Courses - Spring 2014

Course description coming soon.

This is a one-semester intensive course that covers the equivalent of one year of elementary Spanish (SPAN-UA 1 and SPAN-UA 2). After completing this course, students who wish to continue studying Spanish must take a qualifying examination. Students who pass the examination may go into SPAN-UA 3, which is preparation for SPAN-UA 4. Students with high scores on the qualifying exam may enroll in SPAN-UA 18 (an accelerated version of SPAN-UA 3, which similarly prepares them for SPAN-UA 4) or in SPAN-UA 20. Completion of either SPAN-UA 20 or SPAN-UA 4 fulfills the MAP requirement.

Sample Syllabus

Intensive Spanish for Advanced Beginners is a six-credit intensive language course designed to help students with limited knowledge of Spanish strengthen their language skills and develop their cultural competency. The course covers the material of Spanish 2 and Spanish 3 in one semester. Successful completion of this course prepares students for a fourth semester college Spanish language course.

Sample Syllabus

Prerequisites SPAN-UA 10, SPAN -UA 2 or equivalents, or passing grade on qualifying examination.

Promotes proficiency in reading and writing as well as oral performance. SPAN-UA 9020 is an intensive intermediate course that covers the equivalent of one year of intermediate Spanish SPAN-UA 3 and SPAN-UA 4, or SPAN-UA 18 and SPAN-UA 4) in one semester.

Sample Syllabus

Prerequisite: Intermediate Spanish II (NYU, SPAN-UA 4) or equivalent

Advanced course designed to expand and consolidate lexical and grammatical understanding of the language and to introduce fundamental principles of expository writing as they apply to Spanish, through exercises, readings, and intensive practice of various expository prose techniques and styles. For nonnative speakers only. Prerequisite for NYU students: SPAN-UA 20, SPAN-UA 4, or permission of the director of undergraduate studies.

Sample Syllabus

Spanish for Health Care Professionals is a two-credit course for beginner to intermediate
level students, designed to expand students’ speaking skills beyond the practical, day-to-
day language functions in the medical environment.

The goal of the course is to serve as a complement for the beginner and intermediate level
student pursuing a career in the health care professions or a student generally interested
in communicating with patients in Spanish. It has been structured to serve the specific
needs of the nursing, medical and global public health student community. Students will
typically take this course in conjunction with a beginner or an intermediate level Spanish
language course. This course may not be used toward completion of the MAP language
requirement.

Sample Syllabus

Corequisite: Intensive Intermediate Spanish or Intermediate Spanish II.

The course is designed for students who want to perfect their Spanish as they expand their knowledge regarding literature, cinema, and social and political problems that exist today within modern Argentine society. The reading of different dramatic texts and viewing of various films throughout the semester will serve to expand lexicon, strengthen grammar and improve the student's style. The objective of this course is that the students familiarize themselves with everyday language of current newspapers and magazines, at the same time as they enter into the world of Spanish literature.

The most important goal of the course is to offer a methodologically simple approximation that helps the student to develop a greater verbal and communicative dexterity. To this end, every week the students will analyze and debate the cultural and literary content texts that are to be studied and every two weeks the students will present a written composition of the topics covered in class. In the classroom linguistic correction will be emphasized along with auditory practice through the use of a wide range of materials and resources: theoretical explanations, comprehension and vocabulary exercises, film viewing, as well as exercises that highlight certain morphological aspects or grammatical usage of Spanish.

Sample Syllabus

Prof. Penhos

The course will examine key aspects of Latin American art from the colonial period to the early decades of the twentieth century. Through the analysis of artistic images of Mexico, Peru, Brazil and Argentina, will discuss the role of visual representation in the process of conquest and colonization of the territory in Latin America, and later in the construction and consolidation of national states and regional identities. With the alternation of guided visits to museums in Buenos Aires and classes, students will have the opportunity to learn about artistic languages​​, techniques, iconography, production systems, and some aspects of Latin American history.

Advanced Spanish language skills required. (NYU, SPAN-UA 100 or equivalent)

This course explores Tango as an aesthetic, social and cultural formation that is articulated in interesting and complex ways with the traditions of culture and politics in Argentina and Latin America more generally. During the rapid modernization of the 1920s and 1930s, Tango (like Brazilian Samba), which had been seen as a primitive and exotic dance, began to emerge as a kind of modern primative art form that quickly came to occupy a central space in nationalist discourse. The course explores the way that perceptions of a primative and a modern converge in this unique and exciting art. In addition, the course will consider tango as a global metaphor with deeply embedded connections to urban poverty, social marginalization, and masculine authority.

Sample Syllabus

Advanced Spanish language skills required. (NYU, SPAN-UA 100 or equivalent)

Este curso ofrece a los estudiantes una visión panorámica de los grandes procesos económicos, políticos y sociales de la historia argentina desde la emancipación del imperio español hasta la transición democrática, a comienzos de la década de 1980.

Las actividades previstas contemplan el dictado de clases teórico-prácticas y una serie de visitas culturales. Para las clases se ha dispuesto un conjunto de lecturas obligatorias apoyadas, en algunos casos, por una bibliografía general que dará al alumno el contexto fáctico de cada unidad temática. Se propiciará el intercambio de ideas entre los participantes por lo cual la lectura previa es indispensable para seguir el curso. Las actividades culturales previstas tienen como objetivo vincular a los alumnos con la dimensión material de la historia, poniéndolos en contacto con espacios claves para su comprensión.

 Sample Syllabus

Open to students who have completed Advanced Grammar and Composition or enrolled concurrently in Advanced Grammar and Composition.

La lengua de Buenos Aires is an advanced conversation course, which seeks to make students familiar with the most outstanding features of the Spanish of the Rio de la Plata area. It does also work as an introductory map to the main problems and questions of the culture of the city of Buenos Aires. Through a lively discussion of current cultural conflicts in politics, literature, music, drama and film, the course will enhance the listening and reading abilities of the students, while improving their speaking and writing proficiency in Spanish. These said conflicts and their transformations are key to an understanding of the way porteños speak and think. From a first section devoted to political discourse, we will move onto a consideration of its rhetorical precedents in argentine literature. This will give us the critical tools we need to further our inquiries in other fields such as rock, drama, journalism and film.

Sample Syllabus

Prerequisite: SPAN-UA 100 or equivalent

Introduction to literary analysis through close reading of texts from the early to modern periods of peninsular Spanish and Spanish American literatures. Engages students in the practice of textual explication, provides basic critical skills, and encourages reflection on literature as a system. This course is the gateway course for students interested in pursuing advanced literature courses in Spanish. With very few exceptions, students must have completed Critical Approaches before taking advanced literature courses taught in Spanish.

Sample Syllabus 

Open to students who have completed  Critical Approaches (SPAN-UA 200) or equivalent.  Can be taken concurrently with SPAN-UA 9200.

Mitos, íconos y tradiciones inventadas is an advanced conversation course, which seeks to make students familiar with the rich and complex history of Latin America through the study of some of its most known and iconic cultural expressions. It does also work as an introductory map to the most influential and widespread approaches in Latin American social sciences, cultural studies and literary criticism. Thus, students will not only have a first encounter with key historical processes that lie behind some well know cultural icons, but also will be introduced to arguments and ways of writing that help constitute modern Latin American educated Spanish. The course will be structured in seven topics; each topic will be covered in two weeks. During these four classes, students will be exposed to different kinds of cultural materials, including literary texts, film, papers from several disciplines, theater plays, art shows and live concerts.

Sample Syllabus 

Open to students who have completed Critical Approaches (or equivalent), or to students enrolled concurrently in  SPAN-UA 9200

This course explores writings on Latin America from the Conquest to the present and the representation of the region in literature in a broad sense. We will pay attention to images that emphasize the extraordinary and the ordinary, drawing comparisons between Latin America and Europe and North America, examining accounts of first contact with the new world, and reading descriptions of the social and natural world. Writers and travelers wondered about the identity and particular features of local cultures and produced works where this inquiry can be examined. Often associated with the supernatural and the sublime, Latin America was also depicted in its everyday life (the common) that unfolded along side Revolutions, political violence, and natural beauty. By contrasting the ordinary and the extraordinary the course sheds light on different images of the region. Readings include letters by Cristóbal Colón and Hernán Cortés, poems by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, as well as works by Alexander Von Humboldt, Simon Bolívar, Alejo Carpentier, Esteban Echeverrí­a, Domingo F. Sarmiento, José Martí, Rubén Darío, Juan Carlos Onetti, Roberto Arlt, Clarice Lispector, Juan Rulfo, and Mario Levrero. Films and visual arts will also be part of the material examined in the course.

Sample Syllabus

Students wishing to take this course for Major or Minor Credit in Latin American Studies or Spanish must register under the SPAN-UA 9762 number. Students from both sections will attend English lectures together, but those registered under SPAN-UA 9762 will recieve enhanced reading and writing assignments in Spanish.

Prerequisites for SPAN-UA 9762: SPAN-UA 200 or may be taken concurrently with SPAN-UA 9200

This course is designed to introduce students to some of the most important problems and debates about Latin American history, society and culture. Latin America is a complex region full of contrasts. Its population is both racially and culturally heterogeneous. Its many countries share some common cultural roots and political origins, but also have distinct histories. The structure of this course is primarily chronological but also thematic. We will start with the Conquest and its legacies and we will end with the problems that we experience today in big cities in Latin America. The course favors a multi-disciplinary approach, and therefore we will use a different array of materials including films, letters, photographs and essays. We will emphasize first hand accounts of the topics we discuss.

Sample Syllabus

Open to students who have completed Critical Approaches (or equivalent), or to students enrolled concurrently in SPAN-UA 9200

La literatura del siglo XX se caracterizó por poner el foco en el yo del escritor. Ya sea para ocultarlo, para mostrarlo tímidamente o para exhibirlo sin prejuicios, lo cierto es que el yo se transformó en el protagonista de los cambios literarios que apuntan al siglo XXI. Este fenómeno, que se produce tanto en la poesía como en la narrativa y en el teatro, permite el surgimiento de formas que antes carecían de prestigio literario, como el diario íntimo, las crónicas y, contemporáneamente, el blog. Este curso se propone analizar el recorrido de estas verdaderas transformaciones subjetivas, en relación directa con los contextos histórico-sociales en los que se producen. Para esto se trabajarán textos narrativos y poéticos de diversos escritores latinoamericanos contemporáneos. Además, con el fin de lograr un contacto vivo con los materiales a trabajar, se alternarán los contenidos curriculares con visitas a diversos eventos literarios que tengan relación con el programa, y también se invitará a algunos de los escritores estudiados a participar de las clases.

Sample Syllabus 

Prerequisite: Critical Approaches, (NYU SPAN-UA 200) or equivalent or may be taken concurrently with SPAN-UA 9200

The course is designed to introduce students to the work of Jorge Luis Borges, one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century. Through reading, analysis, and discussion of short fiction or poems and critical bibliography, the students will examine the dichotomy civilization-barbarism in Borges works (in connection to the Argentine cultural tradition since nineteenth century); some key topics in his texts such as tigers, labyrinths and libraries; the relationship between writing and translation (specifically in the English translations of his fictions); the political aspects of the literature produced by Borges and other contemporary Argentine writers on Eva Perón. The course will also develop the connections between Borges and other contemporary Argentine writers.

Sample Syllabus

This course deals with themes of culture, cultural identity and the politics of culture and identity, with reference to five specific Latin American cases: a). Indigenous communities of the Amazon (Achuar) and the Pampas-Patagonia region (Mapuche, Rankülche); b) Andean peasants (Aymaras) and indigenous proletariat of the Chaco (Toba); c). working class and ethnic neighborhoods of the city. By means of this empirical survey we hope to illustrate and discuss the some of the different ideas that have come to the fore in recent debates about “culture,” including essentialism and constructivism; rethinking of the nature/culture dichotomy; and the idea of cultural identity as a right, as a strategy of domination or as a form of resistance, etc.

Sample Syllabus

Both an English and Spanish section of this course will be offered.
For Spanish section: Advanced Spanish language skills required. (NYU, SPAN-UA 100 or equivalent)

This course is a journey through the different styles of Latin American Folk and Popular Music (LAFM), particularly those coming from Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. Their roots, influences and characteristics. Their social and historical context. Their uniqueness and similarities. Emphasis in the rhythmic aspect of folk music as a foundation for dance and as a resource of cultural identity. The irruption of Latin American rhythms in the music market through the World Musicâphenomenon. Even though there is no musical prerequisite, the course is recommended for students with any kind and/or level of musical experience.

Sample Syllabus (English)

Sample Syllabus (Spanish)

This course presents a review of adolescent and young adult developmental theory to provide students with a framework of the psychosocial conflicts involved during this particular moment. The psychology concepts about adolescence, identity and autonomy are brought to think on a complex way the theories and objectives of positive psychology. As we survey the contributions that positive psychology has made in helping individuals to create change in their lives, we find elevated self-esteem, improved physical well-being, and an increase in the overall sense of success to be achievable outcomes for college students. At the conclusion of the course, students are charged with synthesizing this material and creating their own project designed to improve mental health awareness.

Sample Syllabus

A survey of anticolonialist cinema with special emphasis on Latin America. Despite conditions of economic and political oppression, Latin America has managed in recent years to forge a dynamically original cinema. After studying some European films that highlight the colonial background of current struggles in the world, we take a brief look at African cinema and then look closely at Latin American cinema, with films from Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Cuba. The emphasis throughout is on a common theme – the struggle against foreign domination and on the search for an authentic, innovative national cinematic style.

Sample Syllabus

A practical course in the writing of creative literary texts: prose (short stories as well as literary non-fiction) and poetry. Selected published works will be analyzed in class both to provide inspiration for student writing as well as to represent literary structures and strategies. Writing assignments ranging from spontaneous to long-term projects will promote creative exploration and self-expression. Critical skills are emphasized and enhanced as students respond to each others’ work. Awareness of correct conventional use of the English language will be upheld. Students build up a body of work over the semester. For full credit and in demonstration of a writing “process,” the final portfolios should include both first drafts and subsequent revisions. At least one longer text (or set of poems) will be selected for submission as would be appropriate to publishers or literary contests.

Sample Syllabus

This course is not open to NYU Stern students.

Prerequisite: ECON-UA 1 (Economic Principals) or ECON-UA 5 (Introduction to Economic Analysis)

There are two parts to this course. In the first part of the course we will study two of the main financial asset markets: bond markets and stock markets. We will study the concept and determination of interest rates; the risk structure and the term structure of interest rates; stock pricing and the efficient markets hypothesis; cross-border arbitrage. We will also analyze financial structure in Argentina and other Latin American banks.

In the second part of the course we will study the monetary and financial system. We will study how money is created, the tools of monetary policy, the commercial banking industry and its links to monetary policy and the Central Bank, and how monetary policy affects the economy in general. In this part we will also analyze how market failures (such as information asymmetries) and distortionary policies (such as financial repression) may hinder the contribution of financial markets and monetary policy to macroeconomic stability. The roles of state-owned banks in Latin American economies will also be discussed.

Sample Syllabus

A practical course in the writing of creative literary texts: prose (short stories as well as literary non-fiction) and poetry. Selected published works will be analyzed in class both to provide inspiration for student writing as well as to represent literary structures and strategies. Writing assignments ranging from spontaneous to long-term projects will promote creative exploration and self-expression. Critical skills are emphasized and enhanced as students respond to each others’ work. Awareness of correct conventional use of the English language will be upheld. Students build up a body of work over the semester. For full credit and in demonstration of a writing “process,” the final portfolios should include both first drafts and subsequent revisions. At least one longer text (or set of poems) will be selected for submission as would be appropriate to publishers or literary contests.

Sample Syllabus

Enrollment by permission only. Application required. Contact global.academics@nyu.edu for application information. Course includes weekly seminar and minimum of 10 hours fieldwork/ week at approved internship fieldsite. Space in this course will be limited, and may require advanced Spanish abilities.

Sample Syllabus

This course is for Global Liberal Studies students only.  Advanced Spanish skills (beyond Intermediate II) recommended.

This course combines a seminar based weekly section together with intensive internships in businesses, NGOs or other organizations. The experiential part will consist of 10 weekly hours of work within a pre-arranged organization. The academic part is meant to assist students in getting the most from this experience and provide theoretical and methodological elements to critically examine their experiences. It weaves together research design and methods with an empirical and theoretical examination of recent social phenomena in Argentina. We will use selected themes and topics to explore theoretical perspectives and selected aspects of contemporary Argentine society. In parallel we will explore how to construct a research project, collect data and analyze its contents.

Sample Syllabus

NYU Media, Culture, & Communication students can take this course for major/minor credit.

In this course students will develop, pitch, research, report, write, edit and present original articles of various kinds on several subjects throughout the semester. Using the city and people of Buenos Aires as their focus, students will work in teams for some projects and individually for others to hone their skills as observers, interviewers, reporters and writers.

Sample Syllabus

This course explores Latin American fiction from a comparative perspective. By analyzing works from Peru, Argentina, Mexico, Chile and Brazil from the 1970s to the present, students approach the manifold versions of Latin America fiction and the way literature has imagined communities beyond national boundaries.

Sample Syllabus

Students wishing to take this course for Major or Minor Credit in Latin American Studies or Spanish must register under the SPAN-UA 9762 number. Students from both sections will attend English lectures together, but those registered under SPAN-UA 9762 will recieve enhanced reading and writing assignments in Spanish.

Prerequisites for SPAN-UA 9762: SPAN-UA 200 or may be taken concurrently with SPAN-UA 9200

This course is designed to introduce students to some of the most important problems and debates about Latin American history, society and culture. Latin America is a complex region full of contrasts. Its population is both racially and culturally heterogeneous. Its many countries share some common cultural roots and political origins, but also have distinct histories. The structure of this course is primarily chronological but also thematic. We will start with the Conquest and its legacies and we will end with the problems that we experience today in big cities in Latin America. The course favors a multi-disciplinary approach, and therefore we will use a different array of materials including films, letters, photographs and essays. We will emphasize first hand accounts of the topics we discuss.

Sample Syllabus

This course proposes a historical and cultural approach to the development of the popular press, cinema, radio, television and the contemporary processes of the new media. There is a central question for the course: Is there any singularity in Latin American media? The answer assumes that there is a specific relation between tradition and modernity in Latin American societies with many consequences for mass culture and media. The constitution of mass audiences in societies where literacy was not a universal value, made significant the development of audiovisual media. The course will focus on melodrama as a configuration that made possible the emergence of specific genres in Latin American cinema, radio and television. Particularly, the “telenovela” is simultaneously an aesthetic, industrial and audience phenomenon with local and global circulation. Finally, the course will discuss the role of media in dictatorship and democratic processes. Censorship and alternative media enabled many different practices for radio journalists, filmmakers or contemporary bloggers.

Sample Syllabus

Enrollment by permission only. Application required. Contact global.academics@nyu.edu for application information. Course includes weekly seminar and minimum of 10 hours fieldwork/ week at approved internship fieldsite. Space in this course will be limited, and may require advanced Spanish abilities.

Sample Syllabus

Both an English and Spanish section of this course will be offered.
For Spanish section: Advanced Spanish language skills required. (NYU, SPAN-UA 100 or equivalent)

This course is a journey through the different styles of Latin American Folk and Popular Music (LAFM), particularly those coming from Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. Their roots, influences and characteristics. Their social and historical context. Their uniqueness and similarities. Emphasis in the rhythmic aspect of folk music as a foundation for dance and as a resource of cultural identity. The irruption of Latin American rhythms in the music market through the World Musicâphenomenon. Even though there is no musical prerequisite, the course is recommended for students with any kind and/or level of musical experience.

Sample Syllabus (English)

Sample Syllabus (Spanish)

The aim is for the student to have a full understanding of Latin America's insertion in the global structure of international relations. Covering in parallel the evolution of the international system and the changing position of the region in that same system, the course attempts to reinterpret the frameworks of analysis as perceived from the Western Hemisphere. The student will be provided with a Latin American view of the main economic developments and political processes that have given shape to each stage in time- to the structure and dynamics of the international system. The ultimate goal is to make students aware that where you stand depends on where you sit by exposing them to alternate views on concepts they are already familiar with.

Sample Syllabus

Epidemiology is the science that studies the distribution and determinants of health and illness in human populations. It is intimately related to public health and policy making, as it provides elemental “information for action”. This course is designed to introduce students to the history, basic principles and methods of epidemiology.

Topics covered in this course are history, background and different perspectives of epidemiology, measures of disease frequency; measures of association; epidemiologic study designs; public health surveillance; outbreak investigations; assessment of causality; and relationship between epidemiology and public health policies. In addition, students are expected to develop skills to critically read, interpret and evaluate health information from published epidemiological studies and mass media sources.

Sample Syllabus