Discover Electives UNCG Students Love

Who says homework is boring? It isn’t so bad when you actually love the class, the subject, and the professor.

With spring registration happening right now, UNC Greensboro students are mixing it up with electives that are more than just fun—they can help you figure out your career path, see the world in a new way, or just dive deeper into a topic you already love.

Need a hand making your next class line-up unforgettable? We asked Spartans to share their must-take classes, and here’s what they recommend to make the most of your UNCG journey.

General Psychology (PSY 121)

Submitted by Syeda Zafar, business administration major, concentration in human resources

“This course shaped my decision to pursue business administration with a concentration in human resources. The class introduced me to why people think and behave in a certain way in different settings, especially in workplaces. I was able to learn about motivation, personality, and teamwork, which are core elements of human resources. The different lessons, like intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation, made me think about how organizations need to support employees’ well-being. I developed a strong interest in being able to understand people’s needs and making them realize their potential.”

A stand-out lesson:

“My favorite project was the 10 credits within the SONA System. It allowed me to see the connection between academic research and real-world applications in business and behavior.”

UNCG students talk with their professor at a whiteboard.

UNCG students talk amongst themselves in a class.

Arts Administration and Entrepreneurship (AAD 202)

Submitted by Autumn Rivens, arts administration major

“It is offered to non-majors and majors of arts administration. This class is my favorite due to its awesome professor Dr. Brown, the amazing program director Prof. Grannemann, and of course, my smart and talented classmates. We do tons of group work where we share ideas, create arts organizations, collectives, and enterprises. We talk about the political and economic arts environment, and we practice self-reflection.”

A stand-out lesson:

“In this class, we start each week with a ‘landing,’ sharing ‘roses, thorns, or stems,’ exciting things that happened over the time we were gone. We always ask ourselves these major questions: ‘Who are you, where are you, why are you here, and how can you land?’ This class has become a safe space for me to learn, grow, and build connections at UNCG!”

A UNCG student describes an animation scene.

UNCG students lead a classroom discussion.

Greek Mythology (CCI 205)

Submitted by Kirsten Little, biochemistry major

“It takes a more in-depth and general look at the stories from Greek myths that have survived to the modern day. I enjoyed learning from its professor, Dr. Joanne Murphy.”

A stand-out lesson:

“The story of Hippolytus, which eventually led to Theseus losing his son.”

The Art of Disney and Pixar (ARH 210)

Submitted by Tenley Douglass, studio art major, concentration in animation

“I first learned about this course in my senior year of high school when I came on my first UNCG campus tour. As someone who grew up loving Disney and wanted to pursue a career in animation as a result, I knew I needed to take this class. The professor, Heather Holian, is incredibly knowledgeable in the material and has truly built an engaging history course off of a topic so many people are familiar with… yet know so little about.”

A stand-out lesson:

“The class was taken to the Dillard Room in the Weatherspoon Art Museum to view original Disney animation cells and concept art that are part of UNCG’s collection. This was so surreal for me and truly a one-of-a-kind experience I’ll never forget.”

UNCG Professor Heather Holian explains animation cels to students.

Journalism 1: Fundamentals of Newswriting (ENG 219)

Submitted by Lauren Segers, communication studies major

“I would consider ENG 219 my favorite because it introduced me to many different aspects of newswriting that I hadn’t been exposed to before. Although the course was designed to cover the basics, it felt like I was getting more out of it as we learned about public relations, broadcast writing, AP-style headlines, and more. One of the highlights was getting hands-on experience interviewing others for our assignments, which helped me get a small taste of what working in the field is like.”

A stand-out lesson:

“For our final project, we created a portfolio that included all of our writing samples from the semester. It was applicable to what I needed at the time and allowed me to build a collection of work that could be used for professional development opportunities.”

UNCG students watch their professor write on a board.

Introduction to Sustainable Development (HTM 200)

Submitted by Haley Drury, marketing major, concentration in social media

“This was my favorite course because I’ve always had sort of a green thumb, I’m very big on recycling, and I wanted to learn about how sustainability and business relate. I’d recommend it to others if you’re interested in learning more about the crossover between business and sustainability.”

A stand-out lesson:

“A specific project that stood out to me was the group paper. I’m usually not one to enjoy writing papers, but I enjoyed this one because it was focused on New York City, and I’m from Long Island. I got to discuss pollution across the different transport methods, air, water, land, and the new sustainable implements being made. Transportation is a big deal in NYC, and it was really interesting to learn about the sustainable objectives the mayor and governor are planning to implement to make travel cleaner.”

Story by Janet Imrick, University Communications
Photography by Sean Norona, David Lee Row, and Grant Evan Gilliard, University Communications