With contributions from the CMNSU team.

It’s that time of the semester again: course selections. Enrolment dates are coming up and it’s time for us to choose our courses for the Spring 2021 term! It can get tough to decide between electives, which ones satisfy our WQB designations, which ones have the lightest workload, and which ones have the easiest material to learn. Or, maybe you’re looking for a class that’s more challenging, something that requires more effort and rigour.

CMNSU’s got you.

Below are recommendations from CMNSU members of courses they found insightful, valuable, and engaging. These courses aren’t necessarily GPA boosters, they’re courses that contain important and intriguing learning material about the realities of the world. Ranging from societies, environment, sexuality, and politics, these courses will provide you with knowledge and engagement.

Breadth-Humanities Designations

IS101: Introduction to International Studies

Megan Mackenzie 

“Really great, broad introduction to global issues and topics that are useful and applicable to communication studies! Will inform you about a lot of current global issues and how they are affected by policy and governance.” *also a B-Social Science!

Breadth-Social Science Designations 

ARCH100: Ancient Peoples and Places 

David Maxwell 

Great prof, really engaging and knows his stuff. Information heavy but on really fascinating aspects of early history that are so different from what we learn in cmns. Good course to take in an online environment! 

HSCI120: Introduction of Human Sexuality and Behaviour  

Rodney Hunt 

“Explores human sexuality on a broad spectrum, also explores how society and socialization influences human ideals of sexual behaviours.  Got to create a really fun project pitch about how to enhance sexual education on campus.”

POL100: Introduction to Politics and Government

Sanjay Jeram (or Cara Camcastle) 

“I took it with Sanjay Jeram and the course is a great basic covering of political systems, different forms of democracies and different levels of varying governments. You'll leave more informed about all areas of electoral systems and political systems which are some skills that are great to have today!”

REM100: Global Change

Scott Harrison 

“Scott is a really enthusiastic teacher who prepped us really well for exams and what to know. Super insightful course because we got to learn a lot about different processes of things that get manufactured and how it affects the environment. I had a lot of fun with an enthusiastic group discussing different ways on how to make the planet better.”

Breadth-Science Designations 

BPK110: Human Nutrition - Current Issues 

Amandio Vieira / Diana Bedoya 

“Straight forward course that addresses very relevant, current issues that are found in everyday life.” 

BPK140: Contemporary Health Issues 

Mike Walsh / Andrew Blaber 

“To this day it’s one of my favourite classes. I took it with Diana Bedoya, teaching 110 this semester, and she was amazing which was a big factor for me. Content was super interesting and relevant to my health and lifestyle and I took away a lot of things that I actually still remember and have shared with other people. Super relevant and applicable!” 

Quantitative Designation 

CA149: Sound 

Stefan Smulovitz

“It’s a cool class for CMNS students to take because it shows you the other end of media production. Stefan was very passionate and engaging!” 

Publishing Courses

*very applicable to CMNS degrees! 

PUB101: Publication of Self 

Suzanne Norman 

“If you’ve ever wanted to start writing or making content online but never find the motivation to set aside time to do so, PUB101 is a great way to kickstart your online presence! The entire semester and workload is catered to you building and running your own website and will give you time to write about whatever you want to, the whole course is a creative outlet.” 

PUB210W: Professional Writing Workshop 

Scott Steedman 

“Scott is a great professor who really knows how to teach you how to write professionally! If you want to get some great sample writing pieces and learn how to condense information into a concise, professional piece of writing PUB210W will definitely help you out!” **also satisfies a W designation! 

Communication Courses 

CMNS220: Understanding Television 

Jody Baker  

“Jody is such an engaging prof and you can tell he really loves what he’s teaching. This course is a great 200 level introduction to a lot of important concepts you can learn more about in other 200 level courses, like 223W, and upper level courses like 323W.” 

CMNS331: News Discourse as Political Communication

Ahmed Al-Rawi 

“Ahmed's lectures are so interesting and engaging! The course content is all about political cmns and I learned so much about journalistic practices.”

CMNS432: Political Communication, Public Opinion and Political Marketing

Prof TBA 

“Very relevant course to our current political climate” “If it’s with Alicia Massie, she’s an amazing professor and super interactive lectures that make it hard to get bored despite being online.”

Written by Genevieve Cheng and Nadya Olivares -> Feel free to reach out to @cmnsu, @gen.cheng or @nadyaolivares on Instagram for any questions about these courses or more course recommendations! :)