Cool Programs
We are Rebels — and we buck convention any chance we get. So why should you expect our academics to be any different? UNLV’s academic programs are crossing boundaries and blending fields to develop innovative approaches to health care, entertainment engineering, and more.
“It’s so easy to design on the computer — this million-dollar idea — but to makeit come to life and do the installation and work with your own hands is special.”
Kelcie Cabrera, a senior majoring in interior design
Cool Classes
EED is just one of our innovative programs that yield students who tackle problems from a variety of perspectives — and think outside the box. From magic and witchcraft to building robots using Legos, these wild courses can put sword fighters in training and future presidents ready to deal with environmental catastrophe.
Anti-Blackness in the World
In a new course debuting this Spring, Professor Tyler D. Parry will help students examine anti-blackness as a global phenomenon. This is the first course that will focus on specifically studying the history of anti-black racism throughout multiple time periods across the world. Students will learn about the origins of racism, social justice, and Africa’s prominence in world history. A very timely subject, perfect for anyone who is passionate about the recent events our country is still facing.
Business Connections
A first-year seminar run by the Lee Business School, Business Connections offers prospective students a taste of what the major might entail. It’s a chance for students to do some good for the larger Las Vegas community at the same time. This semester, due to Covid-19, multiple classes joined together to raise awareness for the new health and wellness program, TAO (Therapy Assisted Online) Connect through CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services). Students developed a campaign to assist their university peers, who are struggling with anxiety, depression, and health issues, by using Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and advertising strategies.
Clinically Oriented Anatomy
Atlases, 3D images, and cadaver labs have their pros and cons when used to study anatomy, but the Anatomy and Neuroscience courses at the School of Dental Medicine places the complex structure of the oral cavity at your fingertips. The class substitutes anatomical dissections with 36 specially preserved “plastinated” human specimens that provide first- and second-year dental students with multiple odor-free, hands-on learning experiences.
Colloquium in Public History
In an effort to preserve a key part of Nevada history, students are learning how to become “history detectives” — using seemingly mundane clues such as paint colors, clothing materials and styles, and metal carving details to figure out and catalog the likely time periods, manufacturers, and other details of artifacts rescued from a barn at the Walking Box Ranch. In addition to in-class detective work to catalog the UNLV-owned ranch artifacts, students gain practical experience as they visit the ranch, and learn how museum curators work, and to make it easier to either donate the items to local/state museums or one day return the artifacts to the ranch for public viewing.
Commercial Costume Design/Costume Design for TV and Film
Students interested in fashion and digital entertainment will learn how to combine the two. This course teaches aspiring designers how to adapt to the fast paced environment of TV and film sets. In a city that thrives on entertainment, it’s crucial that students also learn about the use of costumes in marketing including: sports mascots, hotel uniforms, theme restaurant uniforms, music video costumes, and spokesmodel attire.
Conspiracy Theories in History
David G. Schwartz’s Conspiracy Theories in History is a specialty seminar for Honors College students. This course answers the question: Why are conspiracy theories so popular? Students will analyze theories throughout history surrounding politics, popular culture, sports, science, medicine, and world domination. These theories are constantly adapting to new circumstances and have consequences that shape how people see the world, for better or worse.
Directed Studies in Film
This course explores the art and science of research innovation by way of a unique transdisciplinary learning lab that merges the curricula of EPY 729 (a doctoral-level case study seminar) with FIS 450 (an undergraduate-level film directing class). The course disrupts—and therefore innovates—traditional classroom-based learning. Under the supervision of Dr. Stefani Relles, a higher education researcher in the College of Education, and Professor Charles Burmeister, a film professor in the College of Fine Arts, students theorize and then pilot test ‘cinematic research methods’ that merge ethnographic and filmmaking techniques as they produce a true film — a short documentary on social justice issues that can potentially satisfy the peer-review criteria of both academic disciplines: social science and filmic arts.
First Year Seminar: Civic Engagement
Solving our most pressing issues such as climate change, school shootings, economic inequality, and police transparency requires civic engagement, discussion, and debate. Students in the College of Education First-Year Seminars engage these issues, think critically, communicate about differences, perceive and understand global/multicultural issues, and embody the ideal of citizenship, all while learning skills and strategies to transition well to college. The semester concludes with a poster presentation showcasing student research on a community social issue.
Food and Beverage Culminating Seminar
This course highlights the unpredictability and challenges you may encounter in the ever-changing food & beverage industry. Specifically, this course teaches students how to help and support the hospitality industry during recovery from natural disasters and pandemics. Students are responsible for finding innovative solutions to address these unique situations. Live online lectures are taught by former chefs, Murray Mackenzie and Christopher Lindsay, who have travelled the world working for top brands like Ritz Carlton and MGM Grand. Industry experts are also invited to speak. You’ll gain hands-on experience through team building, communication, problem solving, analyzing current and future trends, and crisis management – tools that will wow future employers.
From the Classroom to Boardroom: Leadership for Women in Hospitality
This new course offers women in the hospitality and the food and beverage industry resources for career building and leadership in a male dominated field. Created in partnership with the Women’s Hospitality Initiative (WHI) and founded in Las Vegas by industry leaders, this remote course is taught with the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in New York, allowing students to collaborate virtually from across the country. Each week successful hospitality industry women guest speakers give insight into the industry and answer students’ questions. This course was even featured on forbes.com.
Fundamentals of Life Science
In an effort to engage with students in the lecture hall setting, associate professor in residence, Christy Strong sought out examples of active learning experiences that would translate well in a lecture setting — hence the pool noodles. Students use the pool noodles to perform large-scale modeling of mitosis and meiosis, which provides a quick and easy way for Strong to determine whether or not the class as a whole is understanding these processes. It also provides students with an opportunity to interact with each other and with the instructor in a more dynamic way.
Furniture Design-Build
This spring, the School of Architecture will be offering a sponsored design-build elective in furniture design. At no cost to students, all needed materials and tools will be provided by our industry partners affiliated with the National Tile Contractors Association and 2022 Coverings. Our prototypes will then be displayed on the showroom floor of the Las Vegas Convention Center in April during the 2022 Coverings Show—the preeminent convention for the ceramic tile and natural stone industries in North America. This is a chance for our students to apply their design skills towards built work while working with industry partners.
Health Meets Food
Nutrition is a key component to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV incorporates a “Health Meets Food” course as part of students’ training. Aspiring physicians & community members learn how to have effective conversations about food and health with their future patients and families. Be a part of battling childhood obesity, creating nutrition plans for expecting mothers, and advising those with pre-existing illnesses. Become a source to educate your community. Even though class is held virtually, students have the opportunity to actively engage in lessons like making tacos with healthy ingredients in their own kitchens.
History of Casinos
Where else can you learn about the casinos that are right in your backyard? The heart of Las Vegas’ economy has deep roots. Learn all about the history of gambling, the creation of the games, how they’ve become a worldwide pastime, and why Las Vegas became the premiere destination for it all.
Hotel Administration Seminar
In response to the pandemic the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality has adapted their required internship program to remote learning. Students can now opt for this seminar course in place of an internship. Investigate existing establishments and then use your skills to freely design your own original hospitality experience.
Meetings and Events Culminating Experience
This is the class where all your skills come together. Hospitality students plan and execute a real event, which involves: putting together a theme; cost analysis; logistics; purchasing; sponsorships, marketing; and client relations. The same class that organized the 2021 Homecoming booth is also putting their skills to the test as they plan a pre-reception party for awardees Bobbie Barnes, Rikki Tannenbuam and Guy Fieri prior to the Alumni Awards Ceremony.
Las Vegas - The Class!
Las Vegas and its surrounding landscape has long served as inspiration for artists, writers and cultural theorists. This studio seminar explores Las Vegas as context for contemporary artists, a microcosm of American culture. From scavenger hunts as research to visits and conversations with contemporary artists making work informed by Vegas, the class will examine the Las Vegas produced for and presented to tourists and the Las Vegas created by local communities, off the Strip. The seminar will culminate in an online exhibition of student work responding and inspired by Las Vegas. Open to all disciplines. Assignments may be interpreted through any medium or discipline as 2D and 3D artworks, installation, performance, creative and scholarly writing, video/film, dance, etc.
Law & Inequality: Policing, Protest, & Reform
Inspired by the protests and cases of racial injustice across the country, this mandatory course for law students helps them understand the legal and historical consequences of these events. The concerns and questions surrounding policing, racial injustices, and the criminal justice system will have a significant impact on the future of the legal system and this course aims to create a more just system for all.
Legal Clinic on Law, Ethics and Advocacy
An education student as a member of a law firm? Yep, you heard that right. Students in this course not only learn about law, ethics, and advocacy related to special education, but they also become members of the Thomas & Mack Legal Clinic. Through an experiential and collaborative process with law students, education students provide educational advocacy for children and their adult decision makers who could not otherwise afford legal representation.
Nursing Care of the Adult-Medical Surgical Patient
NURS313R is an essential School of Nursing course for our second semester nursing students where they learn all about medical/surgical patient care; disease processes; critical thinking and decision-making. During this course, the focus is in acute care settings. Students learn about disease processes and various medical/surgical problems. While the course offers theory and clinical parts, it's in the simulation center where this course is truly significant as it tests the students' knowledge and skills without risk of patient harm, but they nonetheless learn important lessons.
Popular Culture In 19th Century America
Elizabeth Nelson's Popular Culture In 19th Century America examines the history of pop culture as a way to engage major social, political and economic issues in American history. Not only do students get to use a stereograph (the nineteenth-century version of view master) to look through nineteenth-century magazines and popular books and novels, but they take the learning outside, as they play nineteenth-century baseball on the academic mall and participate in a digital treasure hunt through the Lied Library databases — ending the semester with a tea party, complete with china tea service, scones and cucumber sandwiches.
Robotics
“Not now, I’m working with my Legos. It’s important.” For anyone who wants to be able to say that and mean it, Paul Oh’s mechanical engineering elective Robotics teaches students mechanism design, programming, and electronics through hands-on labs — using Legos. It also delves into the ethics of robots in society, so we don’t have a Terminator-style uprising coming out of the Beam Engineering Complex.
Technology Commercialization
If you’ve ever wanted to know how a product comes to market, this is the course for you. The course teaches students how to commercialize a product and take it to market. Throughout the course, students do a feasibility analysis on tech projects, especially around the Las Vegas area to help local start ups. This not only helps the community come together, but students are exposed to which questions they should ask and what effective tools will make a product successful. There is a big focus on conducting customer interviews and talking to people. You are able to learn much more about an industry if you’re engaged and asking questions, learning if there is a market for your product, and finding who you can sell it to.
Urban Adventure
This experiential, scenario-based class puts students right in the middle of the action to solve a metropolitan crime. Utilizing core skills and knowledge from across the urban affairs disciplines, students enhance their interpersonal communication and critical thinking abilities, their leadership and collaboration skills, their capacity to interact with the media, their ability to empathize with people and understand how communities provide social support, their knowledge of the justice system, and ability to conduct a criminal investigation.
Whether your interests lie with a pre-professional program that will lead you to an advanced degree, or something unique that will let you explore and push the boundaries of what’s possible, you can find your fit at UNLV.