Jackson School has some excellent courses for you to consider this autumn! See the list below for some featured courses!
There is still time to add a Summer course –> SUMMER 2026 Courses website
To see ALL autumn Jackson School courses, visit the AUTUMN 2026 Courses website to view how they meet major requirements.
Sunila Kale
JSIS 200: The Making of the Modern World (5 credits, SSc)
Provides a global history of the present by investigating the relationships between political forces, economic processes, and socio-cultural dynamics of expansion, domination, and resistance. By looking into the past to understand the contemporary world, examines how the modern world came to be structured around nation-states, when most economies became capitalist, and why most societies are organized around structures of inequality.
How does this count towards my degree?
- General Education: Social Sciences
- SIS foundational course
Instructor: Sunila Kale
Questions? Email kale@uw.edu
RELIG / JEW ST 145: Judaism: Religion and the Making of Meaning (5 credits, SSc)
Explores Judaism’s sacred texts, holidays, and beliefs. Addresses Judaism’s impact on society, culture, and politics. Through the lens of the Jewish experience, grapples with fundamental questions about the role of individuals and members of larger communities in an increasingly multicultural, religious, and interconnected world.
How does this count towards my degree?
- General Education: Social Sciences
- SIS themes: Culture, Power, and Religion
- Jewish Studies: Intro course
- Comparative Religion: Historical Traditions
Instructor: Gilah Kletenik
Questions? Email: gilah@uw.edu
Taso Lagos
JSIS 110: Sports and Global Affairs: Sports as a Religion (5 credits, SSc)
Investigates how sports function as a kind of modern religion, shaping identity, community, ritual, and belief in everyday life. Explores society’s fascination with athletes as heroes, icons, and symbols of our collective hopes, fantasies, and aspirations. From fandom and game-day rituals to sports stereotypes, media spectacle, and the business of athletic celebrity, the course examines how the “religion of sports” reflects larger social, political, and cultural forces shaping our world today.
How does this count towards my degree?
- General Education: Social Sciences
- SIS themes: Culture, Power, and Religion; Technology, Security and Diplomacy
Instructor: Taso Lagos
Questions? Email taso@uw.edu
Debamanyu Das
JSIS 222: Understanding the Global Economy (5 credits, SSc)
Focuses on making economics accessible by simplifying complex models, graphs, and jargon. Designed for students with little economics background, this course builds analytical and critical skills to interpret global economic news, analyze reports, and evaluate arguments in real-world international contexts.
How does this count towards my degree?
- General Education: Social Sciences
- SIS themes: Political Economy, States and Markets
Instructor: Debamanyu Das
Questions? Email ddas64@uw.edu
Noam Pianko
JEW ST 210: Funny Jews: Jewish Humor and American Identity (5 credits, A&H)
Jewish humor plays an important role in American popular culture. Investigates the modern history of Jewish humor through the writers, comedians, and actors who have shaped American comedy. Discusses the purpose of humor and the role that Jewish humor plays in shaping American and American Jewish identity.
How does this count towards my degree?
- General Education: Arts & Humanities
- SIS themes: Culture, Power, and Religion
- SIS Area: Americas
- Jewish Studies: Elective
- Comparative Religion: Social Context & Cultural Forms
Instructor: Noam Pianko
Questions? Email npianko@uw.edu
Rebakah Daro Minarchek
JSIS B / ENVIR 212: Global Environmental Justice (5 credits, DIV; SSc)
Examines why environmental disasters (such as floods, fires, and oil spills) hit some countries harder than others. Explores global environmental justice, examining how political, economic, and social systems distribute environmental harm unevenly. Uses tools and frameworks to challenge these inequalities and explores recent events like heatwaves and wildfires through an environmental justice lens.
How does this count towards my degree?
- General Education: Social Sciences, Diversity
- SIS themes: Political Economy; Environment and Health
Instructor: Rebakah Daro Minarchek
Questions? Email daromin@uw.edu
Nadine Fabbi
JSIS B / ARCTIC 210: Inuit, the Arctic, and Global Change (5 credits, SSc)
Dives into the Arctic’s role in global history and its significance today, examining how outsiders viewed the region for centuries. Highlights Inuit interactions during early contact with outsiders and their journey towards self-determination. Describes the unique effects of climate change on the Arctic and discusses the region’s future, emphasizing its growing importance in global affairs.
How does this count towards my degree?
- General Education: Social Sciences
- SIS themes: Culture, Power, and Religion; Environment and Health; Rights and Movements; Technology, Security and Diplomacy
- SIS Area: Arctic; Asia; Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia
- Arctic minor: Elective
Instructor: Nadine Fabbi
Questions? Email nfabbi@uw.edu
Sabine Lang
JSIS A 302: The Politics and Cultures of Europe (5 credits, SSc, W)
Builds on key themes in modern European studies while remaining fully accessible to students who have not taken JSIS A 301. Offers a rigorous and specialized exploration of Europe’s political institutions, societies, and cultures in the modern era, with particular attention to how social, political, economic, and cultural transformations continue to shape the European Union, Scandinavia, and post-Soviet Eastern Europe.
How does this count towards my degree?
- General Education: Social Sciences, Writing
- SIS themes: Culture, Power, and Religion; States and Markets; Political Economy
- SIS area: Europe
- European Studies: Elective
Instructor: Sabine Lang
Questions? Email salang@uw.edu
Liora Halperin
JSIS A / HSTAFM 314: History of Modern Israel/Palestine (5 credits, DIV; SSc)
Cultural, social, and political histories of Palestine, the Land of Israel, and the State of Israel; Zionist and Palestinian nationalist movements, in their larger regional, transnational, and global contexts.
How does this count towards my degree?
- General Education: Social Sciences, Diversity
- SIS themes: Culture, Power, and Religion; States and Markets; Political Economy
- SIS area: Middle East
Instructor: Liora Halperin
Questions? Email lhalper@uw.edu
Randa Tawil
JSIS B 324 A: Immigration (5 credits, DIV, SSc)
Introduces key theoretical debates in international migration. Examines immigrants’ political, economic, religious, and social integration into host societies, and continued ties to homelands. Experiences of voluntary and involuntary immigrants, of the second generation, and of incorporation into America and Europe. Designed around interdisciplinary texts and fieldwork in Seattle.
How does this count towards my degree?
- General Education: Social Sciences, Diversity
- SIS themes: Political Economy; Culture, Power, and Religion; States and Markets
Instructor: Randa Tawil
Questions? Email rtawil@uw.edu
Nektaria Klapaki
JSIS B / GWSS 312: Money, Love and Marriage in Europe and America (5 credits, SSc, W)
Provides a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary examination of romantic and economic issues related to marriage, drawing on seminal texts from the fields of history, anthropology, feminist literary criticism, and cultural studies.
How does this count towards my degree?
- General Education: Social Sciences, Writing
- SIS themes: Culture, Power, and Religion; Rights and Movements
- SIS area: Europe
- European Studies: Elective OR EURO students can take this course as JSIS A 494 for European Studies Senior Seminar – inquire with Prof Klapaki or email jsisadv@uw.edu
Instructor: Nektaria Klapaki
Questions? Email nklapaki@uw.edu
Jonathan Warren
JSIS A / POL S 342: Government and Politics of Latin America (5 credits, SSc)
Analyzes the political dynamics of change in Latin America, comparing various national approaches to the political problems of modernization, economic development, and social change.
How does this count towards my degree?
- General Education: Social Sciences, Writing
- SIS themes: Culture, Power, and Religion; Rights and Movements; Political Economy; States and Markets
- SIS area: Latin America and Caribbean
- LACS major: Elective
Instructor: Jonathan Warren
Questions? Email redstick@uw.edu
Scott Montgomery
ARCTIC / JSIS B 391: Climate Change – An International Perspective: Science, Art, and Activism (5 credits, SSc or A&H)
Explores climate change science in the context of geographic, social, and political constraints, considering the role of art, activism, and Arctic indigenous peoples in communicating impacts and mitigation. Students gain knowledge in key atmospheric and ocean science principles along with the role of science in society
How does this count towards my degree?
- General Education: Social Sciences, Writing
- SIS themes: Technology, Security and Diplomacy; Rights and Movements
- SIS area: Arctic
- Arctic minor: Elective
Instructor: Scott Montgomery
Questions? Email scottlm@uw.edu
Dean LaRue
JSIS B 431: International Negotiation Simulation (2-5 credits, SSc)
A highly interactive, hands-on simulation course that immerses students in the analysis of real-world international problems through leadership, negotiation, crisis management, and high-stakes decision-making. Students apply their knowledge in an intensive simulation focused on contemporary global issues, building practical skills in teamwork, strategy, diplomacy, and problem-solving that translate directly to careers and strengthen academic transcripts.
The Autumn 2026 simulation will focus on Europe and also serves as excellent preparation for the Winter JSIS Task Force capstone.
How does this count towards my degree?
- General Education: Social Sciences, Writing
- SIS themes: Culture, Power, and Religion; States and Markets; Technology, Security and Diplomacy
- SIS area: Europe (in Autumn 2026, this course also qualifies for EUROPE area!)
Instructor: Dean LaRue
Questions? Email dlarue@uw.edu
