Classes that take learning outside the classroom 2

Our first article about classes that take learning outside the classroom showcased a few of our favorite hands-on classes at CSU, but there’s still so much more to see! That’s why we’re back for round two.

Here are a few more of the classes offered at CSU that are particularly good at getting you out of your seat and into the field.

#1. Fashion Show Production and Event Planning

stage, smoke and lights at the student fashion show

Housed within the department of Design and Merchandising, Fashion Show Production and Event Planning is an upper-level course that focuses on every moving piece of a professional fashion show. In the class, you’ll spend the entire semester preparing for a fashion show, which includes fashion collection design, model hiring and runway training, event planning, music, venue organization, and beyond. The fashion show will feature original fashions designed by students studying Apparel Design and Production and will highlight the designers’ academic careers. Majors in the Design and Merchandising department come out of the class with a full, hands-on experience of what it takes to run a professional runway event.

#2. Herbaceous Plants

students plant ornamental plants in an outdoor flowerbed

You can actually stop to smell the roses in this class. In Herbaceous Plants, you’ll take field trips around campus and beyond to learn how to identify ornamental plants, explore landscaping and garden design of plants, and learn the cultural requirements around certain plants. You’ll explore the amazing flowers at CSU’s Annual Flower Trial Garden, plus local gardens and botanic centers to see different applications and designs of ornamental plants.

#3. Ornithology

students bird watching outside

In Ornithology you’ll learn the fascinating anatomy of birds (hollow bones … enough said), how birds adapt in flight, and you’ll go on multiple outdoor trips to study birds in their natural habitats. You’ll bird watch, identify vocal communications, learn proper field techniques for studying and handling birds, and so much more. Colorado is home a wide variety of bird species, so you’ll get an opportunity to start and fill out a field journal like the pros. Get ready to explore those beautiful Colorado skies in this one-of-a-kind class.

#4. Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering

engineering students survey outside

In this class, you’ll explore local structures, roads, and designs that could not have been complete without a civil engineer as well as learn engineering principles to apply to your own projects. You’ll take the Think Like an Engineer Tour, where you’ll be challenged to consider the reasoning behind structural designs, building codes, and roadway designs. Then you’ll join a team to create a tower that will need to withstand a shake test (can you say earthquake?) and learn to work with set budgets and materials to create structures that are safe, innovative, and creative.

#5. Introduction to Forensic Anthropology

forensic students analyze human bones

If you never miss an episode of CSI, our forensic anthropology class might be for you. In Introduction to Forensic Anthropology, students are introduced to the basic theory and methods used by forensic anthropologists, who assist coroners or medical examiners by helping to identify the cause of death of an individual. Forensic anthropologists identify human from non-human remains, estimate age at death, stature, sex, and ancestry from skeletal remains. This class includes an introduction and time in the CSU Human Osteology laboratory. You’ll learn the proper way to inventory human skeletal remains, practice determining sex from skeletal remains, and estimate stature and age at death. For the final lab project, students work in small groups to complete a forensic report for a set of human skeletal remains.

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Prairie Smallwood

Prairie Smallwood is a writer and content creator for the Office of Admissions at Colorado State University. She is passionate about education and exploration, and knows that going to college can be both an adventure and an overwhelming experience. She aims to create content that helps students through that journey — the wonderful, the scary, and everything in between.