Below are examples of courses that have been open to auditors during past terms. They illustrate the breadth of subject matter and caliber of instruction auditors have access to at Columbia.
This course examines major developments and debates in the history of cinema between 1930 and 1960, from the consolidation of the classic Hollywood studio system in the early sound era to the articulation of emergent “new waves” and new critical discourses in the late 1950s. Our approach will be interdisciplinary in scope, albeit with an emphasis on social and cultural history – concerned not only with how movies have developed as a form of art and medium of entertainment, but also with cinema’s changing function as a social institution. FILM W202
The coming of the Civil War and its impact on the organization of American society afterwards.
This course explores the ways organized sport constitutes and disrupts dominant understandings of nation, race, gender, and sexuality throughout the Americas. Working from the notion that sport is “more than a game,” the class will examine the social, cultural and political impact of sports in a variety of American contexts in the past and present. While our primary geographic focus will be the United States, Brazil, and the Caribbean, the thrust of the course encourages students to consider sports in local, national, and transnational contexts. The guiding questions of the course are: What is the relationship between sport and society? How does sport inform political struggles within and across national borders? How does sport reinforce and/or challenge social hierarchies? Can sport provide visions of alternative conceptions of the self and community? Throughout the semester, we will examine such topics as: the continuing political struggles surrounding mega-events such as the Olympics and World Cup, the role of professional baseball in the rise and fall of Jim Crow segregation, the contradictory impact of high school football in Texas, the centrality of tennis to the women’s movement in the United States, and the role of sports in the growth of the city of Los Angeles. Course materials include works by historians, sociologists, social theorists, and journalists who have also been key contributors to the burgeoning field of sports studies.
Evolution of the theory and content of human rights; the ideology and impact of human rights movements; national and international human rights law and institutions; their application with attention to universality within states, including the U.S., and internationally.
This course explores Parisian musical life during the long nineteenth century, situating musical discourses, institutions, and forms within the broader landscapes of literary and artistic Romanticism. Topics to be considered include: the musical echoes of the Revolution; operatic genres and theaters; the music of the salons; cultures of consumerism and domestic performance; and issues of nationalism and historicism after 1870. Composers to be considered include: Berlioz, Chopin, Liszt, Gounod, Saint-Saëns, Franck, Massenet, and Debussy.
Guidelines
Seats in a course are taken on a first-come, first-served basis. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as the courses are posted (one month prior to the start of classes).
No more than three auditors are permitted in courses with an enrollment of less than 30. No more than five are permitted in classes with an enrollment greater than 30. No exceptions are made to this limitation even if an instructor grants permission.
Only academic-year courses may be audited. Auditing is not allowed for Summer Session courses.
Foreign language courses are not open to auditors.
Auditors may not concurrently enroll in courses for credit.
Audited courses may not be repeated for credit.
Under no circumstances may seminars or limited enrollment courses be audited even if the instructor gives permission.
