Summer Courses 2026

Track A / May 5th - June 18th

SS2200 Intro to Archaeology

How does the past shape our modern reality? This course explores the tangible evidence of our history through archaeology. After exploring the diverse methods used to discover and interpret past cultures, we will shift our focus to the practical
application of these findings. We will examine archaeology not just as a study of the past, but as a vital tool for solving contemporary problems, ultimately discovering why the human past remains essential to navigating our present lives.
Fulfills: Ess Ed Foundations/Human World, Ess Ed SHAPE, Soc Resp & Ethical Reasoning, Gen Ed Soc Resp/Ethical CORE, Gen Ed Social & Behavioral Sci, SSS Anthrop/Archaeology Elect, Gen Ed STEM Restricted
CRN 52046, 3 Credits, Instructor: Sam Sweitz
SS2200 Intro to Archaeology
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SS2300 Environment and Society

Examines social approaches to understanding why environmental problems happen and how environmental problems are resolved. Includes concepts such as sustainability, market-based environmental policies, property systems, and environmental justice. Case studies may include biodiversity, deforestation, climate change, water quality, and toxics.
Fulfills: Ess Ed Foundations/Human World, Ess Ed SHAPE, Critical & Creative Thinking, Gen Ed Crit/Creative CORE, Gen Ed Social & Behavioral Sci
CRN 51703+51704 (Lec/Rec), 3 Credits, Instructor: Roman Sidortsov

SS3110 Food Systems and Sustainability

Compares the embedded nature of culturally defined food production and consumption habits: the crux of nature meeting and mixing with culture. The course features classic food system scholarship as well as emerging topics and contemporary case studies.
Fulfills: Ess Ed Intercult'l Competency, Ess Ed SHAPE, Soc Resp & Ethical Reasoning, Gen Ed Social & Behavioral Sci
CRN 52045, 3 Credits, Instructor: Angie Carter

SS3315 Population, Health, and Environment

This course investigates relationships between the world's population, population change, population distribution, resource consumption, and environmental, health, and social consequences. Addresses local and global relationships and the population processes (mortality, fertility, and migration) involved.
Fulfills: Ess Ed SHAPE, Global Literacy, Gen Ed Social & Behavioral Sci
CRN 52047, 3 Credits, Instructor: Carolin Sjoholm

SS3540 History of Michigan 

The history of Michigan from before European settlement to the present.
Fulfills: Ess Ed Arts & Cultures, Ess Ed SHAPE, Soc Resp & Ethical Reasoning, Gen Ed Social & Behavioral Sci, SSS History Elective
CRN 51463, 3 Credits, Instructor: Laura Rouleau

SS3990 Community-Engaged Experience 

Engage in 65 hours of a community project or service during the semester. Bring a community partner to work with such as a nonprofit or student organization OR be provided a local partner to work with. Opportunity to bring your own project! Take advantage of your existing work with a student group or local organization. Meets the Essential Ed Experience Requirement! Fulfill the E3 requirement online! Projects can be completed locally or in your home town.  Students reflect on experiences and integrate scholarship on community engagement.
Fulfills: Ess Ed Experience, Social & Behavioral Sci HASS
CRN 52061, 3 Credits, Instructor: Kari Henquinet
ss3990
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Track B / June 22nd - August 6th

SS2400 Intro to Human Geography

This course introduces students to concepts, problems, and case studies that make up the study of human geography: the spatial differentiation and organization of human activity, environmental sustainability, and the role of space and place in our everyday lives.
Fulfills: Ess Ed Foundations/Human World, Ess Ed SHAPE, Soc Resp & Ethical Reasoning, Gen Ed Soc Resp/Ethical CORE, Gen Ed Social & Behavioral Sci
CRN 52052, 3 Credits, Instructor: Kathryn Hannum

SS3530 The Automobile in America 

Examines the automobile in diverse ways, seeing it as a complex product to be manufactured, as a stimulus to reshaping the environment, as an object that has altered social behavior, and as a problem solver and problem maker..
Fulfills: Ess Ed Arts & Cultures, Ess Ed SHAPE, Soc Resp & Ethical Reasoning, Gen Ed Social & Behavioral Sci, SSS History Elective, SSS Political Science Elective
CRN 51393, 3 Credits, Instructor: Laura Rouleau

SS3630 Environmental Policy and Politics 

This course explores how policies are made, who shapes them, and how they affect critical issues related to climate, energy, water, and natural resources. Through real-world examples, you will see how political debates, public opinion, and policy tools drive environmental change.
Fulfills: Environmental Engr Prof Elect, Ess Ed SHAPE, FES Environmental Electives, Soc Resp & Ethical Reasoning, Gen Ed Social & Behavioral Sci, SSS Geography/Environment Elec, SSS Political Science Elective
CRN 52056, 3 Credits, Instructor: Carolin Sjoholm
SS3630
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SS3800 Energy Policy and Technology 

This course examines the policies and technologies affecting the production, transportation, and use of energy. It focuses on U.S. domestic energy policy and places it in the context of the global energy system. The course aims at providing a holistic view of energy systems connecting technological options with societal and environmental concerns.
Fulfills: Ess Ed STEM, Critical & Creative Thinking, Gen Ed Social & Behavioral Sci, SSS Geography/Environment Elec, SSS Political Science Elective
CRN 52066, 3 Credits, Instructor: Roman Sidortsov

SS3920 Mining in the Keweenaw 

Explore the history and impact of copper mining in the Keweenaw Peninsula! Using archaeological data and historical sources, we will trace the significance of miskwaabik (“red metal”) from early Indigenous surface mining through the industrial operations of the 19th and into the late 20th century. Topics will include geology of the Keweenaw, the evolution of extractive technology, and the environmental legacy of mining.
Fulfills: Ess Ed Intercult'l Competency, Ess Ed SHAPE, Critical & Creative Thinking, Gen Ed Social & Behavioral Sci, SSS Anthrop/Archaeology Elect
CRN 52053, 3 Credits, Instructor: Sam Sweitz
SS3920
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