide this course. There will be weekly modules that will be uploaded at the beginning of the week and students will have a full week to submit their weekly assignments. The main assignments include online discussions, a mid-term project, and a final paper.
Paulina Barrios’ research focuses specifically on contemporary female and queer activist writers in Latin America and Africa. She has also taught two courses of her own focused on authors from these regions, and one of these was focused specifically on love.
Instructor(s): Karla Jackson-BrewerExpand
This synchronous course explores the history of Black women in the African Diaspora, and provides information on how structural oppression impacts their lives. Students will increase their knowledge on this topic, improve their presentation skills, and understand how the experiences of Black women can inform their own lives, and stimulate actions that promote social action.
Karla Jackson-Brewer is a feminist and has been involved in anti-racism, anti-blackness movements. She led organizations that addressed sexual violence against women, and has developed this course to reflect the intersectionality of Black women's lives.
Instructor(s): Amy LewisExpand
This hybrid course takes place mainly asynchronously, however, students are given the opportunity to leverage what they learn from the course through a visit to the American Museum of Natural History. The course requires future and practicing educators to learn science content, as students of science, and to consider how to apply what they learn in practice with their own students in both formal and informal learning spaces.
This course was designed by geologists and astrophysicists affiliated with the American Museum of Natural History. Students who enroll in this course are taught by museum instructors who specialize in this area of science.
Instructor(s): Caroline Clauss-Ehlers Expand
Other than infancy, there is no time in life when we experience as many changes as we do during adolescence. For adolescents, these changes are biological, social, emotional, and developmental. This range of changes makes adolescence a transitional time--e.g., adolescents aren’t children anymore, and yet they aren’t adults either. How are these transitions to be negotiated within a stay-at-home, remote learning system prompted by COVID-19? How does adolescent identity develop given the absence/remoteness of an ongoing peer group and school/community environment as we know it during COVID-19? This asynchronous course explores contemporary issues impacting adolescents, including COVID-19, and intervention. Students will gain a greater understanding of adolescent development, experience, and issues.
Instructor, Caroline Clauss-Ehlers, is a licensed psychologist. The instructor has conducted international research on adolescents. She has co-edited the book Social Justice for Children and Young People: International Perspectives that focuses on young people. She is a Fellow in the American Psychological Association's Division 53, Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.
Instructor(s): Brian DashewExpand
Adult education takes place in many contexts. Students in this aynchronous course explore learning in adulthood, including the shaping factors influencing practice and the theories that explain how adults learn. Through this work, students focus on themselves and their own learning, reflecting on their own experiences and learning practices that can improve their own learning and teaching efforts.
Brian Dashew is an assistant professor of practice for adult and continuing education in the GSE. His prior work experience (in program development and instructional design for adult learners) and research (on self-directed learning and arts-based transformation efforts) are relevant to the course. His professional experience is in both corporate and higher education contexts.