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As a student in Rollins’ Professional Advancement programs, you’ll have the freedom to craft an educational journey that is unique as you are. After all, our general education curriculum includes just two prescribed courses. That not only gives us more flexibility to count more of your existing credits, but it also allows you to explore subjects that interest you as you develop always in-demand skills like creative problem solving and critical thinking. Good thing, too, because our innovative professors are constantly coming up with new ways to keep you engaged. Explore six all-new courses that you can be the first to take as a student in Rollins’ Professional Advancement programs.

PHY 195: Physics in Everyday Life

Professor: Samantha Fonseca Douguet
Coming Fall 2023

This course introduces the fundamental principles of physics by exploring the everyday mysteries happening around us. From the behavior of subatomic particles to the perception of light, students will discover the underlying laws that govern our physical world in a new and exciting way. “This course is not about memorizing equations and formulas,” says student Rafa Hasson Valdes-Sada ’25. “If you’re ready to challenge your understanding of the world around you, sign up.”

THE 195: Before the Curtain Rises

Professor: Lauren Cushman
Coming Fall 2023

In this immersive new course, students will learn the importance of every dramatic element—from playwriting and directing to acting and designing—through hands-on exercises, guest speakers, and watching theatrical productions. Along the way, students gain a sophisticated appreciation for drama and the artistry behind it.

ENV 286: Environmental Law

Professor: Josephine Balzac Arroyo
Coming Spring 2024

In this vital new course, students will explore legal concepts and strategies to promote environmental change. Through everything from laws and regulations to business management, policymaking, and grassroots advocacy, students will discover the many pathways for creating a positive ecological impact. “I’m excited to teach a topic I am very passionate about,” says Balzac Arroyo, a social entrepreneurship professor and partner at The Arroyo Law Firm. “This is something so important for our resilient future.”

BIO 112: Biological Aspects of Nutrition

Professor: Shahnaz Kanani
Coming Spring 2024

This new lab course for non-majors takes students on a journey through the biological human experience: examining foods, nutrients, and the organic processes they undergo. The class demystifies the complexity of ingestion, digestion, metabolism, and excretion and investigates current concepts in scientific nutrition. Along the way, students learn to apply these findings to their own health and unearth a profound awe for human biology.

INAF 331: International Political Economy

Professor: Jim Bacchus
Coming Spring 2024

This course will examine how the world works—and how it does not—on a planet that is home to more than 8 billion people who are divided among nearly 200 sovereign states. Students will master concepts of international finance, climate change, and sustainable development that are vital to global citizenship, including the international treaties and institutions that have been established to address these topics regionally and globally. This course will also highlight and explore the intercontinental issues of an interconnected world, including the shape of the worldwide economy, its evolution, and how the global affects the local in the 21st century.

LDR 395: Design Thinking Changemaker

Professor: Josephine Balzac-Arroyo
Coming Fall 2023

In this interdisciplinary course, students will learn and apply the best practices of social innovation and social entrepreneurship while participating in a human-centered design thinking project. Along the way, students will be introduced to an array of changemaking strategies, including organizational change, transformational leadership, storytelling, and sustainability. “Watching the students be creative and innovative in designing solutions to some of our most pressing problems is something I’m very much looking forward to,” says Balzac Arroyo.

• Professional Advancement