Discover niche areas of study within the Faculty of Arts.
Dive deep into particular subjects in these senior-level courses.
Check out these interesting courses being offered during the Fall 2021/Winter 2022 academic year at the University of Alberta.
*Please note that course content, delivery method and instructors are subject to change. Refer to the course syllabus for full and final details.
*Updated August 3 with a few new courses.
Fall 2021
East Asian Studies 438 (EASIA 438 — A1) — Topics in Chinese Studies: Liminal Bodies: Robots, Coolies, Sex Workers, Ghosts, and Organ Donors
Number of Sections Offered: 1
Professor/Instructor: Clara Iwasaki
Delivery Method: In-person, Entirely or mostly synchronous/real-time
Course Time: T/R from 2–3:20 PM
Pre-requisite: EASIA 101 and *3 at the senior level in EASIA or another EASIA related Arts course.
Course Description: Whose bodies matter? Which bodies are disposable? Which bodies are subject to government regulation or global commerce? Whose bodies stubbornly persist? In this course, we will examine depictions of bodies that are dismissed as “just bodies:” robots, coolies, sex workers as well as bodies that seem to linger on after they are gone: ghosts, and organ donors in Chinese and Sinophone literature and film.
Students will also be expected to gain a basic understanding of some of the foundational theory of biopolitics and how bodies are circulated and how Asian bodies have been racialized, commodified, and circulated throughout history and in the present day.
During the pandemic, there has been a significant rise in anti-Asian violence. While the immediate cause is a contemporary event, these stereotypes have roots in the way North Americans have viewed Asian bodies. This class provides an opportunity to think through these issues through Chinese, Sinophone, and Asian/American literature and media.
Main Themes: Identity
Other Themes Covered: Fantasy and imagination | Technology | Power and authority | Social concerns, issues | Current Events and Pop Culture | Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity and Decolonization
French 318 (FREN 318-A1) — Socio-Cultural Aspects of Contemporary Francophone Societies
Number of Sections Offered: 1
Professor/Instructor: Elisabeth Le
Delivery Method: In-person, A combination of synchronous/real-time and asynchronous/any-time
Course Time: T/R from 11AM-12:20PM
Pre-requisite: FREN 298
Course Description: In this course, students are led to explore and discover knowledge mostly by themselves, alone and collaboratively, so as to be able to gain a critical and constructive look at society. In doing so, students also get to improve their French language skills.
In other words, in learning about francophone societies in French, students develop skills that will serve them their life-long.
Main Themes: Racism | Social concerns, issues
Other Themes Covered: Identity | Social change | Beliefs and values | Social concerns, issues
Interdisciplinary Studies 301 (INT D 301) — Foundations of Leadership
Number of Sections Offered: 1
Professor/Instructor: Cristina Stasia
Delivery Method: In-person, Entirely or mostly synchronous/real-time
Course Time: W from 5:30–8:30PM
Pre-requisite: Available to any student that has completed a minimum of ★30 credits.
Course Description: What does it take to lead? Foundations of Leadership covers the theory and practice of leadership through case studies, innovative assignments and experiential activities. Develop your leadership skills, analyze your personal leadership challenges and explore pressing issues while working with interdisciplinary students from across campus. This Arts course is offered in partnership with the Peter Lougheed Leadership College.
Main Themes: Personal and group leadership development
Other Themes Covered: Identity | Conflict and adversity | Beliefs and values | Heroes and Leaders | Power and authority | Social concerns, issues
Other faculties/programs that would take this as an option course: ALES | Business | Education | Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation | Native Studies | Science | Computing Science | Engineering
Native Studies 380 (NS 380 — LEC A1) — The North and its Peoples
Number of Sections Offered: 1
Professor/Instructor: Dr. Sean Robertson
Delivery Method: In-person, Entirely or mostly synchronous/real-time
Course Time: T from 2–4:50PM
Pre-requisite: NS 110, NS 111 and NS 240 or NS 290; or consent of the faculty.
Course Description: The North and its Peoples is being offered as a survey course in Fall 2021 through scholarship by Indigenous and non Indigenous authors.
Main Themes: Identity | Conflict and adversity | Social change | Nature and the environment | Industry, Invention, Progress | Beliefs and values | Time, cycles of life | Social concerns, issues | Has significant Indigenous content | Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity and Decolonization
Other faculties/programs that would take this as an option course: ALES | Education | Native Studies | Science
Winter 2022
Anthropology 312 (ANTHR 312-B1) — Lower Palaeolithic Prehistory
Number of Sections Offered: 1
Professor/Instructor: Pamela Willoughby
Delivery Method: In-person, Entirely or mostly synchronous/real-time
Course Time: M/W/F from 1–1:50PM
Pre-requisite: ANTHR 206
Course Description: This course discusses the origins and early evolution of human culture, from the first African stone tools to the initial occupation of Asia and Europe. It goes up to around 300,000 years ago, when Anthro 313 (Middle and Upper Palaeolithic) takes over. These two courses are taught in alternate years.
Main Themes: Archaeology prehistory
Other Themes Covered: Industry, Invention, Progress | Technology
Other faculties/programs that would take this as an option course: Education | Science
East Asian Studies 406 (EASIA 406) — Research Methods in Chinese Language
Number of Sections Offered: 1
Professor/Instructor: Xiaoting Li
Delivery Method: In-person, Entirely or mostly synchronous/real-time
Course Time: R from 5–7:50PM
Pre-requisite: LING 101 OR EASIA 305
Course Description: This course is to equip students with the practical skills that are essential for researching the Chinese language and particularly spoken Chinese. It introduces theoretical and methodological frameworks in linguistics and Chinese linguistics and demonstrates how they are applied to the analysis of the Chinese language. Students will have ample opportunities to apply the methods to analyzing Chinese language with hands-on exercises. Students will also gain an understanding of the design of research procedures, research ethics, and develop research skills related to data collection and data analysis that are necessary to conduct research on spoken Chinese.
Main Themes: How to do research: Methods and Methodology
Other Themes Covered: Identity | Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity and Decolonization
Other faculties/programs that would take this as an option course: Business | Education
Psychology 405 (PSYCO 405-Section 850) — Special Topics in PSYCH II — (Psychology of Teaching and Learning)
Number of Sections Offered: 5 unique sections — this information is for LEC-850–76347 only (other sections cover other topics)
Professor/Instructor: Jennifer Passey
Delivery Method: Online, Entirely or mostly synchronous/real-time
Course Time: T/R from 2–3:20PM
Pre-requisite: PSYCO 104, PSYCO 105, STAT 151 or 161, a 300-level PSYCO course and a 3.0 GPA on all attempted PSYCO courses (excl. 104/105). Instructor permission is required — please email jpassey@ualberta.ca to express your interest.
Course Description: This course will cover what research in psychology and education can tell us about how learning in university takes place, and how this knowledge can be applied to the teaching and learning in undergraduate psychology courses. The practical component of this course involves students acting as undergraduate learning assistants (ULAs) to lead workshops or facilitate class activities in real undergraduate courses. Skills developed during this course will be relevant to future teachers, academics, coaches, managers/supervisors, those working with clients to develop new skills, or anyone who intends to continue teaching and/or learning new skills.
Main Themes: Heroes and Leaders
Other faculties/programs that would take this as an option course: Business | Education | Science
French 479 (FREN 479) — Topics in French Literature & Culture II (Le monde de la bande dessinée)
Number of Sections Offered: 1
Professor/Instructor: Chris Reyns-Chikuma
Delivery Method: In-person, Entirely or mostly synchronous/real-time
Course Time: M/W/F from 2–2:50 PM
Pre-requisite: FREN 301 and one of FREN 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 333.
Course Description: The course is about the world of “bande dessinée” [BD or French comics] in Francophone Europe. The students will learn why BD is so popular in France and how the different [f]actors work together to make it a popular genre/media/topic. It is a big part of French popular culture and it is interesting and fun with a lot of concrete examples, variety and diversity.
Main Themes: Identity | Beliefs and values | Heroes and Leaders | Fantasy and imagination | Power and authority | Social concerns, issues | Current Events and Pop Culture | Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity and Decolonization
Other faculties/programs that would take this as an option course: Business | Education
Anthropology 391 (ANTHR 391-B1) — Hominid evolution
Number of Sections Offered: 1
Professor/Instructor: Pamela Willoughby
Delivery Method: In-person, Entirely or mostly synchronous/real-time
Course Time: M/W/F from 11–1:50AM
Pre-requisite: ANTHR 209
Course Description: This course reviews the fossil evidence for the origin and early evolution of humans, from the first bipedal ancestors around 5 million years ago in Africa, to the emergence of our own species, Homo sapiens, also in Africa. We trace the African beginnings and subsequent spread of numerous human species out of Africa into Europe, Asia and ultimately to the entire globe.
Main Themes: Evolution; biological and cultural change
Other faculties/programs that would take this as an option course: ALES | Education | Native Studies | Science
Psychology 403 (PSYCO 403) — Recent Advances in Experimental Psychology: Models and Theories
Number of Sections Offered: 1
Professor/Instructor: Christopher Sturdy
Delivery Method: Online, Entirely or mostly synchronous/real-time
Course Time: W from 1–3:50PM
Pre-requisite: STAT 151 or 161 and one of PSYCO 371, 372, or 381
Course Description: This seminar course explores the neural basis of behaviour in a variety of model systems for a number of biologically relevant behaviours from song learning in birds, to echolocation in bats, prey capture in barns owls, and navigation in birds to name a few. If you enjoy talking about brain and behaviour in an integrative, interactive, and welcoming environment, this class is for you!
Main Themes: Nature and the environment
Other faculties/programs that would take this as an option course: Science
Interdisciplinary Studies 301 (INT D 301) — Foundations of Leadership
Number of Sections Offered: 1
Professor/Instructor: Cristina Stasia
Delivery Method: In-person, Entirely or mostly synchronous/real-time
Course Time: T from 5:30–8:30PM
Pre-requisite: Available to any student that has completed a minimum of ★30 credits.
Course Description: What does it take to lead? Foundations of Leadership covers the theory and practice of leadership through case studies, innovative assignments and experiential activities. Develop your leadership skills, analyze your personal leadership challenges and explore pressing issues while working with interdisciplinary students from across campus. This Arts course is offered in partnership with the Peter Lougheed Leadership College.
Main Themes: Personal and group leadership development
Other Themes Covered: Identity | Conflict and adversity | Beliefs and values | Heroes and Leaders | Power and authority | Social concerns, issues
Other faculties/programs that would take this as an option course: ALES | Business | Education | Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation | Native Studies | Science | Computing Science | Engineering
