University of Winnipeg · Undergraduate calendar
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2,415 courses · 48 subjects · 2026-27 calendar
Introductory Anthropology
This course provides a general introduction to the four main branches of anthropology: archaeological, cultural, linguistic, and physical (biological). Topics include human evolution, the nature of culture and language, the diversity of past and present societies and their ways of life, and the causes and consequences of social and cultural change. Some instructors may devote substantially more time to certain topics than do others. Students are advised to consult with individual instructors for details.
Introductory Cultural Anthropology and Linguistics
This course is a general introduction to the comparative study of culture and language. Topical emphases vary. In cultural anthropology they may include economic and political organization, kinship and marriage, ritual and belief, and the causes and consequences of cultural change in the contemporary world. In Linguistic Anthropology they may include language structure, pragmatics, sociolinguistics and the ethnography of language. Some instructors may devote substantially more time than others to certain topics. Students are advised to consult with individual instructors for details.
Introductory Biological Anthropology and Archaeology
This is a general introduction to the study of the biological nature and origins of the human species, and of the cultural and biological record of the past. Topical emphases vary but may include basic principles of biological evolution, the human fossil record, modern human variation, and archaeological evidence of the development and diversification of society and culture from earliest times to the rise of ancient civilization.
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology: Indigenous Focus
This course is a general introduction to the comparative study of human social and cultural life. Topical emphases vary but may include language, economic and political organization, kinship and marriage, ritual and belief, and the causes and consequences of social and cultural change in the contemporary world. This course focuses primarily on Indigenous peoples in North America. Some instructors may devote substantially more time than others to the study of linguistics. Students are advised to consult with individual instructors for details.
Museum Anthropology
Museum Anthropology is a branch of anthropology that critically engages with museum collections as sources of knowledge about humans and culture. Learners in this course explore the theory and practice of museum anthropology, focusing on topics such as the histories and legacies of ethnographic, archaeological, and bioanthropological collections; representations of culture in museum catalogues and displays; and efforts to decolonize anthropological museums. Students develop applied and critical skills through lab activities in the Anthropology Museum, field trips to local museums, and guided research leading to the curation of a small public exhibit.
Method and Theory in Cultural Anthropology
This core course surveys the essentials of theory and method in the anthropological study of culture and society. It examines central concepts and perspectives in relation to their past development and current status, and their applications in ethnographic and ethnological research.
Ethnography of Indigenous Peoples in Canada and the U.S.
This course surveys ethnographies of Indigenous peoples of Canada primarily, with some ethnographic material from the United States. Students are introduced to the history of North American cultural anthropology and its roots in Indigenous ethnographic research. The course familiarizes students with ethnography as the primary methodology of cultural anthropologists. Students apply critical thinking skills to the methodology as they read and analyse ethnographies as representations of Indigenous societies. Emphasis is placed on the work of Indigenous ethnographers, scholars, and contributors to Indigenous-focused ethnography.
Medical Anthropology
Medical anthropology is a subfield of anthropology. It informs our understandings of the experiences and distribution of health, the prevention and the treatment of the sick in different cultural groups and the role of pluralistic medical systems. Critical health disparities between marginalized populations in developed countries as well as between developing and developed countries are increasingly prevalent and complex in nature. This course looks at ethnomedicine, disease ecology and Indigenous perspectives on health and illness.
Traditional Japanese Culture
This course surveys traditional Japanese culture through an exploration of visual and dramatic arts, literature, philosophy, and religion. Special emphasis is placed on cross-cultural roots that bridged Japan with its neighbouring countries in East Asia. The historical foundations of popular Japanese contemporary culture - Manga, Anime, and high technology to name a few - are also discussed.
Anthropologists in the Community
Anthropologists are often engaged in research directly with communities. This may involve partnerships, collaboration or supporting communities directly as they lead their own research. Applied anthropology is a sub-field of anthropology which explores ways anthropologists work in communities to help identify and resolve challenges and grow opportunities using anthropological knowledge and methods. This course provides students with an introduction to community based research methods and research design in anthropology.
Method and Theory in Archæology
This is a core course designed to convey the essentials of archaeological method and theory as they relate to each other. Theoretical and procedural trends are examined to illuminate the nature of contemporary archaeological research. Selected findings of this research are reviewed in accord with the major concepts of archaeology and development of the methodologies employed.
Archæology of North America
This course surveys the archaeology of North American indigenous peoples before European contact. Major culture areas are examined, including the Southwest, Northwest Coast, Arctic, Plains, and Northeast. The regional focus may vary from year to year.
Rise of New World Civilization
This course covers the period from the origins of agriculture to the rise of historically recorded New World civilizations such as Aztec, Inca, and Maya. Special emphasis is given to the background and origin of food production through the domestication of plants and animals, and to the development of urban centres. Regional emphasis may vary from year to year.
Rise of Old World Civilization
This course covers the origins and development of civilization in the Old World with emphasis on the prehistoric archaeological record. Topics discussed include the forces behind an increase in population density, the role of civilization and urbanism in state formation, and the problem of collapse of Old World civilizations, such as ancient Egypt, the Near East, China, and the Indus Valley. Regional and chronological coverage may vary from year to year.
Archaeological Field School
This course number allows students who complete a recognized archaeological field school weighted at three credit hours to transfer equivalent credit to the University of Winnipeg. Only field schools offering both a theoretical lecture component and an intensive field component are accepted. Students must meet all requirements set by individual field schools.
Archaeology in Popular Culture
From Indiana Jones to Tomb Raider to YouTubers covering the discovery and excavation of prior sites of human occupation, Archaeology holds a special place in the public imagination. Archaeologists have been depicted in popular culture through many formats, including movies and TV shows, literature and comics, news media, video games and more. This course critically assesses the ways in which archaeology is presented to the general public, by both archaeologists and non-archaeologists, and evaluates how the representation of archaeologists matters (or should matter) to a general audience.
Archæological Field School
This course number is designated for students who complete a recognized archaeological field school weighted at six credit hours to transfer equivalent credit to the University of Winnipeg. Only field schools offering both a theoretical lecture component and an intensive field component are accepted. Students must meet all requirements set by individual field schools.
Archæology of the Ancient Near East
This course traces the development of Syrian Palestinian Archaeology, including a study of archaeological remains and sites from the Neolithic period (ca. 8500 B.C.) to the Byzantine period (ca. 330 A.D.) in the Levant, or countries bordering on the eastern Mediterranean Sea from Turkey to Egypt. Emphasis is placed on techniques of recovering ancient remains as well as the interpretation of artifacts, including those associated with Biblical text or documents from other ancient Near Eastern cultures.
Caribbean Archaeology
This course introduces students to the archaeology of the insular Caribbean. Students discover the cultural diversity and complexity that characterized the area from the arrival of the first humans to the early contact with Europeans. The course covers different aspects including cultural periodizations, migratory routes, emblematic sites, and the characterization of precolonial and early colonial lifeways of Indigenous people in the Caribbean. Students learn different methods and techniques that have been applied to the study of archaeological materials from the Caribbean and the legacy of Indigenous groups to the socio-cultural development of the region.
The Archaeology of Ancient Egypt
This course surveys ancient Egypt from early settled life to imperial times. It uses archaeological evidence to reconstruct Egyptian culture across the Dynastic periods, including the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms, as well as intermediate phases. The course covers themes like kingship, monumental architecture, notable Pharaohs, the pantheon of deities, and beliefs about death and the afterlife. It emphasizes archaeological material culture, describing artifacts and significant sites, and provides a foundation for understanding Egyptian history and culture from its origins to the influence of foreign powers, including the Ptolemies, Hellenistic rulers, and Romans.
Food, Diet and Dining in Antiquity
This course explores the techniques, issues, and controversies involved in reconstructing the role of food, diet and dining in Greek and Roman antiquity. Topics addressed include examination of lines of evidence (broadly encompassing ancient literary and textual evidence, depictions from art, and material remains from archaeological excavation); the economic basis for production, trade, transport and consumption of foodstuffs in antiquity; practicalities and limitations involved in cooking, preserving and preparing food stuffs; the social and philosophical context of eating and dining; the role of food in ancient religious and cult practices; medical approaches to food, diet and health in antiquity.
Introductory Classical Archaeology: Principles and Practices
This course provides an introduction to the development, principles, and practices associated with archaeological analysis and study of Classical civilizations (primarily Greece and Rome). A wide range of material categories (such as buildings, coins, pottery, sculpture, geological deposits, and plant and animal remains) are considered along with the techniques devised by Classical archaeologists for understanding them and their significance as evidence for Classical societies. Dating and chronology, geography, function, typology and the interface between material remains and written evidence are considered. Curriculum includes special attention to case studies and to hands-on experience where possible.
Method and Theory in Biological Anthropology
This core course examines the theoretical framework of Biological (Physical) Anthropology and the nature of current human biological variation. Topics include evolutionary theory, human genetics, modern human biological variation, human adaptation to the environment, and demographic processes.
Introduction to Forensic Anthropology
This course introduces key aspects of forensic anthropology in a framework that is not dependent upon prior knowledge of scientific methods. Topics include approaches to the interpretation of skeletal remains and DNA evidence, and the application of information from other sciences to forensic analysis.
Method and Theory in Linguistic Anthropology
This course examines the relationship between language and culture, including the theories and principles of linguistic anthropology. More than 20 languages are compared and contrasted in order to understand the concepts of language structure. Topics include the basic principles of phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax, pragmatics, language change, literacy, nonverbal communication and signed languages.
Phonetics and Phonology
This course describes all English consonant and vowel sounds in terms of place and manner of articulation. It also identifies how sounds are organized into syllables and words by studying the concepts of phonemes, allophones and phonological rules. Although the course focuses on English phonology, it also draws heavily on other languages to illustrate the key concepts. Students will be required to master characters and diacritics from the International Phonetic Alphabet.
Morphology
This course introduces students to the concepts and methods of word analysis. Students investigate the nature of morphemes (smallest units of meaning), their different types and functions, and the different ways they are organized into words. The course explores the process of word formation through derivation and compounding as well as grammatical uses of inflectional morphemes. Based largely in English, both lectures and exercises also draw on various other languages to highlight key morphological features and constructs.
Syntax
Syntax is the study of the arrangement of words into groups, clauses and sentences. In this course students use morphological, syntactic, semantic, and lexical criteria to define traditional parts of speech, in order to understand how these combine to form a variety of clauses and sentences types. Form, function, class and structure are introduced from the perspective of systemic functional and communication linguistics. These descriptive frameworks are contrasted with transformational generative models and others.
Languages of the World
Taking a general overview of the linguistic map of the world where approximately 7000 languages are currently spoken, this course looks at some of the main language families and examines evidence for genetic relationships within them. Variations within a single language, principles underlying different writing systems, as well as issues of language contact, endangered languages, and the role of English as an emerging world language are also considered. Examples are drawn from a wide range of languages.
Semantics
Semantics is the branch of linguistics concerned with how we construct meaning using language. It is arguably the most diverse branch, situated between the highly formalizable "inner layers" of phonology, morphology and syntax and the fuzzier "outer layer" of pragmatics. Key ideas covered in the course include: the difference between sense and reference, the application of basic rules in formal logic, prototype theory, componential analysis, and cognitive semantics; how to identify thematic roles in sentences; the functions of noun classifiers, deictics, and adpositions in different languages; and, the nature of metaphors, metonyms and image schemas.