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.Ìý
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 | |||
| Introduction to Social Change in the Arts | total of 3 credit hours | spring 2026 | |
| Category A: Arts, Media and Social Change | Ìý | ||
| Choose at least three: | total of 9 credit hours | Ìý | |
| Global Art and Visual Culture | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| US Art Across Cultures | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| American Indians in Film | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| Performance Media Cultures | Ìý | Ìý | |
| Dance in Cultural Perception and Expression | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| Dancing Histories: Sex, Gender and Race in U.S. Concert Dance | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| Hip-Hop Dance History | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| Introduction to BIPOC Horror | Ìý | Ìý | |
| American Indians in Film | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| Introduction to Hip Hop Studies | Ìý | Ìý | |
| Screening Race, Class & Gender in the U.S. and the Global Borderland | Ìý | Ìý | |
| Underground Paris | Ìý | summer 2026 | |
| France and the Muslim World | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| Digital Culture and Politics | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| Media Technology and Cultural Change | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| Gender, Race, Class, and Sexuality in Popular Culture | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| Queer and Trans Identities in Popular Culture | Ìý | Ìý | |
| Performance and Community Engagement | Ìý | Ìý | |
| Creative Climate Communication | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| Ideas for Social Change | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| Topics in Writing (New Media and Civic Engagement) | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| If you find a course not listed above that you think might fit, contact michela.ardizzoni@colorado.eduÌý | Ìý | Ìý | |
| Electives | Ìý | Ìý | |
| Two additional courses from Category A above or any of the following: | total of 6 credit hours | Ìý | |
| Creative Climate Communication | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| Women in Film | Ìý | Ìý | |
| Environmental Cinema | Ìý | Ìý | |
| Education in Film | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| Strategies for Social Change | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| Race, Class, and Gender in Young Adult Literature | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| Sexuality and Gender Wars in Italy and France | Ìý | Ìý | |
| French Culture Through Fashion | Ìý | Ìý | |
| Decolonization of the British Empire | Ìý | Ìý | |
| That's Amore: Introduction to Italian Culture | Ìý | Ìý | |
| Italian Culture Through Cinema | Ìý | Ìý | |
| Crime, Media, and Contemporary Culture | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| Fashion, Society, and Decor | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| Global Theatre and Performance 2: Contesting the Status Quo | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| Introduction to World Literature by Women | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| Introduction to American Literature by Women | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| Gender, Sexuality, and Popular Culture | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| Women of Color and Activism | Ìý | Ìý | |
| Feminist Fictions | Ìý | Ìý | |
| Ideas for Social Change | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| Topics in Writing (The Documentary) | Ìý | spring 2026 | |
| If you find a course not listed above that you think might fit, contact michela.ardizzoni@colorado.eduÌý | Ìý | Ìý | |
| Total Credit Hours | 18 | Ìý | |
Fall 2025 Featured Courses
ITAL/FRENÌý1350 (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.