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Interesting & Unique Classes

Add a little spice to your schedule with unique classes at the University of Arizona, including picks from real Wildcats.

Want a guarantee that you’ll always show up to class? Book classes with topics you look forward to learning about! Whether for your major or as an elective, these interesting classes at the University of Arizona are thought-provoking and memorable.

These are the perfect classes to consider as part of the University of Arizona’s revamped GenEd program, which encourages students to explore different perspectives and connect with their individualized career paths.

Fun University of Arizona Classes

ASTR 202 – Life in the Universe

Discover the possibilities for life in the universe and, in the process, gain an appreciation for the methods used in science. Learn about the origin of the universe, the formation of stars and planets, the nature of planets and their atmospheres, and interstellar travel. 

FITS 204 – Fashion Consumers and the Shopping Economy

A study of consumer behavior and fashion adoption processes in contemporary society, the nature of fashion theories, the life-cycle, social and cultural processes and evolution of fashion, including recognizing the cause and effects of this industry on the world’s environment and inhabitants.

FOOD 353 – Coffee: From Crop to Cup

Ever wondered where your coffee comes from and how it ends up in your cup? Learn about the coffee supply chain from crop to cup, including how coffee is involved in global power structures and how consumers and specialty coffees can influence change.

GEOG 150B2 – Crime and the City

Examine crime and the city as mutually constitutive manifestations of identity and power. This is a very popular class in which the professor explores things like graffiti in urban areas to myth bust some popular conceptions about crime.

HIST 160D1 – Food & Power in Global History

Why do certain foods appeal and others repel? How do foods move from their original homes into our own? How has our cuisine evolved? Food & Power in Global History considers the cultural, economic, and geopolitical discovery, evolution, and migration of food and drink from pre-modern times to the present.

JPN 245 – Japanese Popular Culture: Manga, Anime, and So Much More!

Explore contemporary Japanese society by investigating its colorful, dynamic, and rich output of visual culture. See how manga, cinematic anime, and items of material culture illustrate various aspects of life in Japan.

Bonus

Earn University of Arizona credit by interacting with special educational content while playing the popular strategy video game Age of Empires IV.

Students’ Favorite Classes

“I took poetry as a GenEd my junior year. I’ve always loved to write and poetry had always interested me. Poetry challenged my thinking and pushed me to be creative in my writing. Prior to that class, I had always written for prompts or very professionally, and suddenly I was able to really enjoy what I was putting on paper.” 

Sammy Cibulka • Class of 2023
Major: Broadcast Journalism • Minor: Sports Management
Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona

“The best class I’ve taken was African Studies (AFAS 160A2). Not only did I have fun reading about the history of the African diaspora – where I am from – and the traditions of my ancestors, but I also expanded my knowledge by learning new things I was ignorant about. It was an amazing class taught by an amazing teacher and the material was so fluid and easy to understand.”

Yassine Halhoul • Class of 2024
Major: Aerospace Engineering
Hometown: Fez, Morocco

“The best class I have ever taken was MCB 181R with Dr. Stephanie Capaldi (I know; why would anyone like an intro lecture?). This class helped me discover my enjoyment for molecular and cellular biology and, more specifically, genetics. After this course, I switched my major and found a professor who helped me discover my future aspirations of working in infectious disease. I now get to be a preceptor for this course!”

Emma Romano • Class of 2025
Major: Molecular and Cellular Biology Major • Minor: Health and Human Values
Hometown: Bridgeport, West Virginia

Explore all available classes by browsing the University of Arizona’s course catalog.