154 Humanities courses any UVic undergrad can take
Have room in your schedule for one more course? Looking to try something new?
Here’s a list of every no- or low-barrier course offered in the Faculty of Humanities this year, organized by theme.
Click on the course that interests you for more details!
You can also contact Academic Advising if you have questions about the courses and programs that are right for you.
Ancient Civilizations and Societies
- GRS 101 - Discovering the Ancient Greeks
- GRS 102 - Discovering the Ancient Romans
- GRS 200 - Greek and Roman Mythology
- GRS 203 - Unearthing the Ancient Mediterranean
- GRS 204 - The Ancient World on Film
- HSTR 236 - Medieval Beginnings
- HSTR 265A - China and the Premodern World
- LING 270 - The Evolution of Language
- MEDI 100 - Entering the Middle Ages
- MEDI 200 - Myths and Legends of the Middle Ages
- PAAS 150 - Premodern Chinese Culture
- PAAS 152 - Essentials of Chinese Civilization
- PAAS 170 - Premodern Southeast Asian Cultures
- PAAS 180 - Premodern Japanese Culture
- PHIL 204 - Traditions of Asian Philosophy
- PHIL 207A - Introduction to Ancient Philosophy
- PHIL 208 - Introduction to Islamic Philosophy
- RCS 200A - Introduction to Judaism, Christianity and Islam
- RCS 200B - Introduction to Asian Religions
Big Books
Canada
- GNDR 203 - Indigenous Womxn in Canada
- GNDR 209 - Families, Intimacies and Nationhood
- HSTR230A - Canada to Confederation
- HSTR230B - Canada from Confederation - present
Environment
- GNDR 201 - Gender, Food and Power
- GNDR 219 - Topics in Gender Studies - Gender & Environmental Justice
- GNDR 230 - Environmental Justice & Gender
- HSTR101E - Environmental History of the World
- HSTR101G - History of Oil
Food
- GNDR 201 - Gender, Food and Power
- HSTR 101F - Food in World History
- PAAS 153 - Chinese Food Culture
- PAAS 280 - A Taste of Japan
Genocide and Human Rights
- GMST 153 - Representations of the Holocaust in Popular Culture
- GNDR 203 - Indigenous Womxn in Canada
- HSTR 100 - History, Power and Justice
- HSTR 119 - Deportation and Exile
- HSTR 120 - History of Human Rights
- PHIL 235 - Ethics of Violence, War and Terrorism
Global Development
- EUS 100 - Introduction to European Studies
- EUS 200 - Introduction to European Cultures and Identities
- GNDR 201 - Gender, Food and Power
- GNDR 207 - Gender, Globalization and the Love Industry
- GNDR 219 - Topics in Gender Studies - Gender and Tourism
- HSTR 101F - Food in World History
- HSTR 112A - World History 1900-1945
- HSTR 112B - The World Since 1945-present
- HSTR275 - Modern South Asia from Early Empires to Gandhi
- IS 101 - Indigenous Foundations
- ISP 200 - Introduction to Intercultural Studies
- LAS 200 - Latin America
- PAAS 100 - Introduction to Pacific and Asian Studies
Health and Sexuality
- ENSH 222 - Erotic Literature
- GNDR 202 - Globalization and Resistance
- GNDR 204 - Gender, Health, Power and Resistance
- GNDR 209 - Families, Intimacy and Nationhood
- GNDR 211 - Family Gender and Sexuality in the Asia-Pacific
- GNDR 219 - Topics in Gender Studies - Womb Matters: The Contested Terrains of Reproduction
- GNDR 219 - Topics in Gender Studies - Introduction to Trans History
- HSTR 101C - Epidemics from the Black Death to AIDS
- PHIL 225 - Death and Dying
- RCS 120 - The People, Practices and Politics of Contemporary Yoga
The History and Science of Language
- GRS 250 - Greek and Latin Roots of English
- LING 100A - Foundations in Linguistics I
- LING 110 - Language and Thought
- LING 270 - The Evolution of Language
- LING 274 - How to Learn a Language
Human Connections and Cultures
- FRAN 265 - Global French Connections (Taught in French; can submit assignments in English)
- GNDR 100 - Gender, Power and Difference
- HSTR 101F - Food in World History
- IS 100 - Responsibilities and Reciprocity in the Place You Are Now
- IS 101 - Indigenous Foundations
- LAS 200 - Latin America
- RCS 101 - Anthropology and Food
Indigenous Cultures, Histories and Languages
- GNDR 100 - Gender, Power and Difference
- GNDR 203 - Indigenous Womxn in Canada
- IS 100 - Responsibilities and Reciprocity in the Place you are now
- IS 101 - Indigenous foundations
- IS 201 - Introduction to Indigenous Studies (101 recommended)
Foundations of the Current Global Order
- EUS 100 - Introduction to European Studies
- GNDR 209 - Families, intimacy and Nationhood
- HSTR 112B - The World Since 1945-Present
- HSTR 115 - The Second World War
- HSTR 210B - The United States since 1865
- HSTR 240B - Europe, Napoleon to the European Union
- HSTR112A - World History 1900-1945
- HSTR265B - China and the Modern West
- HSTR277A - The Middle East and the First World War
- HSTR277B - History of the Middle East since World War II
- ISP 200 - Introduction to Intercultural Studies
- PAAS 100 - Introduction to Pacific and Asian Studies
- PAAS 150 - Premodern Chinese Culture
- PAAS 151 - Modern Chinese Culture
- PAAS 152 - Essentials of Chinese Civilisation (in Chinese)
- PAAS 170 - Premodern Southeast Asian Cultures
- PAAS 171 - Modern Southeast Asian Cultures
- PAAS 180 - Premodern Japanese Culture
- PAAS 181 - Modern Japanese Culture
- ENSH 222 - Erotic Literature
Religion
- GRS 200 - Greek and Roman Mythology
- PAAS 204 - Introduction to Asian Religions
- RCS 120 - The People, Practices and Politics of Contemporary Yoga
- RCS 200A - Introduction to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
- RCS 201 - Key Questions in Religion, Culture and Society
- RCS 260 - The Bible as Literature
Knowledge and Big Ideas
- ENSH 101 - Themes in Literature (AWR)
- ENSH 102 - Literature in Action (AWR)
- ENSH 220 - Cultural Studies
- GRS 200 - Greek and Roman Mythology
- HSTR 100 - History, Power and Justice
- HSTR 101A - Ten Days that Shook the World
- HSTR 101D - History of Money
- HUMA 120A - Humanities and the Making of the Intellectual Life
- HUMA 120B - Post-Medieval Humanities and the Making of the Modern Mind
- LING 100A - Foundations in Linguistics I
- PAAS 100 - Introduction to Pacific and Asian Studies
- PHIL 100 - Introduction to Philosophy
- PHIL 210 - Introduction to Early Modern Philosophy
- PHIL 211 - Introduction to Existentialism
- PHIL 220 - Introduction to Philosophy of Science
- PHIL 225 - Death and Dying
- PHIL 251 - Knowledge, Certainty and Skepticism
- PHIL 261 - Philosophy of Religion
- RCS 200A - Introduction to Judaism, Christianity and Islam
- RCS 200B - Introduction to Asian Religions
Languages
- ASL 100A - American Sign Language I
- FRAN 100 - Intensive French I
- FRAN 120 - Intensive French II
- FRAN 150 - French Conversation
- FRAN 170 - Intensive French III
- FRAN 180 - Intensive French IV
- FRAN 265 - Global French Connections (Taught in French; can submit assignments in English)
- GMST 101 - Beginning German I
- GMST 108 - Introduction to Translating German Texts
- GMST 110 - Intensive Beginning German
- GREE 101 - Introductory Ancient Greek I
- ITAL 100A - Beginners' Italian I
- LATI 101 - Introductory Latin I
- LING 274 - How to Learn a Language
- PAAS 116 - Beginner Chinese I: Part 1
- PAAS 118 - Intensive Beginner Chinese I
- PAAS 120 - Introduction to Indonesian-Malay I
- PAAS 128 - Introduction to Korean I
- PAAS 138 - Intensive Beginner Japanese I
- SLST 101 - Beginning Russian I
- SLST 110 - Intensive Beginning Russian
- SLST 111 - Beginning Ukrainian I
- SPAN 100A - Beginners’ Spanish I
Law and Justice
- GNDR 100 - Gender, Power and Difference
- GNDR 203 - Indigenous Womxn in Canada
- HSTR 100 - History, Power and Justice
- HSTR 120 - History of Human Rights
- IS 101 - Indigenous Foundations
- PHIL 100 - Introduction to Philosophy
- PHIL 236 - Introduction to Social and Political Philosophy
Media, Film and Sound
- GMST 153 - Representations of the Holocaust in Popular Culture
- GNDR 200 - Popular Culture and Social Media
- GNDR 206 - Monstrous Women
- GNDR 210 - The Zombie in Popular Culture
- GNDR 219 - Topics in Gender Studies - Critical Media Practices and the Body
- GNDR 230 - Environmental Justice & Gender
- GRS 204 - The Ancient World on Film
- HSTR 121 - History, Music and the American Century
- MEDIA 200 - Media in the 21st Century
- PAAS 202 - Topics in Asian Cinema
- PAAS 206 - Comics and Graphic Novels in Asia and the Pacific
- PAAS 209 - Intro to Special Topics: Gender and Marriage in Chinese Popular Media
- SPAN 185 - Hispanic Culture Through Film (Taught in English)
Propaganda, Myth, Speculation, Fantasy
- GMST 180 - Myths, Fairy Tales and Fantasy Fiction
- GNDR 206 - Monstrous Women
- GNDR 219 - Topics in Gender Studies - Reimagining the World: Transnational Speculative Fiction
- HSTR122 - Conspiracies, Hoaxes and Moral Panics
- MEDI 200 - Myths and Legends of the Middle Ages
- PAAS 101 - Text, Manipulation, Propaganda
- SLST 180 - Magic and the Fairy Tale World
Social Justice
- GNDR 100 - Gender, Power and Difference
- GNDR 201 - Gender, Food and Power
- GNDR 203 - Indigenous Womxn in Canada
- GNDR 206 - Monstrous Women
- GNDR 207 - Gender, Globalization and the Love Industry
- GNDR 219 - Topics in Gender Studies - Introduction to Trans Histories
- GNDR 219 - Topics in Gender Studies - Gender and Tourism
- HSTR 100 - History, Power and Justice
- HSTR 101F - Food in World History
- HSTR 119 - Deportation and Exile
- HSTR 120 - History of Human Rights
- IS 100 - Responsibilities and Reciprocity in the Place You Are Now
- IS 101 - Indigenous Foundations
- ISP 200 - Introduction to Intercultural Studies
- LAS 200 - Latin America
- PASS 253 - Activism in Asia
- PHIL 232 - Moral Problems of Contemporary Society
- PHIL 236 - Introduction to Social and Political Philosophy
Societies and How They Work
- GMST 100 - Introduction to Germanic Studies
- GNDR 100 - Gender, Power and Difference
- GNDR 209 - Families, Intimacy and Nationhood
- HSTR 210A - The United States to the Civil War
- HSTR 210B - The United States since 1865
- HSTR 220A - History of England to the Glorious Revolution
- HSTR 220B - History of England from the Glorious Revolution
- HSTR 236 - Medieval Beginnings
- HSTR 240A - Europe, Renaissance to the French Revolution
- HSTR 240B - Europe, Napoleon to the European Union
- HSTR 265A - China and the Premodern World
- HSTR 275 - Modern South Asia from Early Empires to Gandhi
- HSTR 276 - Latin America
- HSTR 277A - The Middle East and the First World War
- HSTR121 - History, Music and the American Century
- HSTR122 - Conspiracies, Hoaxes and Moral Panics
- IS 100 - Responsibilities and Reciprocity in the Place You Are Now
- IS 101 - Indigenous Foundations
- LAS 200 - Latin America
- PAAS 151 - Modern Chinese Culture
- PAAS 171 - Modern Southeast Asian Cultures
- PAAS 181 - Modern Japanese Culture
- PHIL 223 - Introduction to Philosophy of the Social Sciences
- RCS 101 - Anthropology and Food
- RCS 200A - Introduction to Judaism, Christianity and Islam
- RCS 200B - Introduction to Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and the Chinese Religions
- SLST 100 - Introduction to Russian Society and Culture
- SPAN 205 - Histories of Violence in Contemporary Mexico
- ENSH 230 - Literature, Self and Society
War and Conflict
- HSTR 112A - World History 1900-1945
- HSTR 112B - The World Since 1945-present
- HSTR 115 - The Second World War
- PAAS 103 - Global Wars in Asia and the Pacific
- PHIL 235 - Ethics of Violence, War and Terrorism
- SLST 160 - The Culture of the Russian Revolution
- SPAN 205 - Histories of Violence in Contemporary Mexico (Taught in English)
Writing and Critical Thinking
- ATWP 101 - Fundamentals of Academic Literacy
- ATWP 135 - Academic Reading and Writing (AWR)
- ENSH 101 - Themes and Literature (AWR)
- ENSH 102 - Literature in Action (AWR)
- ENSH 202 - Technical Communications, Written and Verbal
- ENSH 201 - Writing with Style
- PHIL 201 - Critical Thinking
Workplace Skills
- ENGL 225 - Technical Communications: Written and Verbal (Requires completion of the AWR as pre-requisite)
- IS 100 - Responsibilities and Reciprocity in the Place You are Now
- IS 201 - Introduction to Indigenous Studies
- GMST 105 - Business German