AC Big Ideas Courses

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About

The Big Ideas Courses, first launched in Fall 2012, are dedicated to the premise that the most important issues and questions of our time—or any time—cannot be adequately addressed by scholars versed in one discipline alone. The co-teachers of each Big Ideas Course bring the different methodologies, underlying assumptions, and wisdom of their respective disciplines to bear on the course and its topic, and the resulting insights and discussions are richer and deeper than any one disciplinary approach could produce. Read More.

Call for Proposals

As the 2026-27 Call for Proposals for the Big Ideas Courses program is now open, we encourage instructors to consider proposing a course team for this upcoming cross-disciplinary teaching opportunity. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, November 19, 2025. 

For the 2026-27 cycle, selected Big Ideas teams receive up to $10,000 in course development funds, including support for GSIs, course materials, research travel, and summer salary. Ideally, department chairs will agree to have you teach the class as part of your departmental teaching load, offering your Big Ideas Courses in 2026-27 or 2027-28.

Please discuss your interest with your department chairs, and submit a brief proposal (1-2 pages) outlining your planned course by November 19 to Aileen Liu, Director of Curricular Engagement Initiatives, at aileen.liu@berkeley.edu. If you have questions about the program, or would like to brainstorm ideas, please contact Aileen Liu.

AC Big Ideas Course Offerings