Quest

Not all courses are offered every semester. Refer to the schedule of courses for each term's specific offerings.
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Unless otherwise indicated in the course description, all courses at the University of Florida are taught in English, with the exception of specific foreign language courses.

Courses

ANT 1215 Indigenous Values 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

The relation of Culture and Nature through the worldviews of indigenous people, who understand that their lives are part of, and inseparable from, the natural world. Through a variety of lectures, readings, films, and writing assignments, students explore how indigenous values offer insight on improving the quality of human futures.

Prerequisite: Restricted to undergraduate degree-seeking students.

Attributes: Quest 1, General Education - Humanities, Satisfies 4000 Words of Writing Requirement

ARC 1101 Places and Spaces 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Examines the way humankind has shaped its world while framing particular relationships with nature and asks: what does it mean to make a mark upon the land? What does it mean to dwell, and what do the inhabited places mean to people?

Prerequisite: Restricted to degree-seeking undergraduates.

Attributes: Quest 1, General Education - Humanities, General Education - International

ASN 1214 Self and Society in East Asia 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

This interdisciplinary Quest 1 course prompts students to reconsider the nature of identities, both personal and social, as well as personhood itself, through a rigorous examination of traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese texts.

Prerequisite: Restricted to undergraduate degree-seeking students.

Attributes: Quest 1, General Education - Humanities, General Education - International, Satisfies 2000 Words of Writing Requirement

ASN 1231 East Asian Martial Arts Classics 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Prompts students to reconsider the nature of justice and power through a rigorous examination of East Asian martial arts literary and media classics. Identifies, analyzes, and compares the values and ethics embodied in these classics to better understand their—and our own—notions of justice and injustice.

Prerequisite: Restricted to undergraduate degree-seeking students.

Attributes: Quest 1, General Education - Humanities, General Education - International, Satisfies 2000 Words of Writing Requirement

CLA 1812 Medicine, Science, and the Dawn of Reason 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

This interdisciplinary course invites students to examine the passage of humanity into the era of Reason and the Development of Medical Science and Ethics. As part of the “Nature and Culture” theme, it presents a historical narrative on the passage of humanity from superstition to the era of scientific inquiry

Prerequisite: Restricted to undergraduate degree-seeking students

Attributes: Quest 1, General Education - Humanities, Satisfies 2000 Words of Writing Requirement

IDS 1114 Ethics and the Public Sphere 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Examination of the ways in which ethical concerns are aired and debated in the public sphere, including civic institutions, media organizations, and the market. Questions explored may touch on such topics as honesty in media, humility in the face of disagreement, and the pursuit of justice in a contentious society.

Prerequisite: Restricted to undergraduate degree-seeking students.

Attributes: Quest 1, General Education - Humanities, Satisfies 2000 Words of Writing Requirement

IDS 1307 Writing Life: Art, Drama, Film, Literature, Poetry, and You 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Examines how humanities-based texts (novels, films, plays, poems, and art) reflect and resonate with components of our personal, social, and cultural identities. To demonstrate your understanding of the course and its goals, you will write three essays and sit for two closed-book exams.

Prerequisite: Restricted to undergraduate degree-seeking students.

Attributes: Quest 1, General Education - Diversity, General Education - Humanities, Satisfies 2000 Words of Writing Requirement

IDS 1468 Why Tell Stories? 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Exploring diverse stories in art, philosophy, literature, and film to discover how the creation and sharing of stories is a universal experience, one that is central to both humanness and existence.

Prerequisite: Restricted to undergraduate degree-seeking students.

Attributes: Quest 1, General Education - Diversity, General Education - Humanities, Satisfies 4000 Words of Writing Requirement

JPT 1311 The Anim(e)ted World 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Uses the medium of Japanese animation (anime) to explore social, political, cultural, and economic issues of global relevance today. Examines anime containing commentary and critique relevant to some of the most pressing issues and challenges facing the contemporary world.

Prerequisite: Restricted to undergraduate degree-seeking students.

Attributes: Quest 1, General Education - Humanities, General Education - International, Satisfies 2000 Words of Writing Requirement

MUS 1610 An Echo of the Invisible World: Exploring the Relationship Between Music & Spirituality 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Examines the relationship between music and spirituality, within and outside the context of organized religion. Consider the underlying philosophies in spiritual music and practices, compare them to contemporary American culture, and address their own beliefs and practices through selected case studies and projects.

Prerequisite: Restricted to undergraduate degree-seeking students.

Attributes: Quest 1, General Education - Humanities, General Education - International

PHI 1001 Conflict of Ideas 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Examination of conflict in the realm of ideas, including both factors (psychological, social, logical) that make conflicts difficult and methods that may help us engage in them in a principled and effective way. Readings are drawn from multiple disciplines, which may include philosophy, history, linguistics, sociology, and cognitive science.

Prerequisite: Restricted to undergraduate degree-seeking students.

Attributes: Quest 1, General Education - Humanities, Satisfies 2000 Words of Writing Requirement

PHI 1322 The Idea of Happiness 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Examination of the concept of happiness as explored in philosophy, literature, art, and other products of human culture. Readings drawn from both historical and contemporary sources are used both to articulate theories of happiness and to help students think about what kinds of lives they want to live.

Prerequisite: Restricted to undergraduate degree-seeking students.

Attributes: Quest 1, General Education - Humanities, Satisfies 2000 Words of Writing Requirement

PHI 1643 Cultural Animals 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Examination of the ways in which humans are products of both culture and nature, focusing on our moral and political practices. Topics may cover the evolutionary underpinnings (both biological and cultural) of our moral practices and political convictions as well as our treatment of and relationships with nonhuman animals.

Prerequisite: Restricted to undergraduate degree-seeking students.

Attributes: Quest 1, General Education - Humanities, Satisfies 2000 Words of Writing Requirement

REL 1144 Religious Extremism 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

What is religious extremism? Who are the extremists? This course digs into these and other questions and provides students with critical knowledge about what is called extremism within Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, while also investigating it in relation to topics such as nationalism, race(ism), and gender and sexuality.

Prerequisite: Restricted to degree-seeking undergraduates.

Attributes: Quest 1, General Education - Humanities, General Education - International

THE 1431 Autobiographical Literature & Performance 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Explores how modern and contemporary American artists and writers utilize self-examination as the basis for artistic creation. Often merging the factual with the theatrical or dramatic, autobiographical performance and literature personalizes the values, incidents and relationships that shape human experience and give life meaning.

Prerequisite: Restricted to undergraduate degree-seeking students.

Attributes: Quest 1, General Education - Diversity, General Education - Humanities, Satisfies 2000 Words of Writing Requirement

Courses

GLY 2110 Climate Change Science and Solutions 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Examines the evidence and effects of climate change and uses the issue of climate change to deepen student’s understanding of science and its role in society. Working collaboratively, students integrate insights from a variety of natural, social and engineering sciences to develop and evaluate climate change mitigation approaches.

Prerequisite: Any Quest 1 course with a minimum grade of C.

Attributes: Quest 2, General Education - International, General Education - Physical Science

HOS 2333 Fighting Food Waste and Loss 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

For those interested in learning and reflecting upon the major future challenges of food and agriculture. Learn about postharvest biology, environmental and food sciences, and communication technology in reducing food waste.

Prerequisite: any Quest 1 course.

Attributes: Quest 2, General Education - Biological Science, General Education - International

IDS 2334 Chemistry in the Cocina Latina 3 Credits

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Cross-disciplinary exploration of the intersection between the science of chemistry and the culture of the Spanish-speaking world. Studies the chemical reactions inherent in cooking while considering the role of food in the development and maintenance of culture. Active learning in laboratory and kitchen settings enhance the course content.

Attributes: Quest 2, General Education - International, General Education - Physical Science

UF Quest 1 Requirement

UF Quest 1 courses fulfill the UF Quest 1 requirement and three credits of the General Education requirement in the Humanities. Some may also fulfill three credits of the International requirement and/or count toward the Writing Requirement.

UF Quest 1 courses extend beyond any one discipline. They are not a survey of or an introduction to a field. Instead, they are topical and thematic courses that explore essential questions about the human condition that are not easy to answer and hard to ignore. What makes life worth living? What makes a society a fair one? How do we manage conflicts? Who are we in relation to other people or to the natural world? Through UF Quest, students examine why the world is the way it is, what they can do about it, and how they can help solve the problems that are now confronting us.
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Selecting UF Quest 1 Courses

  • A list of UF Quest 1 courses is provided on the UF Quest website.
  • In the catalog course search, select Quest 1 in the search results filter.
  • On ONE.UF, select Quest 1 in the Course Properties filter and then click Search.

UF Quest 1 Objectives

Quest 1 courses address the history, key themes, principles, terminologies, theories, or methodologies of various arts and humanities disciplines that ask essential questions about the human condition. Students learn to identify and analyze the distinctive elements of different arts and humanities disciplines, along with their biases and influences on essential questions about the human condition. These courses emphasize clear and effective analysis and evaluation of essential questions about the human condition from multiple perspectives. Students reflect on the ways in which the arts and the humanities affect individuals, societies, and their own intellectual, personal, and professional development.

UF Quest 1 Student Learning Outcomes

Content

Identify, describe, and explain the history, theories, and methodologies used to examine essential questions about the human condition within and across the arts and humanities disciplines incorporated into the course.

Critical Thinking

Analyze and evaluate essential questions about the human condition using established practices appropriate for the arts and humanities disciplines incorporated into the course.

Communication

Develop and present clear and effective responses to essential questions in oral and written forms as appropriate to the relevant humanities disciplines incorporated into the course.

Connection

Connect course content with critical reflection on their intellectual, personal, and professional development at UF and beyond.

UF Quest 2 Requirement

UF Quest 2 courses fulfill the UF Quest 2 requirement and three credits of the General Education requirement in the Social and Behavioral Sciences, the Biological Sciences, or the Physical Sciences. Some may also fulfill three credits of the International requirement and/or count toward the Writing Requirement.

Where Quest 1 asks why the world is the way it is, Quest 2 asks what we can do about the problems confronting us. Rather than serve as surveys of or introductions to specific fields, Quest 2 courses reflect the instructor’s expertise and challenge students as co-creators of knowledge in multi-disciplinary inquiry that uses scientific data to address pressing questions (e.g., What are the unintended consequences of technological progress? How do we address climate change?).
More Info

Selecting UF Quest 2 Courses

  • A list of UF Quest 2 courses is provided on the UF Quest website.
  • In the catalog course search, select Quest 2 in the search results filter.
  • On ONE.UF, select Quest 2 in the Course Properties filter and then click Search.

UF Quest 2 Objectives

Quest 2 courses provide instruction in the history, key themes, principles, terminologies, theories, or methodologies of various social or biophysical science disciplines that enable us to address pressing questions and challenges about human society and/or the state of our planet. Students learn to identify and analyze different social or biophysical science methods and theories and consider how their biases and influences shape pressing questions about human society and the state of our planet. These courses emphasize clear and effective analysis and evaluation of qualitative or quantitative data relevant to pressing questions concerning human society and the state of our planet. Students reflect on the ways in which the social or the biophysical sciences affect individuals, societies, and their own intellectual, personal, and professional development. 

UF Quest 2 Student Learning Outcomes

Content

Identify, describe, and explain the cross-disciplinary dimensions of a pressing societal issue or challenge as represented by the social sciences and/or biophysical sciences incorporated into the course.

Critical Thinking

Critically analyze quantitative or qualitative data appropriate for informing an approach, policy, or praxis that addresses some dimension of an important societal issue or challenge.

Communication

Develop and present clear and effective responses to essential questions in oral and written forms as appropriate to the relevant humanities disciplines incorporated into the course.

Connection

Connect course content with critical reflection on their intellectual, personal, and professional development at UF and beyond.