Finding the Right Summer Session Course

by | Apr 06, 2023

 By Will Kanter, Marketing Associate 

TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. With the rise of social media platforms like these came the rise of influencers, who engage with audiences worldwide by sharing recipes, life advice, cute pet videos, and more. 

If you are active on social media, you may be interested ADV 301: Becoming an Influencer over the summer term. 

This 3-credit hour course is one of the nearly 600 course sections that’s being offered during Summer Session 2023, which runs May 15 through August 3 with 4-, 8-, and 12-week courses available. For more information, check out the Summer Session 2023 Academic Calendar

ADV 301 examines how influencers affect social activism, political engagement, and purchasing decisions. You will learn how influencers combine advertising, communications management, marketing, and public relations to stay in touch with their audience. The course highlights the evolving strategies that influencers employ, their cultural and social impact, and the racial/gender dynamics that form in this unique field. You will explore the basics of developing influencer-branded content across for-profit, non-profit, and human rights organizations. 

Runs: June 12 – July 7 

If social media isn’t your thing, here are some other courses that will be offered during Summer Session: 

AFRO 132: African American Music (3 credit hours) 

Do you like jazz, funk, and the blues? Then this may be the course for you. You’ll explores the history of African American music from its origins to the present, with emphasis on the details of musical performance and how music reflects the social and political climate of its time. You don’t need any previous musical experience to learn about a variety of genres in this class, including spirituals, the blues, jazz, R&B, soul, and hip-hop.  

Runs: June 12 – August 3  

ANTH 209: Food, Culture, and Society (3 credit hours) 

Are you a foodie? You may find this course appetizing – it takes an anthropological approach to the study of food, factoring in archaeological, linguistic, and sociocultural perspectives. Food in popular culture, food in relation to ethnicity and race, gender roles in food production, and the socio-politics of food in ancient societies are just a few topics that will be on the menu. 

Runs: May 15 – June 9 

DANC 100: Intro to Contemporary Dance (3 credit hours) 

If you’re a non-dance major who wants to learn some moves, then this course might be in step with you. You will get an overview of dance as a contemporary art form by analyzing major works, figures, and trends in modern dance. In addition to discussion, lecture, and viewing components, this course has opportunities for hands-on learning in the form of studio participation. 

Runs: May 15 – June 9 

GEOL 117 and ESE 117: The Oceans (3 credit hours) 

Oceans make up more than two-thirds of the Earth’s surface, and the goal of this course is to familiarize you with the details of the deep. You don’t need a background in science for this introduction to oceanography, where you’ll explore marine geology, geophysics, water chemistry, currents and waves, and more. 

Runs: May 15 – June 9  

FIN 435: Personal Wealth Management (3 undergraduate credit hours, no graduate credit) 

Want to learn how to make your money work for you? This wealth management course places an emphasis on life insurance products, while also teaching you the basics of stock investments, bonds and mutual funds, income and estate taxation, and managing your personal financial portfolio. Prerequisite: FIN 300. 

Runs: June 12 – August 3 

SCAN 251, CWL 251, MDVL 251, and REL 251: Viking Mythology (3 credit hours) 

Did you know our days of the week are named after figures in Germanic paganism? “Wednesday” comes from “Wōden’s day,” “Thursday” from “Thor’s day,” “Friday” from “Frigg’s day,” to name a few. If you want to learn more about the pre-Christian beliefs, look no further than this course, which uses translations of medieval Icelandic prose and poetry as links to the past. 

Runs: May 15 – June 9 

SHS 121: American Sign Language I (4 credit hours) 

American Sign Language (ASL) has been around for more than two hundred years, with recent media portrayals including movies like CODA and Sound of Metal and TV shows like Switched at Birth and The Last of Us. You don’t need any prior experience with ASL to take this class, where you’ll learn basic grammar and vocabulary, as well as ele,emts of U.S. Deaf Culture. This course is part of a sequence of courses that fulfill the foreign language requirement for UIUC undergraduate students. 

Runs: June 12 – August 3 

SOC 275: Criminology (3 credit hours) 
Are you a fan of true crime podcasts like Serial and My Favorite Murder? You might enjoy this course, where you’ll analyze the past and present theories of crime causation, criminal behavior in the United States and abroad, and the influence of cultural, personal, and structural conditions on crime. Prerequisite (one of the following): SOC 100, SOC 101, SOC 163, or equivalent. 

Runs: May 15 – June 9 

THEA 101 and THEA 102: Introduction to Theatre Arts (3 credit hours) 

If you’re a non-theatre major with an interest in the performing arts, this course is the spotlight you have been looking for. You will learn multiple facets of the theatre industry, including acting, design, directing, dramaturgy, and playwriting. You will also cover topics lncluding theatrical history, theatre focused on minority groups, and plays written by women. Attendance at Department of Theater productions (ticket fee required). 

Runs: May 15 - June 9 and June 12 – August 3 

These are just a few of the nearly 600 courses available this summer. You can read more about your options by visiting the Summer Session 2023 course list

Register now! Priority registration is currently underway, and open registration for all students begins on April 20. 

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