Although math, science and pre-civil war history may be important to a higher education, there are other classes being offered in the summer and fall that add a little more spice to the collegiate career.

The classes are available for just about anyone to take, assuming there’s enough space, and they offer variable credit hours.

Who Killed JFK?

Who Killed JFK is an honors class offered this fall that explores the different theories of how President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, said Steven Gillon, Honors College adjunct professor.

Gillon, a History Channel resident historian, said he will have a book on the assassination called “24 hours After” published this fall. The book will have its own History Channel two-hour prime-time documentary set to air along with the release, Gillon said. Both the book and the documentary follow the first 24 hours after the Kennedy assassination and President Lyndon Johnson’s investigation into each theory of the assassination.

The students will be broken up into groups, each assigned a different theory to study. Students will examine each theory and make an informed judgment on which one they think is correct. Who Killed JFK is an honors course and open to all students, if it doesn’t fill up with honors students first.

Who Killed JFK is a one hour, 3,000 level honors course.

Body Image vs. Reality:

Pop Culture and the Beauty Myth

Originally taught as a freshmen seminar, Yaisa Mann, graduate research assistant in English, said she decided to turn a class about self esteem into an upper division elective that discusses the issues of body image, pop culture and cultural standards. The idea for the class comes from Mann’s dissertation, which explores self esteem and unifying the way girls can relate to one another.

The class has many guest speakers from all different fields. The speakers are divided into two categories: experts and those who have experienced difficulty with their body image. Mann also has “body outlaws” come in, people who don’t conform to the ideal standards of body image, she said.

In addition to guest speakers and participating in class, students have weekly readings and are required to write online blogs about body image and things that have affected them, whether in class, by observation or in the news, she said.

Body Image vs. Reality: Pop Culture and the Beauty Myth is a three hour, 3,000 level women’s studies course.

Six Years in the Life: The Beatles and Counterculture

This May intersession class uses one of the most famous bands in the world, The Beatles, to assess the counterculture of the 1960s in the United States, said English graduate student Ryan Slesinger.

Slesinger’s class will cover 1964 to 1970, beginning with the arrival of The Beatles to the United States. The class will examine the lyrics and movies made by The Beatles, as well as assess different articles gathered around the time period the group was most prevalent.

The class will focus on what The Beatles meant in correlation to the sixties counterculture, Slesinger said. Before 1965, American culture was more generalized and the sixties brought about change to make way for a more niche culture, he said.

Slesinger said The Beatles recognized the hippie movement, became popular and were able to spread the movement because of their popularity.

Six Years in the Life: The Beatles and Counterculture is a three hour, 2,000 level University College course.

Star Wars and the Hero’s Journey

Star Wars and the Hero’s Journey, also taught by Slesinger, is an August intersession class that examines the Star Wars films alongside a book by Joseph Campbell called, “The Hero With a Thousand Faces.” Slesinger said George Lucas, director of all the Star Wars films, gained his inspiration for the series from Campbell’s book.

The class will study the importance of the Star Wars phenomenon in American pop culture and why the films have such staying power in society, Slesinger said.

Slesinger said the class will watch every movie, starting with Episode I and go in chronological order according to the Star Wars world. In addition, the students will read “The Hero with a Thousand Faces” and compare the films with the book.

The class will examine the mythological and philosophical roots of Star Wars and find overall meaning in its place in our culture, Slesinger said.

Star Wars and the Hero’s Journey is a three-hour, 2,000 level University College course.