15 Unique Courses at Columbia

Columbia University has a Core Curriculum that requires all students to take courses across different disciplines, from literature to philosophy to science. You can check the Columbia course catalog to look for what interests you. To give you an idea of what to expect, this article will list 15 unique courses at Columbia and give an overview of each.

• Unique Arts and Humanities Courses at Columbia
• Unique Science and Technology Courses at Columbia
• Unique Social Sciences Courses at Columbia
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

Unique Arts and Humanities Courses at Columbia

You might notice that Columbia’s arts and humanities courses usually cross borders between subjects. Thanks to that, you’ll be able to approach culture and history from fresh angles.

1. AHIS UN3105 Sacred Spaces ＆ Divine Images Transformed

How have art and architecture changed under religious practices? In this unique Columbia course by the Department of Art History and Archaeology, you’ll study how Roman rule transformed Middle Eastern art and architecture.

You’ll also look at sites like the Palmyra temple or Dura-Europos synagogue, learning how polytheist and monotheist communities repurposed each other’s buildings.

The class discusses topics such as continuity of cults, creation of new deities, and even aniconism (avoiding images). By looking at original temples and churches, you learn how Roman, Jewish, and Christian practices intertwined. The course combines archaeology and history to reveal how conquerors and locals negotiated identity through art.

2. ENGL UN3432 Places for Poetry

How does poetry claim space? Is a poem written within a very specific context unintelligible if you weren’t part of it? How far should a place-based poem go in removing any local attachments to be more easily understood universally?

You’ll try to answer those kinds of questions in this unique course by Columbia’s Department of English and Comparative Literature. Rather than a chronological timeline, discussions are organized by setting: country houses, city streets, islands, and even outer space.

You’ll read English, American, and colonial poets from the 18th and 19th centuries, considering how urbanization and empire shaped their imagery. For example, you might compare Wordsworth’s rural verse to Whitman’s New York lines, or Blake’s battlefields to Tagore’s villages.

For your final project, you’ll map a location that means a lot to you and trace its poetry.

3. FILM UN2410 Lab in Writing Film Criticism

You’re probably no stranger to the statement “Everyone’s a critic.” However, is everyone a good critic? This unique Columbia course by the Department of Film and Media Studies will teach you to develop a strong voice and build good arguments about movies.

You can expect to have screenings in and out of class, followed by writing exercises. You’ll also read contemporary reviews and discuss editorial styles to see how film journalism works today. At the end of the class, you’ll be able to debate which critical approach best suits a film and how to explain and back up your opinions.

However, take note that this class gives priority to film majors, and non-majors will need to submit a 3-page film-related writing sample to be considered.

4. MUSI UN2230 History and Practice of Electronic Music

How far back does electronic music go, and how much has it changed? This unique course from Columbia’s Department of Music traces how technology changed music, from 19th-century experiments to modern genres like vaporwave or hyperpop.

You can expect to listen to curated playlists in class, identifying how sounds evolved from musique concrète and drone to dub and techno. There will also be short hands-on projects that will let you try music-making tools yourself, so you can experience for yourself how a synthesizer or sampler can create a new style.

The course will touch on the cultural side too, such as how audiences in different eras reacted to electronic sounds.

5. RELI UN1452 Animals and Religion

Animals are everywhere in all belief systems, from sacred cows to dragon myths. This unique Columbia course by the Department of Religion will look at how Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, and various indigenous faiths view animals—covering topics like ritual sacrifice, vegetarianism, and animal rights.

You’ll also discuss modern issues like species extinction, factory farming, and ethical debates under a religious lens. You can think of it as a cross-cultural ethics course where you’ll reflect on whether religion is an obstacle or resource for thinking about animals, critically linking spirituality with ecology.

Unique Science and Technology Courses at Columbia

Columbia’s STEM courses can be as interesting and fun as its humanities. These classes are designed to tell scientific stories or connect lab work with big questions.

6. EESC UN1001 Dinosaurs and History of Life

If you had a dinosaur phase as a kid (or you never grew out of that phase), this unique course from Columbia’s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences is for you. Here, you’ll discuss where dinosaurs came from, how they dominated the Earth for 135 million years, and why they eventually went extinct (or did they?).

The class has a lab component where you’ll actually handle specimens, use microscopes, and date rocks and fossils. By digging into real specimens, you’ll also learn how scientists reconstruct ancient ecosystems. This course is great for non-geology majors since it lets them experience field science.

7. PHYS UN1111 Origins and Meaning

This unique Columbia course by the Department of Physics combines physics with psychology and philosophy to explore fundamental questions about the universe and humanity. You’ll trace cosmology from the Big Bang to ideas of consciousness.

Rather than just talking about formulas, the lectures will spark philosophical debates, such as whether reductionist science can explain human meaning, or how art and culture fit into the cosmic story. You’ll ask questions like “How did atoms, stars, life and minds arise?” and “What might happen in the far future?” You might even discuss whether concepts like value and purpose still have meaning if the universe ends.

8. BIOL UN1130 Genes and Development

In this unique course by Columbia’s Department of Biology, you’ll learn the basics of genes and development and their related ethical issues. Lectures will explain gene regulation and how mutations can cause diseases, while labs or discussions will show how scientists use gene-editing tools.

There will also be student-led workshops on topics like the ethics and societal impacts of IVF, genetic privacy, GMOs, and cloning. By the end of the semester, you’ll understand CRISPR and the controversies around it.

9. ASTR BC1753 Life in the Universe

Do you believe in extraterrestrial beings? Are we humans truly alone in the universe? Regardless of your answer, you might find this unique Columbia course from the Department of Astronomy interesting.

The syllabus will cover historical astronomy and the laws of gravity, how planets and stars form, and how life might emerge on other worlds. You’ll also look at the climate on Venus and Mars and actively search for extraterrestrial intelligence. You can also expect guest lectures from NASA or astrobiologists.

By mixing chemistry, geology, and biology, you’ll get a big-picture perspective of how Earth fits into the cosmos and if it really is possible to have other living beings in the universe.

10. UN3811 Toxic

We live in a toxic world, exposed to contaminants every day through our food, water, air, consumer products, and everything else we come into contact with. In this unique course by Columbia’s Center for Science and Society, you’ll realize how toxins and pollutants affect people unequally.

In this course, you’ll study how historical factors like colonialism, racism, and gender mean some groups suffer more exposure to hazards. You’ll also look into how scientists, humanists, and even political activists think of toxicity as both a material and social phenomenon.

You can expect to read ethnographies and memoirs about poisoning and pollution, and even create projects mapping your own exposure.

Unique Social Sciences Courses at Columbia

Columbia’s social sciences classes deal with big human questions or under-studied histories by combining theory with current issues.

11. LING UN3103 Language, Brain and Mind

This unique Columbia course by the Linguistics Program combines linguistics and neuroscience to help you answer the questions: What makes human language unique? How are we able to speak?

In this class, you’ll study the neurological and psychological foundations of speech, such as how our brains evolved to handle language, and where grammar and meaning are processed in the brain. You’ll look at whether language ability is a special module or part of general learning.

The class even considers whether speaking different languages affects how we think since the structure of different languages can differ greatly.

12. POLS UN3106 Democracy: Principles, Critics and Problems

Democracy has become viewed as the “best” political order after historical events like the end of Nazism and fascism. However, in this unique course by Columbia’s Department of Political Science, you’ll take a closer look at democracy’s ideals and flaws. You’ll start by tracing democracy’s rise after WWII and study it in the modern context amidst globalization and populism.

In this class, you can expect to answer the questions “What are democracy’s core values?” and “Why do critics call democracy inefficient or corrupt?” You’ll debate ideas like whether democracy needs partisan checks or whether more informed elites would make better decisions.

By the end of the semester, you’ll have a more nuanced view of democracy’s promises and shortcomings.

13. CLCV UN3009 Ancient Greek ＆ Roman Medicine

If you’ve ever been curious about what the ancient healers in Greek and Roman times used as medicine and how they performed their work, this unique course from Columbia’s Department of Classics might have the answers to your questions.

You’ll study classical medicine, reading original Greek and Latin texts (in translation) to see how doctors like Hippocrates and Galen treated patients. The class compares methods like reasoning from first principles and empirical observation and studies connections between medicine, science, and herbal remedies.

The course is open to anyone since you’re not required to have any knowledge of Greek or Latin. However, it’s an especially class for pre-med students interested in the roots of healing or students interested in medical humanities.

14. HIST UN1488 Indigenous History of North America

North America already had a rich history long before Christopher Columbus set foot on the continent. This unique Columbia course from the Department of History offers a broad survey of Native American history from colonization to modern times.

The class will especially emphasize that Indigenous peoples did not share one single story—in fact, each nation had its own culture and response to colonization.

You’ll study encounters between Native nations and European empires or U.S. governments, focusing on different indigenous experiences. You’ll also see how Native Americans influenced concepts like nationhood, race, and citizenship in North America, proving that Native history is a big part of the continent’s development.

15. HRTS UN3970 Introduction to Genocide Studies

This unique course at Columbia’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights won’t try to moralize or distance you from genocide. Instead, you’ll try to define and study genocide across disciplines like history, psychology, law, and political science, among others. You’ll look at historical cases and legal definitions, and consider the limits of what we can know about these events.

The class will also ask how you can commemorate or prevent genocide and even engage in advocacy projects.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Columbia best known for academically?

Columbia is best known academically for its programs in literature and writing, journalism, economics and business, political science, and physics.

2. What is unique about Columbia’s Core Curriculum?

Columbia’s Core Curriculum is unique for its breadth and depth, spanning literature, philosophy, art, and science. They make up a large portion of your classes.

3. Which course is best in Columbia University?

There is no single “best” course, since it depends on your interests. The Columbia course catalog is vast, and while you might love learning about dinosaurs, other students might lean towards studying the history of medicine.

Takeaways

• Columbia University’s Core Curriculum ensures students engage with classic texts in literature, philosophy, art, and science, giving them a broad educational foundation.
• The Columbia course catalog offers many unique and interesting classes across different fields, giving you options regardless of your interests.
• Want to experience the courses listed above? Consult a private admissions expert to help you craft a college application that can improve your chances of being accepted.