Headlines To Classroom

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.

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.