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12 classes you didn’t know you could take at Carthage College

College is the time to explore all of your interests — and that doesn’t stop at clubs, sports, and activities! At Carthage, you can take classes that you might not have known existed. Whether you want to learn about ballet, game development, or insects, Carthage has you covered. Here is a list of 12 of the coolest classes offered at Carthage.

1. Applied Dance: Ballet I

In Applied Dance: Ballet I, students are introduced to ballet instruction. The course works to establish fundamental movement, including ballet positions and barre and center exercises. This course is open to all students.

“I really loved taking Ballet I. I went into it hesitant and sure that I would have a hard time or wouldn’t enjoy the rigid structure of the dance style. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Jenny Reed, the instructor, taught at a level and speed that met the diverse needs of the class. I greatly enjoyed how I was able to take what I needed from the class as someone with limited dance experience.” — Emily Halfmann ’25music and musical theatre major.

2. Creative Writing

Open to all students, Creative Writing is a workshop in poetry and fiction writing. Through reading and responding to published literary pieces and their own projects, students acquire an increased appreciation for the craft and aesthetic of literature and their own writing skills.

“My favorite class was Creative Writing with Professor Shannon Brennan. On our first day of class, I learned a wonderful rule that has helped me with all of my writing: make mistakes. This has helped me get outside of my comfort zone and explore new ideas without being afraid of messing up because mistakes can always be fixed. This class inspired me to write more and keep a journal, so I can get all of my ideas down.” — Zoey Kurka ’25English and psychology major.

3. Decoding Disney

In Decoding Disney, students examine the expression and dissemination of American cultural values through mass-mediated popular culture, using historical and contemporary representations of the Walt Disney empire as its case study. Disney’s films, consumer products, and theme parks make major contributions to global popular culture, and reflect, reinforce, and even challenge widely-held notions of gender, race, class, sexuality, nation, and personhood. Using interdisciplinary methods, this course deconstructs all things Disney from sociological and critical perspectives.

“My favorite class at Carthage has been Decoding Disney with Professor Dani Jarvis. I loved learning about the ways people are socialized and how it starts with kids’ movies that create preconceived notions in our minds about the world around us. It was the most interesting and engaging class I have ever taken, and I would definitely take that class again if I could, especially because there is so much content. Prof. Jarvis is also an amazing teacher.” — Gabriella Tanguay ’25social work major.

4. Entomology

Are you looking to get hands-on experience when it comes to the study of arthropods? Then the Entomology course is perfect for you! This lab studies of the structure, function, life cycles, economic impact, and taxonomic classification and identification of arthropods, with an emphasis on insects. The course comprises lectures, labs, field trips, and insect collection.

“’m taking Entomology, a class focused on the study of insects, and it’s a blast. Most people are afraid of bugs, but it’s truly fascinating how different they are from us. I’m also interested in the invertebrate side of paleontology, so learning about the modern analogs of prehistoric invertebrates is very helpful.” — Maverick Leer ’26biology and paleontology major.

5. Film and New Media Production

Did you ever want to experience the behind-the-scenes production of making a film? Have you ever wanted to create your own movie? The Film and New Media Production course has you covered! This course engages students in the process of developing, writing, producing, shooting, and editing content for audio, video, virtual reality, and new media. Students study the process of media production by critical analysis of film texts and by active participation in the production process.

“My favorite class at Carthage so far has been Film and New Media Production because so many skills can be learned to create films by yourself, and the right experience can translate to many resources.” — Terrell Tremar Franklin ’25English major and film and new media minor.

6. Game Development I

Students interested in learning the craft of game development and creating their own games should take Game Development I! Reaching far beyond the multibillion-dollar gaming industry, the lessons of video game development increasingly translate to disparate fields requiring simulation, training, and easy-to-use interfaces. Students are introduced to the game development and design process and will build games representative of various genres. 

“Game Development I has to be my favorite class so far. It was the first experience I’d ever had working with a game engine, so I was always so excited to go to class and learn more about Unity. Getting your game to work and then being able to play it is such a unique and fun experience.” — Matty Michel ’26computer science and game development major.

7. Geology of the National Parks

In Geology of National Parks, students learn about highlights of geological features in U.S. National Parks formed by igneous activity, mountain building and uplift, glaciation, weathering and erosion, wave action, and groundwater, as well as human impacts on sustaining national parks.

“My favorite class here so far was the Geology of the National Parks with Professor Joy Mast. I absolutely love the national parks here in the U.S., and I love rocks, so a class that I got to spend each day learning about those two topics in tandem was perfect for me. The class allowed us to explore around 40 national parks, and how they each changed and formed since the earth began to become the natural beauties that they are today. While being centered on geology, the class is still very accessible to anyone outside of the geoscience major.” — Josh Maraldo ’26geoscience major.

8. Introduction to International Relations

Those interested in global powers and how they interact with one another, Introduction to International Relations is for you! This course is open to all students and offers an introduction to the major concepts and theories in international politics and their application to the events of the postwar world, particularly the Cold War and the North-South conflict. Attention is also given to disruptive forces in the international community, such as the nuclear arms race and ethnic conflict, as well as those forces, such as the United Nations, that contribute to world order.

“My favorite class at Carthage so far has been Introduction to International Relations with Professor Jeffrey Roberg. Prof. Roberg also heads the Model UN, so having him in class helps build on my knowledge of the world and its many factors. I won’t lie, this class is incredibly challenging as it is all new subject content, but his humor and evident love for the topic give me the inspiration I need to complete the coursework. It is definitely a pleasure to be in his class.” — Lorin Bucur ’26international political economyChinese, and finance major.

9. Issues of Living and Dying

Death isn’t something that most students think they will study in college, but Issues of Living and Dying will give you the opportunity to think about death and life in a holistic and logical way. In this class, you will focus on issues such as definitions of death, views of suffering, and the grief process. You’ll be pushed to come to your own conclusion as to how death should be viewed, and you can be assured that you will come out of Issues of Living and Dying with a new perspective on life.

“My favorite class so far would be Issues in Living and Dying. In this class, we were able to have candid discussions about death and how to support people in grief, which I think are very important skills and outlooks that can be overlooked. I’m a people-person, so I love to have a discussion about how people think!” — Kara R. Oldham ’26English and religion major.

10. Law and Economics

An interactive course for those interested in the legal side of economics, Law and Economics is an examination of how economic concepts and modeling can be applied to help determine the justification for, and the effects of, various types of laws and contractual arrangements. The problems posed by externalities and other market failure arising in resource, labor, and product markets are discussed, and the legal framework and regulatory environment for addressing these issues is surveyed so alternative approaches might be evaluated.

“Law and Economics has been my favorite class at Carthage so far. We spent the whole semester doing research and writing up a legal memo on real issues that need to be addressed now, and we did so in a very interesting and fun way. I got to learn about a lot of very interesting and pressing issues, and taking this class really opened my eyes to a lot of different subjects I hadn’t really thought about before.” — Colin Graham ’26economics major.

11. Molecules, Cells, and Organisms

This combined lecture and lab is for first-year biology majors and provides them with hands-on original research experience. The course covers biological content from molecules, cells, and whole organisms within an evolutionary framework; research skills appropriate to the research focus; the generation and analysis of data; and presentation of the results for the larger scientific community. The content includes topics such as molecular structures and characteristics, cellular components and functions, gene expression, energy capture and transformation, homeostasis, repair, reproduction, and processes of evolution at these scales.

“I absolutely loved Molecules, Cells, and Organisms, which included the Phage Hunters Lab. This lab was such a fun and unique experience. We began the semester with the sole goal of discovering phage in a soil sample. Bacteriophage is a type of virus that infects a bacterial host cell to replicate and consists of three main parts: head, tail, and tail fibers. Our research specifically hoped to gain high titer lysate from Arnie. We also anticipated extracting large amounts of DNA from our high-titer lysate. The goal was to extract enough DNA to be used in further research on Arnie.” — Emily Chong ’27biology major.

12. Music Theatre Techniques I: Song Analysis

Music Theatre Techniques I: Song Analysis is for students interested in singer-actor performances. The course provides foundational instruction in music theatre performance skills: character development and portrayal, scene study, and audition skills. Students will study the history and context of music theatre through the study of performances and develop as performers through this study. Students will analyze performance text and integrate new understandings into solo and small ensemble performances.

“I have loved Music Theatre Techniques with Professor Matthew Hougland. I am always excited to walk into this class and experience my love for music. We prepare songs and perform them in front of our peers and Prof. Hougland. We then receive coaching based on our performance and discuss how we feel about our performance. After the coaching, our peers give us commentary. Each class is different, and that’s what makes me so excited to go to this class. You learn to love yourself as a performer each day.” — Danae Palmer ’25musical theatre major.

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