This course provides an introduction to Indigenous research methods within an interdisciplinary context. It highlights relational, land-based, and interculturally informed approaches to knowledge creation, translation, and mobilization. It examines how research is shaped by positionality, power, history, and place.
Drawing on emerging work in Indigenous knowledge and research methodologies, the course situates research as an ongoing, relational process grounded in community accountability, application, and impact. Students engage with ethical and creative application of research through multimodal and practice-based methods, including storytelling, visual and media-based research, and community-engaged scholarship, while considering how research can be meaningfully applied and shared across diverse contexts.
*Course pending formal approval by the Curriculum Committee.
Author: Willem
INDS515: Global Perspectives on Indigenous Ways of Knowing
Introduces students to Indigenous ways of knowing in a global context by exploring Indigenous worldviews, identities, places and experiences, including colonialism and contemporary challenges. Outlines some key limitations to understanding Indigenous epistemologies, and privileges a decolonial approach that actively seeks to improve respectful relations with Indigenous peoples. Requires students to demonstrate graduate-level skills in reading, writing, and critical analysis.
INDS517: Directed Studies
The directed studies course is intended to help fill a conceptual void in the student’s program of study. The student will work with a faculty instructor to define a field of inquiry, develop a reading list related to the field of inquiry, and produce course deliverables that demonstrate an understanding of and engagement with the chosen reading list. This helps the student to explore areas that are not sufficiently covered in the current curricular offerings of the programs the student has combined in the MA in Interdisciplinary Studies. It is the student’s responsibility to select the topic, generate a draft reading list, and negotiate with the instructor an agreed upon literature list. The role of the instructor is to facilitate the student’s self-exploration. This course requires the student to work mainly independently, with the level of instructor involvement negotiated with the instructor.
INDS525: 2SLGBTQI+ Global Issues and Community Engagement
Introduces students to history and current issues affecting 2SLGBTQI+ individuals and their communities with particular attention to seniors, youth, cultural and linguistic minority groups. Includes discussion of issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, agender, transgender, non-binary, queer and Two-Spirit individuals and communities. Examines ways of creating welcoming and inclusive organizations, public services, and communities and approaches 2SLGBTQI+ issues from human rights and cultural identity perspectives.
INDS545: Misinformation in Society
Illustrates why misinformation is a particularly wicked problem at this moment in history and helps to situate current misinformation trends within the long history of propaganda, fake news, and information operations. Provides students with strategies to address misinformation in their own lives and communities.
From COVID-19 to the conspiracy theories like QAnon, misinformation is everywhere. This course will help you to understand the problem of misinformation and begin to think about how to combat it. First, you will be introduced to definitions of misinformation and fake news. We’ll investigate misinformation as part of a long history of propaganda, fake news, and information operations, all the way up to the social media fueled misinformation tsunami of our current media environment. This course looks at misinformation from many angles. We’ll consider the ways that influence matters for the spread of misinformation; we’ll look at the role of media and key influencers in spreading misinformation and how social media accelerates the reach and speed of misinformation. Finally, the course will teach you about the individual drivers of misinformation sharing and how to combat them: how to assess the quality of different messages in personal and professional contexts and how to speak with others who are sharing misinformation. INDS545 teaches you strategies to address misinformation in your own personal and professional lives and your communities.
INDS605: Special Topics in Interdisciplinary Studies
The objective of the course is to engages students in the study of timely, socially relevant topic`s from inter-, multi-, and transdisciplinary perspectives. Provides students with insights into emerging topics offered by scholars with topic-specific expertise. Course themes will focus on broad and/or complex issues that draw on a variety of disciplines in an integrated manner. Students learn through scholarship and research, discussion, and an applied project as they explore emerging areas of expertise. Course themes may be related to culture, society, technology, economy, governance, and the environment.
Topic: Surveys, Interviews, and Focus Groups
Offered Oct 12 till Dec 19, 2027. Instructed by Stéphanie Vieille
This course offers master’s students deeper, practical guidance on collecting data from human subjects. It focuses specifically on three key methods: surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Students will gain applied skills in designing and conducting these methods, from crafting effective survey questions to facilitating interviews and moderating focus groups. Each module provides clear, step-by-step instruction, ethical considerations, and practical tools to support research planning and execution. By the end of the course, students will be well-equipped to gather qualitative and quantitative data confidently and rigorously—an essential step in conducting meaningful, human-centered research.
INDS620: Research Paper
Constitutes a substantial written examination of a topic relevant to an interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary program of study. May include studies of application of knowledge to the field, development of instructional or organizational practices or resources, evaluations of practices or resources, critical analyses of problems or issues, policy analysis or development, performative writing, documentary work, systematic literature reviews or data analyses as negotiated with the instructor and based on publicly available data. Optimum length for a research paper is 6,000 words and should involve approximately 200 hours of effort by the student resulting in the awarding of 6 credit hours.
INDS690: Thesis
A thesis is a written product of a systematic study of a significant problem. The thesis demonstrates the ability of a student to analyze existing research, collate or collect data, and apply it in the context of an existing problem. The result is a de novo synthesis of theoretical and empirical information. The thesis identifies a problem, provides a rationale for the study, and states the hypothesis or research question. It identifies major theoretical assumptions, explains the methods chosen to study the problem, analyzes the data, and offers a conclusion or recommendation based on the data and theoretical framing. The finished thesis evidences originality, critical and independent thinking, appropriate organization and format, and thorough documentation. The thesis should constitute approximately 400 hours of effort by the learner.
INED525: Developing and Managing Indigenous Enterprises
The course will explore the key topics and skills Indigenous managers, and others working with Indigenous communities, need to successfully develop and lead Indigenous enterprises and partnerships. Much of the learning in this course is complimented by guest presenters such as Indigenous practitioners, to present a practical perspective on the concepts covered in the course. This course covers concepts and exploring issues and solutions in the fields of ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) as a business reporting methodology, Human Resource Management, Environmental Planning and Management, Supply Chain and Procurement and related topics. All topics are underpinned in Indigenous culture and perspectives. Learners will be challenged to assess course concepts through applied analysis of concepts against an Indigenous lens. Learners will develop a prospective Indigenous business opportunity in the context of opportunity development and risk assessment.
INED550: Developing Strategic Indigenous Partnerships
This course serves as a capstone course for the Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Economic Development. The course has a focus on negotiations and partnerships in an Indigenous context and provides case-based scenarios and the use of real, practical tools and opportunities for students to develop negotiation skills and explore various models of partnerships for successful engagement with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations. Students will examine ways to create new ideas and approaches that go beyond past agreements and thinking to expand the range of possible outcomes and benefits to be developed through successful partnerships. The course also focuses on leadership skills and understandings to support work with Indigenous peoples, communities and enterprises.