Graduate Courses

How to find electives:

  1. Review the master list of approved electives. Note: “Grad” denotes graduate courses, “LD” denotes lower division, and “UD” denotes upper division courses.
  2. Identify courses you’re interested in.
  3. Check the course schedule to see if the courses of interest are offered in the next quarter.
  4. Register!

Please fill out this form if you’d like to petition for an elective. Include all the information you can, including a syllabus, if available. Petitions will be reviewed at least once a quarter. Please email Deanna Finlay if you have additional questions.

Upcoming Courses

Please note that even though some these courses may be offered as undergraduate classes, graduate students are encouraged and welcome to register for them. We have also updated the course codes for a number of our frequently offered classes. Any of the following classes, except DH 101, may be taken to fulfill the DH 250 requirement, and any non-DH classes advertised here will fulfill elective requirements.

Spring 2025

  • DH 250 – Professional Trajectories: Digital Humanities Methods in Practice

    Instructor: Wendy Kurtz

    The digital humanities provide a practical and theoretical grounding that can be applied within academia and beyond. In this class, we will study, interpret, and employ a range of digital humanities methods in preparation to enter the job market. Learning to harness skills such as knowledge mobilization, collaboration, maintaining an online presence, clear language research communication, networking, and project management will help ensure that the student’s work has the greatest possible impact beyond graduate school. This praxis-based course is geared towards humanities and social sciences graduate students and provides a combination of practical skills and collaboration opportunities in developing digital humanities research applications. Through the construction of a personal academic or professional website, we will cover: how to create an effective online presence; the modification of cover letters and CVs for digital humanities and private sector positions; build syllabi with a DH focus; create a DH portfolio; and grant and professional writing, amongst other topics.

  • DH 250 – European Exile and Media History in Los Angeles

    Instructor: Benno Herz

    Exploration of German-speaking émigré media, art, and culture in Los Angeles in the 1930s and 1940s. The study situates their historical media practices within a broader discussion of the contemporary role of digital media in shaping similar political discourses. Specific focus on the history and theory of various media forms, including film, architecture, and radio. Includes excursions to two historical sites: Thomas Mann House, the exile residence of Thomas and Katia Mann; and Villa Aurora, the exile residence of Lion and Marta Feuchtwanger.

  • DH 250 – Introduction to Critical Cartography and Mapping Theory

    Instructor: Nour Joudah

    Introduction to critical cartography and mapping theory for students interested in spatial analysis. Introduction to the critical cartography field and how mapping can be both a tool and representation of power. Students learn how maps are as much an erasure of places and peoples as they are representations of them. By understanding the history and development of the cartography field, students are better able to apply critical analysis to completed maps—thinking from the perspective of the map user as well as the mapping process of the mapmaker. Examination of so-called non-Cartesian cartography and nonarchival forms of mapping such as art, performance cartography, textiles, and more. The study expands understanding of mapping as practice–and cartography as the science of practices, not representations–through a focus on several cases around the world and during different historical periods. Includes digital final project. No previous mapping skills are required.