Innovative Courses

The Schiller Institute regularly expands our course offerings to respond to pressing societal challenges. Our courses cover a wide range of topics and specializations—bringing together the sciences, humanties and the arts to discover new knowledge to serve the common good. 

The Schiller Institute co-sponors the Global Public Health and the Common Good Major and Minor. Visit the CSON site for details. 

Course Description

This new interdisciplinary course for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students wil be co-taught by the Schiller Institute Core faculty members, Profsessor. Yi Ming, Hanqin Tian, and Jier Huang, with invited guest lecturers.

The course will focus on the intersection of climate science, renewable energy, sustainable growth, and policy-making. It is designed specifically to provide students with a comprehensive, yet in-depth overview of the complex interrelationships between these four key areas and how they may interact to shape the future of our planet.

Prerequisites: Math 1100 and 1101 or equivalent, one of following (or equivalent): Physics 2200, Chem 1109, Bio 2000 or 2010, EESC 2200

Course Schedule

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:30-11 :45am in 245 Beacon Street, room 229

Course Description

The Schiller Institute is offering a new course: Entrepreneurial Leadership in Energy, Environment and Health. This one-credit professional development course features entrepreneurs, leaders, and facilitators of entrepreneurial eco-sytems related to the Schiller Institute's three core areas: energy, environment, and health.

This course provides opportunities for students in any Boston College major to develop communication, business, and networking skills while having unique opportunities to connect with start-up leaders and innovators working on the cutting-edge of these fields.

Course Schedule

Thursdays, 3:00-5:25pm in 245 Beacon Street, room 215

Course Description

As part of the Schiller Institute's leadership of the BC@UNCOP programming, delegation selection, and administration, we offer a one-credit fall semester course that provides an academic overview of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP) from a historical, political, and social perspective. The course is required for student members of BC’s official delegation traveling to the Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC. and open to other interested students through departmental permission.

The fall 2024 version of this course will be facilitated by Professors Praveen Kumar and María Piñeros-Leaño with guest faculty.

Course Schedule

Fridays, 12-1:30pm in 245 Beacon Street, room 230

Course Description

The Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society will be offering our community engaged course sequence again in the spring and summer 2024 semesters.

Throughout the course, students develop skills in:

  • Community-engaged collaboration
  • Project management
  • Teamwork and leadership
  • Intercultural competency

 

The course is team-based with a small interdisciplinary group of students who were selected for the spring/summer course through an application process. Selected students must be available for both components of the course sequence: spring course meetings and the summer immersive.

The summer three week immersive will include projects in Quilpué, Vina del Mar, or Santiago, Chile or Zanzibar, Tanzania.

More information and applications can be found at the link below.

Course Schedule

Spring: Fridays, 2:30-4:00 PM

Summer: late May to mid-June (approximate)