With all the talk about the end of the world in December as foretold by the Mayans centuries ago, rumors of disaster and the apocalypse are more prevalent than ever. This prevalence has even made its way into the academic sphere. Michigan State University is offering a course on zombie survival this summer.

Offered through MSU’s School of Social Work and created and taught by Glenn Stutzky, ‘Surviving the Coming Zombie Apocalypse’ tackles how humans deal with catastrophes and disasters, including zombie invasions. Stutzky will reference both historical and hypothetical examples, according to a March 8 article published by The Huffington Post.

The course does not focus on zombies, but it uses the idea of a zombie apocalypse to research the effects both manmade and natural catastrophes have on human behavior, according to a description in a video posted on the course’s YouTube channel.

‘The class is actually about different kinds of catastrophic events, like the black plague, and how people behave during those kinds of crisis situations,’ Stutzky said in the video. ‘In times of catastrophes, some people find their humanity – others lose theirs.’

The zombie component of the course was added to bring an element of excitement and uniqueness to the course.

‘I’m using the zombie thing to hopefully make the class a little more interesting,’ Stutzky said in the video. ‘We’re using the idea of a zombie apocalypse to learn about the nature, scope and impact of catastrophic events on people, societies, civilizations and the earth itself.’

The course stays true to its topic through how it is taught. The course is conducted online, and coursework will be completed in online forums. The class begins with an event simulation of a zombie apocalypse conducted during the first week, according to a Feb. 29 article published by the Detroit ABC affiliate network.

The course will be offered for seven weeks, beginning at the start of MSU’s first summer semester.

During the simulation, students will be assigned to survivor groups and must work to formulate methods to deal with the zombie apocalypse. The simulation continues throughout the course, alongside other coursework and lessons. At the end of the course, students will use this newfound knowledge to conclude the simulation, according to the article.

The class is also offered to the public through MSU’s Lifelong Education program. The program is designed to offer the resources of MSU, such as courses and facilities, to those not pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree, according to the MSU registrar office’s website.

MSU is not the only university to conquer zombie-related topics. Southeast Community College, the University of Baltimore and Columbia College Chicago, among others, have also offered courses that deal with the undead in some way.

dspearl@syr.edu 

Published on March 21, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Diana: dspearl@syr.edu | @dianapearl_