Courses

MASP Seminar Schedule Fall 2026

Course #TopicLocationTimeInstructor
ARSC1480- 401RImaginative Geographies in Film听Ketchum 1B60TH 11:00 am - 12:15 pmKevin Mason
ARSC 1470-403RDiscovering Biodiversity听LBB 153M 3:35 pm - 听4: 50 pmKate Semsar
ARSC 1470-400RExploring Academic Interests & ResearchStadium Building 135T 9:30 am - 10: 45 amKate Semsar
ARSC 1490-402RNarrative Sovereignty in Indigenous Literature and FilmCASE W 311TH 3:30 pm - 4:45 pmKaren Ramirez
ARSC 1490-401RMindful Campus

听REN脡E CROWN听WELLNESS INSTITUTE-

ASPEN CONFERENCE ROOM

W 2:00 pm-3:30 pmMichele Simpson
ARSC1480- 400R听Debates in International AffairsGold A1B20T 2:00 pm - 3:15 pmKevin Mason
  • MASP seminars are exclusively for MASP students completing the Program Requirements.
  • If you are a current MASP student who would like to register for a MASP class, please check your email, Canvas, or the newsletter听for details on MASP seminar registration for Fall 2026.
    • Registration for MASP seminars begins March 25th at 9:00 am in the MASP Office.
    • Classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • Students must take a series of MASP courses depending on when they join the program - if you have questions about the number of courses you are expected to complete, please reach out to your mentor or email masp@colorado.edu.

Class Descriptions

Imaginative Geographies in Film : (ARSC 1480-401R / Kevin Mason)

Imaginative Geographies in Film

Thursdays, 11:00 am - 12:15 pm, Ketchum 1B60

Film has the power to transport us to new places and allows to explore different people and cultures, but these portrayals are always grounded in power structures and belief and value systems that don鈥檛 necessarily reflect reality. Therefore, it鈥檚 important for us to interrogate the discourses, stereotypes, and beliefs about particular places and people that are embedded within popular media. Literary and cultural critic Edward Said used the term 鈥渋maginative geographies鈥 to make sense of the ways we perceive and understand a space and its inhabitants through imagery, discourse, and other forms of media. We鈥檒l use Said鈥檚 theoretical understanding of 鈥渋maginative geographies鈥 in combination with concepts such as orientalism, cultural imperialism, and decoloniality and apply those ideas to a selection of films we鈥檒l watch. Throughout the semester you鈥檒l think about the ways you can apply these concepts to the popular media you consume in your daily life in order to understand these media and their messages about place, power, and culture through a more critical and analytical lens.

Discovering Biodiversity听

Mondays, 3:35 pm - 4:50 pm, LBB 153

This class is designed to simply have some fun exploring the vast biodiversity of the planet Earth as well as reflect on what the diversity of life on this planet means to us on a personal level.听Throughout the听class, we听will explore听biodiversity听from two perspectives: (1)听discovering听what biodiversity is and its importance听to the planet and to ourselves听and (2)听investigating听local Colorado biodiversity. For the first perspective, we will define biodiversity, visualize species diversity across phyla,听and explore both how听humans have听impacted听biodiversity听and how biodiversity听impacts听us. For the second perspective, we will work together as a whole class to conduct a field study that will explore specific relationships between habitat characteristics and biodiversity in local water habitats.听For your final听project,听you have the choice to either听propose a research study related to biodiversity or pursue a naturalist portfolio听through听a mix of听photo collections of local species and听biodiversity-related听projects.听

Exploring Academic Interests & Research听

Tuesdays 9:30 am-10:45 am, Stadium Building 135

Whether you know where your academic and career interests are taking you or not, taking the time to explicitly name your interests and explore academic pathways on campus can be a helpful foundation for your time in college.听In this class, we will first spend time investigating your academic interests, and as we move through the class, we will explore how these interests fit into your overall life goals and viewpoints.听In addition, we will start to explore the type of research being conducted here at CU in your specific area of interest. As an undergraduate student, you will have opportunities to conduct research alongside faculty, and these rich experiences can help you excel in any career path you have. It听can be difficult, however, to know where to start in working towards doing undergraduate research, so in this class, you will be able to explore what research in your area of interest entails, how participating in research can benefit you, and how to get involved. In your final project, you will summarize the discoveries you have made and chart a pathway forward.听

Narrative Sovereignty in Indigenous Literature and Film听

Thursdays, 3:30 pm -4:45 pm, CASE W11

Indigenous narratives in the U.S. and Canada have听too听long been听framed听by outsiders.听This course deliberately听moves past听the settler colonial听lens听to examine how Indigenous communities use literature and film to assert tribal sovereignty and demand agency. Through our analysis of the concept of听鈥渘arrative sovereignty鈥 (Wente 2021),听we鈥檒l听explore how storytelling can defy听exploitation and catalyze听tribal听reclamation.听From the emotional听mixed-genre prose听of Deborah Miranda鈥檚 Bad Indians听(2013)听to听the ground-breaking film听Smoke Signals听(1998) and听popular听TV series听Reservation Dogs听(2021-2023),听we鈥檒l听explore how听Indigenous听storytelling听is听an act of resistance, healing, and political power.听听

Mindful Campus

Wednesdays, 2:00 pm-3:30 pm, Ren茅e Crown Aspen Conference Room

Mindfulness teaches us to be aware, attentive, and present in our lives.

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 pour from an empty cup鈥澨is a familiar and self-explanatory adage that we regularly return to throughout the Mindful Campus course鈥攁 class that actively encourages and supports the mental health and well-being of undergraduates participating in MASP.

Our intention is to build a community of mindful practitioners. Each session is devoted to information-sharing, discussion, journaling, contemplative practices, and movement. Art, poetry, and music are among the tools woven into the course that aims to nourish the hearts, minds, and spirits of MASP students.

We welcome both beginners and seasoned practitioners. The invitation is to meet, listen, and learn about yourself and others in a space free from judgment and criticism.

MASP Mindful Campus is a pass/fail class that meets for ninety minutes, once a week, over an eight-week period.听

听

Debates in International Affairs听

Tuesdays 2:00 - 3:15, Gold A1B20

In this discussion-based class, you鈥檒l debate key issues facing the world today, including topics related to immigration, climate change, geopolitics, regional cooperation, and global health, with your classmates in a roundtable discussion format. Throughout the semester, we鈥檒l also engage in lecture and conversation about the historical and contemporary context underlying each of these issues. This course emphasizes the development of your dialogue and argumentation skills, with a focus on listening to and engaging with diverse perspectives that may be different than your own, seeking compromise, and finding solutions. As we move through the semester, you鈥檙e expected to be a regular consumer of world news and to keep up to date with what鈥檚 happening around the world 鈥 each class will dedicate time to student-facilitated discussions of the week鈥檚 news. By the end of this class, you will have a greater appreciation of the complexity of global issues, be better able to articulate your opinions and perspectives through effective argumentation, and gain experience in engaging with different perspectives on the world.

Enrollment Dates for Fall 2026

MASP Registration Opens: March 25, 2026, at 9:00 am in the MASP Office.

Questions?

If you have questions, please contact the MASP staff听via email (masp@colorado.edu)