Arts & Humanities

What You'll Learn

Black Studies encompasses historical, theoretical, and socio-cultural topics, varying from Black Feminist Thought to contemporary Black cultural practices in Canada and elsewhere. Black Studies is part of the Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies, which is taught across the Faculty of Arts & Humanities and the Faculty of Social Science.

In this interdisciplinary program, you can take courses in a variety of disciplines through a Black Studies lens, including Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, Anthropology, English, Art History, Political Science, Sociology, History, French, Geography, Media and Communication Studies, and Philosophy.

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What You'll Learn

Don’t you love to dig into an idea until you really understand where it comes from and what it connects with? That’s what we do in Classics. The ancient Mediterranean world lives on in our modern experience. We see it in sports, medicine, sexuality, law, and politics—everywhere, really. We dive into the language, literature, philosophies, and archaeology of the Greek and Roman world. You come out with some of the most sought-after skills in the professions and in academic career like problem-solving, communication and making connections.

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What You'll Learn

Where will your creativity take you? Creative Arts and Production runs across three faculties – Faculty of Arts & Humanities, Faculty of Information and Media Studies and Don Wright Faculty of Music – and you’ll benefit from the expertise and resources of all three. You’ll learn how to discover and harness your creativity in professional-grade production facilities. With insights into creative industries and practical experience, you’ll graduate ready to unleash your creativity into the real world.

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What You'll Learn

Study Canadian, British, American, global and Indigenous literature. You can start with the earliest classics, like Beowulf. You can follow a contemporary novel, like Room, as it is adapted to stage and screen. English Studies at Western will make you a stronger professional and a clearer citizen, and it will support your humanity throughout your life.

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What You'll Learn

Film is one of the most influential forms of visual culture. Maybe you grew up on Disney, you’re still waiting for your Hogwarts letter or you believe Spielberg can do no wrong. Ready to look deeper? We strip away the princesses and talking animals to critically examine, analyze and explain film. Delve into the aesthetics, the history, the philosophy and the technology of film making through practical historical and theoretical courses.

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What You'll Learn

Learning French is one of the most practical things you can do to get a competitive edge for jobs in Canada… or around the world. No matter what type of career you’re interested in, knowing English and French is a huge asset. French isn’t just about learning the language. It’s about gaining an appreciation and understanding of French civilization, literary theory, linguistics and more. It’s for those who are ready to open their world to another culture.

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What You'll Learn

How does gender relate to race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, (dis)ability and age? Maybe you’ve thought about it a little. But we’re going to blow it wide open. And we don’t shy away from controversial topics. With the skills you’ll work on in writing and critical thinking, you’ll be ready for careers in law, journalism, social work and more. Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies is taught across the Faculty of Arts & Humanities and the Faculty of Social Science.

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What You'll Learn

Ready to begin your journey of world discovery? From Europe to Asia, from Africa to the Americas, your courses will take you around the world – you might even go some places yourself! What has shaped, challenged and connected civilizations – both past and present? Gain a new appreciation for cultures and immerse yourself in global communities. You’ll explore literature, film, art and music along the way.

Explore Languages and Cultures

What You'll Learn

Bet you didn’t expect Science to come up in Arts & Humanities. But it’s a big part of linguistics: the scientific and humanistic study of language. It’s about using tools to analyze language function, but also exploring the historical and social variations in language. Understanding every aspect of language is helpful for almost every profession. You might gravitate towards teaching, translation and speech pathology. But technology is creating a new need for experts in linguistics, like artificial intelligence and language/voice recognition programs.

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What You'll Learn

We have 20+ world-renowned medieval experts who can’t wait to take you on a journey through this fascinating period in history. Topics include farmers, guild artisans and merchants, food culture and nutrition, medieval heroes and villains like Joan of Arc, Robin Hood and Loki, medieval manuscripts, medieval music and representations of love and desire in scientific, historical and religious contexts.

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What You'll Learn

How do we know what we know? What is real? What is good? What is rational? These questions have started whole branches of philosophy. And, although they can take us to interesting and abstract places, they also circle back to critical and practical questions of modern life about the environment, AI and ethics. Your courses in ethics, epistemology, metaphysics and logic, as well as more specialized courses in philosophy of science, feminism, philosophy of mind and language, and applied ethics will develop and hone your skills as a reader, writer, analyst and thinker.

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What You'll Learn

Theatre makes you think and feel. It doesn’t fit into a traditional classroom, so we won’t put you there. Through seminars, workshops, productions and field trips, you’ll be immersed in your learning experience. Address topical social and cultural issues in theatre and performance in class. Experience real productions at Stratford Festival or even London, England or New York City!

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What You'll Learn

See the sweep of line, the invitation of texture. The history of an object’s making. The story it is creating. Study the visual arts at Western in the company of ambitious, accomplished creators and academics. Our graduates go on to careers as award-winning artists, respected curators, museum administrators and influential writers and scholars. Invited speakers, strong ties to local galleries and museums and many student-driven exhibits make this an exciting community in which to grow.

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What You'll Learn

From web writing to podcasts, and even language recognition programs, we’re not kidding when we say strong writers are in-demand. There have been countless surveys that say the top qualities employers are looking for are communications skills, clarity and writing/research skills. You’re going to master these. And you get to choose courses that fit your future goals. Interested in journalism? Take courses in sports and news writing. Interested in science and health? Take courses in healthcare communication and technical writing.

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