The Big Problems program is a senior capstone curriculum for students in the College. It offers elective courses about "Big problems" that are matters of global or universal concern. These courses use interdisciplinary team teaching, and seek to transcend familiar models of content, organization, and instruction.

For more detailed information about past and current course offerings, please download the Big Problems section of the college course catalog.

Courses 2018-2019

Autumn 2018

Censorship, Info Control, & Revolutions in Info Technology from the Printing Press to the Internet
Adrian Johns (History)
Ada Palmer (History)

Energy and Energy Policy
R. Stephen Berry (Chemistry)
George Tolley (Economics)

Urban Design with Nature
Sabina Shaikh (Environmental Studies)
Emily Talen (Urban Studies)

Winter 2019

Alternate Reality Games: Theory and Production
Patrick Jagoda (English Language & Literature)
Heidi Coleman (Theater & Performance Studies)
Instructor Consent required. To apply, submit writing by deadline of November 23 through online form at  here. Questions: mb31@uchicago.edu.

From Fossils to Fermi’s Paradox: Origin and Evolution of Intelligent Life
Paul Sereno (Organismal Biology & Anatomy)
Leslie Rogers (Astronomy & Astrophysics)
Sarah London (Psychology)

Spring 2019

Disability and Design
Michele Friedner (Comparative Human Development)
Jennifer Iverson (Music)

Narrating Migration
Jo Mcdonagh (English Language & Literature)
Vu Tran (Creative Writing)

Past Courses

Autumn 2017

Energy and Energy Policy
R. Stephen Berry (Chemistry)
George Tolley (Economics)

Global Energy and Climate Challenge: Economics, Science and Policy
Michael Greenstone (Economics)
John M. Deutch (Chemistry, MIT)

Medical Ethics: Central Topics
Daniel Brudney (Philosophy)

The Nuclear Age
Deborah L. Nelson (English Language & Literature)

Winter 2018

Biological and Cultural Evolution
Salikoko Mufwene (Linguistics)
William Wimsatt (Philosophy)

Drinking Alcohol: Social Problem or Normal Cultural Practice?
Michael Dietler (Anthropology)
William N. Green (Neurobiology)

Health Care and the Limits of State Action
Haun Saussy (Comparative Literature)
Mindy Schwartz (Medicine)

Inequality: Origins, Dimensions, and Policy
Allen Sanderson (Economics)

Spring 2017

Anxiety
Malynne Sternstein (Slavic Languages & Literatures), Anne Flannery

Art and Human Rights
Mark Bradley (History)
Leslie Buxbaum-Danzig (Theater & Performance Studies)

Understanding Wisdom
W. Clark Gilpin (Divinity School)
Anne Henly (Psychology)

Winter 2017

Biology and Sociology of AIDS
Harold Pollack (Social Service Administration), John Schneider (Medicine)

Inequality: Origins, Dimensions, and Policy
Allen Sanderson (Economics)

Jews and Christians in the Middle East
Orit Bashkin (Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations), Angie Heo (Anthropology & Sociology of Religion)

Autumn 2016

Alternate Reality Games: Theory and Production
Patrick Jagoda (English Language & Literature), Heidi Coleman (Theater & Performance Studies)

Energy and Energy Policy
R. Stephen Berry (Chemistry), George Tolley (Economics)

Spring 2016

Health Care and the Limits of State Action
Haun Saussy (Comparative Literature), Evan Lyon (Medicine)

Winter 2016

Colloquium: Digital Humanities/Digital History
Robert Morrissey (History), James Sparrow (History), Clovis Gladstone (ARTFL)

Understanding Wisdom
W. Clark Gilpin (Divinity School), Anne Henly (Psychology)

Autumn 2015

Energy and Energy Policy
R. Stephen Berry (Chemistry), George Tolley (Economics)

Drinking Alcohol: Social Problem or Normal Cultural Practice?
Michael Dietler (Anthropology), William Green (Neurobiology)

Spring 2015

Language and Globalization
Salikoko Mufwene (Linguistics), William Wimsatt (Philosophy)

Autumn 2014

Energy and Energy Policy
R. Stephen Berry (Chemistry), George Tolley (Economics)

Understanding Wisdom
Howard Nusbaum (Psychology), Berthold Hoeckner (Music), Anne Henly (Psychology)

Spring 2014

The Affect System
John Cacioppo (Psychology), Stephanie Cacioppo (Psychology), Eric Oliver (Political Science)

Mythical History, Paradigmatic Figures: Caesar, Augustus, Charlemagne, Napoleon
Michele Lowrie (Classics), Robert Morrissey (Romance Languages & Literatures)

Winter 2014

Biology and Sociology of AIDS
Harold Pollack (Social Service Administration), John Schneider (Medicine)

Drinking Alcohol: Social Problem or Normal Cultural Practice?
Michael Dietler (Anthropology), William Green (Neurobiology)

Health Care and the Limits of State Action
Haun Saussy (Comparative Literature), Evan Lyon (Medicine)

Autumn 2013

Cosmos and Conscience: Looking for Ourselves Elsewhere
Wiliam Schweiker (Divinity School), Don York (Astronomy)

Energy and Energy Policy
Stephen Berry (Chemistry), George Tolley (Economics)

Movies and Madness 
W.J.T. Mitchell (English), Judy Hoffman (Cinema & Media Studies)

Picturing Words/Writing Images (Studio) 
Jessica Stockholder (Visual Arts), Srikanth Reddy (English)

Spring 2013

Biological and Cultural Evolution
William Wimsatt (Philosophy), Salikoko Mufwene (Linguistics)

The Ugly American Comes Home
Martha Merritt (International Studies), Paul Durica (English)

Winter 2013

Medical Ethics: Who Decides and on What Basis?
Daniel Brudney (Philosophy), Ann Dudley Goldblatt (Medical Ethics), Laine Ross (Medicine), Alison Winter (History)

Autumn 2012

Energy and Energy Policy
Stephen Berry (Chemistry), George Tolley (Economics)

Health Care and the Limits of State Action
Haun Saussy (Comparative Literature), Evan Lyon (Medicine)

Spring 2012

Medical Ethics: Who Decides and on What Basis?
Daniel Brudney (Philosophy), John Lantos (Pediatrics), Lainie Ross (Medicine)

The Social Brain: Social Isolation and Loneliness
John Cacioppo (Psychology), Louise Hawkley (Psychology)

The Ugly American Comes Home
Martha Merritt (International Studies), Gabriel Tusinski (Anthropology)

What is Enlightenment?
Margot Browning (Humanities), Pierre-Julien Harter (Philosophy of Religions)

Winter 2012

Biology and Sociology of AIDS
Harold Pollack (Social Service Administration), John Schneider (Medicine)

Autumn 2011

Energy and Energy Policy
Stephen Berry (Chemistry), George Tolley (Economics)

Spring 2011

• Medical Ethics: Who Decides and on What Basis?
  Daniel Brudney, Philosophy
  John Lantos, Pediatrics
  Alison Winter, History
• The Ugly American Comes Home
  Martha Merritt, International Studies
  Betsey Brada, Anthropology
• What is Civic Knowledge?
  Bart Schultz, Philosophy
  Margot Browning, Humanities

Winter 2011

• Sex and Ethics
  Lauren Berlant, English
  Joseph Fischel, Political Science
  

Autumn 2010

• Cosmos and Conscience: Looking for Ourselves Elsewhere
  William Schweiker, Divinity School
  Don York, Astronomy
• Energy and Energy Policy
  Stephen Berry, Chemistry
  George Tolley, Economics
  Also see: Energy and Energy Policy Course Papers

Spring 2010

• What Do the Genomes Teach Us About Evolution?
  James Shapiro, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
  Manyuan Long, Ecology & Evolution
• What is Enlightenment?
  Margot Browning, Humanities

Winter 2010

• Autonomy and Medical Paternalism
  Daniel Brudney, Philosophy
  John Lantos, Pediatrics
• Biological & Cultural Evolution
  Salikoko Mufwene, Linguistics
  William Wimsatt, Philosophy
• Sex & Ethics
  Lauren Berlant, English
  Candace Vogler, Philosophy

Autumn 2009

• Energy and Energy Policy
  Stephen Berry, Chemistry
  George Tolley, Economics
  Also see: Energy and Energy Policy Course Papers

Spring 2009

• Is Development Sustainable?
  Yayoi Fujita, Anthropology
  Gordon Davis, Law
• Language & Globalization
  Salikoko Mufwene, Linguistics
  William Wimsatt, Philosophy
• Love and Tragedy in Tolstoy's Anna Karenina
  David Orlinsky, Human Development
  Herman Sinaiko, Humanities
• Memory, Commemoration & Mourning
  Bertram Cohler, Human Development
  
• The Organization of Knowledge
  Herman Sinaiko, Humanities
  William Sterner, Computer Science
• Prairie Ecosystems: Lessons of Sustainability in the Past,
  Present, and Future
  Justin Borevitz, Ecology & Evolution

Winter 2009

• Autonomy and Medical Paternalism
  John Lantos, Pediatrics

Autumn 2008

• Energy and Energy Policy
  Stephen Berry, Chemistry
  George Tolley, Economics
  Also see: Energy and Energy Policy Course Papers
• What is Civic Knowledge?
  Bart Schultz, Philosophy
  Margot Browning, Humanities

Spring 2008

• Is Development Sustainable?
  Alan Kolata, Anthropology
  Ted Steck, Biochemistry
• Romantic Love: Cultural, Philosophical & Psychological Aspects
  David Orlinsky, Human Development
  Katia Mitova, Social Thought
• Energy & Energy Policy
  Steve Berry, Chemistry
  George Tolley, Economics
  Also see: Energy and Energy Policy Course Papers

Winter 2008

• Autonomy & Medical Paternalism
  Daniel Brudney, Philosophy
  John Lantos, Pediatrics
• Biology and Sociology of AIDS
  Harold Pollack, Social Service Admin.
  Jose Quintans, Pathology
• Evolutionary Theory and Its Role in the Human Sciences
  Robert Richards, History
  Naomi Beck, Soc. Sci. Coll. Div.

• Empire
  Lee Behnke, Classics
  Cabell King, Theology
• Biological & Cultural Evolution
  Salikoko Mufwene, Linguistics
  William Wimsatt, Philosophy

• Is Development Sustainable?
• Romantic Love: Phil & Lit Perspectives
• Psychoneuroimmunology
• Romantic Love: Cult/Psych Persp

• Autonomy & Medical Paternalism
• Language & Globalization
• Biology and Sociology of AIDS
• Antonioni's Films: Real & Ambig

• Perspectives On Imaging

• Is Development Sustainable?
• Romantic Love: Cult/Psych Persp
• Neo-Liberalism / Neo-Imperialism
• Complex Prob: World Hunger
• Body/Soul: Approaches to Prayer
• Creation and Creativity

• Boundaries, Modules & Levels
• Medicine and Society: Things, Bodies, Persons
• Biological/Cultural Evolution

• Terror, Religion & Aesthetics

• Creation and Creativity
• Evil
• Globalization: History and Theory
• Globalization and Neoliberalism
• Is Development Sustainable?
• Language and Globalization
• Psychoneuroimmunology: Links between the Nervous and Immune Systems.
• The Complex Problem of World Hunger
• Utopias

• Antonioni's Films: Reality and Ambiguity
• On Love: Text and Context
• Rewriting the Past: Narrative, Ritual, and Monument

• Perspectives on Imaging

• Moments in Atheism
• On Love: Text and Context

• Globalization and Neo-liberalism
• Is Development Sustainable?
• Language and Globalization
• The Complex Problem of World Hunger
• The Organization of Knowledge

• Biological and Cultural Evolution

• Is Development Sustainable?
• Psychoneuroimmunology
• Globalization and Neoliberalism
• On Love: Text and Context
• Rewriting the Past: Narrative, Ritual and Monument
• War

• Concepts of the Self from Antiquity to the Present
• Globalization and Neo-liberalism
• Is Development Sustainable?

• Is Development Sustainable?
• Social Context, Biology, and Health
• Globalization/Neoliberalism

Spring 2001

• Is Development Sustainable?
• The Organization of Knowledge
• Science and Religion

Autumn 2000

• Psychoneuroimmunology
• Globalization/Neoliberalism

Spring 2000

• Is Development Sustainable?

Winter 2000

• Cultural Evolution and Dimensions of Globalization

Autumn 1999

• Biological and Cultural Evolution

For more information please contact Margot Browning, Executive Director, by emailing mb31@uchicago.edu or calling 773-702-5657.