New Course Offerings

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: Language, Power and Persuasion

Offered Oct 13 till Dec 20, 2026. Instructed by matthew heinz.

This course explores the complex relationships among language, power, and persuasion in social, political, environmental, and organizational contexts. Students will explore the tools of content and discourse analysis to examine the relevance of everyday discourse, media discourse, and institutional language in shaping perceptions of people and events. Course readings will draw from sociolinguistics, communication studies, and critical discourse analysis. Students will explore how language can convey ideologies and maintain power hierarchies but also offer constructive alternatives that promote inclusion and equity.

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.

This course will inform learners about the expanding Indigenous economy through exposure to Indigenous perspectives that guide economic development, as well as the current business and management tools and practices in use by Indigenous nations and business owners. The course delivers content on business structures, strategic planning – including the application of governance and competitive business analysis concepts – all through an Indigenous cultural lens. Learners will be challenged to assess the existing Indigenous business environment in the context of risk assessment and opportunity development. This course is the first of three courses in the Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Economic Development, which includes three integrated 3-credit courses.

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.

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.

Learn about Canada’s history of colonization and the theoretical background of coloniality. Explore the idea of self-location and determine how you are personally situated within the ongoing colonial project. Establish goals for moving forward with your decolonizing learning journey. Focus is decolonizing the self.

Introduces the range of models for integrating technology into the higher education learning environment. Examines the impact of introducing online learning into a traditional institution as well as the role of social media in supporting student learning. Explores student service options required in technology-mediated learning environments and the challenges involved in their provision. Considers the needs of students, and the role of staff and faculty professional development programs in supporting students. 

Differentiate the concepts of Indigenous resurgence, Indigenization, decolonization, and reconciliation. Explore processes in educational systems that contribute to decolonizing outcomes, including embodied learning, land-based learning, Indigenous ways of knowing, Indigenous pedagogies, research as ceremony, and community-embedded learning. Focus is decolonizing in the system.

Explore what it means to enact pluriversal relationships in educational systems. Deconstruct hierarchal, binary, and authoritative assumptions about relationship in educational systems. Develop a communitarian orientation to educational relationships, focused on trust, generosity, and centering multiple perspectives. Focus is on decolonizing relationships within the system.

Supports students in producing a digital learning resource of personal significance and relevance. Examples include, but are not limited to, the creation of an instructional module, a series of learning objects, an open educational resource, a series of tutorials, an app, or any other tool, technology, or resource of student’s choice. Facilitated through the execution of a personal learning plan and supported by mentoring from the instructor, peer-to-peer and digital learning networks and communities. [For more information please visit the MALAT course site.]

This course provides you with a critical journey engaging planetary health leadership from transdisciplinary, (for example integral), health equity, Indigenizing perspectives and approaches. The units provide you with an overview of the current realities and the systemic relationships, drivers, and impacts propelling planetary health movements.  You will apply case studies, examining complexities and engaging global challenges in different fields of planetary health.  You will develop the capacities to convene ethical spaces, centering Indigenous, together with Western science in Two-Eyed Seeing.  Your foundational reflexivity and integration will be cultivated through land based and community dialogue in class conversations.

The course places the use and development of artificial intelligence (AI) in a social, political, and global context. Integrating theories, empirical research, and diverse perspectives, the course focuses on key challenges that the adoption and adaptation of AI pose to global leadership in the fourth industrial revolution. The main scope of the course is to build understanding of how ethics, technology, and culture play into social development, adaptation, and change, while considering inequities and asymmetrical relations. The course proposes hands-on innovative approaches to understanding these challenges and finding solutions that are operationally sound in local to global contexts, systems thinking oriented, ethically and politically aware, and culturally sensitive.

Students with leadership experience and a health professions background, explore and address widespread racism and discrimination towards Indigenous and racialized People in healthcare and the direct link to health disparities and outcomes. The course begins by establishing a baseline of knowledge and skills around systemic racism, colonization, and discrimination and creates a supportive container for learning. Draws connection between yourself, your identities, and the land, and considers how you interact with systems. Finally, considers what it means to have an ‘anti-racist or equity stance’ and what attitudes, behaviours, and skills demonstrate both awareness and action.

Extends the fundamental principles and knowledge of coaching into the context of coaching work teams. Emphasizes the development of core knowledge, skills, and competencies related to team coaching, and distinguishes team coaching from other forms of help such as group coaching, facilitation, and team building. The course culminates in the creation of an individualized model of team coaching, enabling students to more effectively and competently coach work teams in organizations. The course requires significant participation in both individual and team assignments.

Offers existing personal and professional coaches a practical approach for deepening and enhancing the quality and impact of their coaching relationships by integrating the wisdom of the whole body – somatic presence and awareness. Emphasis is placed on a blend of theory and the science behind a somatic and presence-based approach to coaching. By integrating a variety of practices, students will develop their own unique somatic orientation to their coaching approach. Additionally, students will learn ways to develop the skills, capacity, and quality of full-body presence within themselves, furthering their own professional growth and development.

Building upon your experience as a professional coach, you will develop a comprehensive understanding of the complexities related to integrating coaching as a cornerstone of organizational culture. You will learn how to align coaching with strategic initiatives in order to maximize knowledge sharing, build capacity and increase organizational performance. Using applied, practical methods, you will explore the challenges of implementing a coaching culture within an organizational context and identify opportunities to drive organizational change.

Considers how psychology can enrich Coaching and Coaching practice. Explores a series of proven coaching techniques and interventions drawn from various schools of psychology. Provides students with evidence based perspectives through which to observe and understand their coaching practice. Students will benefit from opportunities to apply these with the aim of deepening and broadening their practice. Seminars will be led by the student teams.

Highlights ethical issues pertaining to the profession of coaching and the various ethical requirements of a professional coach. Students will explore ethical and morally problematic circumstances through a variety of contexts including how professional coaches conduct themselves in situations involving public safety and public trust, privacy and confidentiality, honesty or deception, informed consent, objectivity and conflicts of interest, and whistle blowing.