Courses

MASP Seminar Schedule Fall 2026

Course #TopicLocationTimeInstructor
ARSC1480- 401RImaginative Geographies in FilmKetchum 1B60TH 11:00 am - 12:15 pmKevin Mason
ARSC 1470-403RDiscovering BiodiversityLBB 153M 3:35 pm - 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

RENÉE CROWNWELLNESS INSTITUTE-

ASPEN CONFERENCE ROOM

W 2:00 pm-3:30 pmMichele Simpson
ARSC1480- 400RDebates 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 newsletterfor 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’t necessarily reflect reality. Therefore, it’s 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 “imaginative geographies” to make sense of the ways we perceive and understand a space and its inhabitants through imagery, discourse, and other forms of media. We’ll use Said’s theoretical understanding of “imaginative geographies” in combination with concepts such as orientalism, cultural imperialism, and decoloniality and apply those ideas to a selection of films we’ll watch. Throughout the semester you’ll 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

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.Throughout theclass, wewill explorebiodiversityfrom two perspectives: (1)discoveringwhat biodiversity is and its importanceto the planet and to ourselvesand (2)investigatinglocal Colorado biodiversity. For the first perspective, we will define biodiversity, visualize species diversity across phyla,and explore both howhumans haveimpactedbiodiversityand how biodiversityimpactsus. 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.For your finalproject,you have the choice to eitherpropose a research study related to biodiversity or pursue a naturalist portfoliothrougha mix ofphoto collections of local species andbiodiversity-relatedprojects.

Exploring Academic Interests & Research

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.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.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. Itcan 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.

Narrative Sovereignty in Indigenous Literature and Film

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

Indigenous narratives in the U.S. and Canada havetoolong beenframedby outsiders.This course deliberatelymoves pastthe settler coloniallensto examine how Indigenous communities use literature and film to assert tribal sovereignty and demand agency. Through our analysis of the concept of“narrative sovereignty” (Wente 2021),we’llexplore how storytelling can defyexploitation and catalyzetribalreclamation.From the emotionalmixed-genre proseof Deborah Miranda’s Bad Indians(2013)tothe ground-breaking filmSmoke Signals(1998) andpopularTV seriesReservation Dogs(2021-2023),we’llexplore howIndigenousstorytellingisan act of resistance, healing, and political power.

Mindful Campus

Wednesdays, 2:00 pm-3:30 pm, Renée Crown Aspen Conference Room

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

“You can’t pour from an empty cup”is a familiar and self-explanatory adage that we regularly return to throughout the Mindful Campus course—a 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.

Debates in International Affairs

Tuesdays 2:00 - 3:15, Gold A1B20

In this discussion-based class, you’ll 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’ll 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’re expected to be a regular consumer of world news and to keep up to date with what’s happening around the world – each class will dedicate time to student-facilitated discussions of the week’s 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 staffvia email (masp@colorado.edu)