Headlines To Classroom

By Maggie Shnayerson

This fall college students can base their course selections on more than just sleep schedules and workload. In the wake of Sept. 11, many universities quickly added courses that sought to answer questions raised by the attack--the University of California came up with dozens in just two weeks. The air of crisis has subsided, but the Ivory Tower continues to find ways to address topical issues. Students this fall will find a book-bagful of courses--from Martha Stewart to the military--that acknowledge what's happening in the real world. Here's a TIME sampler of some newcomers to the catalog. --By Maggie Shnayerson

CYBERLAW LAW 379M University of Texas School of Law Intellectual-property rights (beware, would-be file sharers), computer crime and freedom of expression in the Internet age are the top concerns here.

TERRORISM AND NATIONAL SECURITY SOC 202 Williams College Spooks and their quarry are the focus of this study of threats to national safety. Immigration control, technology and militant Islamists are examined.

BOLLYWOOD CINEMA ENGLISH 19 UCLA 2002 Academy Award nominee Lagaan serves as the main text in this course on the wildly popular--and more prolific than Hollywood--Indian film industry.

MARS EXPLORATION SOC 202 University of Puget Sound The Red Planet's closest encounter with Earth in 60,000 years--on Aug. 27--is the reference point for this survey of everything Martian, from science to film.