First of all, what is the Liberal Education Requirement? At BU, this requirement means that anyone taking their Bachelor’s of Science or Arts must take six credit hours in each of three categories: the Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. These credit hours may also apply to your major or minor, meaning you shouldn’t have to worry about at least one of these three categories. For example, I am an English major and a Psychology minor – My English courses fulfil the Humanities requirement, and my Psych classes fulfil the Social Science requirement, meaning I only had to actively pursue the six credit hours of Natural Science. If you have any more questions about the Liberal Ed Requirement, check out pages 40-41 of the Course Calendar or get in touch with one of the university’s Academic Advisors!
For many university students, venturing outside our comfort zone of familiar, preferred subjects can be uncomfortable. The Liberal Ed Requirement can be a great opportunity to study those subjects that appeal to you, but that may not fit in to your regular degree requirements. So, take the following suggestions with a grain of salt: the most important thing is that the courses appeal to your interests! That being said, I’ve gathered recommendations from several later-year Brandon University students to suggest the least intimidating courses in each category. If you have any suggestions that didn’t make the list, be sure to email eic.thequill@gmail.com to have your course recommendations featured in a future issue!
Humanities
30:145 Contemporary Literature – Maybe I’m biased, but the English department is really amazing. If you like to read, I think you should absolutely take a literature course, even if it’s just for fun! Contemporary Literature is a great introduction to this field of study, because the material is fairly modern and easy to grasp. You can’t go wrong with any professor, but Dr. Rose is my personal suggestion. (30:147 Literary Traditions is also a fantastic course, especially with Dr. Robson, but it might be a little more difficult due to the older texts!)
67:130 Music History Survey 1 – This course provides a brief overview of multiple eras of music, starting around the Baroque Period. According to our AEIC May, it’s a good course if you want to build your musical ear and be introduced to a wide variety of instrumental works, especially by canon composers like Haydn and Mozart.
36:162 Making Sense of Gender – Making Sense of Gender is a really interesting course that challenges students to think in new ways. No matter what your current perspective is on topics like gender roles and gender diversity, you will come out of this course with a new, deeper understanding. In addition, this course usually has a relatively light workload, making it easy to balance with your other courses.
86:158 World Mythology – Religion is a really neat department that is often overlooked. This course, which is usually offered over the summer, covers the myths and folklore of peoples ranging from Ancient Egyptians to the Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island. Dr. Medd is a great professor, and any of her online asynchronous summer courses are a great way to lighten your fall/winter courseload.
Social Sciences
38:192 Environment and Society – This is another course that will seriously change the way you think about the world. The usual professor, Dr. Malcolm, is a really great teacher, and his classes are always super interesting. He always ties in current and local environmental concerns, encouraging students to think critically about our impact on the world around us.
90:154 Introduction to Sociology – Sociology, the study of human behaviour and institutions, is a wide-ranging field covering many interesting topics and ideas. Dr. Schneider is one of the highest-recommended professors at BU – the students I spoke to described him as incredibly passionate, knowledgeable, and caring, and his classes as uniquely engaging and fun.
68:151 Introduction to Native Studies 1 – Most students would recommend taking at least one course in the Faculty of Native Studies. Not only will it fulfil both the Liberal Ed Requirements and the newly-instated Indigenous Content Course Requirement, it will also serve to change your perspectives. The diverse richness of Indigenous culture is really beautiful, and spending a semester learning about the history of Indigenous peoples in Canada will open your eyes and change the way you think about the country in which we live.
82:160 Introduction to Psychology – Psychology is a huge field of study, with topics ranging from neuroscience to counselling approaches to cognitive processes like memory and perception. Intro Psych touches on each of these subjects, providing an overview of all the many possibilities within the field. Dr. Gadbois is the most-recommended professor for this course from the students I spoke to.
Natural Sciences
74:184 Solar System Astrology – This course is many people’s go-to Natural Science recommendation, for good reason! It is a super interesting course, and Dr. Foster is a phenomenal professor. The course is structured planet by planet, so by the end of the semester you’ll know a lot of random fun facts about everything orbiting our sun. Be warned that there is a little bit of math involved, but all in all, it is pretty manageable. (The sister course, 74:185 The Galaxy and the Universe, is also an amazing course, but Dr. Foster’s engaging style of teaching really makes Solar Systems legendary.)
15/42:180 The World of Dinosaurs – The World of Dinosaurs is definitely a bit of a niche subject, but students assured me that it is a really interesting course! The course considers topics like anatomy, diversity, and fossil geology, all in a 66-million-years-ago Mesozoic setting.
15:162 Cells, Genetics, and Evolution – This may be a controversial choice, because this course isn’t exactly known for being easy, but one student that I spoke to seriously enjoyed it. They said that the three professors knew how to make the course really engaging, and that the labs in particular were super interesting.