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Art History 202/History 204: Looking at Art from the Renaissance to Present Day is a three-credit, junior-level course designed to introduce you to the developments in artistic expression in the Western world beginning with the Italian Renaissance and ending with Contemporary art. This course, which is offered in an individualized-study delivery mode and normally open to students throughout the year, introduces the basic premise of art history and teaches students how to critically view historical works and artistic practices.
Art History 301 / Cultural Studies 301: Canadian Visual Culture is a three-credit, senior-level course designed to familiarize you with a variety of critical perspectives and help you understand display practices and cultural production in the context of Canadian art history.
The main purpose of English 155: Developing Writing Skills is to help you become a better writer so you can cope effectively with the demands of university-level writing.
ENGL 155 is designed for students who require a preparatory course in writing skills. The major objective of the course is to improve students' reading and writing abilities so they can succeed at the post-secondary level. Students will expand their vocabulary, increase their ability to analyse complex text, and improve their writing skills. The course includes paragraph and essay structure, and a systematic grammar review.
ENGL 211 introduces students to four literary forms: the short story, essay, novella, and novel.
ENGL 212 introduces forms of poetry, with a wide variety of examples from Shakespeare to Atwood, examining themes, structure, style, and imagery.
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ENGL 255 focuses on essay writing at the university level. In order to improve the necessary skills, students study examples of good writing, do a brief introductory assignment, write two short summaries, participate in online discussion forums, and complete three essays covering a spectrum of styles and purposes. The course is designed to recognize students’ personal interests, objectives, and learning styles and to provide flexible scheduling options.
English 302: An Introduction to Canadian Literature is a six-credit, senior level course designed to introduce students to the Canadian literary tradition from colonial times to the 1970s.
This course traces the history of Western theatre from its Greek origins to the beginning of the eighteenth century in England and France, with specific references to the plays in a core anthology, The Harcourt Brace Anthology of Drama.
English 304: A History of Drama Part II: Modernist Theatre is a senior-level university course which examines the beginnings of Western modernism in plays of the nineteenth and twentieth century from Europe, Britain, the United States, and Canada.
English 304: A History of Drama Part II: Modernist Theatre is a senior-level university course which examines the beginnings of Western modernism in plays of the nineteenth and twentieth century from Europe, Britain, the United States, and Canada.
English 305: Literature for Children is a six-credit senior course designed to introduce the student to children’s literature, its history and development, and its rich variety of forms and techniques.
English 305: Literature for Children is a six-credit senior course designed to introduce the student to children’s literature, its history and development, and its rich variety of forms and techniques.
English 305: Literature for Children is a six-credit senior course designed to introduce the student to children’s literature, its history and development, and its rich variety of forms and techniques.
ENGL 306 is an introduction to literature created by people who do the actual work being depicted. This is a relatively new genre. In the past, most literature about the workplace was written by outsiders; by people who had never done the job and who therefore did not have an insider's knowledge of what actually went on in the daily life of workers. In breaking the taboo against depicting the realities of life on the job, the literature of work gives an exciting new perspective both on the workplace and on the possibilities of literature.
English 307 critically examines the tradition in women's writing, deconstructs the pervasive images of women in literature, and analyses the way in which women use language to define their experiences.
English 307 critically examines the tradition in women's writing, deconstructs the pervasive images of women in literature, and analyses the way in which women use language to define their experiences.
ENGL 308 is a survey of Native literature, primarily in Canada, written in English. The course begins with the oral tradition, focusing on creation myths and trickster mythology, and shows how oral literature has influenced the development of contemporary Native Canadian written literature. The course also explores indigenous perspectives on history, religion, and the process of colonization.
English 316 is an introductory level course designed to familiarize you with a variety of critical perspectives and help you understand literary works more profoundly by integrating literary theory in your response to these works. English 316 also aims to prepare English program students for English 423: Advanced Literary Theory and Criticism, which deals with some of the more contemporary literary theories covered in English 316 in more depth.
ENGL 324 is an introduction to the study of the plays of William Shakespeare and focuses on the histories and tragedies. Critical analysis of the works helps the student to comprehend the plays and to appreciate the achievement of the most important author in the literary tradition of the English- speaking world. The course will help you study the plays as literary texts and as live theatre. To critically analyse the plays we will use a variety of media: the printed texts of the plays, CDs of performances, the study guide with historical and critical commentary and DVD performances of two plays. The seven plays are: Richard II, Henry IV, Part One, Hamlet, King Lear, Antony and Cleopatra, Macbeth, and Othello.
ENGL 325 is an introduction to the study of the plays of William Shakespeare and concentrates on the comedies and problem plays. The course will help you to interpret the plays as literary texts and as live theatre.
English 341 is an introduction to world literature. The course begins with a concise history of the origins and development of world literature from the eighteenth century to the present. The remainder of the course facilitates the reading of canonical texts from the ancient world to today and from all areas of the globe. Each unit encourages a comparative understanding of world literature by situating culturally specific texts in global contexts and reading the formal and thematic resources of literary texts in a historical perspective.
English 341: World Literature is a senior-level, six-credit course that introduces you to literature from around the world. The course begins with a concise history of the origins and development of world literature from the eighteenth century to the present. The remainder of the course facilitates the reading of canonical texts from the ancient world to today and from all corners of the globe. Each unit of the course encourages a comparative understanding of world literature by situating culturally specific texts in global contexts and reading the formal and thematic resources of literary texts in historical perspective.
English 344: American Literature I is a three-credit senior course designed to introduce students to American literature, its history and development, and its rich variety of forms and techniques.
This course introduces students to American literature, its history and development, and its rich variety of forms and techniques. It surveys American literature from its beginnings to approximately 1900 and includes Native orators, Puritan authors, writers of the Enlightenment and Romantic periods, slave narratives, and works that would set the stage for the entry of the United States into the literary world of the Twentieth Century.
ENGL 351 is an introduction to the study of ethnic minority writing in Canada in the context of the country's two majority traditions—the English and the French.
Welcome to English 353: Intermediate Composition, a senior-level, three-credit course that will help refine your essay writing.
Welcome to English 353: Intermediate Composition, a senior-level, three-credit course that will help refine your essay writing. This course takes a practical approach to essay writing by having students apply the major principles of composition in five essay assignments. Students learn these principles in the abstract by studying online handbooks on composition and in practice by studying samples of good writing and applying the principles in their own work. The course emphasizes some common essay types—exposition, comparison/contrast, persuasion, and research—as well as having the students write a critical review. Furthermore, students will write a research proposal in order to receive preliminary feedback on the research essay—the assignment with the highest grade weight and, arguably, the most complexity.
This course focuses on expanding poetic technique through guided practice, close reading, regular use of a writer’s notebook, constructive interaction with peers, and informed instructor responses.
Welcome to English 381: Creative Writing in Prose. The focus of this course is your work and its development. This course does its best to encourage the values of engagement, patience, and perseverance, but its main role is to firm up and expand your sense of technical understanding as you shape the material that arises for you within the various assignments.
Welcome to English 381: Creative Writing in Prose. The focus of this course is your work and its development. This course does its best to encourage the values of engagement, patience, and perseverance, but its main role is to firm up and expand your sense of technical understanding as you shape the material that arises for you within the various assignments.
English 384: Writing Creative Non-fiction is a senior-level course that offers students the opportunity to write creative non-fiction and receive feedback on their writing. Creative non-fiction, also called literary non-fiction or literary journalism, is a genre that applies to non-fiction the principles of storytelling usually associated with fiction. Students will learn these principles of storytelling as they produce their own work.
ENGL 387 develops speculative fiction (SF) writing skills through a combination of strategic study and writing activity.
ENGL 387 develops speculative fiction (SF) writing skills through a combination of strategic study and writing activity.
English 387: Writing Speculative Fiction aims to develop your speculative fiction (SF) writing skills through a combination of strategic study and writing activity.
In this course we will focus on the first four decades of the twentieth-century British novel, its history and development, its rich variety of forms and techniques, and the ideas and events that influenced it.
In this course we will focus on the first four decades of the twentieth-century British novel, its history and development, its rich variety of forms and techniques, and the ideas and events that influenced it.
This course introduces the student to some of the major English novels of the nineteenth century.
ENGL 423 examines the major contemporary theories of literature and their application in practical criticism.
English 431: Indigenous and Canadian Drama is a senior-level, three-credit course that provides a survey of Indigenous and Canadian plays from the 1960s to the present. English 431 examines a diversity of theatrical styles and themes, and investigates the forms and contexts of playwriting and theatrical production in works from various Indigenous communities and across the country.
English 458: The Latin American Novel focuses on five Latin American novels and a memoir offered in translation. Texts are provided in English, but should students choose to read the novels in the original Spanish or Portuguese, they may do so at their own expense.
English 460: The Ecological Imagination is a three-credit senior level course that considers the relationship between literature, culture, and the environment.
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Welcome to English 482: Advanced Fiction Writing, the second fiction-writing course at Athabasca University. The prerequisite for this course is English 381: Creative Writing in Prose or the permission of the instructor.
Students in ENGL 491 complete an extended research project under the direction of a professor. The research topic will be determined by consultation between the student and the professor. The course of study will normally include extensive library research and the production of a major paper. The research proposal will include the goals of the study project, the procedures, and the deadlines for completing the various phases of the work.
ENGL 492 is designed for students who want to pursue a particular literary topic of study. There is some choice of topic which is limited by the research and teaching interests of the faculty in the Centre for Language and Literature.
This course is designed for students who need to revise or upgrade their grammar skills to ensure accuracy of communication before proceeding with other courses or post-secondary studies. There is a thorough and systematic review of grammatical structures and their use in authentic language situations. Although this course studies grammar from an ESL perspective, it is also appropriate for native speakers of English who need to improve their grammar skills. ENGL 140 may be recommended for students interested in taking ENGL 177 or ENGL 189.
This course is designed for students who need to fill the gaps in their reading and writing skills in preparation for studies at the university level.
ENGL 155 is designed for students who require a preparatory course in writing skills. The major objective of the course is to improve students' reading and writing abilities so they can succeed at the post-secondary level. Students will expand their vocabulary, increase their ability to analyse complex text, and improve their writing skills. The course includes paragraph and essay structure, and a systematic grammar review.
English 177: English for Academic Purposes provides an introduction to university studies for students who wish to attend a postsecondary institution where English is the medium of instruction. The aim of this course is to prepare students to succeed in complex academic tasks in writing and reading. This is a general academic preparatory course designed from an ESL perspective. However, it is also appropriate for native speakers of English who are in need of general academic and writing preparation.
This course provides an introduction to university studies for students who wish to attend a post-secondary institution where English is the medium of instruction. The aim of this course is to prepare students to succeed in complex academic tasks in writing and reading. This is a general academic preparatory course designed from an ESL perspective. However, it is also appropriate for native speakers of English who are in need of general academic and writing preparation.
This course provides an introduction to university studies for students who wish to attend a post-secondary institution where English is the medium of instruction. The aim of this course is to prepare students to succeed in complex academic tasks in writing and reading. This is a general academic preparatory course designed from an ESL perspective. However, it is also appropriate for native speakers of English who are in need of general academic and writing preparation.
French 100: French for Beginners I, a three-credit, introductory level course designed for students who wish to begin learning French. This course will familiarize you with the foundations of the French language and will help you to develop the four basic language skills of reading, writing, listening comprehension, and speaking. After successfully completing this course, you will be able to ask and answer a variety of questions, write sentences that are grammatically correct, and express yourself in simple French.
French 100 will help you become familiar with the foundation of the French language and will help you develop the four basic language skills of reading, writing, aural comprehension, and speaking. By the end of the course you will be able to make simple statements, and ask and answer a variety of questions. You will learn how to write simple sentences that are grammatically correct and to express yourself in simple French.
French 100 will help you become familiar with the foundation of the French language and will help you develop the four basic language skills of reading, writing, aural comprehension, and speaking. By the end of the course you will be able to make simple statements, and ask and answer a variety of questions. You will learn how to write simple sentences that are grammatically correct and to express yourself in simple French.
French 101: French for Beginners II, is a three-credit, introductory-level course that follows French 100. French 101 will further your knowledge of the foundation of the French language and will help you develop the four basic language skills of reading, writing, aural comprehension, and speaking.
French 101: French for Beginners II, is a three-credit, introductory-level course that follows French 100. French 101 will further your knowledge of the foundation of the French language and will help you develop the four basic language skills of reading, writing, aural comprehension, and speaking.
Welcome to French 200: First-Year University French I, a three-credit university-level course. The aim of this course is to help you improve your French reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. French 200 contains a variety of material and numerous exercises to assist you in enhancing these skills. Because learning a language requires a great deal of practice, it is recommended that you spend several hours per week (at least ten) working through the material. Spending some time each day studying French is a more effective way to learn than trying to memorize a large amount of grammar and vocabulary during the course of a single study session.
Welcome to French 200: First-Year University French I, a three-credit university-level course. The aim of this course is to help you improve your French reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. French 200 contains a variety of material and numerous exercises to assist you in enhancing these skills. Because learning a language requires a great deal of practice, it is recommended that you spend several hours per week (at least ten) working through the material. Spending some time each day studying French is a more effective way to learn than trying to memorize a large amount of grammar and vocabulary during the course of a single study session.
Welcome to French 201: First-Year University French II, a three-credit university-level course. French 201 is the second part of Athabasca University’s first-year (intermediate) French course and uses the same textbook as French 200. The aim of this course is to help you further develop the French reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills that you learned in French 200. The course will lead you through a major review of grammar, develop your ability to understand and compose short passages, and enable you to use French in social situations to discuss a variety of issues and express your opinions.
Welcome to French 201: First-Year University French II, a three-credit university-level course. French 201 is the second part of Athabasca University’s first-year (intermediate) French course and uses the same textbook as French 200. The aim of this course is to help you further develop the French reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills that you learned in French 200. The course will lead you through a major review of grammar, develop your ability to understand and compose short passages, and enable you to use French in social situations to discuss a variety of issues and express your opinions.
French Composition
French 358 is designed for students who have a reasonably good mastery of French grammar and French written expression, and who wish to study French literature in a cultural context. In French 358, you will acquire a basic knowledge of French texts that are important in French literature and culture from the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century.
FREN 362 Second-Year University French est un cours de six crédits (équivalent à deux semestres dans d’autres institutions) de premier cycle universitaire (300-level), qui est élaboré pour succéder logiquement au cours FREN 201. Dans ce cours avancé de langue, les étudiant.e.s sont amené.e.s à exercer et perfectionner leurs compétences en lecture, en compréhension, en expression orale et en écriture.
French 362 is designed to follow French 201 or a full first-year university French course. This course continues the study of French grammar, expansion of vocabulary, and the study of short stories selected from francophone literature. The student will improve both written and spoken French through conversation, comprehension, grammar, and composition.
Ce cours a pour but de vous offrir une formation spécifique en français, qui est considéré ici comme langue des affaires (style et vocabulaire canadien-français standard).
This course is intended to present translation strategies to students who are proficient in French and have a very good command of English.
FRENCH 420 is designed for students who intend to major in French or to graduate in Education with French as a teaching subject.
Le XVIIe siècle, aussi appelé « le Grand siècle », est l’époque des chefs-d’œuvre de la littérature et du théâtre classiques français. C’est à travers des auteurs tels que Descartes, Pascal, La Fontaine, Madame de La Fayette, Corneille, Molière et Racine pour ne citer que les plus notoires que nous avons appris à comprendre l’être humain, sa grandeur, ses ridicules, sa force, sa faiblesse. Ce sont là nos guides à la sagesse, au rire, au tragique. Sans doute ont-ils voulu eux-mêmes atteindre à l’éternel et à l’universel, exprimer la comédie ou le drame de l’humanité au-delà des temps et des lieux.
This course is designed for students with little or no knowledge of German. Students learn German speaking, listening, writing, reading, and comprehension skills within the cultural context of Europe today. The course, along with German 203, will enable students to speak and write simple German in a range of everyday situations.
Welcome to German 203: Introductory German II, a continuation of Athabasca University’s German 202. This course is intended for students who have completed German 202, one semester of university German, or the equivalent. In this course you will reinforce and expand the speaking, listening, writing and reading skills you gained in German 202. On the cultural side, the Fokus section at the end of each chapter in the textbook Wie geht’s? features short literary texts to introduce you to important German authors.
This course is designed to further develop students’ reading, writing, speaking and listening skills through the use of authentic materials (newspaper articles, letters, interviews, biographies, advertisements, essays, poems, cartoons and short fiction).
In HIST 202/HUMN 202: The West from the Enlightenment to the 21st Century, will examine the role of Western thought and culture in the ages of Enlightenment, revolution, nationalism, modernity, imperialism, the twentieth century’s totalitarianism and destructive world wars, and the search for stability in the postwar era—concluding with the era of globalization, refugee crises, the COVID-19 pandemic, and racial disparities.
Welcome to History/Global Studies 208: The World to 1500. This is a three-credit, junior-level course. This first-year course introduces students to the study of Global History by surveying the early human past from its spread around world and invention of agriculture, through the rise of early and classical civilizations and the growing communication in the post-classical period, up to the chance connection of global networks by European explorers at the start of the modern age.
HIST 209/GLST 209 examines the major economic, political, social, scientific, and technological developments in twentieth century history. The course adopts four broad themes: global interrelatedness; identity and difference; rise of the mass society; and technology versus nature. These themes serve as a guide to understanding the material in each of the course's fourteen units.
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This course introduces distance learning students to the study of European history at the university level by surveying the most significant political, economic and social trends in European history from the ancient times to the early eighteenth century. Through studying a textbook and study guide, students learn about the ancient Greeks and Romans, Middle Ages, Renaissance and Reformation, and the rise of early modern European empires. The purpose of the course is to provide both a description and an explanation of the events that established European civilization by the Early Modern Period and shaped the world in which we live today. Students also study and practice the reading, research and writing skills necessary for success in university and beyond.
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This course surveys the most significant political, economic, social, religious, and intellectual trends in European history from the end of the sixteenth century to the 1930s.
History 224 is designed to give you an overview of what life may have been like during various periods for different groups of residents that occupied the region we now know as Canada. The “may have been” is important here—while this course presents numerous facts, it also pays close attention to the debates among historians about how to weave the facts together. Some of the course materials focus on the powerful decision-makers of the societies at the time, while others focus on the lives of ordinary people. Still others look at the interaction of the ruling élites and the masses. Throughout the course, issues of race, gender, and social class receive considerable attention since these categories played an important role in determining the life chances of individuals.
HIST 225 provides a survey of Canada's political, social, and economic development from 1867 to the present. The course focuses on the impact of social developments on political changes as well as vice versa.
HIST 225 provides a survey of Canada's political, social, and economic development from 1867 to the present. The course focuses on the impact of social developments on political changes as well as vice versa.
History 304 Historic Britain: Land, People and Politics from Prehistory to the Augustan Age, a three-credit course that will illustrate some of the major political, social, economic, literary and intellectual developments in British history.
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History 327: Imperial Russia is a three-credit senior-level course that surveys the history of the Russian region from its earliest beginnings to the second phase of the Russian Revolution, often called the October Revolution. The geographical region covered comprises the former USSR, i.e., modern Ukraine, the Baltic republics and the Central Asian republics as well as the Russian Federation.
History 330 is designed to provide you with an understanding of some of the main currents in Canadian social history from the arrival of the Europeans in the 16th century to the onset of industrialization in the latter half of the 19th century. The course has four major objectives.
History 331: Social History of Canada: Early Industrialization to Contemporary Canada is a three-credit, intermediate-level course that introduces major themes in the social history of Canada from 1867 to the present. It is intended to follow History 330: Social History of Canada: European Contact to Early Industrialization, although that course is not a prerequisite.
HIST 336: History of Canadian Labour is designed to provide you with an extensive and detailed investigation of Canadian labour and working-class history.
The course is designed to provide you with an extensive and detailed investigation of Canadian labour and working-class history.
History/Women’s and Gender Studies 362: Constructing Women and Men in Canada: A History Since Industrialization explores the ways social, political, economic, cultural, and environmental forces have contributed to the gendering of women and men in Canada from the onset of industrialization in the nineteenth century to the present.
Welcome to History 367/Global Studies 367: The Second World War, a senior-level 3-credit history course that provides a systematic introduction to the causes and events of the Second World War.
The course begins by tracing developments in the Americas before the arrival of the Europeans. Issues explored here include the diversity among and the elements common to First Nations societies; the religious beliefs of the first peoples; gender roles; relations among First Nations; and the causes of change in the organization of these societies over time. The course then traces the patterns of European-First Nations relations during the first three hundred years of continuous European involvement in the Americas. It also examines the impact of dealings with the Europeans on the social structure of various First Nations.
HIST 369 introduces major themes in the political, social, and economic history of Canada's first peoples from 1830 to the modern era.
Throughout the course we see the conflicts between government and First Nations objectives and worldviews. Among topics approached are the conflicting views of governments and Native peoples regarding the meaning of treaties, the conflict between European-Canadian goals of economic development and First Nations efforts to maintain control over their traditional lands, and political and cultural efforts of Native peoples over time to assert their rights within Canada.
HIST 370 traces the historical development of Canada's Métis from the period of the fur trade to the present. It includes discussion and debates about the origins of Métis nationalism, the validity of Métis land claims, and the character of Métis struggles for social justice from the Seven Oaks rebellion of 1816 through the two Northwest rebellions to the present.
HIST 371 surveys over five hundred years in the history of Western Civilization from the fall of the Roman Empire in the West to the eve of the Twelfth Century Renaissance. Rather than studying the details of political history, students will focus on the enduring legacy of early medieval society—the religious, political, and legal institutions and structures, and the great works of art, architecture, poetry, and theology created during these centuries.
HIST 372 surveys the Middle Ages from the eve of the Twelfth Century Renaissance to the onslaught of the Black Death in the mid-fourteenth century. Among the topics covered are the economic and political transformations of the eleventh and twelfth centuries, the flowering of learning and culture during this same period, the highlights of Christian thought from Peter Abelard to St. Thomas Aquinas, and the problems and achievements of the High Middle Ages.
HIST 373 surveys the state of Western Europe in the fourteenth century—a time of devastating economic catastrophe, social upheaval, and religious controversy—and then focuses on Italy, the heartland of the Renaissance, a country that was fragmented politically and often torn by severe social conflict yet led the economic and cultural recovery of Europe in the fifteenth century. The course examines in turn all the main aspects of the Italian Renaissance: the vibrant political and social life of the Italian city states, the growth and impact of the humanist movement, the writings of leading poets, philosophers, and political theorists, and the flourishing art and architecture created by Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo, and others. Extensive use is made of contemporary sources to obtain first-hand insights into the values and concerns of Renaissance men and women.
HIST 373 surveys the state of Western Europe in the fourteenth century—a time of devastating economic catastrophe, social upheaval, and religious controversy—and then focuses on Italy, the heartland of the Renaissance, a country that was fragmented politically and often torn by severe social conflict yet led the economic and cultural recovery of Europe in the fifteenth century. The course examines in turn all the main aspects of the Italian Renaissance: the vibrant political and social life of the Italian city states, the growth and impact of the humanist movement, the writings of leading poets, philosophers, and political theorists, and the flourishing art and architecture created by Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo, and others. Extensive use is made of contemporary sources to obtain first-hand insights into the values and concerns of Renaissance men and women.
History 383: The Vikings is a three-credit, senior-level course that surveys the political, military, economic, social, cultural, and religious history of one of early medieval Europe’s most famous peoples.
The period from about 750 to 1100 was the Viking Age in Europe: during the period ships carried raiders, traders and colonists from pagan Scandinavia into Latin Christendom, the river ways of Eastern Europe, and the uncharted islands of the North Atlantic. Seen alternatively as a destructive scourge or as enterprising pioneers, the Vikings capture the imagination of succeeding generations. Studying the Vikings entails the interpretation of scanty material and writing evidence using continuously developing scholarly methods and theories.
The period from about 750 to 1100 was the Viking Age in Europe: during the period ships carried raiders, traders and colonists from pagan Scandinavia into Latin Christendom, the river ways of Eastern Europe, and the uncharted islands of the North Atlantic. Seen alternatively as a destructive scourge or as enterprising pioneers, the Vikings capture the imagination of succeeding generations. Studying the Vikings entails the interpretation of scanty material and writing evidence using continuously developing scholarly methods and theories.
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History 404: Historical Foundations of Modern Science delves into the remarkable developments of modern science from the Ancient Greek philosophers 2500 years ago all the way to the human genome project at the turn of the twenty-first century.
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History/Humanities 407: The Enlightenment, is a three-credit, senior-level reading course that focusses on the leading intellectuals of Europe in the eighteenth century, and on their seminal and highly influential ideas about the human mind, ethics, politics, economics, society, and science.
HIST 486: The Industrial Revolution examines a wide range of topics, from technological innovation in the eighteenth century to feminist debates in our own era, and to the Industrial Revolution’s impact on warfare and imperialism.
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HUMN 201/HIST 201 is the first of two, three-credit courses that together survey the development of Western civilization from its origins in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt to the complicated and sophisticated world of the post-industrial era.
HUMN 201/HIST 201 is the first of two, three-credit courses that together survey the development of Western civilization from its origins in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt to the complicated and sophisticated world of the post-industrial era.
HUMN 201/HIST 201 is the first of two, three-credit courses that together survey the development of Western civilization from its origins in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt to the complicated and sophisticated world of the post-industrial era.
HUMN 201/HIST 201 is the first of two, three-credit courses that together survey the development of Western civilization from its origins in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt to the complicated and sophisticated world of the post-industrial era.
Welcome to History 202/Humanities 202, the second of two introductory humanities courses that together provide an overview of the development of Western culture from the fourth millennium BCE to the end of the second millennium CE.
HUMN 309/CLAS 309/HIST 309 provides a comprehensive introduction to the history and culture of Ancient Greece from the archaic period through the Persian and Peloponnesian wars to the Hellenistic era.
HUMN 309 provides a comprehensive introduction to the history and culture of Ancient Greece from the archaic period through the Persian and Peloponnesian wars to the Hellenistic era.
Welcome to Ancient Rome a third-year Athabasca University course that is cross-listed as Humanities 312 / Classics 312 / History 312. This three-credit, senior-level (third-year) course examines the fascinating events and developments during a formative period in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. There are no prerequisites for this course, but students are strongly recommended to have mastered junior-level study, reading, and writing skills.
Welcome to Ancient Rome a third-year Athabasca University course that is cross-listed as Humanities 312 / Classics 312 / History 312. This three-credit, senior-level (third-year) course examines the fascinating events and developments during a formative period in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. There are no prerequisites for this course, but students are strongly recommended to have mastered junior-level study, reading, and writing skills.
HUMN/MUSI 421 is a three-credit, senior-level reading course designed for students who intend to complete a BA concentration in Humanities or a BA major in History. The course examines the history of folksong collecting in Britain and the United States from 1650 to 1945, and analyses the Folk Music Revival from the 1880s to World War II.
This course draws principally on the disciplines of ethnomusicology, folklore, and cultural history, while also taking into account perspectives from academics working in cultural studies, ballad studies, and musicology. The course will give students a grounding in the scholarly literature on Canadian musical traditions and provide a systematic introduction to the remarkable variety of Canadian vernacular song and its historical development since the colonial era.
Welcome to MUSIC 268/HUMN 268: Classical Music: An Historical Introduction. The principal aim of this course is to review the fundamental elements of Western art music. We begin by obtaining a good grasp of the key elements of music, and it is equally important to become comfortable with the meaning and use of the musical vocabulary introduced.
PHIL 152 is a pre-university-level, three-credit course designed to help you develop basic critical thinking, reading, and writing skills in preparation for more advanced university-level work.
Welcome to Philosophy 152: Basics in Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing. “Critical” in this context does not refer simply to disapproving or finding fault. Rather, critical thinking involves making judgments (such as whether or not to believe a certain statement), analyzing qualities of passages, and evaluating comparative worth. As a reader, a critical stance enables you to assess implications and draw justifiable conclusions from materials you encounter. As a writer, you will develop effective methods for approaching, planning, and completing related writing assignments.
Philosophy 240: Ancient Philosophy — The Rise of Reason in a Mythic World. From the emergence of philosophy out of an ancient mythic matrix to its flowering in the classical period of Plato and Aristotle, this course follows a tension between human rationality and religious intuition. In the process of reflecting upon and writing about philosophical arguments as they first arose in the context of ancient gods and heroes, we will not only gain a firm grounding in philosophy but will also gain new perspectives from which to critically assess the intellectual life and cultural productions of modern societies.
Is there such a thing as ultimate truth, or is truth just a matter of personal opinion? The ancient Greek sophist Protagoras famously said that “man is the measure of all things.” The poem “Late Lament” at the end of the Moody Blues song “Nights in White Satin” repeats the same idea: “But we decide which is right, and which is an illusion.” If I just make up my own values, then it would seem that nothing obligates me to respect them. Indeed, why should I think I'm obligated to have values at all? Against Protagoras, Socrates and Plato raised the question as to whether we should be looking to something outside ourselves for guidance. But if so, how can I determine what that is or where it comes from? Religious traditions recommend belief in gods, heroes, and demons. Is it realistic to look for anything more than whatever we each personally decide to believe in, or does our ability to think and reason offer an alternative to belief? Or do we need some kind of hybrid born of both?
PHIL 252 is designed to improve a student’s ability to analyse and evaluate the kinds of arguments and theories commonly met with in everyday life. The course also helps students improve their own arguments and presentations by showing them how to draw sound conclusions from available evidence and how to construct well-reasoned cases to support these conclusions.
PHIL 252 is designed to improve a student’s ability to analyse and evaluate the kinds of arguments and theories commonly met with in everyday life. The course also helps students improve their own arguments and presentations by showing them how to draw sound conclusions from available evidence and how to construct well-reasoned cases to support these conclusions.
PHIL 252 is designed to improve a student’s ability to analyse and evaluate the kinds of arguments and theories commonly met with in everyday life. The course also helps students improve their own arguments and presentations by showing them how to draw sound conclusions from available evidence and how to construct well-reasoned cases to support these conclusions.
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This course will introduce you to philosophy by exploring and analyzing leading ethical theories, and then by applying those theories to matters of social concern.
This course is suitable for students of varying academic and work backgrounds, and students of varying interests, goals, and talents can be well served by it. University-level reading and writing skills are necessary, as is a willingness to think openly and carefully about the concepts and issues studied.
HERM 334/PHIL 334: Professional Ethics in Heritage Resources Management is a senior-level, three-credit course that will introduce you to ethical issues in heritage resources management.
Heritage Resources Management / Philosophy 334 gives students an opportunity to think through ethical issues before beginning professional practice in their field, as well as to help them to develop a thorough grasp of codes and ethical methods in their field of practice.
Heritage Resources Management / Philosophy 334 gives students an opportunity to think through ethical issues before beginning professional practice in their field, as well as to help them to develop a thorough grasp of codes and ethical methods in their field of practice.
Business Ethics is an applied ethics course that focuses on the ethics of enterprise, exchange, corporate responsibility, work, consumption, and trade.
Business Ethics is an applied ethics course that focuses on the ethics of enterprise, exchange, corporate responsibility, work, consumption, and trade.
This course provides an introduction to the special ethical problems and issues associated with science, scientific research, applied science, and technology.
Welcome to Philosophy 380 Introduction to Eastern Philosophy. Here, you can read much of your course materials, communicate with your tutor through Course Mail, and submit your assignments for marking and feedback.
RELS 204 is a junior-level course designed to acquaint students with the major religious traditions of the world, and to the academic discipline of religious studies.
RELS 206 has not been developed with the purpose of trying to defend or criticize Islam, nor is it meant to convince you of the validity of certain religious beliefs at the expense of others. The academic study of religion is in part about placing religious traditions in their proper socio-historical and economic contexts so we can better understand the growth and internal diversity of religious systems over a lengthy period of time. Doing so enables the individual to develop a real sensitivity to and understanding of the beliefs of religious practitioners without losing the analytical and critical methodology upon which the study of religion is built. The goal of Religious Studies 206, then, is to provide you with a strong, basic knowledge about Islam that will help you understand the historical, ritual, theological, and political manifestations of Islam and the diversity of voices and opinions within this religious tradition.
Welcome to Religious Studies 206: The Islamic Tradition. This course has not been developed with the purpose of trying to defend or criticize Islam, nor is it meant to convince you of the validity of certain religious beliefs at the expense of others. The academic study of religion is in part about placing religious traditions in their proper socio-historical and economic contexts so we can better understand the growth and internal diversity of religious systems over a lengthy period of time. Doing so enables the individual to develop a real sensitivity and understanding to the beliefs of religious practitioners without losing the analytical and critical methodology upon which the study of religion is built. The goal of Religious Studies 206, then, is to provide you with a strong, basic knowledge about Islam that will help you understand the historical, ritual, theological, and political manifestations of Islam and the diversity of voices and opinions within this religious tradition.
Welcome to Religious Studies 211: Death and Dying in World Religions, a general survey course about the conceptions of the afterlife in Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism, and various rituals and experiences associated with death in each of these traditions.
Many people believe that religion exists solely in places of worship, but is this really true? Is there a distinct separation between the sacred and the profane? What defines religion? ―culture? Does popular culture influence religion or is it a one-way street? Is today’s western, apparently secularized, culture entirely unaware of the religious content―both subtle and obvious―that exists within film, literature, television, music, and the media? This course explores these questions, looking at the interplay between religion and culture in North America, with the goal of evaluating the influence that each exerts on the other.
This course follows Forbes and Mahan’s discussion of these categories,
guiding you from examined, tangible interactions between religion and
popular culture to little-researched (subtle) examples of religion and
popular culture in dialogue. While Christianity and American culture are
emphasized, effort has been made to include aspects of Islam, Buddhism,
Taoism, and new religious movements (NRMs) in the discussion (to
varying degrees).
This course follows Forbes and Mahan’s discussion of these categories,
guiding you from examined, tangible interactions between religion and
popular culture to little-researched (subtle) examples of religion and
popular culture in dialogue. While Christianity and American culture are
emphasized, effort has been made to include aspects of Islam, Buddhism,
Taoism, and new religious movements (NRMs) in the discussion (to
varying degrees).
Welcome to Spanish 200: Introductory Spanish I, the first of two three-credit, introductory-level courses based on Beginner Spanish OER.
Welcome to SPAN 201: Spanish for Beginners II, the second of two three-credit, introductory-level courses.
SPAN 300 consists of four integrated components: grammar, vocabulary, culture, and literature. The course reviews and further develops basic language skills acquired in First Year Spanish.
SPAN 301 consists of four integrated components: grammar, vocabulary, culture, and literature. The course reviews and further develops basic language skills acquired in First Year Spanish. The emphasis is on reviewing and learning grammar structures and on vocabulary acquisition. The objective of SPAN 301 is to strengthen both written and oral skills that will enable students to communicate in a variety of contexts.
SPAN 330 has been designed to target reading and writing skills while increasing vocabulary and improving grammar.
SPAN 400 reviews and further develops language skills acquired in the first two years of Spanish.
This course provides an introduction to key topics, debates, issues, and theoretical approaches in Communication Studies. In this course, we explore questions of communication and map the contours of the field. We particularly examine the role the mass media play in society and the ways they are shaped by politico-economic and socio-cultural factors. Topics include how media policies, trends in ownership, production practices, and audiences impact our mediascape, with a focus on the Canadian context. We pay particular attention to how digital media practices are impacting these approaches, debates, and issues.
Canada's mass media have played a particularly significant role in the country's development as a distinct nation. The course is structured around issues of media power in Canadian life. It examines aspects of the Canadian experience in the context of current perspectives on national and international media developments.
Welcome to Communication Studies 301: Communication Theory and Analysis, one of the courses that is intended to provide you with a grounding in the field of communication studies, a relatively new interdisciplinary field that draws many of its theoretical ideas about human communication from psychology, sociology, cultural studies, linguistics, philosophy, and literary studies. Most interdisciplinary fields begin that way, probably because the people who are attracted to creating new areas of study bring their intellectual baggage with them, including specialized theoretical tools shaped by an older discipline. What is fascinating about interdisciplinary work is that, gradually, something new and unique is fashioned with those tools—and the tools themselves gradually change to meet the needs of the new task.
CMNS 302 is one of two foundation courses for the Bachelor of Professional Arts (Communication Studies) degree program. It follows the interactions between media and society in a number of technological contexts: oral and literate cultures, manuscript and print cultures, electric, and electronic cultures.
Communication in History is intended to ground communication studies students in the field. The course surveys the development of communication technology and introduces some important scholarly debates about those technologies. In so doing, it tries to establish the notion that the history of communication technology is as much about ideas and practices as it is about events and things.
CMNS 302 is one of two foundation courses for the Bachelor of Professional Arts (Communication Studies) degree program. It follows the interactions between media and society in a number of technological contexts: oral and literate cultures, manuscript and print cultures, electric, and electronic cultures.
Communication in History is intended to ground communication studies students in the field. The course surveys the development of communication technology and introduces some important scholarly debates about those technologies. In so doing, it tries to establish the notion that the history of communication technology is as much about ideas and practices as it is about events and things.
Communication Studies 308: Understanding Statistical Evidence is a three-credit intermediate-level course, designed, not to turn you into a statistician, but to provide you with the information you need to be an informed and critical consumer of statistical evidence.
Communication Studies 308: Understanding Statistical Evidence is a three-credit intermediate-level course, designed, not to turn you into a statistician, but to provide you with the information you need to be an informed and critical consumer of statistical evidence.
Communication Studies 308: Understanding Statistical Evidence is a three-credit intermediate-level course, designed, not to turn you into a statistician, but to provide you with the information you need to be an informed and critical consumer of statistical evidence.
This course introduces communication and media professionals to the legal context within which they work. The course uses case studies to illustrate how such issues as freedom of expression, defamation, contempt of court, copyright, access to information, breach of privacy, and confidentiality affect the working life of the media professional.
Welcome to Communication Studies 321: Computing in Everyday Life, a three–credit course that surveys the psychological and sociological impacts of the growth of computers. The first four units form the core of the course: Overview; Artificial Intelligence (AI); Virtual Reality (VR) and Robotics; and The Internet. The next four units consider some of the applications of computing that we use in our daily lives.
This course introduces students to the field of cultural studies, as well as the relationship between popular culture and the media. Students will be asked to look critically at movies, television, radio, and print, in order to ponder a number of important questions. To what extent do the media lead or follow trends in popular culture? The emphasis in the course is on examining cultural artifacts as artistic objects seen in the light of various socio-political contexts.
CMNS 380: Corporate Communication offers a broad perspective on leadership and communication, ties communication to adaptive strategy and change management, and exposes you to questions of communication ethics and process.
CMNS 380: Corporate Communication offers a broad perspective on leadership and communication, ties communication to adaptive strategy and change management, and exposes you to questions of communication ethics and process.
CMNS 401 surveys how policies that influence our cultural experiences are shaped and developed as an interaction between government actors and citizen interests.
CMNS 401 surveys the historical development of federal arts policy and the related ideals of national culture. It uses this framework to discuss expanded perceptions of “culture” as social expression and the role of government policy in a diverse society. Finally, the course offers detailed studies of the interaction between symbolic and economic environments in key cultural industries.
CMNS 401 surveys the historical development of federal arts policy and the related ideals of national culture. It uses this framework to discuss expanded perceptions of “culture” as social expression and the role of government policy in a diverse society. Finally, the course offers detailed studies of the interaction between symbolic and economic environments in key cultural industries.
In this course we will engage critically with problems presented by the production, distribution, and consumption of global media products and develop an understanding of the social, political, and economic influences that shape global media systems.
In this course we will engage critically with problems presented by the production, distribution, and consumption of global media products and develop an understanding of the social, political, and economic influences that shape global media systems.
This course explores a variety of storytelling frameworks. Stories—and the ability to tell them—are assuming a new primacy in contemporary culture.
Children and Media focuses on how children up to the age of thirteen encounter and employ the media and genres of storytelling: from oral narrative and print, to the audio and visual mediation of narrative in picture books, radio and other audio forms, and screen technologies such as television, film, and video games.
Storytelling is as old as human civilization. We tell stories to remember, to construct or reconstruct our own versions of reality, and to make sense of our experience. We use stories to teach, to entertain, and to connect with other people. While people have been telling stories since the dawn of humankind, the systematic study of narrative is a good deal more recent. In the Western world, our notion of what makes a well-made story dates back 2500 years to the ancient Greeks: to Plato and his student Aristotle, especially. So powerful were the theoretical formulations of these two philosophers that nothing interesting emerged in the intellectual examination of narrative until the twentieth century. This unit provides you with the background theory that you need to be able to analyze and assess narrative, particularly narrative produced for children
CMNS 421 a three-credit senior-level course that focuses on how people communicate on the Internet.
This course takes an interdisciplinary approach, one that relies on research in sociology, psychology, political science, business, and medicine as well as communication studies, in order to present you with new perspectives about online communication. As a means of providing a common thread throughout the course, we apply its concepts to the use of social media and video games, two aspects of being online that affect most people using the Internet today.
CMNS 423 introduces students to the technology, politics, economics, philosophy, ideology, and morality of television. Students are asked to look critically behind the scenes of the television world and discern the various patterns of industry structure and thematic content. Students require access to a television. Some course components are available online as an optional delivery mode.
Film and Genre looks at the historical, economic, political and social factors that influence filmmaking, particularly genre films. The course explores the possibilities and the limitations of genres, and looks at some of the criticism that has dealt with the area over the years.
In CMNS/GOVN 444: Public Relations and Its Contexts you will learn about the foundations of public relations as well as an overview of critical public relations studies—perspectives on the study (and not just the practice) of public relations through a variety of theories and case studies.
CMNS 444/GOVN 444: Media Relations, a three-credit university course, is intended for students of media relations, practitioners and those with a general or theoretical interest in the subject. News media outlets have proliferated over the past dozen years, not only on the Internet but also in the form of all-news channels and radio stations. Today, there is a dizzying array of “experts” offering to provide media relations advice, and the landscape of media ownership, audiences and offerings is constantly changing. Moreover, commercial and consumer-generated news and commentary in the digital space is growing. For these reasons, the study of media relations is significant.
Welcome to Communication Studies 455: Media Ethics, a three-credit university course that focuses on the ethics of journalism. This course provides you with an introduction to the different philosophical views of ethics (since there is no single view in society of acceptable or desirable ethical standards); a critical examination of the rights, responsibilities, limitations, and abuses of media in democracies such as Canada and the United States; and an analysis of emerging pressures to redefine journalism as a reliable, responsible process of accurate reportage and critical commentary on our society.
This course takes as its organizing metaphor Raymond Williams’s remark that “culture is ordinary.” It will provide an introduction to cultural studies by exploring, reflecting on, and evaluating how, on a daily basis, we are immersed in culture.
EDUC 201 is an introductory level, three-credit course that provides those interested in becoming teachers with a general and balanced overview of the profession.
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This senior-level, three-credit course will provide an overview of adult learning and education from the 16th century to the 20th. You
This course begins with an examination of the contending views and interests in contemporary public education. It explores the alternatives to mainstream public schooling and considers the problems of teaching in a pluralist society, particularly one based on concepts of multiculturalism and equality.
Education 309: The Purposes of Adult Education is designed to introduce the purposes and foundations of adult education. The course provides an overview of adult education theory and practice, but it is not intended as a comprehensive examination of all areas of adult education. It will, however, give you tools for examining other areas of adult education and related fields of study.
This course introduces students to human resource development, a systematic approach to providing employees with opportunities to learn the skills, knowledge, and abilities necessary for their current roles, and to prepare them for future job demands.
Welcome to Education 317: Training and Development in Organizations, a three-credit, senior level introduction to human resource development. This course introduces students to human resource development, a systematic approach to providing employees with opportunities to learn the skills, knowledge, and abilities necessary for their current roles, and to prepare them for future job demands.
Students will learn and practice using the concepts, designs, and tools typically employed in organizational training and development. Students will also have the opportunity to reflect on and develop a critical understanding of these practices.
To get started, review the online Student Manual,and read through the Course Information. If you are new to online learning, see Moodle Orientation. When you have oriented yourself, begin Unit 1 in the Study Guide. If you have any questions about the course or how to proceed with your studies, please contact your tutor.
This course will introduce you to some of the key understandings around work and learning. It will examine the claims made for this new area of study; it will discuss some of what we know and point to what we don't know.
This course will introduce you to some of the key understandings around work and learning. It will examine the claims made for this new area of study; it will discuss some of what we know and point to what we don't know.
This course is a junior-level, undergraduate, three-credit course in environmental studies. It is suitable for students who are interested in environmental and sustainability issues but have little or no background in these areas. This survey course presents an overview of key concepts related to environmental analysis, such as resilience, carrying capacity, and environmental justice, as well as a range of topics related to contemporary environmental issues such as water, biodiversity, and ecological design.
Environmental Studies 243/Global Studies 243: Environmental Change in a Global Context is devoted to the study of the interactions between human society and the rest of the ecological world. The course introduces the methodology needed for that study and examines topics such as atmospheric change, biodiversity loss, resource use, and agriculture. The course also explores how societies can move toward sustainable development and moderate their effects on the biosphere.