Sports have come to play a central role within our culture and society. Athletes have come to be deeply revered and have the salaries to prove it. For many people sports represent something very similar to a sort of religious devotion. But should sports play such a significant role in our lives? In this class we will consider the important role that sports play in shaping our culture and our values. In doing so we will also consider other important questions that come up in the world of sports: What is the point of sport? What happens when sports become more about money than competition? Beginning with and answering these broader questions will help in evaluating more specific moral issues in the world of sports such as the use of performance-enhancing drugs, the remuneration of college athletes, as well as racial and gender issues prevalent in sports today. By the end of the course, we should hope to become more cognizant of and sensitive to these issues and to the role that sports play in our society and in our lives.

This is an online/virtual asynchronous course that has no fixed meeting pattern and gives students the flexibility to interact with course content on their own schedule; please note: some asynchronous courses may include required sessions and/or proctored exams at specific times. Tufts virtual courses are designed to provide high-quality, flexible, and interactive courses to Tufts and visiting students. For more information about virtual course policies and expectations, please visit https://it.tufts.edu/learning-remotely.

This section is open to high school students who are rising 11th or 12th grade students. High School students will be prompted to submit an additional application after enrollment including: a high school transcript, letter of recommendation, parental permission, and other required consent forms.

Basic Enrollment Requirements: None.

Refund Policy: The refund policy for Courses at Tufts offerings is dependent on the offering type: whether the offering is a course, workshop or short course, or in-demand offering. Please refer to the section details to confirm the type of offering as well as any exceptions to the standard refund policy. The refund policies for each offering type are viewable here: https://universitycollege.tufts.edu/policies/refunds#Courses-at-Tufts-(Academic-Year--Summer-Session)

Remission Eligible: Yes; first day of term; all university policies apply.