Current Semester

Through a combination of studio projects and lectures, you will explore practical and theoretical principles of visual communication and perception applied to graphic design. By articulating those principles and engaging with sketches, models, and outlines we will give shape to new projects as they are realized in a professional environment.

A survey of visual culture from prehistoric times to the present.

Which values, traditions, and ideas regulate the public collecting and display of art? How do museums, galleries, and other institutions shape their visual messages? By investigating theoretical approaches, exploring professional practices, and engaging with hands-on experience, you will be introduced to fundamental notions regulating the museum profession

An introductory-level course covering the principles of biology with examples taken from humans.

An introductory-level course covering the principles of biology with examples taken from humans.

This course develops students' proficiency in critical reading and writing through the study of a wide range of non-literary and literary texts, and the study of composition, with emphasis on connections between modes of reading and writing.

This course develops students' proficiency in critical reading and writing through the study of a wide range of non-literary and literary texts, and the study of composition, with emphasis on connections between modes of reading and writing.

Transgressive fiction authors use shocking characters and themes to question societal and artistic norms. Their protagonists are lonely, nihilistic, anti-social characters who struggle from an often ill-defined social malaise. Through the works of Chuck Palahniuk (Choke), Patrick Suskind (Perfume), Amy Hempel (At The Gates of The Animal Kingdom) and others, this course shows that the genre, while controversial and subversive at times, often involves not-so-shocking motivations like the quest for community, recognition, and love. We will examine the evolution of this genre and establish why these works, which often escape scholarly consideration, remain so popular.

Leaders face social and ethical questions when they are put in the challenging role of manager, thinker, artist, figurehead, or overall authority figure. This course focuses on works—poems, plays, fiction, nonfiction—exploring the diverse character traits we associate with leadership. Critical writing will develop skills in persuasion, reflection, and research. NB: Ideal for students who have taken ENGL 100 for Business, and those interested in Law, Education, Politics, and Community Leadership.

The particular focus of this class is on stories dealing with fabulous beasts. Since the author of Genesis first recounted the serpent’s words to Eve, writers of a wide range of texts have attributed human powers such as speech and reason to non-human creatures. Moving from Aesop to Orwell, and from fable to fairytale, this course asks whether humans themselves are the most fabulous beasts of all.

Did you love the Harry Potter series and want to read more books like it? If so, this class is for you! We will study Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman, and The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander. We will look at the mythological elements used in the novels, particularly the idea of an archetypal hero, as well as how these novels fit into a tradition of children's literature.

In this continuation of English 100-L01, we will explore the ways humans relate to the natural world and each other. Our primary reading is Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam trilogy, three works of speculative fiction that take us from creation stories to the imagined end of the world as we know it. These novels provide opportunities to think critically about such issues as climate change, environmental destruction, social breakdown, genetic manipulation, animal rights, and the possibility of being replaced by a whole new species. Writing assignments will culminate in a research essay.

J.R.R. Tolkien is one of the great writers of the 20th century, and his works are among the greatest achievements in fantasy fiction. This course will discuss The Lord of the Rings, a text that is familiar to many students due to its incredible cultural impact, as well as a number of shorter writings by Tolkien. By exploring many of the various influences and contexts that shape Tolkien's fantasy, this course seeks to deepen students' understanding of the complex and dynamic relationship between fantasy and reality in Tolkien's fiction and in fiction generally.

An introduction to the craft of creative writing, with work in poetry, drama, and prose fiction.

This course is an examination of several well-known books for children and their cinematic counterparts. All of these books focus on human relations with the natural world; all have acquired some measure of world renown; and all have a significant spiritual component. We will explore how each text reflects and is shaped by the culture from which it emerged, and how each is subsequently translated for distinct audiences and for the medium of film. This course also examines the texts as writing that targets children: therefore, we will explore the definitions of childhood that underlie the texts. You will have an opportunity to re-experience books you read as children, with an awareness of their character as both literature and cultural artifact.

This course is an examination of writing in English from former British colonies in Africa, South Asia, the Caribbean, and Canada. Through our study of postcolonial theories, we will explore the continuing process of resistance and reconstruction reflected in world literatures written in English. The range of these literatures is enormous, and our discussions will be rooted in historical, geographical, and cultural contexts of the areas. Many theorists wonder if we will ever be past the “post” in our examination of the “postcolonial.” Issues of neocolonial elites, diaspora, internal division within areas, treatment of indigenous peoples in settler/invader societies, and hybridity will ground some of the texts we read in this course, helping to open at least some of the debates in current postcolonial studies.

This course introduces the diverse subject matter of human geography. It highlights what human geography is, the foundational themes that unify this versatile area of geography, the multiple issues of interest to human geographers, and how the discipline connects with the broad concerns of society. This course will provide students with a solid foundation in geography, which will serve as a basis for further exploration.

Enjoying multiple analytical approaches, this course examines the economic, social, cultural, and environmental factors and processes of recreation and tourism, and their implications on the environment, space and place, at a variety of geographical and temporal scales.

Political geography explores the ways in which geography and politics are intertwined at a variety of spatial scales and time periods. The course will focus on geopolitics and aspects of national level politics. The course will provide students with elaborate theoretical frameworks for interpreting both historical and contemporary political geography. Deep insights will be provided on some of the most significant political geographic events, such as imperialism, the Cold War, the emerging multi-polar world, the increasing globalization of the world, the making of states, and nationalism.

During the twentieth century Latin America experienced a number of revolutions. Mostly they were reactions to colonialism. This course explores three such conflicts (Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador) as a way to understand the commonalities and the differences among them. Themes include the role of Christianity, the traditions of personalistic rule, land-tenure systems, neo-liberalism, decolonization, the Cold War, and the crucial significance of the United States.

The "Indian" is work of colonial imagination, conjuring up a variety of racist and sexist characteristics. This course explores the creation and subsequent history of such constructions in Mexico, the United States, and Canada since 1492.

From the "beats" of the 1950s to the fall of Saigon in 1975, babyboomer youth transformed society through the counterculture, sexual revolution, the new left, student power, environmentalism, and liberation movements, making the "Sixties" the homeland of today. The course compares the Canadian and US experiences of this turbulent era.

Why were tens of thousands of people - mostly women - tried for witchcraft in early modern Europe? The answer is complicated. This course will examine the origins, evolution and decline of the witch hunts in Western Europe from 1400-1700. We will consider the witch hunts from a variety of angles,including: gender and society, religion and magic, health and medicine, and politics and law. We’ll explore topics related to the witch trials, such as demonic possession cases, the role of the inquisition, and the use of torture. Students will be introduced to the primary sources that historians use to understand the past, including trial documents. Students will learn about the ways in which historians draw on fields such as psychology, sociology, anthropology and feminist theory in order to understand the history of persecution in this era.

The period between 1450 and 1700 witnessed great changes in European culture and thought. Around 1450, Renaissance scholars began to delve deeply into books of ancient magic that they believed would unlock the secrets of the universe. Alchemists sought the philosopher’s stone and astrologers tried to predict the future. However, by the end of the seventeenth century, many of the ideas that Renaissance philosophers had held dear were being questioned, discarded and replaced by a new scientific understanding. Astronomers proposed a radical new view of the heavens and thinkers like Bacon, Galileo, Descartes, and Newton developed new strategies for investigating nature. This transition, labelled the Scientific Revolution, was neither sudden nor complete. This seminar course, based on class discussions of primary and secondary source material, will trace the evolution of European thought from the magical world view of the Renaissance to the beginnings of a scientific perspective in the seventeenth century.

This course will examine topics of critical interest in the 21st Century: religious diversity, social constructions of identity, consumer choices, sustainable livelihoods, and current environmental issues. We will explore ideas about locating ourselves and developing agency in a changing and challenging world. Developing communication and research skills is a focus. Coordinated by one faculty member, this course draws on the expertise of instructional faculty from different disciplines. Community service learning through volunteer work (approximately 12 hours for the semester) will complement the academic component of this course. All course work is experiential and project based.

Communications with the general public, governments, other nonprofits, businesses, media, funders and donors in order to build intentional relationships are explored. Theory and practice are integrated in examining relationships and accountabilities. New perspectives on social media, virtual/public presence, branding, key messages, and time-sensitive response mechanisms are discussed.

This course addresses in both theoretical and practical ways how to build and strengthen communities and help achieve their goals through advocacy. The roles of the community, governments, and other support systems are analyzed. Practical experience will be gained by working with a community group during the course.

An introductory course in the theory and techniques of differentiation and integration of algebraic and trigonometric functions. Differentiation rules such as power, sum/difference, product quotient and chain rule are studied. Implicit differentiation is introduced. The fundamental theorem of calculus is introduced and the substitution technique for evaluating integrals is studied. Other topics covered include limits, related rates, optimization, curve sketching and areas.

Differentiation and integration of exponential and logarithmic functions; methods of integration and applications; indeterminate forms, L'Hospital's rule and improper integrals; first order differential equations: separable equations, linear equations, exact equations, modeling, and applications; Taylor Series.

A course intended to introduce students to elementary linear algebra, particularly at a computational and applied level. Topics include matrices and systems of equations, inversions, determinants, vectors, inner products, eigenvectors and eigenvalues.

Existence and uniqueness of solutions, linear systems, non-linear equations, stability, Liapunov's method, applications.

Let’s face it: we are surrounded by music all day long, whether we want to or not. But why, when, where and how do we listen to music? Studies have shown that it is the key to good health: listening to music reduces anxiety and helps manage pain, improves memory retention, and promotes bonding with others. In this class, you will meet your “listening personality” by actively listening to, thinking critically about, and engaging creatively with a variety of different musical genres from the past and the present. A personalized “listening journal” term project will replace the final exam. NOTE: 1) Attendance of local concerts for credit is required; 2) In response to the high cost of textbooks, *all* MU 299AB course materials will be freely accessible online or made available through UR Courses.

Beethoven…Chopin…Wagner…Verdi…Mahler – no other period has shaped music history more intensely and imaginatively than the 19th century. In this class, we will examine the contributions of representative composers to music literature of the Romantic Era (1800-1900) and investigate cultural and political forces that played a role in the creation of musical works. This course is designed to deepen students’ understanding of major genres and compositional styles, and to increase listening and writing skills throughout the semester. NOTE: Attendance of local concerts required.

Communications with the general public, governments, other nonprofits, businesses, media, funders and donors in order to build intentional relationships are explored. Theory and practice are integrated in examining relationships and accountabilities. New perspectives on social media, virtual/public presence, branding, key messages, and time-sensitive response mechanisms are discussed.

This course addresses in both theoretical and practical ways how to build and strengthen communities and help achieve their goals through advocacy. The roles of the community, governments, and other support systems are analyzed. Practical experience will be gained by working with a community group during the course.

Philosophy seeks to satisfy our intellectual curiosity about enduring questions: what we can know, what is meaningful, how should we live our lives—all dimensions of the traditional search for wisdom. This course will explore questions concerning knowledge and truth, mind and body, personal identity, free will, morality, politics, and the existence of God. Students will also be introduced to various areas of philosophy including metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, political philosophy, and philosophy of religion.

An introduction to the systematic study of reasoning, this course will teach the theory and practice of good reasoning. It will provide students with reasoning skills that are useful in whichever discipline and career they may pursue.

An introduction to the social science aspects of psychology, including the study of adjustment, disorders, development, personality and the social environment of the person.

A study of developmental processes across the lifespan; the interaction between environmental and biological processes; maturational and learning factors; how these interact with social influences in the developing person.

A study of developmental processes across the lifespan; the interaction between environmental and biological processes; maturational and learning factors; how these interact with social influences in the developing person.

The study of human behaviour in its social context dealing with the impressions we form of others and emphasizing the influence of group membership and interactions upon important psychological processes.

An integrative course examining various perspectives on the study of the person.

An integrative course examining various perspectives on the study of the person.

A comparative study of the nature and development of normal and disordered patterns of personality and behaviour.

The course in humanistic psychology will cover origins, history, and contemporary movements in this specialty area of psychology. Teaching methods will be congruent with the course material (learning circles, small groups, and essay format exams). Reading assignments include a basic textbook in humanistic psychology, original readings from at least one major contributor to the field, and an additional reading chosen from contemporary theorists in fields such as transpersonal psychology, cross-cultural healing, health psychology, etc.

Positive psychology is the study of how people thrive in the face of adversity. As an introduction to positive psychology, this course will explore historical and philosophical foundations of positive psychology while reviewing related disciplines and discussing their contributions to the field. Some areas of focus will be: well-being, virtues, values, strengths, self-actualization, love and friendships, resilience, positive affect, optimism and hope, gratitude, and lifespan. The format of the course will be didactic, experiential and interactive.

An introduction to the academic study of religion; a survey of the thought and practices of major world religions; the impact of religion on society and culture.

An introduction to the academic study of religion; a survey of the thought and practices of major world religions; the impact of religion on society and culture.

Christianity is still the largest religion in the world today and, due to increases in Africa and Asia in particular, one of the fastest growing. This course will introduce students to this dynamic religion which had its origins in history 2000 years ago. The centrality of Jesus will be examined as found in the Bible and other sources. Christianity’s roots in Judaism and its sources of authority and doctrinal development, especially over the first few centuries will be explored and questioned. Further historical and theological developments through the medieval and into current times will also be explored. Students will study worship practices and rituals as practiced today and in the past. Major denominational families and contemporary issues, including the place of women, will also be outlined.

What is the Old Testament (for Christians) or the Tanakh (for Jews) or the Hebrew Bible (for scholars)? You will discover this book to be many things: a collection of historical documents, a literary compilation, and a conversation partner, or revelation, on deep societal and spiritual issues, such as identity, family, gender, ethnicity, politics, and ideas about God. You can expect careful reading of biblical texts with attention to historical origins and context, translation, literary structure and interpretation.

This course studies the numerous constructs of gender and sexualities in Islamic teachings and practices. Our enquiry is scriptural, historical and contemporary, with a particular eye to the impact of colonialism and subsequent writings of postcolonial feminists. The rapid growth of Muslim women’s literature and their leadership roles in North America and especially Canada will be of interest to us, as will the debates between traditionalists and modernists, nationalists and liberals, fundamentalists and feminists, insiders (emic) and outsiders (etic).

This course is a basic introduction to the study of yoga. Students will familiarize themselves with the foundational teachers, texts, and practices of the yoga tradition.

Religious literacy within the constructs of Canadian secularism and multiculturalism is examined historically and with comprehensive conversations regarding models of interreligious dialogue, advocacy, feminist responses, and covering the most current topics, e.g. accommodation principles, educational responsibilities, the rise of Islamophobia, public space and prayer, and more.

Martin Luther King Jr. adopted non-violent methods for achieving justice and freedom for Black Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. But Malcolm X, a founder of the Black Power movement, said that only violence could bring changes to the structures of racism and hate embedded in American culture. Who was right?

This course introduces students to sociological analyses and theoretical perspectives on the place of religion in modern society. The course focuses on issues such as secularization, fundamentalism, sects and cults, and Third World religious movements.

This course introduces students to sociological analyses and theories of ethnic and cultural diversity, with an emphasis on contemporary Canada. Specific topics might include Aboriginal cultures in Canadian society, issues arising from conflicts between concepts of human rights and specific cultural practices, overt and systemic racism, and controversies about immigration.

This course introduces students to sociological perspectives on gender in contemporary society. The course covers aspects of recent research and of current debates on femininity and masculinity, and provides a brief introduction to some classic and contemporary theoretical perspectives on gender.

This course introduces students to sociological perspectives on the family, with emphasis on issues of particular importance in contemporary Canadian society. Specific topics might include the impact of social change on family relationships, changing definitions of the family, children's rights, concepts of fatherhood and motherhood, and same-sex marriage.

This course introduces students to sociological perspectives on the study of crime and justice. The course examines sociological concepts of deviance, punishment, and social control.

An introduction to statistical methods; descriptive statistics; the normal distribution; basic techniques of statistical inference; confidence intervals and hypothesis tests for population means and proportions; simple linear regression.

This course will examine the historical development of feminism and women's studies. Women's representation in academic practice will be analyzed using examples from humanities, the arts, and social sciences. Strategies for change and for the empowerment of women will be considered.

Why are Indigenous women around the world more likely to "go missing" than non-Indigenous women? What does “sexualized racism" mean and how is it perpetuated through cultural scripts, institutions, and systems? This class examines the systems that intersect and perpetuate racism and sexism in colonized countries; specifically, Canada, Australia, Mexico, and Guatemala will be studied. The social and economic effects of globalization on women are studied, including the issue of sex trafficking between Canada and the U. S., Thailand, and the Philippines. Expertise and perspectives of family members, community activists, the police force, media, Elders and church leaders will be integrated into this class, all with the intention to seek justice and healing. This course will take The Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Inquiry into special consideration.