Whether you've declared your major and are waiting to select your courses, are still deciding on a major, or are considering applying to MacEwan, we have a course for every interest.
Taking a deep dive into unique or highly specific topics is an important part of the academic experience - it can open the door to research or graduate school opportunities, set you on a career path that you didn't even know existed or even just help you look at the world in a more critical and informed way.
If you have ever wanted to look at the Harry Potter books through an academic lens, investigate secretive religious texts, or spend a term getting philosophical about death, you might want to take a look at some of the courses our Faculty of Arts And Science has to offer.
CMPT 399: Social Media Analytics
Browsing Twitter or Instagram doesn't have to be something you do to avoid studying. It can be your studying. Social media is used widely by government agencies, corporate companies and other organizations for communication. Through research and discussion, students learn the role of social media in society and how to leverage social media data to inform decision-making processes. Students design and develop software applications that interact with application programming interfaces (APIs) to retrieve, analyze and explore data to gain insights.
ENGL 389: Topics in Children's Literature - Journeys in Oz: from Baum to Broadway
This course explores how narratives survive and evolve through adaptation. The case study? The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - from L. Frank Baum's seminal children's fantasy novel; to the MGM film that eclipsed its source material; to Wicked, the novel and stage play that renewed public interest in Oz by changing the primary point of view from Kansas farmgirl Dorothy Gale to the story's iconic villain, the Wicked Witch of the West.
ENGL 402: Studies in Authors - J.K. Rowling and the Boy Who Lived
Seven books, eight films, spin-off stories and productions, merchandise, fan fiction - J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series has become a literary and cultural phenomenon. English students examine the series within both a literary and cultural context, and addresses its effect on the shifting landscape of children's and young adult literature.
HIST 476: Topics in Ancient and Medieval History - Secrets of Early Christianity
Uncover the forgotten texts and traditions that fueled the first centuries of Christianity. Documents which did not find their way into the Biblical canon are usually referred to as "apocryphal," derived from the Greek word for "hidden" or "secret." Some apocryphal texts were considered orthodox ("correct in belief"); others were heterodox ("alternative in belief"). By reading both orthodox and heterodox texts alongside each other, students gain an appreciation of the range of beliefs that animated early Christian debates.
PHIL 360: Death and Dying
Philosphy students are digging into the nature and significance of death through detailed analysis and critical discussion of topics like what death is, emotional attitudes toward death, the badness of death, the value of life, immortality, personal identity and suicide.
PSYC 405: Special Topics in Psychology - Neuroscience of Ocean Acidification
The levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere are thought by many leading scientists to be rising due to human-caused industrial activity. Recent evidence suggests that CO2 levels predicted to further increase to ~1200 ppm by the year 2100 can alter the brain functioning of many aquatic organisms. This course will examine ocean (and freshwater) acidification and its potential impact on the physiology and behaviour of aquatic animals.
PSYC 405: Special Topics in Psychology - Political Psychology
What factors determine a person's political leanings? This course teaches the psychological determinants of political belief and behaviour, including the psychological motives served by political beliefs, how personality variables affect political beliefs and ideology, how political beliefs alter our perceptions of others, why people engage in the political process (and why they often fail to), and psychological contributions to political negotiation and conflict.
ZOOL 452: Principles of Parasitism
Examines the relationships between protozoan, helminth, nematode, acanthocephalan, and arthropod parasites and their animal hosts. The structural and physiological adaptations used by parasites to successfully complete their lifecycles - as well as defensive strategies hosts use to control parasite infections - are discussed in this course. Examples of human parasitic infections are used to illustrate these ideas.
