Cluster 4 — Humanities & Cultural Studies

Overview

How did the concept of “the West” change over the past few centuries? How and why did the beliefs, practices, and values of the West change throughout different geopolitical contexts? In what ways were intellectual and artistic developments related to the targeted era’s political and social forces? How did the interaction with other cultures define Western thought and culture? What are the roots of today’s dominant ideologies of the West? Is it still relevant to talk about the West in the era of globalization? These are some critical questions examined in this survey course on the West’s development from the eighteenth century to the twenty-first century. In particular, students 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.

Outline

• HUMN 202 is divided into fifteen units:
• Unit 1: The Eighteenth Century: An Age of Enlightenment
• Unit 2: The Eighteenth Century: European States, International Wars, and Social Change
• Unit 3: The Era of the American and French Revolutions
• Unit 4: The Industrial Revolution and Its Impact on Society
• Unit 5: Reaction, Revolution, and Romanticism, 1815–1850
• Unit 6: An Age of Nationalism and Realism, 1850–1871
• Unit 7: Mass Society in an “Age of Progress,” 1871–1894
• Unit 8: An Age of Modernity, Anxiety, and Imperialism, 1894–1914 City
• Unit 9: The Beginning of the Twentieth Century Crisis: War and Revolution
• Unit 10: The Futile Search for stability: Europe between the Wars, 1919–1939
• Unit 11: The Deepening of European Crisis: World War II
• Unit 12: Cold War and a New Western World, 1945–1965
• Unit 13: Protest and Stagnation: The Western World, 1965–1985
• Unit 14: After the Fall: The Western World in a Global Age (Since 1985)
• Unit 15: The COVID-19 Pandemic and Racial Inequality

Evaluation

Evaluation of students in HUMN 202 is based on two quizzes, discussion forum participation, an essay assignment, and a final exam. To receive credit for HUMN 202 you must submit all course work, achieve a composite course grade of at least D (50 percent) and a grade of at least 50 percent on the final exam.

The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.

Materials

• Spielvogel, Jackson J. Western Civilization: A Brief History, Volume II: Since 1500, 10th ed. USA: Cengage Learning. 2020  (eText)
• eText
• Registration in this course includes an electronic textbook. For more information on electronic textbooks, please refer to our eText Initiative site.

Other Materials

All other materials are available online.

View Official AU Syllabus ↗

Overview

Preclulded: PHIL 251 and PHIL 261 (PHIL 231 may not be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained for PHIL 251 or PHIL 261.)

Overview

PHIL 231 introduces students to philosophical debate over some of the most fundamental questions humanity has encountered and continues to encounter. Through a study of some of the world’s most influential thinkers—Socrates, Confucius, Chuang Tzu (Taoism) and the Buddha—we encounter debate and insights about our place in the universe, what it is to live the good life, what it is to overcome deception and falsity. “What exists?” “What can we know?” “What is the best way to lead our lives?” These questions mark three foundational areas of philosophical debate: Metaphysics, Epistemology, Ethics.

The course focuses on developing an ability to think critically and independently about these questions, initiating the process of making better decisions about which views are worth holding.

Outline

• Unit 1: Introductory Concepts, Explanations, and Exercises – The Apology
• Unit 2: The Phaedo Part I
• Unit 3: The Phaedo Part II
• Unit 4: Confucius and the Analects
• Unit 5: Taoism
• Unit 6: Buddhism

Evaluation

To receive credit for this course you must complete all four assignments and achieve a minimum course composite grade of at least D (50 percent). The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

Materials

• Plato, The Trial and Death of Socrates (3rd ed.) (G.M.A. Grube trans.) 2000. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Co.  (Print)
• Plato, The Phaedo (G.M.A. Grube trans.). 1977. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Co.  (Print)
• Confucius. (2005). The analects of Confucius (A. Waley, Trans.). Routledge. (Original work published ca. 206 BC–220 AD)  (eBook)
• Chuang-tzu, Basic Writings (Burton Watson, trans.). 1996 New York: Columbia U.P.  (Print)

Other Materials

Readings on Buddhism are provided online and embedded in the study guide.

View Official AU Syllabus ↗

Overview

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.

The religions studied are Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. They are examined through a study of their history, doctrinal concerns and development, literature, and ritual practices.

Outline

• Unit 1: Introduction
• Unit 2: Judaism
• Unit 3: Christianity
• Unit 4: Islam
• Unit 5: Hinduism
• Unit 6: Buddhism
• Unit 7: Chinese Religions—Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism

Evaluation

To receive credit for RELS 204, you must achieve a course composite grade of 50% or higher. You must complete and submit all written assignments and write both exams for the course by your stipulated contract end date. You must achieve a grade of D (50 percent) or higher on both the midterm and the final examinations.

The midterm and final examinations for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.

Materials

• Ludwig, Theodore M. 2006. The Sacred Paths, 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. (PDF)  (PDF)
• Smart, Ninian, and Richard D. Hecht, eds. 1982. Sacred Texts of the World: A Universal Anthology. New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company.  (Print)

Other Resources

All of the other course materials are online, including a detailed Study Guide.

View Official AU Syllabus ↗

Overview

ARHI 201 is a survey course designed to introduce developments in artistic expression from cave drawings and the monuments of the ancient world to the paintings, sculpture and architecture of 15th-century northern Europe. Students learn to look at art and see it within the social and political context of the time in which it was created.

Objectives

• Learn how to look at art in terms of its visually descriptive aspects and corresponding materials of production.
• Understand the functions of visual art in the periods covered in the course.
• Examine and understand the iconographical significance of important historical works.
• Within the historical parameters of the course, achieve a general overview of the history and developments of western visual art, its major periods, movements, concepts, and artists.
• Have acquired an art and architecture vocabulary and be able to use it in relation to specific works.
• Be able to initiate a critical discussion on how works of art form part of a larger set of relationships that include artist and society.

Outline

• Lesson 1: Introduction to Art History
• Lesson 2: Prehistoric and Near Eastern Art
• Lesson 3: Art and Architecture of the Ancient Egyptians
• Lesson 4: Aegean and Greek Art
• Lesson 5: Art and Architecture of the Etruscans and Romans
• Lesson 6: Early Jewish, Early Christian, Byzantine, and Islamic Art
• Lesson 7: Early Medieval and Romanesque Art
• Lesson 8: Gothic and Italian Art and Architecture

Evaluation

To receive credit for ARHI 201, you must achieve a course composite mark of at least a  D (50 percent) and a mark of at least 50 percent on the final examination. The weighting of the composite mark is as follows:

The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.

Digital course materials

• Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
• Davies, Penelope J. E., Walter B. Denny, Frima Fox Hofrichter, Joseph Jacobs, Ann M. Roberts and David L. Simon. Janson’s History of Art: The Western Tradition. 8th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2011.

Other Resources

All other learning resources will be available online.

View Official AU Syllabus ↗

Overview

Prerequiests: None.

Overview

CLAS/HIST/HUMN 309: Ancient Greece is a three-credit, senior-level course that surveys the political, military, social, and cultural history of one of the most influential civilizations of the ancient world. This chronological survey briefly examines the mysterious Bronze Age civilizations and their fall, and the achievements of the Archaic Age. The core units of the course focus on classical Greek civilization. The final units survey the Hellenistic period that came after. Modern western thought, art, and culture finds its roots in ancient Greece. From across the centuries, the ancient Greeks speak to us through translated sources and images of their art. Students will study a topic in greater depth through a research project.

Outline

• Unit 1: Introduction to Studying the Ancient Greeks
• Unit 2: The Greek Bronze Age, Dark Age, and Renaissance
• Unit 3: The Iliad of Homer, Part 1
• Unit 4: The Iliad of Homer, Part 2
• Unit 5: Archaic Greece (ca. 750–ca. 480 BCE) and the Rise of Sparta
• Unit 6: The Persian Wars, Athens, and Herodotus
• Unit 7: Imperial Athens 479-431 BCE
• Unit 8: The Peloponnesian Wars and Thucydides
• Unit 9: Classical Theatre
• Unit 10: Early Greek Philosophy
• Unit 11: Plato and Aristotle
• Unit 12: Alexander the Great
• Unit 13: Hellenistic Kingdoms and the Rise of Rome
• Unit 14: Hellenistic Culture

Learning outcomes

• After successfully studying the course materials and completing the course assignments, students should be able to:
• Summarize major political developments among the ancient Greeks;
• Summarize the major philosophical developments of the ancient Greeks;
• Summarize the achievements of the ancient Greeks in architecture and theatre;
• Locate and select scholarly writings relevant to the study of ancient Greece;
• Report on a scholarly article;
• Write a research paper on an approved topic using secondary sources and relevant primary sources in translation.

Evaluation

To receive credit  for CLAS 309, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least “D” (50 percent) and a grade of at least 50 percent or better on the final examination.

The chart below summarizes the course activities and the credit weight associated with each and shows the order in which you should complete them, because each builds on the previous assignments:

The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.

Digital course materials

• Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
• Sarah B. Pomeroy, Stanley M. Burstein, Jennifer Tolbert Roberts, David W. Tandy, Georgia Tsouvala. A Brief History of Ancient Greece: Politics, Society, and Culture. Fifth edition. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2025.
• Cels, Marc B. CLASSICS/HISTORY/HUMANITIES 309: Ancient Greece, Study Guide. Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University, 2018.
• Cels, Marc B. CLASSICS/HISTORY/HUMANITIES 309: Ancient Greece, Course Information. Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University, 2018.

Physical course materials

• The following course materials are included in a course package that will be shipped to your home prior to your course’s start date:
• Homer. The Iliad of Homer. Translated by Richmond Lattimore. Rev. ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2011.
• Online readings from e-books and e-journals.

View Official AU Syllabus ↗

Overview

The influence of ancient Roman civilization is still strongly felt in Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia. The study of ancient history and culture is valued by students of history, politics, classics, philosophy and literature. Through ancient readings and modern scholarly interpretations, students will meet the ancient Romans: emperors, soldiers, commoners, builders, writers and philosophers. A research project lets students research a Roman topic in greater detail and develop their writing skills, with the help of online lessons and consultation with their personal tutor.

Outline

• Unit 1: Introduction
• Unit 2: Early Rome (c. 1000–509 BCE); Roman Religion
• Unit 3: Roman Society and Its Organization
• Unit 4: The Republic (509 BCE–31 BCE)
• Unit 5: Roman Architecture and Engineering
• Unit 6: Latin Literature of the Republic; Roman Philosophy
• Unit 7: Return to One-Man Rule – The Julio-Claudians (27 BCE–68 CE)
• Unit 8: Golden and Silver Age Latin Literature
• Unit 9: The Year of the Four Emperors, The Flavian Emperors, and the Roman Army
• Unit 10: The Zenith of the Empire to the Severans (96–235 CE)
• Unit 11: Empire in Crisis and Restored
• Unit 12: Constantine and the Late Empire

Learning outcomes

• Summarize what is known about pre-Republican Rome.
• Describe the main features of Roman religion.
• Outline the main events and key figures of the Roman Republic.
• Identify the main architectural and engineering achievements of Rome.
• Summarize the major Roman writers and philosophers.
• Explain the political evolution of the Roman Empire, from the Julio-Claudians to the fall of Romulus Augustulus.
• Identify and interpret excerpts from major primary sources assigned in the course.
• Follow scholarly arguments in academic writings.
• Research and write effective essays, conforming to academic standards.

Evaluation

To receive credit for CLAS 312, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least  D (50 percent) and a grade of at least 50 percent or better on the final examination. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.

Digital course materials

• Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
• Potter, David. Ancient Rome: A New History. 3rd ed., New York: Thames & Hudson, 2018.

Other Materials

• Digital Reading Room: primary sources and scholarly readings online.
• Study Guide: 12 units of commentary, learning activities and primary source excerpts.
• Four Skills Modules: online lessons in research and writing

View Official AU Syllabus ↗

Overview

This course introduces you to the field of cultural studies and covers two bodies of literature: the critical and scholarly work of cultural studies and the mass-produced entertainments of popular culture. To understand the critical readings in this course, you must recognize and appreciate your watching skills, and unpack the assumptions and habits they make invisible. Not only must you learn to read popular culture but you must relearn and become self-conscious of the skill sets you have internalized. Reading both the critical and the entertaining is a balancing act this course will help you perform well.

Outline

• Part 1: Cultural Theory: Alternative Approaches and Key Concepts
• Unit 1: Alternative Approaches to Cultural Studies: Frankfurt, Birmingham, Toronto, and Annales
• Unit 2: Marxism and Cultural Theory: Culture as Product
• Unit 3: More Cultural Theory: Hegemony, Power, Engineering Consent, and Archetypes
• Part 2: Culture as Product: The Dialectic between Creativity and Profit
• Unit 4: The Business of Culture
• Unit 5: Rock Music as Creative Product: The Rise and Fall of a Genre?
• Unit 6: Star Power and Journeys to the Stars
• Part 3: Visual Culture: Remediated Media, and Graphic Genres
• Unit 7: Genres, Zombies, and Fandom
• Unit 8: Remediation: From Comic to Graphic Novel and Beyond
• Unit 9: Television as Ritual: Information, Reality, and Ideology in Game Shows, Talk Shows, and News
• Part 4: Reinforcing our Prejudices? Gender, Apocalypse, Pulp, Pornography, and the Internet
• Unit 10: Constructing Subjects: Femininity, Masculinity, and the Social Construction of Gender
• Unit 11: Visions of the Future: Heroes, Utopias, Dystopias, and the Apocalypse
• Unit 12: Varieties of Commercial Art: Low, High, National, and Global
• Unit 13: The Internet: Sex, Social Media, and Narrow-Casting

Evaluation

To receive credit for CMNS 358, you must receive 50 percent on the final exam and achieve a course composite grade of at least D (50 percent) to pass course. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.

Digital course materials

• Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
• Longhurst, Brian, and Danijela Bogdanović. Popular Music and Society. 3rd ed. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2014.

Physical course materials

• The following course materials are included in a course package that will be shipped to your home prior to your course’s start date:
• Fiske, John. Television Culture. 2nd ed. London: Routledge, 2011.
• Moore, Alan, and David Lloyd. V for Vendetta. New York: Vertigo, 1998/2005.
• Online Materials
• Online materials include a course information file, a student manual, and an extensive study guide covering all the units of the course. Required reading assignments (other than from the textbooks) are available online through the course digital reading room.
• Library Materials
• Required viewing and listening materials other than those referred to above can be borrowed from the Athabasca University Library.

View Official AU Syllabus ↗

Overview

Prereqwuistes: This course is demanding for those with no knowledge of French. A good knowledge of English grammar is essential. Students are advised not to take FREN 100 and FREN 101 simultaneously.

Overview

FREN 100: French for Beginners I is designed for students who wish to begin learning French. This course will familiarize students with the foundations of the French language and will help them to develop the four basic language skills of reading, writing, listening comprehension, and speaking. By the end of the course, students will be able to ask and answer a variety of questions. Students will also learn how to compose simple sentences that are grammatically correct and to express themselves in simple French.

Outline

FREN 100 follows the first six chapters of Chez Nous and the first half of French in Action. These two texts are the basic grammar and vocabulary building components of FREN 100.

Learning outcomes

• When you have completed FREN 100, you should be able (both orally and in writing) to do the following in French:
• Participate in simple conversations about yourself
• Describe family members, their relationships, and everyday activities
• Describe people’s appearances, personalities, and daily routines
• Express likes and dislikes
• Discuss family structures across the Francophone world
• Describe sport and leisure activities
• Talk about university life in general and courses of study
• Talk about jobs and the workplace
• Discuss clothing and fashion
• Speak and write about food, meals, a variety of dishes, and shopping for food
• Speak and write about the importance of cuisine in the French-speaking world

Evaluation

To receive credit for FREN 100, students must complete and submit all five written assignments and achieve a minimum weighted average of 50%, as well as a minimum grade of 50% on the final written examination. Students must also complete and submit all four oral assignments and achieve a minimum weighted average of 50%, and a minimum grade of 50% on the final oral examination. Students must achieve a minimum course composite grade of D (50 %).

The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.

Digital course materials

• Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
• Scullen, Mary Ellen, et al. Chez nous: Branché sur le monde francophone. 5th ed., LingroLearning Publishers, 2024.
• Capretz, Pierre J., with Barry Lydgate, Béatrice Abetti, and Marie-Odile Germain. French in Action: A Beginning Course in Language and Culture: The Capretz Method Part 1. 3rd ed. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2013.

Other Materials

• All other course materials are offered online.
• Special Course Feature
• Each lesson in the French in Action textbook has a corresponding video component that students are required to watch. Students can watch these videos online or borrow them from Athabasca University Library.

View Official AU Syllabus ↗

Overview

Prerequeits: None.

Overview

Information Systems 200 (INFS 200) engages students in critical inquiry and research as they use information systems, including the internet, mass media, and libraries, to investigate key issues pertaining to information, knowledge and society in the information age. The course provides a foundation for students to participate effectively in scholarly communities and to explore their roles as citizens in the dynamic, multimedia landscape of the twenty-first century.

Objectives

• Upon completion of INFS 200 students should be able to
• critically reflect on social, economic and political contexts for the creation, distribution and use of knowledge and information in the information age.
• apply a broad understanding of what it means to be critical to the processes of research and evaluation.
• demonstrate an understanding of practices for maintaining intellectual honesty.
• use knowledge of a wide range of information types and information systems to explore, join and contribute to conversations around issues and problems.
• develop and apply online search strategies, evaluate the effectiveness of strategies and modify strategies as needed.
• discuss the implications of information and communication technologies for society and citizenship.

Evaluation

To receive credit  for INFS 200, you must satisfactorily complete four assignments and the final examination, you must achieve a grade of 50 percent or better on the final examination and a course composite grade of at least D (50 percent). Discussion and glossary activities account for 15% of your final mark. The weighting of the composite mark is as follows:

The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.

Physical course materials

• The following course materials are included in a course package that will be shipped to your home prior to your course’s start date:
• Badke, W. (2017). Research strategies: Finding your way through the information fog (6th ed.). Bloomington, IN: iUniverse, Inc.

Other Materials

All other course materials will be accessed online.

View Official AU Syllabus ↗

Overview

In PHIL 252: Critical Thinking, students will practice and gain mastery in foundational methods of philosophical critical thinking that can be applied in a wide range of educational, professional, and life scenarios. They will become familiar with a variety of argument forms, both formal and informal, and gain experience evaluating arguments. This course also introduces students to introductory concepts in formal logic, such as syllogisms and Venn diagrams. Finally, students will learn to identify and explain informal fallacies in a range of contexts, including everyday language, statistics, media, and scientific reasoning.

Outline

• PHIL 252 consists of ten units:
• Unit 1: Why Critical Thinking?
• Unit 2: Arguments and Bullshit
• Unit 3: Validity as a Truth-Preserving Method
• Unit 4: Classification and Definition
• Unit 5: Categorical Logic and Syllogisms
• Unit 6: Fallacies of Ambiguity, Meaning, and Representation
• Unit 7: Science and Causal Reasoning
• Unit 8: Science and Worldviews
• Unit 9: Emotions, Generalizations, and Justification
• Unit 10: Putting Critical Thinking into Practice

Learning outcomes

• PHIL 252 has six major learning outcomes. After completing this course, students will be able to:
• Explain philosophical approaches to critical thinking.
• Reflect on their approach and attitudes toward critical thinking.
• Describe key features of various forms of arguments, including premises and conclusions, syllogisms, inductive or deductive, etc.
• Evaluate various arguments using appropriate methods, including validity, soundness, definitional clarification, fallacy identification, and appropriate skepticism for causal reasoning, statistical reasoning, and visual data representations.
• Describe key features of successful arguments, including dialectical acceptability, relevance, cogency, clarity, precision of language, etc.
• Apply select course concepts to their everyday critical thinking.

Evaluation

To receive credit for PHIL 252, you must complete and submit all of the assignments, quizzes, and the final project. You must achieve an overall grade of at least D (50 percent) for the course.

You will be evaluated on your understanding of the concepts presented in the course and on your ability to apply those concepts. Your final grade in the course will be based on the marks achieved for the following activities.

Digital course materials

• Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
• Bergstrom, Carl T., and Jevin D. West. 2021. Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World. New York: Random House.
• Clark, Daniel J., dir. 2018. Behind the Curve. Los Angeles: Delta-v Productions.
• Dayton, Eric, and Kristin Rodier. 2024. Critical Thinking, Logic, and Argument: An Introduction. Athabasca: AU Press. https://doi.org/10.15215/remix/9781998944057.01.

Other Materials

All other course materials are available online.

View Official AU Syllabus ↗

Overview

Prerequistes: None required, but PHIL 152/252 is recommended.

Overview

Philosophy 333 highlights ethical issues pertaining to journalists, engineers, medical doctors, accounting and finance specialists, and lawyers. What distinguishes the professions from non-professional jobs? What moral qualities should professionals exhibit? What does professional responsibility consist in? Should professionals be judged using a different moral standard than that by which we ordinarily judge ourselves and each other? When in conflict, how should the obligations, responsibilities, and interests of professionals, clients, and society be weighted and prioritized? How should (particular kinds of) professionals conduct themselves in morally problematic situations involving public safety and public trust, privacy and confidentiality, honesty or deception, informed consent, objectivity and conflicts of interest, or whistleblowing?

Outline

• Unit 1: Morality, Ethics, and Reasoning
• Unit 2: Normative Ethical Theories
• Unit 3: Professional Ethics
• Unit 4: Ethics & Engineering
• Unit 5: Ethics & Medicine
• Unit 6: Ethics & Journalism
• Unit 7: Ethics & Law
• Unit 8: Ethics & Accounting and Finance
• Unit 9: Concluding Remarks

Learning outcomes

• After completing Philosophy 333, you should be able to achieve the following learning outcomes:
• Effectively identify moral situations and moral issues encountered by a wide range of different professionals.
• Critically apply ethical theories, principles, and concepts to specific moral situations and issues faced by professionals.
• Accurately apply the methods and criteria for evaluating moral arguments to develop and present persuasive arguments relevant to resolving these moral issues and moral situations in written work.
• Conduct independent research in professional ethics with scholarly rigour to produce well-supported philosophical written work that reflects university standards in information literacy and academic integrity.

Evaluation

To receive credit for this course, you must complete and submit all of the work outlined below and receive a course composite grade of at least a D (50 percent). The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.

Physical course materials

• The following course materials are included in a course package that will be shipped to your home prior to your course’s start date:
• Allhoff, Fritz, and Anand J. Vaidya, eds.Professions in Ethical Focus: An Anthology. Peterborough, ON: Broadview Press, 2008.

Other Materials

All other materials are available online.

View Official AU Syllabus ↗

Overview

This course provides an introduction to selected ethical problems associated with health and health care in Canada and more globally. For instance, how should we allocate resources to health care, as compared with other initiatives influencing our health at the population level (education, social services, preventive public health measures)? What is the character of morally appropriate therapeutic relationships? How should we regulate new reproductive technologies? What particular moral problems are associated with abortion, euthanasia, and research on human subjects? Students will become familiar with traditional ethical theories and some recent challenges to them. Through readings, cases, and written work, students will learn to consider applications of theoretical approaches to current moral dilemmas in health and health care, and will develop skills necessary to critically analyze new developments.

Outline

• Unit 1 Ethical Dimensions of Health and Health Care
• Unit 2 Ethical Theory and Moral Reasoning
• Unit 3 Resource Allocation
• Unit 4 Health Care Relationships
• Unit 5 Informed Consent
• Unit 6 Ethical Dimensions of Health Research on Humans
• Unit 7 Abortion
• Unit 8 Reproduction and Genetics
• Unit 9 Euthanasia
• Unit 10 Broadening the Agenda of Health Ethics

Learning outcomes

• When you have completed Philosophy 335, you should be able to
• effectively recognize those situations that require ethical judgment, with particular attention to those situations that are encountered by health-care professionals.
• accurately identify and understand moral issues that are faced by health-care professionals.
• develop and present arguments relevant to resolving these issues.
• critique and defend ethical judgments and points of view related to these issues.

Evaluation

To receive credit for PHIL 335, you must submit every piece of written work and achieve a course composite grade of at least D (50 percent). The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.

Physical course materials

• The following course materials are included in a course package that will be shipped to your home prior to your course’s start date:
• Gedge, Elisabeth (Boetzkes) and Wilfrid J. Waluchow, eds. Readings in Health Care Ethics, 2nd edition. Peterborough, ON: Broadview Press, 2012.

Other Materials

All other materials are available online.

View Official AU Syllabus ↗

Overview

Prequiesits: None.

Overview

This course introduces students to the basic elements of the Spanish language. Together with its complement, SPAN 201, this course will teach students to speak and write simple Spanish in a range of everyday situations corresponding to Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), Levels A1/A2, as adapted to Spanish by the Instituto Cervantes.

By systematically working through the 8 units and their associated activities, students will develop oral and written skills through the study of vocabulary and grammar complemented by authentic texts. Pronunciation, comprehension, and writing are emphasized and are essential components of the course. SPAN 200 is a prerequisite for SPAN 201.

Evaluation

To receive credit for SPAN 200, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least D (50 percent) and a grade of at least 50 percent on the final written examination. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.

Materials

This course either does not have a course package or the textbooks are open-source material and available to students at no cost. This course has a Course Administration and Technology Fee, but students are not charged the Course Materials Fee.

Digital course materials

• Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
• Dabrowski, Michael, et al. (2016). Beginner Spanish OER. Athabasca University with funding from the Campus Alberta OER Initiative.
• Special Course Feature
• SPAN 200 is a fully integrated, online course based on a digital Open Educational Resource (OER) textbook developed at Athabasca University, with contributions and support from many academics and institutions across Canada. Additional information about the project can be found at the Spanish OER Initiative website: www.spanoer.ca.

View Official AU Syllabus ↗