Explore L&S Courses | UC Davis College of Letters and Science

Start planning for Summer Sessions 2026! Visit the website for more information and refer to the Master Calendar for important dates and deadlines.

6-units

UC Davis Global Career Accelerator

Build in-demand career skills through a flexible online program featuring real-world projects, global collaboration, personalized coaching, college credit, and industry-recognized certifications. Course registration info will be provided after you apply!

5-units

SPA 33V: Spanish for Heritage Speakers III

Designed for heritage Spanish speakers comfortable speaking the language but with little formal study experience, this program welcomes all majors and helps students strengthen language skills and academic proficiency.

4-units

FMS 045/GER 045: Vampires and Other Horrors in Film and Media

This course explores vampires in film and media as reflections of social and political anxieties, examining horror genres, monstrous tropes, low and art horror, genre evolution, and theories of fear.

4-units

ENL 149: Topics in Literature -- Haunted Houses

This class will consider the spaces of haunting, in particular hauntings in the domestic sphere. Hauntings can touch upon a multitude of experiences: loss, memory, migration, longing, fear, desire.

2-units

ANT 026: Mummies of the Ancient World

Archaeological approaches for studying mummies and the process of mummification in the ancient world.

4-units

RST 08: Healthcare & Religious Ethics

In this course, we will examine several topics related to healthcare and religious ethics by utilizing historical, anthropological, artistic, and scientific sources.

4-units

HIS 17B: History of the United States

The experience of the American people from the Civil War to the end of the Cold War.

4-units

CLA 025: Classical America

This course offers and introduction to the reception of Greece and Rome in the United States and Latin America.

4-units

HMR 140A: Human Rights & The Popular Imagination

What are Human Rights? Where did they really come from? In this course, you will learn about the birth of the Human Rights Idea, how it has changed over time, and the vital role that popular culture has played in the way we understand them.

4-units

STS 101: Data and Society

Identifying data stakeholders and their biases, reading and evaluating data documentation, and more.

4-units

STS 16: Sex, Science, and Society

Survey of the relationship between sex, science, and society in the history of the modern world.

4-units

SPA 168: Introducción a la Cultura Latinx: Fronteras Internas

En este curso analizaremos expresiones culturales de diversas comunidades Latinx/e en Estados Unidos. A partir de una perspectiva interseccional, nos enfocaremos en como imaginan críticamente formas de exclusión y pertenencia.

4-units

CLA 015: Women & Gender in Classical Antiquity

Lives and roles of women and men in ancient Greece and Rome. Readings from history, philosophy, medical and legal documents, literature and myth.

3-units

CLA 010Y: Greek, Roman, & Near Eastern Mythology

Examination of major myths of Greece, Rome, and the Ancient Near East; their place in the religion, literature and art of the societies that produced them; their subsequent development, influence and interpretation.

3-units

CLA 030V: Word Roots. Greek & Latin Elements in English Vocabulary

Build academic vocabulary on your own time. Knowledge of Latin and Greek not required. Emphasis on Greek and Latin elements but other languages not neglected.

5-units

FRE 001Y: Elementary French

Introduction to French grammar and development of all language skills in a cultural context with special emphasis on communication. No prior French required. Summer Session I.

4-units

FRE 054V: Paris Through Literature, Art, and Film

Visit Paris virtually through literature, art and films. Study of urban planning, architecture, neighborhoods, and demographics of Paris from Gallo-Roman times to the present.

3-units

CLA 045: Sport and Spectacle in the Ancient Mediterranean

In this class, we'll take a closer look at the many forms of competition and mass spectacle that proliferated ancient West Asia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. We will also reflect on the role sport and spectacle play in our own society.

5-units

FRE 003Y: Elementary French

Final quarter of elementary French. Completion of FRE 002 or equivalent required. Finish your language requirement over the summer. Summer Session II.

Spring 2026

NAS 119: Federal Indian Law
Introduction to the foundational cases and statutes of federal Indian law, from European Contact through the 20th century.

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NAS 101: Contemporary Native American Art
Examination of contemporary artworks by selected Native American and Indigenous Master artists, in a wide range of media, within a context of political and social histories.

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MSA 131A/CTS 146A Modern Iranian Cinema: Past, Present, Future
Explore how Iranian cinema reveals Iran’s past and future. Discover how filmmakers turned censorship into creativity after 1979, producing visually powerful films that challenge expectations and inspire audiences worldwide.

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MSA 181B Sikh Teachings and Culture
This course gives an introduction to the core topics of the Sikh tradition and culture through historical, social and ethical perspectives from 1469 to the present.

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MSA 181C AI and Islamic Text: Using Large Language Models on Biographies
This hands-on course explores how AI can be used with Islamic biographical texts. You’ll learn prompt engineering, experiment with large language models, and practice turning narrative sources into structured data. No prior experience needed.

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ARB 021L Colloquial Levantine Arabic
Learn Levantine Arabic the way it's actually spoken; easygoing, conversational, and full of everyday expressions from the Levant region (Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria). No prior experience needed.

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LIN 105 Topics in Language & Linguistics: Language Technology and Society
This course explores how language technologies like AI and chatbots shape society—and how society shapes them. You’ll learn how they work, discuss their benefits and risks, read current research, and collaborate on real-world, public-facing projects.

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HUM 002A-002 Global Comics
This course challenges common suspicions about comics by exploring their history, formal techniques, and cultural impact. Students will study iconic characters, global reinventions of the medium, and analyze how comics address identity, power, sexuality, and history.

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Winter 2026

RTS 001G: Myth, Ritual, and Symbol: AI vs The Gods
In this course, you will be analyzing the foundational myths, symbols, and rituals from a variety of religious traditions, to predict the future of religion in the face of the evolving role of AI today.

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AHI 005: Understanding Visual Culture
This introductory course is designed to provide students a basic visual literacy in order to understand and critically analyze the complex and increasingly visual world around us.

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ITA 120A: Italian Literature of the 20th Century - The Novel
This class is entirely devoted to Pier Paolo Pasolini's novel Petrolio, which was left unfinished at the time of the author's murder. It's great subject is how fascism continued to influence Italy after the end of World War II.

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EDU 50: Education, Leadership and Community Non-Profits
Explore the growing role of educational non-profits and community-based programs in addressing the opportunity gap and school discipline in K-12 schools across the United States. Skills required to navigate diverse community and organizational structures.

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POL 196A: Public Policy and Political Science Research
This seminar examines key policy areas such as voter identification laws and racial redistricting, using political science research to understand their political and policy impacts.

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LTS 002B: Career Exploration
This course is for first year students in L&S who are searching for a starting point to explore careers. It utilizes self-assessments, career development tools, and online resources for you to explore careers aligned with your priorities.

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SPA 171/MUS 127: Music from Latin America
This course explores how popular music in Latin America and the Caribbean shapes identity, challenges social hierarchies, and influences culture and nation, using genres like reggaeton, salsa, cumbia, and samba.

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UWP 110: Communicating User Experience
Discover the power of communication in shaping digital experiences. This course equips you with the skills to uncover user needs and effectively convey those insights to drive better design decisions.

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ENL 50: Careers in Education
This class answers the perennial question "What can you do with an English major?" with a focus on career exploration and decision-making, while allowing students to develop their own career narrative.

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