This course is centered around the art and life of Beyonce Knowles Carter, the Houston-born musical and cultural monolith. Using her illustrative career as a lens, this course explores topics such as gender, race, class, and identity to examine larger questions about popular culture, art, and the world around us. Particular emphasis will be placed on Beyonce's visual works, including her distinctive visual albums Lemonade (2016) and Black is King (2019).

How does identity shape the questions we ask in science and research? In this course we will learn from a variety of academic disciplines (and each other) about the various ways our multiple identities?race, class, spirituality, gender, sexuality, etc.?influence our experiences and opportunities in our academic work. Together we will engage with practices and tools that researchers from a variety of disciplines, spanning the arts to the sciences, use to think about how we as individuals examine and relate to the world around us.

The Commonwealth Honors College thesis or project is intended to provide students with the opportunity to work closely with faculty members to define and carry out in-depth research or creative endeavors. It provides excellent preparation for students who intend to continue their education through graduate study or begin their professional careers. The student works closely with their 499Y Honors Research sponsor to pursue research on a topic or question of special interest to them in preparation for writing a 499T Honors Thesis or completing a 499P Honors Project.

Examines classic and contemporary texts in management commonly considered pioneering works. Participants read and critically evaluate the books to gain understanding of their importance in shaping the organization studies field.

There's more than one way to find success in college and the path to getting there is different for every student. Our goals in this course are to connect with fellow students and the instructor as you become a contributing member of the community, both at UMass and beyond; start planning your individual academic goals and pathways toward achieving them; explore the different majors in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and start thinking like a social scientist.