Outside of the Box Electives
Whether it covers a topic related to your major, an unrelated but complementary field or a subject you’ve just always found interesting, picking a good elective is one way to really get the most out of your college education. Florida Tech offers hundreds of electives across all disciplines for you to choose from, but here are a few you may find unique, interesting and perhaps even fun!
Analyze Fiction & Film
- Crime in Fiction
- Monsters in Fiction
- From the catalog: Explores social, political, artistic and psychological aspects of the image of the monstrous as seen through the lens of fiction. Combines theoretical readings with focused analyses of primary works. Topics range from traditional monsters, such as vampires, to less conventional types, such as monstrous spaces.
- Narrative Film
- Science Fiction Literature and Film
- Serial Killers in Fiction
- From the catalog: Explores the representation of serial killers in works of fiction and the cultural roles of narratives about serial killers. Examines the relationship between discourses about real serial murder and fictional serial murder within the framework of social, political and economic forces. Studies both print and screen narratives.
- Television and Popular Culture
Play Music
- Chamber Music Ensemble
- From the catalog: Provides students the opportunity to earn credit through performance as part of a chamber music ensemble under the direction of a member of the music faculty.
- Concert Band
- Concert Choir
- Jazz Ensemble
- From the catalog: Provides experienced music students the opportunity to earn credit through performance as part of a jazz ensemble under the direction of a member of the music faculty.
- String Orchestra
Dig into Musical Roots
- Intro to World Music Culture
- Jazz and African American Experience
- From the catalog: Explores how jazz reflects the African American experience and acts as a catalyst for social change and as an agent for identity formation. Considers the potential for jazz to give voice and empowerment to artists. Investigates the role of jazz in cultivating an (African) American style that is recognized and respected across the globe.
- Music Theory and Ear Training
- Music in Video Games
- From the catalog: Explores video game music from its technological beginnings to its complex narrative and immersive structures in modern gaming. Students will learn tools for analysis and composition and will discuss music’s reflection of video game culture through time and across the globe. No prior music or programming experience is necessary.
- Popular Music and Culture
Communicate Differently
- Creative Writing
- From the catalog: Introduces the techniques of writing fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and drama through a workshop structure. Focuses on production of texts, peer criticism, in-class and outside class exercises and analyses of published texts.
- Media Production—Audio or Video
- Photography
- Writing About Science
- From the catalog: Designed for both communication and science majors. Covers the methods of scientific writing, including ways in which complex scientific topics can be conveyed to popular audiences. Also includes more traditional types of scientific writing, such as scientific journal articles and proposals.
Speak Another Language
- Chinese
- German
- From the catalog: Introduces the four basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) in German and German culture.
- Japanese
- French
- Italian
- From the catalog: Introduces the four basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) in Italian and Italian culture.
- Spanish
Understand Unique Mindsets
- Abnormal Psychology
- Animal Learning and Behavior
- From the catalog: Surveys major topics, including learning vs. unlearned behavior, communication, reproduction, cognition, social behavior and tool use. Employs evolutionary, genetic and environmental perspectives to understand behavior.
- Culture and Psychology
- Introduction to Global and Multicultural Awareness
- From the catalog: Introduces multicultural perspectives in a collaborative learning environment. Involves observation, interactive engagement, critical thinking and reflective writing. Enhances awareness and deepens understanding of diverse viewpoints, lifestyles and structures that shape communities.
- Psychology of—Learning and Motivation, Disasters, Personality, Leadership, Women and more.
This piece was featured in the spring 2023 edition of The Pursuit.
