Florida International University (FIU) is offering a range of courses focused on horror, the supernatural, and themes related to fear and the macabre. These classes are available across several departments including English, theatre, and religious studies.
Rhona Trauvitch, associate teaching professor of English, teaches both a general science fiction course and “Short Stories of Horror and the Weird.” Students in these classes read works such as Frankenstein, Never Let Me Go, Wicked Weeds, The Wake (a graphic novel), and Bloodchild. Trauvitch said: “They seem to like the opportunity to discuss these genres and tropes with their peers.”
The English department also explores horror elements through Shakespeare’s plays. Associate Professor James Sutton highlights that tragedies like Hamlet and Titus Andronicus feature numerous deaths—ten in Hamlet and twenty-six in Titus Andronicus—including scenes involving cannibalism. “We see dead people,” Sutton said about Shakespeare’s tragedies. He added that students are particularly interested in the ghostly aspects of Macbeth: “Students really latch on to the ghostly.” Sutton also noted: “I try to be serious, but a lot of this literature ends up being a lot of fun, too.”
For those interested in special effects makeup related to gore, Professor Anthony Galaska from the theatre department offers a stage makeup course where students learn techniques for creating bruises, cuts, burns, broken noses, bites, and more using materials like mortician’s wax and cream makeup. Students read police reports as part of their assignments to design realistic effects. Galaska also teaches lighting design by referencing suspenseful films such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Psycho to demonstrate how lighting builds tension on stage as well as in movies. “With film you can really direct the framework of what an audience sees, so you get more jump scares out of that,” Galaska said.
Associate Professor Marina Pareja introduces students to historical fascinations with death through her costume history courses. She discusses Victorian-era trends like spirit photography and mourning rituals: “Costume history is a favorite of mine to teach,” Pareja said. “Fashion reflected these obsessions,” she added. Pareja emphasized her interactive teaching style: “Instead of sitting through slides, we connect fashion to art, politics and daily life. I try to keep things moving so it feels more like piecing together stories than memorizing timelines.”
Erin Weston from FIU’s School of International Public Affairs leads “Magic and Religions,” an elective examining global beliefs about magic and witchcraft along with their connections to science and technology today. Weston commented: “I most enjoy watching the students grapple with different perspectives and develop their own ideas on why beliefs in the supernatural are still so prevalent in today’s society.”
Other FIU offerings include courses such as “Hispanic Gothic: Horror and the Fantastic in Spain and Latin America” as well as “Writing Mystery and Suspense.” For pre-med students interested in anatomy from a unique perspective, Ana Benaduce’s lesson on the skeletal system is described as both informative and engaging.
