Certificate in Art and Social Change
Certificate in Art and Social Change
The Certificate in Art and Social Change allows students to engage with some of the most urgent issues in our societies, as they relate to justice, equality, and diversity. Artists and activists play an increasingly important role in advancing justice and promoting social change at the local, national, and global levels. The interdisciplinary approach of this certificate enables students to examine the role of different forms of artistic productions as a catalyst for social change. By intersecting disciplinary and geographic boundaries, courses in this certificate explore topics such as cinema and visual cultures, media activism, theater and environmental justice, creative design, migration and religious diversity, gender and community engagement. The Certificate in Art and Social Change emphasizes a pedagogical and scholarly approach rooted in critical thinking, anti-oppression practices, and community building. Thanks to its interdisciplinary nature this certificate is suitable for students in different social sciences, humanities, and business fields across colleges.
Steps to declare a Certificate in Art and Social Change
To declare a Certificate in Art and Social Change or to express interest and/or ask questions about possible courses for approval, please email Michela Ardizzoni at michela.ardizzoni@colorado.edu.
Certificate Requirements
- Students are required to complete a total of 18 credit hours. 9 credit hours must be completed at the upper-division level (3000- or 4000-level courses).
- A minimum of 12 credit hours must be taken on campus or with a CU-sponsored Study Abroad program.
- No more than 9 credits should be taken from any one department.
- The certificate is open to all degree-seeking undergraduate students at CU Boulder.
- Students are required to take the introductory course ITAL/FREN 1350 Introduction to Social Change in the Arts.
- Students will choose three courses from Category A "Arts, Media, and Social Change" and two courses from the list of Electives.
- No more than 3 semester transfer credit hours from other institutions will count towards the certificate.
Course Options
| Required Introductory Course | |||
| FREN/ITAL 1350 | Introduction to Social Change in the Arts | 3 | spring 2026 |
| Category A: Arts, Media and Social Change | |||
| Choose at least three: | 9 | ||
| Global Art and Visual Culture | |||
| US Art Across Cultures | |||
| American Indians in Film | |||
| Performance Media Cultures | |||
| Dance in Cultural Perception and Expression | |||
| Dancing Histories: Sex, Gender and Race in U.S. Concert Dance | |||
| Hip-Hop Dance History | |||
| Introduction to BIPOC Horror | |||
| American Indians in Film | |||
| Introduction to Hip Hop Studies | |||
| Screening Race, Class & Gender in the U.S. and the Global Borderland | |||
| FREN 3450 | Underground Paris | Summer | |
| FREN 3800 | France and the Muslim World | ||
| MDST 3002 | Digital Culture and Politics | ||
| MDST 4221 | Media Technology and Cultural Change | ||
| MDST 4331 | Gender, Race, Class, and Sexuality in Popular Culture | ||
| MDST 4405 | Queer and Trans Identities in Popular Culture | ||
| THTR 4029 | Performance and Community Engagement | ||
| THTR 4173 | Creative Climate Communication | ||
| WRTG 2095 | Ideas for Social Change | ||
| WRTG 3020 | Topics in Writing (New Media and Civic Engagement) | ||
| If you find a course not listed above that you think might fit, contact michela.ardizzoni@colorado.edu | |||
| Electives | |||
| Two additional courses from Category A above or any of the following: | 6 | ||
| Creative Climate Communication | |||
| Women in Film | |||
| Environmental Cinema | |||
| Education in Film | |||
| Strategies for Social Change | |||
| Race, Class, and Gender in Young Adult Literature | |||
| Sexuality and Gender Wars in Italy and France | |||
| French Culture Through Fashion | |||
| HIST 4349 | Decolonization of the British Empire | ||
| That's Amore: Introduction to Italian Culture | |||
| Italian Culture Through Cinema | |||
| Crime, Media, and Contemporary Culture | |||
| Fashion, Society, and Decor | |||
| Global Theatre and Performance 2: Contesting the Status Quo | |||
| Introduction to World Literature by Women | |||
| Introduction to American Literature by Women | |||
| Gender, Sexuality, and Popular Culture | |||
| Women of Color and Activism | |||
| WGST 3767 | Feminist Fictions | ||
| WRTG 2095 | Ideas for Social Change | ||
| Topics in Writing (The Documentary) | |||
| If you find a course not listed above that you think might fit, contact michela.ardizzoni@colorado.edu | |||
| Total Credit Hours | 18 | ||
Fall 2025 Featured Courses
ITAL/FREN 1350 (3) Introduction to Social Change in the Arts
This course serves as an introduction to the Certificate in Art and Social Change. It introduces students to theories, concepts, and ideas that shape artistic productions and activist conversations around social change in a variety of geo-cultural contexts. This course allows students to engage with some of the most urgent issues in our societies, as they relate to justice, equality, and diversity. Artists and activists play an increasingly important role in advancing justice and promoting social change at the local, national, and global levels. The interdisciplinary approach of this course enables students to examine the role of different forms of artistic productions as a catalyst for social change.