Next week, WashU students will register for the Spring 2026 semester.  Doing so successfully, however, means planning ahead. Charting out integrations, scouring pre-eqs, and trusting Rate My Professors with months of your well-being can get in the way of the real goal: finding great classes. To help, Student Life Editors have prepared a list of the best WashU has to offer.

AFAS 2550 – Introduction to Africana Studies

A friend recommended this course to me, and I’m so glad she did because it’s one of the best classes I’ve taken at WashU. The course content is fascinating and covers a wide range of topics — from chattel slavery and African decolonization to the work of the Black Panther Party, the COINTELPRO operations, the case for reparations, and Afrofuturism. I also enjoyed just about every assigned reading, which included works by writers like Ida B. Wells and Nikole Hannah-Jones (yay investigative journalism!). 

Our class also had many meaningful conversations about a host of issues that continue to impact millions of people’s lives every day. One topic we discussed was how historical narratives about marginalized people are created and shaped, which helped me reevaluate some of what I was taught in elementary, middle, and high school history classes. 

— Aliza Lubitz | Investigative News Editor

AMCS 2290 – Introduction to AMCS: #americanculturestudies: Exploring the Field! 

If the fun course name doesn’t convince you to take this class, the course content is super interesting! You don’t have to be an American Culture Studies major to take this class and learn from it. You’ll see America in a totally different light, and now is the perfect time to engage more with American history and learn how to critically examine American culture. The class operates through a case study approach and will do interdisciplinary analyses of literature, media, history, scholarship, and other cultural artifacts. Dave Walsh is also a great vibe and is sure to bring a lot of energy and random knowledge every day to the class. 

— Astrid Burns, Special Issues Editor

ART 1519 – Compositions in Clay

If you have no bowls, vases, or mugs in your dwelling, this class is for you. Honestly, you will probably have pottery to give away with all you make in this intro ceramics class. Aida Lizalde’s holistic approach teaches not only practices in ceramics but practices in life. They integrate mindfulness into working with clay and instill proper cleaning habits (to prevent silicosis eek) in order to teach students how to be a community member in a ceramics studio. This course is only offered during the 8:30 a.m. – 11:20 a.m. time slot, but hear me out, this is the best class to take in the morning. Every time I leave this class, I feel grounded and ready to take on the rest of the day. This is THE Sam Fox class to take if you are in the mood to get crafty and practice mindfulness while you are at it.

— Syd Tran, Editor-in-Chief

ARTARCH 2020 – Introduction To Modern Art Architecture and Design: 

Through analyzing modernism, its legacy, and the various creations that came about from the mid-19th century to present, this course combines analysis of modern artwork and its broader societal implications.  It is taught in a lecture format, but is supplemented with a discussion section. Fun fact: the Kemper Art Museum brings out Picasso’s “La Bouteille de Suze” when this class is taught. Definitely take this if you are looking to learn more about art history fundamentals while looking at pieces that changed the trajectory of modern art!

— Sophie Schwartz, Junior Scene Editor 

BEYOND 1007 – Beyond Boundaries: Designing Creativity: Innovation Across Disciplines

If you are a first-year student, take this class! It covers how design principles can be applied in various careers and disciplines through engaging guest speakers and fun creative labs. As a creative person, this course was extremely helpful for me to realize all the different opportunities available to me both in college and afterward. Taught by power duo Bruce Lindsey and Rob Morgan, the course is nothing short of action-packed. Although I took this course the first semester of my first year, now, as a senior it still remains my absolute favorite.

— Grayce Cooper, Managing Social Media Editor

BIOL 4240 – Immunology

For anyone looking for an upper-level biology elective, this class is so highly sought after for a reason! Immunology is known for being overwhelmingly complex, especially since there is so much we still don’t understand. But Dr. Corey Westfall’s style of teaching the class makes the topic engaging and a bit more approachable. While the class is certainly still challenging, I learned so much in this class and felt genuinely interested in all of the topics we were studying. It’s truly a breath of fresh air among all of the mundane STEM requirements.  

— Elizabeth Grieve, Senior Scene Editor

DANCE 2211 – Fundamentals of Classical Ballet

I’m in dance this semester because I needed an extra couple of credits to graduate early and had always wanted to take a dance class. I had never taken a day of ballet in my life (so don’t be discouraged if you are a less-than-experienced dancer) and it has been such a fun way to start my mornings. I recommend taking it with friends who you feel like would be funny to watch galloping across the room, or you can meet new people and bond over not being able to jump nearly as high as you thought you could. 

— Amelia Raden, Senior Forum Editor

ITAL 1010 – Elementary Italian in the Everyday World, Level I

I had to take Italian in order to go abroad, and I made it everyone’s problem. The language is one of the most beautiful in the world — you can quote me on that — and the specific teacher that I had, Paolo Scartoni, made the learning experience immersive and digestible for everyone. And when I say everyone, I mean everyone! Take the class, even if you aren’t planning on studying abroad, and make sure to take it with Signore Paolo.

— Dion Hines, Senior Forum Editor

POLSCI 3110: Money in Politics

Money in Politics explores the many different ways that money and politics are connected, influencing who gets elected, and why lawmakers make the decisions they do. This class focuses on the real world impacts of theoretical frameworks, showing students the practical impacts of what they learn. If you are interested in learning about the real world impacts of money in politics, this is for you!

— Lewis Rand, Senior Sports Editor

POLSCI 3172 – Sports, Policy, and Politics

This class is great for the sports fan eager to learn about their favorite hobby in an academic context or politically-inclined students looking to view international politics through a different lens. Students in this class learn about the role international organizations play in regulating sports, how social and political identities shape sports fandoms, sportswashing, the complex dynamics behind international sporting events like the Olympics or the World Cup, and more. Professor Bowersox does a great job making the course content engaging, and students get to work on interesting projects like creating a host-city pitch for an international sporting event.

— Riley Herron, Editor-in-Chief

POLSCI 3342 – Topics in Politics: Free Speech On Campus

This one-credit, two-day course has never been more timely. Taught by Chancellor Martin and WashU Law School Professor Lee Epstein, the class centers on a different speech-related topic every year. Professor Epstein does a great job of teaching an in-depth history of free speech in America (or, at least, as much as a single day allows) while Chancellor Martin provides an inside view of how the University is structured and how WashU handles the topic of speech. Expect a good amount of preparatory reading and to write a short paper due a few weeks later. This class is great for students of all levels and majors.

— Sara Gelrud, Junior Scene Editor

PSYCH 3604 – Cognitive Neuroscience

Although it can be challenging, I highly recommend taking Cognitive Neuroscience, as it appeals to people of many different interests. You get to learn about different topics like consciousness, memory, language, and more. It is a good mixture of psychology topics and the biological underpinnings of them. The concepts are interesting and will give you a better appreciation of how the structure of our brain is involved in our behaviors and the way we think. 

— Hannah Much, Junior Sports Editor

SOC 3180 – Philanthropy Lab

Looking for a class where you can learn by doing? Want to have the chance to give a local non-profit $10,000 (or more) to benefit the work they’re doing? To learn about philanthropy and connect with professionals in the field? If so, this is the class for you! This class meets once a week for a block of time where you and your classmates get to form into groups based on causes you care about, research and meet with local non-profits, go on multiple field trips, and connect with the larger organization known as Philanthropy Lab. Barbara Levin currently teaches the course, and her expertise and excitement in getting students involved in the world of philanthropy enhance the experience overall. 

— Kate Theerman Rodriguez, Senior Forum Editor

WGSS 3446 – No Boys Allowed: Girlhood and Programming for Girls in 19th and 20th Centuries, United States 

WGSS 3575 – Confronting Capitalism: Feminism, Work and Solidarity

As I come to the end of my senior year, I feel grateful for all of my Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies classes and recommend everyone take one before they graduate. While Introduction to WGSS is a classic (and great for someone who has never taken a class related to gender before), these are two of my favorite upper-level classes. 

“No Boys Allowed” with Professor Amy Cislo is about girlhood in the 19th and 20th centuries. The topics we discussed that stand out most to me were Black girls’ experiences during the Reconstruction and Jim Crow eras, the Girl Power Movement, and purity culture.

In “Confronting Capitalism,” you learn about Marxist, Marxist feminist, anti-work, Black feminist, labor, and other social movements alongside the history and ideologies of capitalism and neoliberalism. You analyze their connections to race, gender, disability, and class. I still use and consider the things I learned from this class inside and outside of academics.

— Sylvie Richards, Managing Forum Editor

WGSS 1500 – Introduction to Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies

I’ve taken too many intro classes to count. While some can be boring and others superficial, I found intro WGGS to be a well-rounded and well-paced introduction to the field. The class will challenge the fundamental ways you think of the world. You will scrutinize what manliness is, what constitutes as sex, and why homophobia exists. No matter who you are or what you study, everyone should have basic literacy in how we understand gender and sexuality in our society. So, take the class — that is, if you’re man enough.

— David Ciorba, Senior Forum Editor

WRITING 2100 – Creative Non-Fiction I

If you are interested in writing at all, I highly recommend this class. It gives you a chance to develop your writing style and learn how to talk about your life. The prompts you are given help you think more deeply about your life and personality, while the readings help you understand other people. Like Fiction I, you get to learn about writing, but with Creative Non-Fiction, you don’t have to worry about the more imaginative aspects of creative writing. The realism element makes it a lot less overwhelming, and the professors are understanding and willing to work with you individually. 

— Lyn Wilkins, Junior Forum Editor

WRITING 2001 – Writing the Visual World 

If you like writing and don’t mind doing a little bit of everything, definitely try Writing the Visual World. I’m currently taking it with Bethany Daniels (and I’m not the only Bethany fan on this list, for good reason!), and it has given me so much freedom to let my writing develop. We read and discuss nonfiction, fiction, and different writing techniques, but there’s a larger emphasis on memoirs. So far, writing a personal memoir of seven pages or more is our only assignment, and our readings are memoirs written by a few famous creatives (Stephen King, Amy Tan, Keith Haring, etc.) This class might seem built for Sam Fox students, but there’s truly space for any kind of student in this class, visually inclined or not.

— Sophia Hellman, Senior Scene Editor 

WRITING 3208 – Imaginative Fiction: Science Fiction and Fantasy

Probably my favorite class that I’ve taken, and I highly recommend it to anyone even remotely interested in written or visual storytelling. The reading load for each class can be a bit heavy, but it’s always worth it because every story is so cool and inspiring. Through these readings, I’ve learned a lot about worldbuilding and the process of writing speculative fiction. This class is open to students of all majors, and I loved the sense of community that came from hearing everyone’s unique story ideas and the crazy tangents we would take during class discussions. Shannon Rabong is so kind and cares so much about our stories, and he’s always trying to make the class the best it can be.

— AnaElda Ramos, Managing Illustration Editor

WRITING 3001 – Exposition 

After taking five other writing classes, this is by far my favorite in the department. The course is all about learning how to write your own story. However, unlike Creative Non-Fiction (which is also an incredible class), exposition is a lot less work-heavy. While you do have to read a couple of personal essay books, there is less work involved in workshops compared to other creative writing classes, because you split up into small groups. Bethany Daniels is one of the coolest professors you will ever meet and creates such an amazing environment in class. The class seriously feels like group therapy and is always a welcome and wonderful break in my day.

— Bri Nitsberg, Managing Photo Editor