4. Program Content
4.4. Course Descriptions
4.4.2. Non-Core Courses
4.4.2.3. Elective Non-Core/Breadth Course Descriptions and Breadth Course
Liberal Studies elective courses provide degree students the opportunity to develop an understanding of disciplines outside their fields of professional specialization, which enhances their capacity to critically analyze their social, political, economic, historical, and cultural context and provide them with the opportunity to experience diverse perspectives and ways of reasoning, analysis, and communication. In the process, graduates can attain a recognition of the need for and an ability to engage in life-long learning necessary to thrive in the continuously evolving and globalizing workplace of the twenty-first century. Students will choose five Liberal Studies courses from among a number of course options. The offerings will be clustered into social sciences, humanities, natural sciences, visual and performing arts and
philosophy.
See Table 13 for descriptions of elective non-core courses by semester for each academic year.
Table 13: Elective Non-Core Course Descriptions Year/
Semester
Liberal Studies Cluster and Course
Name
Course Description Lecture Hours
Lab Hours Year 3
Semester 1 Social Sciences -
Sociology of Deviance
Sociology of deviance studies behaviours that violate social norms, formal or informal rules, or defy other’s expectations. Based in sociological study, the course will explore the context of how and why certain behaviours and actions are deemed ‘deviant’. Included in this will be an examination of perceptions, reaction and power. This course will cover various theories of deviance and topics including mental disorders, troubled youth, scientific belief systems, physical appearance, and ‘extremism’. This course will also provide the student with the understanding to determine what is considered deviant in light of the many controversies surrounding deviance and deviant behaviour.
3
Social Sciences -
Consumer Behaviour: why we buy what we buy
This course provides students with the knowledge and skills to examine the processes involved in the selection, purchase or use of products, services or experiences. Students will construct a model of decision making which includes the buyer’s personality, motivation and
environment. The interplay between consumers as individuals and their culture and subculture will be used to critique marketing and advertising campaigns.
3
Social Sciences -
Human Geography: Migration and Globalization
This course takes a multidisciplinary approach to the relationship between migration and globalization. Particular emphasis is placed on the categorization and characterization of the flow of people around the globe. The analysis
encompasses associated social, economic, geographical, environmental and political dimensions of globalization in order to deepen understanding of these human movements. The different disciplinary approaches to these issues are compared and contrasted. Case studies offer insight and understanding in an area of increasing national and international importance.
Table 13: Elective Non-Core Course Descriptions Year/
Semester
Liberal Studies Cluster and Course
Name
Course Description Lecture Hours Lab Hours Social Sciences - Psychology: The interplay of genetics, physiology, and environment in the determination of behaviour
This course provides students with an examination of the academic study of behaviour. Students will use modern psychological perspectives to examine the interplay between their genetics, physiology and both micro and macro environmental influences in their perceptions, memory and learning. Applying knowledge and tools introduced in this course, students will evaluate psychological therapies and develop programs to use the macro environment to influence undesirable behaviours.
3
Social Sciences -
Media, Culture & Society
This course provides an introduction to the complex social structures, power, and influence of contemporary popular media. Drawing on theoretical frameworks from the social sciences and humanities, students will closely examine and analyze mass media forms such as film, popular music,
advertising, cyberspace, and electronic media. Special attention is given to issues of under/mis/representation; narrative and the social construction of reality; concentration of media ownership; the significance of news, advertising, and reality television; the "wired" generation; and globalization of media.
3
Year 3
Semester 2 Humanities - Critical Approaches to Popular Culture
Popular culture is often dismissed as being vulgar, ignorant and escapist, and yet a vast number of people will spend more time watching television or playing video games than they will reading a novel or soaking up other forms of what is sometimes called “high culture.” So why do we do it? What does it do to us? And what can we do with it? Drawing on major scholarly works of the twentieth century, this course introduces students to key critical approaches to the study of popular culture.
Table 13: Elective Non-Core Course Descriptions Year/
Semester
Liberal Studies Cluster and Course
Name
Course Description Lecture Hours Lab Hours Humanities - Indigenous Peoples: A Global Perspective
This course will examine contemporary issues relevant to Indigenous peoples around the globe. The course will begin by exploring patterns and themes of Indigenous histories, including the varying impact of European colonialism and settlement. Central to this study is an analysis of land claims settlement issues, the quest for self- government, housing, education, culture, health and various environmental and social issues that Indigenous peoples are facing. The course will move to focus on the
contemporary revitalisation, repatriation and preservation methods employed by
Indigenous peoples and governments around the world. This method of inquiry will afford the opportunity to compare the challenges and aspirations faced by diverse Indigenous communities.
3
Humanities –
Caribbean Literature
This course offers students the opportunity to build on their reading, critical thinking and writing skills by sampling the significant body of Caribbean literature by writers who live, or have lived in the Caribbean, North America, Africa, Europe, South America, or other areas of the world. The course seeks to reflect the diversity of literary voices, a unique mixture of Native, African, Asian, and European, as well as a myriad of other cross-cultural influences. Through the fiction, especially short stories, poetry and novels, the students will better understand the legacies of colonialism, issues of cultural identity, immigration and economic poverty, even as the writers celebrate one of the most diverse regions of the world, the Caribbean. 3 Humanities – Visionaries, Revolutionaries, and Reactionaries: Global Issues in the 21st Century
This course will examine issues of globalization and corporatization. This course begins with an examination of
ideological frameworks that provide students with tools to analyze competing perspectives on these issues. Central to this course is the analysis of influential players such as
Table 13: Elective Non-Core Course Descriptions Year/
Semester
Liberal Studies Cluster and Course
Name
Course Description Lecture Hours
Lab Hours
transnational corporations, global financial institutions, the G 20and global resistance movements. Issues explored include democratization, human rights, the environment, control of resources (food, water, technology and energy) and poverty reduction. Students will deconstruct specific problems and assess divergent solutions proposed by various commentators using critical theories
Natural Sciences - Environmental Pollution : Impacts & Solutions
The intense human activities during the past century have been characterized by the dispersal of a wide range of wastes into air, water and soil which contributed enormously to environmental pollution. Therefore, it is imperative that our society understands the widespread impacts of environmental pollution and continually improves the solutions of these problems. As a part of this stream this course has an intention to reveal what we know about types of pollutants, their sources and releases, their pathways through the three major environmental media: air, water and soil, and their effects on human society (health, education, politics and economy). Emphasis will be placed on practical solutions on how to improve the quality of our environment. The state of health of the World's and Canada's environments, stressing areas where environmental pollution is the subject of public debate and concern will also be incorporated through lectures, discussions and assignments. The course will conclude with an examination of environmental sustainability, policy, laws and how can individuals contribute to understanding and protecting our common environment.
3
Natural Sciences -
Food Chemistry: From Crop to Consumption
This course provides learners with a comprehensive understanding of food chemistry from growth through post-harvest consumption. Learners will analyze how chemical structures and components of food interact and impact a consumer’s nutrition, health and well-being. Cultural influences
Table 13: Elective Non-Core Course Descriptions Year/
Semester
Liberal Studies Cluster and Course
Name
Course Description Lecture Hours
Lab Hours
are examined with emphasis on nutrition and consumption habits of the world. Political issues such as additives and preservatives and their relevance in nutrition, food safety and product quality are critically analyzed and compared cross-culturally. Learners will also examine the social and economic issues surrounding food with emphasis on nutrition and crop diversity.
Natural Sciences -
Global Perspectives on the Human Immune System
This course examines how natural and human-made environments affect the immune system of the human body. Learners are introduced to the immune system while critically analyzing how socio- economics, demographics, cultural and political factors impact this highly evolved system. Topics to be examined include natural and acquired immunodeficiency, allergies, evasive pathogens and parasites, novel medicinal practices and the
interdependency of health and social issues. Emphasis is placed on the relationship and impact these topics have on human health globally.
3
Year 4
Semester 1 Art - Film Art in The Internet Age
Film is a 19th century invention, with most of its language developed in the silent film era. This course will explore film’s
appropriateness in the Internet age. Today, film is under siege by technological,
economic and social forces: DVD rental has disappeared; cameras have been
miniaturized; digital downloads threaten copyright; attention spans have diminished. What does this mean for the creation, study and appreciation of films? The course will examine classical film theories and assess their current relevance. It will examine classical film language and classical films to identify what they can contribute to the digital age. Finally, the course will explore whether or not a new language needs to be created to bring film art into the digital age in order to respond to the current
communication challenges.
Table 13: Elective Non-Core Course Descriptions Year/
Semester
Liberal Studies Cluster and Course
Name
Course Description Lecture Hours
Lab Hours Art - Conceptual Art
And Cultural Change
Concept based visual art practice is comprised of several diverse disciplines including painting, sculpture, installation, performance, photography, video and drawing. These disciplines as they have always done can lead to the visualization of social justice issues; defining historical and political issues and enabling elite and non- elite championing of issues. This course presents and analyses the various forms of conceptual art practices used historically in western cultures to enable political, social and cultural change. The focus of this course will be upon the self- directed exploration of conceptual practices to
analyze and critique, political, cultural, social and environmental issues.
3
Art - Performance and Technology
Interactive forms of theatre, dance, music and media result in the audience becoming part of the performance. Students of this course will examine the changing relation of technology to performance, performativity and the interchangeable roles of author, creator and user in the broader cultural environment landscape. This course will examine the immersive potential of
Wagner’s “Ring” Cycle to the performance art evolving from futurism to Schechner’s theatre performance studies and
contemporary forms of digital media
3
Art - 21st Century Visual Culture
This course provides a historical overview of 20th century visual culture, and its influences on the emerging media of the 21st century. Visual culture deals with both artworks, such as those found in museums, and broader forms of popular culture, such as film, television, and advertising or news media. It is also present in technologies of
surveillance, in public spaces, and in our social media. Questions regarding key movements in shaping 21st century visual culture will be addressed by exploring approaches to and crossings between
Table 13: Elective Non-Core Course Descriptions Year/
Semester
Liberal Studies Cluster and Course
Name
Course Description Lecture Hours
Lab Hours
diverse media and their expression in local, regional, and global cultures. Course work will provide opportunities for experimental and collaborative forms of interactivity in assigned projects.
Philosophy - Human Genomics: Ethical Dilemmas in the 21st Century
The sequencing of the human genome has paved the way for an array of medical advancements including the detection and treatment of rare and common diseases, health maintenance, and genetic
engineering. These advancements, while potentially beneficial, give rise to profound ethical questions surrounding issues of privacy, responsibility, access,
discrimination, inequality, commercialization, and human rights. Students will examine ethical contradictions present in the science of human genomics using different
theoretical approaches. The course will explore how various responses to such problems will impact contemporary society, with special attention given to the affects of genomics on minority individuals and communities, developing nations, and cultural and religious freedoms.
3
Philosophy - Logic, Critical Thinking and Communication
This course provides students with the skills of good reasoning needed for forming opinions in life. Bias and assumptions will be evaluated for their impact or logic and critical thinking. Students will improve their
arguments by determining how to evaluate evidence, analyze both consistency and credibility, and detect errors in reasoning in a variety of contexts. A variety of media will be critically analyzed for reasoning errors.
3
Philosophy - Science and Religion in Modern Western Civilization
The relationship between science and religion has been complex and multifaceted throughout history. At times it was
expectable to witness a pronounced tension between them, whereas in other historical contexts, they were regarded as two aspects of the same phenomenon. Today this
relationship is no less problematic, with the contemporary distinct feature of being now
Table 13: Elective Non-Core Course Descriptions Year/
Semester
Liberal Studies Cluster and Course
Name
Course Description Lecture Hours
Lab Hours
addressed by academic pursuits that are thoroughly specialized. The debate regarding the proper administration of science is gradually going more public, and with this, the natural religious spirit of the vast majority of the planet’s population, actively enters the debate --producing laws, creating institutions and shaping values. A proper understanding of the idiosyncratic nuances and difficult features of the debate is thus increasingly showing its urgency.