Degree electives course list

Introduction to the German Language and Culture I 

Theme

Global cultures

Course Code

GERM71010 (Section 1)

Delivery

Online - synchronous

Status

OPEN

Description

This beginner course introduces students to German and the cultural variety in the German speaking world. Students will develop listening, speaking, reading and writing. This course will be taught in German and English to facilitate learning in German.

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German Language and Culture II

Theme

Global cultures

Course Code

GERM72010 (Section 1)

Delivery

Online - synchronous

Status

OPEN

Description

This course reinforces students’ knowledge of the German language and the cultural variety in the German speaking world. Students will develop academic and professional listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. This course will be taught mostly in German with English used to facilitate learning in German.

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Introduction to Chinese Language and Culture

Theme

Global cultures

Course Code

CHIN71000 (Section 1)

Delivery

Online - synchronous

Status

OPEN

Description

This beginner course introduces students to Chinese language and culture. Students will develop reading, listening, speaking, writing and culture awareness. Students will also learn the fundamentals of Chinese character writing. This course will be taught in both Chinese and English to facilitate learning of Chinese.

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Spanish Language and Culture II

Theme

Global cultures

Course Code

SPAN72010 (Section 1)

Delivery

Online - synchronous

Status

OPEN

Description

This high beginner course reinforces students' knowledge of the Spanish language and reinforces the cultural variety in the Spanish speaking world. Students will develop academic and professional listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. This course will be taught mostly in Spanish with English used to facilitate learning in Spanish.

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World Culture

Theme

Global cultures

Course Code

CLTR72000 (Section 1)

Delivery

Online - synchronous

Status

OPEN

Description

World cultures both broadly and deeply affect and are affected by globalization in ways that unify and divide as well as produce equities and inequalities among people and nations. In this course, students will focus on topics pertaining to similarities and differences in world cultures and societies. Incorporating varying perspectives on diversity, students develop an understanding of the impacted groups, develop strategies which demonstrate respect for diversity, and critically examine social change performed on a world stage.

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Classical Civilization and the Global Present  

Theme

Humanities

Course Code

CLSC72000 (Section 1)

Delivery

Online - synchronous

Status

OPEN

Description

This course will trace the modern world (including current events and social and cultural problems) by examining the foundation of Western civilization by ancient Greek and Roman explorers, colonists, political leaders, conquerors, scholars, playwrights, artists, and artisans. Located at the crossroads between Europe, Asia, and Africa, ancient Mediterranean civilizations; created fundamental drivers of world history and left a legacy of important ideas, practices, and deeply-rooted values that have lasted for more than 3500 years. Emphasis will be on ethnic migrations, social movements, political reforms, economic upturns, geographical discoveries, and pivotal military conflicts in Antiquity; influenced hybridization and globalization in cultural tradition, materiality of life, and intellectual advancement. Also, priority will be given to mnemonic hands-on activities, problem-solving case studies, debates, reflective narratives, as well as to relevant approaches for tackling primary sources, such as ancient poetry and prose, epigraphic documents, maps, numismatic and archaeological materials.

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Postmodern Identity in Popular Culture: Avatars, Humans, and Vampires 

Theme

Humanities

Course Code

ENGL71040 (Section 1)

Delivery

Online - asynchronous

Status

CLOSED

Description

The stories we tell and the stories we make popular say much about who we think we are: what makes us human, what makes us individuals, and what gives us value. Postmodern narratives demonstrate an interesting shift in the ideas about what it means to be human. Students in this course will learn to describe postmodernism, understand a variety of psychological and sociological theories about identity, and recognize changes to how humans value themselves and their qualities. Within this postmodern historical context, students will analyze how human identity is constructed and presented in narratives. The narratives chosen will provide a survey of different media, from short stories to graphic novels to film and television. In each medium, fictional identities such as gaming avatars, ghosts, vampires, and werewolves will provide clues to the puzzle of what it means to be human.

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Archaeology

Theme

Science

Course Code

SCIE71010 (Section 1)

Delivery

Online - synchronous

Status

OPEN

Description

This course will provide an overview of archaeology. Students will learn how the use of analytical methods in archaeology helps us to understand past human cultures. The course will also connect students to archaeologists as guest speakers in order to help interpret preserved artifacts. Students will explore ethical issues relevant to preservation by engaging in debates and other active learning opportunities.

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Science, Technology and Society

Theme

Science

Course Code

SOC71045 (Section 2)

Delivery

Online - synchronous

Status

OPEN

Description

This theme-based course aims to provide an understanding of the historical, social, economic and political context within which scientific and technological advancement takes place. Innovation is a social product, often an expression of current ideas or a response to a social need. Conversely, technological and scientific innovation can transform the structure of society, its value system, and institutions. Through a series of lectures and student-centered activities, this course will assess the impact, benefits, consequences and implications of the inter-relationship between science, technology and society.

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Religions of the World: Western Traditions

Theme

Social Science

Course Code

RELS73200 (Section 1)

Delivery

Online - synchronous

Status

OPEN

Description

Western religions continue to hold a dynamic position in the lives of many people in the world today. This course will expose students to the traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (with a small study of Zoroastrianism). We will evaluate each of these religions in terms of their historical emergence, doctrinal development, and interaction with various world cultures. We will also briefly analyze a selection of alternative Western religions. In addition, the method of learning in this course is participatory; students will select, explore and report on specific theoretical issues. The issues examined will be gender and the role of women, sexuality, religious violence and non-violence, diaspora, the modern atheistic critique of religion, globalization and the effects of modernity, religious plurality, environmental and technological concern

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French Language and Culture II

Theme

Global cultures

Course Code

FREN72020 (Section 1)

Delivery

Online - synchronous

Status

OPEN

Description

This high beginner course builds on the Introduction to the French Language and Culture. The course is designed to further enhance beginner level language skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing. Students will also explore numerous facets of French Canadian culture. This course will be taught mostly in French with English used to facilitate learning in French.

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French Language and Culture III

Theme

Global cultures

Course Code

FREN73020 (Section 1)

Delivery

Online - synchronous

Status

OPEN

Description

This intermediate course builds on French Language and Culture II. Students will continue to develop their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills with a focus on academic and professional communication within the French language and workplace cultural context. This course will be taught in French.

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First Nations Experience 

Theme

Global cultures

Course Code

INDS71000 (Section 1)

Delivery

Online - asynchronous

Status

CLOSED

Description

This course will explore Canada's First Nations people's relationships with land, resources, cultures, and each other, as well as historical and contemporary relationships between Aboriginal people and settler governments in Canada. The course will provide a study of Indigenous cultures, colonialism, cultural and political re-emergence, and the importance of the wampum belt. The Truth and Reconciliation Report, UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal people, and the Ipperwash Inquiry will serve as core learning tools. Supporting the maintenance and revitalization of traditional Indigenous values, languages, cultural identity and spirituality will be highlighted.

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Introduction to French Language and Culture

Theme

Global cultures

Course Code

FREN71020 (Section 1, 2)

Delivery

Online - asynchronous

Status

OPEN

Description

This beginner course introduces students to standard French as well as Canadian French nuances. It is designed for students to develop basic French skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing. Students will also study French culture in various contexts around the world. This course will be taught in both English and French to facilitate learning in French.

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Introduction to the Spanish Language and Culture

Theme

Global cultures

Course Code

SPAN71010 (Section 1)

Delivery

Online - asynchronous

Status

CLOSED

Description

This beginner course introduces students to Spanish and the cultural variety in the Spanish speaking world. Students will develop listening, speaking, reading and writing. This course will be taught in Spanish and English to facilitate learning in Spanish.

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Fear and Fiction

Theme

Humanities

Course Code

ENGL71050 (Section 1)

Delivery

Online - asynchronous

Status

OPEN

Description

Fear and Fiction explores the primary literary genres that depict and elicit fear to assess how scary stories signal social and cultural desires, anxieties, and prejudices. Students will reflect on ghosts, monsters, and nightmares both classic and contemporary to evaluate historical fears, the fears of our time, and what makes their own skin crawl.

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Science Fiction

Theme

Humanities

Course Code

ENGL71010 (Section 1)

Delivery

Online - asynchronous

Status

CLOSED

Description

This course analyzes science fiction, an imaginative genre of fiction which explores science and technology, and their effects on human beings and society as a whole. Drawing on literature, film, T.V., and other aspects of popular culture, students will examine topics such as dystopias, space travel, artificial intelligence, aliens, and gender, and develop an awareness of both the implications of the transforming technological landscape and the ethical issues therein. Students will examine the role of science fiction as one of the most popular and thought-provoking genres of the 20th and 21st centuries. We will use a variety of theoretical and historical frameworks to interpret science fiction and decode its various social and political contexts.

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Enviornmental Science

Theme

Science

Course Code

SCIE72000 (Section 1)

Delivery

Online - asynchronous

Status

CLOSED

Description

This course will argue for the interconnectedness of the world’s systems, linking Earth’s large-scale processes to specific environmental phenomenon. Topics include: our use and allocation of energy and mineral resources; urban environmental management, human population growth and its effects on food accessibility, desertification and loss of biodiversity. We will also analyze new and emerging environmental toxins and how they are impacting our ability to ensure clean water and soils for future generations. Research will be focused on understanding specific method for understanding scientific and policy literature, problem solving with an eye on all potential stakeholders.

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Introduction to Media Studies

Theme

Social Science

Course Code

MDIA72280 (Section 1)

Delivery

Online - asynchronous

Status

CLOSED

Description

This course provides an introductory overview of the role of the mass media and mass communication within a democratic society and the impact upon the ability of its citizens to make informed decisions. The course considers the historical context of journalism in North America, the major influences affecting the function of the mass media and their evolution in a digital age. The course is also designed to enable the student to recognize bias in media and evaluate information as a social construction.

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Pysychology: Basic Processes of Behaviour

Theme

Social Science

Course Code

PSYC71240 (Section 1)

Delivery

Online - asynchronous

Status

CLOSED

Description

Psychology is the scientific study of human thought processes, emotions and behaviour. Topics of interest to psychologists include all aspects of everyday life, from simple to complex thought processes to behaviours that might surprise us. This course introduces students to the basic processes of human behaviour. The course begins with a brief history of psychology and its emergence as a science. Areas of study include: the biological bases of behaviour; memory consciousness; social psychology; emotion; personality and psychological disorders and their treatment.

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